Photography Misconceptions

A common misconception that has existed ever since the introduction of photography is that photographs are assumed to be accurate visual representations of society and the world around us. However, this is far from the truth. All photographs contain subjective aspects that require deeper insight from the viewer, as they are not always apparent at the first glance. A common belief is that photographs do not portray the truth because the photographer makes vital choices when it comes to the subject and composition of photographs, making them not as genuine as they appear to be. With recent technology, individuals are also able to digitally alter photographs, to transform them into their ideal perception. The two following pictures are photographs that have more behind them than what is apparent when you first look at them. The first photograph was taken by Bob Adelman, …show more content…
Adelman was well-known in the photography industry for his photographs from the Civil Rights Movement. The USA. March on Washington DC. photograph commemorates the historic moment when Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous “I Have A Dream Speech” and declares that African Americans are free from racial segregation and discrimination. The second photographic was taken by Dennis Stock, titled James DEAN visiting a barber shop near Times Square. (1955). Stock was an American journalist that had developed a friendship with the actor James Dean and had taken various photographs of the actor before his untimely death. The title of the photograph, James DEAN visiting a barber shop near Times Square, is self-explanatory as the photograph captures James Dean sitting in a barber’s chair, looking at a mirror and pointing at his hair, presumably telling the barber how he wants to get his hair cut. It is clear that although these photographs differ in subject matter and reason, they both have the myth of photographic truth that can be further distinguished through a thorough analysis of these