“Designers have far more power than they realize; their creativity fuels the most efficient (and most destructive) tools of deception in human history.” D. Berman
In this first reading, Berman points out that humankind have the unique gift of communication. We can share information with one another locally or globally, and with future generations to come. Berman states that with this gift comes great responsibility because it is powerful. Visual communication is powerful because it reaches so many people easily. Our world is bombarded with images and messages telling us what are new, the best, the easiest way to get the things we want and become the people we wish to be. Reaching a particular desired lifestyle is this carefully constructed campaign designed to sell the latest car or most fashionable pair of jeans. And I am guilty of both being persuaded to consume and use my powers of manipulation to convince others to do the same.
As a photographer I am often selling my clients, frequently Brides, this idea of perfection. I prey on the dreams and desires of their fantasy wedding day showing them manipulated images of carefully constructed scenarios. I am careful to use lighting and angles to create flattering images of my clients. I use software to manipulate these pictures to make the subjects have clearer skin, whiter teeth, and skinnier figures. I do all of these things without hesitation or thought. This way of doing things is normal to me. These are tactics I was taught by predecessors. These are the kind of images I see on television and in magazines. My livelihood depends entirely on selling the deception I can create with my camera.
So the question becomes, now that I have realized the power I contain, what will I do with it?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think it is interesting that you mentioned what it is that you do to gain clients. It is possible that you don't consciously make these types of decisions, but I would say it is likely that you pick photographs of the most attractive brides when showing them to potential clients (At least this is what magazines and advertisements do). If I were a client, I would see an image of a drop-dead gorgeous woman and possibly be more influenced by her beauty than the actual photograph itself. I think sometimes those viewers can be so captivated by beauty that they could neglect to realize their own individuality and their pictures will be different.
ReplyDeleteIt is almost as if you are saying, “Let me be your photographer, and this is how beautiful you could look.” It works though doesn’t it? We are born with an attraction to harmony and beauty, and we can’t help feeling a certain way by looking at something.
I’ve heard a couple of times about this study linked under this paragraph. Basically it tool new-born babies and showed them photographs of women who ranged on a scale of beauty from 1-10. How they judge the scale I am not sure, but I bet it had to do something with mostly with facial symmetry. They found that the babies looked at the more attractive images much longer than the ones on a lower scale.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3326774/Day-old-babies-have-eyes-for-a-pretty-face.html
I would say that we naturally seek beauty, and harmony, something pleasing. Is it wrong for advertisers to show an image of a beautiful girl? I don’t think so. Is it wrong for advertisers to show an image of a beautiful girl, with tons of makeup, completely photo shopped, made skinnier, and displaying characteristics that are almost not possible to attain in real life? I’m still not sure. When we constantly display this unattainable distorted sense of what beauty is, we start to seek this harmony within ourselves. We try to look like those in this fantasy world with plastic surgery, makeup, diets, exercise, and eating disorders. I know I do, and what I look like is something that takes up a lot of my time and energy.
Why do I feel like I HAVE to look absolutely beautiful every time I walk outside? Because there are billboards, magazine articles, advertisements and music videos that have women in them; flawless, usually staring at me, letting me know how much better they are than me.
Megan, I do believe we are best friends because we are on the same page. You speak what I think.
ReplyDelete