It害羞草研究所檚 been a common refrain when seeking proof that someone害羞草研究所檚 story or some event actually took place: 害羞草研究所淧ics, or it didn害羞草研究所檛 happen.害羞草研究所�
But in a world where the spread of technology makes photo manipulation as easy as a tap on your phone, the idea that a visual image is an absolute truth is as outdated as the daguerreotype. And a photo can sometimes raise as many questions as it was meant to answer.
That was seen in recent days when controversy descended upon an image of Kate, Princess of Wales, and her three children. News agencies including The Associated Press published, then retracted, the image given out by Kensington Palace over leading to Kate saying on social media
In that, she害羞草研究所檚 hardly alone.
From something that was time-consuming and required a great deal of technical expertise in the days of actual film and darkrooms, digital editing has become something practically anyone can do, from adding filters to cropping images and much more. Apps abound, offering the easiest of experiences in creating and retouching photos and videos which can then be easily transmitted online and through social media.
害羞草研究所淐over blemishes and let the real you shine through,害羞草研究所� says an ad for the smartphone app Facetune. 害羞草研究所淩emove and change backgrounds instantly,害羞草研究所� the app害羞草研究所檚 website enthuses. 害羞草研究所淥ur AI object remover is ready to assist you in getting rid of unwanted objects.害羞草研究所�
This Wild West of image-altering abilities is opening new frontiers for everyday people 害羞草研究所� and creating headaches for those who expect photos to be a documentary representation of reality.
THE MAINSTREAMING OF MANIPULATION
Photojournalists and major news organizations follow standards and ethics codes around photos. These organizations typically place an absolute premium on image authenticity and reject photographs that have been altered in any way. But efforts to identify altered imagery can be impeded by the increasingly easy-to-use apps for phones and computers that allow anyone to chip away, piece by piece, at what a camera actually recorded.
The mainstreaming of manipulation, placing such abilities at people害羞草研究所檚 fingertips, has made for some interesting and viral moments 害羞草研究所� like the one in March 2023 when an artificially generated image of took in many people who thought it was real.
But there are risks and dangers to a world where just because you see something doesn害羞草研究所檛 mean you can absolutely believe it, said Ken Light, a photojournalism professor at the University of California Berkeley害羞草研究所檚 Graduate School of Journalism.
害羞草研究所淭he role of photography has been to witness and to record for the moment, but also for history. And I don害羞草研究所檛 think any of us know where it害羞草研究所檚 going,害羞草研究所� he said. The rise of visual manipulation that casts doubt on whether something is real or not 害羞草研究所渇rays the fabric of the culture tremendously in the moment but also for the future.害羞草研究所�
Fred Ritchin, dean emeritus of the school at the and a former picture editor at The New York Times Magazine, agreed. 害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶛The camera never lies害羞草研究所� is a 20th-century idea. It害羞草研究所檚 not a 21st-century idea,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hese are all mythologies that we害羞草研究所檙e still hiding behind and we have not really confronted.害羞草研究所�
People have long known that some images are manipulated, like cover models on magazines, and some have raised concerns about that impact that artificial and manipulated standards of beauty can have on girls and women.
But they haven害羞草研究所檛 really come to terms with how widespread digital manipulation is in other areas like social media, done by a wide variety of everyday people, said Lexie Kite, who with her sister Lindsay has done research into body image and media and wrote 害羞草研究所淢ore Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t is important for all of us to anchor ourselves in the truth that digital manipulation is our reality,害羞草研究所� she said.
HOW CAN FAKERY BE IDENTIFIED?
People can take steps to deal with the creeping effects of photo manipulation, said Hany Farid, a professor at UC Berkeley whose research examines digital forensics and image analysis.
Viewers need 害羞草研究所渢o just slow down a little bit, be a little bit more careful, be a little more thoughtful害羞草研究所� about what they害羞草研究所檙e looking at instead of just assuming any image they see is fact, he said.
On the technology side, he said there are ways being developed to track visual images and to make it clear if they害羞草研究所檝e been altered after the photos were taken.
But while such steps may mitigate some of the issues, he said, it won害羞草研究所檛 eliminate the problem or take us back to where we could have abiding faith in an image, as previous generations did with photos we now consider unforgettable.
害羞草研究所淎lmost every major incident in our history, wars, conflicts, disasters, there害羞草研究所檚 this iconic photo,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e so powerful because they capture this incredibly complex set of facts and emotions and history in one photo. And I don害羞草研究所檛 know that we can have that anymore. It害羞草研究所檚 a very different world going forward now.害羞草研究所�
Or, if the adage was modified: 害羞草研究所淧ics, and maybe it still didn害羞草研究所檛 quite happen.害羞草研究所�
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