Responding to Ritchin [Chapters 1 & 2]

There is so much that can be said about the ‘truth’ of photography and how technology has stained that truth [or not]. During most readings/conversations I have so many thoughts and contradicting opinions flowing through my mind that I can never clearly determine my stance. In Ritchin’s reading however I found my thoughts mostly drawn to that of how photography affects our culture desires.

There is not an image held within magazines nor in professional websites online that has not been photo shopped. We claim that we ’know’ those images are not truly real, yet we still produce and engulf them, try to become them so much that I think we have only fooled ourselves. Ritchin speaks of photographs as ’desirents’; images existing to sell information/items that are really not of worth to him. We want those things that are projected constantly into our paths of vision. We are inundated with those models of desire which are photographs, commercials, imagery.

“Whether aware of it or not, those manipulating photographs are preparing the way for fundamental personal and societal changes….If we, like our jeans and our cars, can transition from a solid physicality into the allure of image, then we too become more likely candidates for manipulation.” [Ritchin; After Photography; pg 25]

On another note, I had a completely new revelation/thought when Ritchin spoke of a photograph as initial research, the photographer only an initial [to my understanding rather miniscule] researcher with little deciding power. As a student and beginning photographer I am used to completing all of the pre-work, leg-work, post-work, any work, for myself. Later in life I may find myself working for others to create an end product image. Large companies have teams to do this work. I may activate the shutter but someone else will hold the power and instruction to probe, pry, dissect, and modify those pixels.

Ritchin quotes Susan Sontag - “To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed. It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge - and, therefore, like power.” [Ritchin; After Photography; pg 32] But look, even the photographer [especially in today’s culture/technology] can lose that power to those directing the post production of images destined for societal consumption. Whomever holds that power, there is no doubt to me that photographic images does indeed hold tremendous power/sway over us.