Truth and Photography

174 years. That’s how long it took for us to get from the first photograph in 1826 to the first camera phone in 2000. Since then, the technology of photography has advanced and spread so rapidly within the past 16 years, that somewhere within arm’s reach you likely have not only your own camera, but your own camera with built-in means of publication and distribution.

Such technology means each person is now a photojournalist in their own right, resulting in a magnification of the the power of the photographer and image found in recent films such as The Colony (2015). Set amidst the political turmoil of 1970s Chile, The Colony depicts the great power of photography and images to reveal truth within society. Abducted by the Pinochet regime and taken to La Colonia Dignidad, activist Daniel (Daniel Brühl) is first discovered and captured because soldiers see him photographing the coup as he attempts to escape. Once inside the colony’s barbed wire borders however, he discovers a camera and uses it to secretly photograph the atrocities taking place behind closed doors. Once he and Lena (Emma Watson), his girlfriend who intentionally joins the colony to rescue him, finally escape, they bring the photographs to the attention of the international community, sparking outrage across the world. Though a fictional account, there really were photographs taken of La Colonia and made public to the world as a means of revealing what was actually happening in Chile. The presumed shockwave within the world of the film, created by only a few images taken by a single person, is a perfect illustration of the power of photography as a vehicle for truth. It is within many people’s power to not only document daily existence, but capture such momentous events as they unfold – bearing witness before any ‘official’ documenters arrive. Quoted in the article Where Have All the Photojournalists Gone?, Wall Street Journal photographer Rob Bennett said “The iPhone people are going to be there when the bomb goes off, when the house burns down, when the assassination goes down. They’re going to crush that market, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” Anyone now has the potential to capture such influential photographs as those instrumental to the plot of The Colony.

Conversely, the film Kids in Love (2016), hints at a potential darker side to this photographic revolution. After falling in with a group of young artists eschewing mainstream society for an underground, carefree, bohemian life in London, Jack (Will Poulter) is urged to follow his passion and pick up photography as a means of finding his truth. Jack brings his camera everywhere on his adventures with his new friend group, capturing their times together. But, there is a notable honesty missing from the images Jack takes – he captures only the best moments, using photography not as a means of recording life as it is, but rather capturing his best self – only the good. Through the same technology that allows people to spread truth through images, anyone can also manipulate images to show whatever story they want. The detriments of this seem to spread even farther than merely altering public perception of oneself. As reported by The Telegraph, “a fifth of young people admit their online profile bears little resemblance to reality, and that their recollection of past events has been distorted by their own fabrications.” Through such obfuscations as depicted in Kids in Love, people are not only able to disrupt their projected record, but also, even more disturbingly, their internal one.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen what the final impact of the democratization of photography and its distribution will be. Will we all become vigilant photojournalists, aware of our own power and duty? Or will we only go so far as to ensure our own image is maintained to our satisfaction? Toeing the line between truth and fantasy, the medium, its vast potential, and varied uses leave us much to ponder about the place and weight of image in today’s society.