In chapter 1 of Practices of Looking, Sturken and Cartwright teach us about the myth of photographic truth. The idea of photographic truth stems from the common belief that cameras were objects made to capture reality at any point in time and that these images were real, true, and unaltered snapshots of life as we know it. The idea of photographic truth, however, is a myth. Images are not always direct snapshots of reality, due to the fact that photographers have liberty to manipulate the content within the image. What really might be going on in a picture can be altered, controlled, and changed to make it seem like something else, or something it’s not. This is extremely prevalent in today’s world where social media rules our minds and shapes our perception of reality and truth. “These debates have taken on a new intensity with the introduction of digital imaging processes A photograph is often perceived to be an unmediated copy of the real world, a trace of reality skimmed off the very surface of life, and evidence of the real” (Sturken, Cartwright, pg. 17).
To identify an artwork as a photograph lets the audience know that what it is viewing is only one subjective viewpoint that doesn’t represent the whole truth.
Pen & Paper 