Is photo-manipulation a part of creativity?

Altantuya Sharibuu Photo Manipulation

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The example of photo-manipulation

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Photojournalism nowadays could be related to photo-manipulation. The invention of technology and the features which offered some software allow people to manipulate a document. In this case, photograph is the most common issue, regarding to manipulation. There was many cases involving photo-manipulation, for example the photo manipulation case of Altantuya Sharibuu which became the most discussed issue few times ago has proofed that photo-manipulation can do everything. Paul Martin Lester (1999) in his chapter titled “Picture Manipulation” argues that the impact of the visual image on a viewer comes directly from belief that “camera never lies”. As a machine, the camera faithfully unemotionally records a moment in time. Lester adds that new technological advances that allow easy and undetectable picture manipulation cause the public to be concerned about the truthful content of photography. It can be concluded that camera won’t say lies, but nowadays photograph maybe say untruth.

Editing images in order to change the meaning is seriously prohibited regarding to ethical of photojournalism. Webster University Journal in article titled “Policy for the Ethical Use of Photographs” stated that there are two guidelines that editor must pay more attention:

Generally allowed
- Brightness/contrast control
- Burning and dogging to control tonal range
- Colour correction
- Cropping and frame to fit the layout
- Be touching of dust and stretches

Never allowed
- Adding moving or removing object within the frame
- Colour change other than to restore what the subject looked like
- Cropping a frame in order to alter its meaning
- Flopping a photography

David Shenk (1997) in his article titled “Every picture can tell a lie” stated that cropping itself has powerful tool, even people seem that crop is a common issue. To support, Weber (1995) come out with ethical of publishing which is really needed to editor in order to produce a craft that telling the truth is extremely important in publication. Weber divides it into two parts:

CLEAR-CUT
- Don’t satisfy data or state as truth something that you know to be false
- Don’t deliberately misrepresent the facts.

LESS-CUT
- Distinguish between facts and opinion
- Always check the facts
- Don’t assume that what an ‘experts’ has said is the truth; experts can make mistakes too, or they might lie.

In conclusion, the photo manipulation is prohibited according to ethical of publishing, because somehow editing images are causing serious impacts such as misinterpretation or misunderstanding among the viewers. Cliff Edom (1980) cited in “Picture manipulation” by Lester stressed that “Both composite pictures were criticised by a minority group for misrepresenting the truth.” So that for editor who wants to express their creativity should pay attention to some ethics in order to produce a craft which can be enjoyed by every people without making any random meaning among the society.

References:

• Lester, PM 1999, Chapter Six: Picture manipulation, Photojournalism Ethics,viewed 10 June 2008 [online].
http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/chapter6.html

• Policy for the Ethical Use of Photographs, Webster University Journal, viewed 10 June 2008, [online].
http://www.webster.edu/~barrettb/journal_ethics.htm

• Shenk, D 1997, Every picture can tell a lie, About.com, viewed 10 June 2008, [online].
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/1997/10/7815

• Weber, JH 1995, Ethics in scientific and technical communication, WISENET Journal, vol. 38, July 1995, viewed 10 June 2008. [online].
http://www.jeanweber.com/newsite/?page_id=22