Nuanced sacrilege by Prof Dr Sohail Ansari
‘This has always been a nation willing to
sell out its past for putative progress’. —Anna Quindlen Abdullah
ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
said, “You must be
truthful. Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness
and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to be truthful and
encourages honesty until he is recorded with Allah as truthful. And beware
of falsehood. Verily, falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the
Hellfire. A man continues tell lies and encourages falsehood until he is
recorded with Allah as a liar.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ
al-Bukhārī 5743, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2607
Subtle blasphemy
·
We often trespass God by giving the fundamentals of our religion
flashes of irreverent humor.
Photo manipulation involves transforming or
altering a photograph using various methods and techniques
to achieve desired results. Some photo manipulations are considered skillful
artwork while others are frowned upon as unethical practices, especially when
used to deceive the public, such as that used for political propaganda,
or to make a product or person look better.
Depending on the application and intent, some photo
manipulations are considered an art form because it involves the creation of
unique images and in some instances, signature expressions of art by photographic
artists. For example, Ansel Adams employed some of the more common
manipulations using darkroom exposure techniques, such as burning
(darkening) and dodging (lightening) a photograph.[1][2] Other examples of photo manipulation
include retouching photographs using ink or paint, airbrushing, double exposure, piecing photos or
negatives together in the darkroom, scratching instant films,
or through the use of software-based manipulation tools applied to digital
images. There are a number of software applications available for digital image
manipulation, ranging from professional applications to very basic imaging
software for casual users.
Political and ethical issues[edit]
Photo manipulation has been used to deceive or persuade viewers
or improve storytelling and self-expression.[11] Often even subtle and discreet changes
can have a profound impact on how we interpret or judge a photograph, making it
all the more important to know when or if manipulation has occurred. As early
as the American Civil War, photographs were published as engravings based on
more than one negative.[12]
Joseph Stalin made
use of photo retouching for propaganda purposes.[13] On May 5, 1920 his predecessor Vladimir Lenin held a speech for Soviet troops that Leon Trotsky attended. Stalin had Trotsky retouched
out of a photograph showing Trotsky in attendance.[14] In a well known case of damnatio
memoriae image
manipulation, NKVD leader Nikolai Yezhov (the "Vanishing Commissar"),
after his execution in 1940, was removed from an official press photo where he
was pictured with Stalin.[15] (For more information, see Censorship of images in the Soviet
Union.) The pioneer among journalists distorting photographic images
for news value was Bernarr
Macfadden: in the mid-1920s, his "composograph"
process involved reenacting real news events with costumed body doubles and then photographing the dramatized
scenes—then pasting faces of the real news-personalities (gathered from
unrelated photos) onto his staged images. In the 1930s, artist John Heartfield used a type of photo manipulation
known as the photomontage to critique Nazi propaganda.
Some ethical theories have been applied to image manipulation.
During a panel on the topic of ethics in image manipulation[16] Aude Oliva theorized that categorical
shifts are necessary in order for an edited image to be viewed as a
manipulation. In Image Act
Theory,[17] Carson Reynolds extended speech act theory by applying it to photo editing
and image manipulations. In How
to Do Things with Pictures,[18] William Mitchell details the long
history of photo manipulation and discusses it critically.
Use in journalism[edit]
A notable incident of controversial photo manipulation occurred
over a photograph that was altered to fit the vertical orientation of a 1982 National Geographic magazine cover. The altered image made
two Egyptian pyramids appear closer together than they actually were in the
original photograph.[19] The incident triggered a debate about
the appropriateness of falsifying an image,[20] and raised questions regarding the
magazine's credibility. Shortly after the incident, Tom Kennedy, director of
photography for National
Geographic stated, "We
no longer use that technology to manipulate elements in a photo simply to
achieve a more compelling graphic effect. We regarded that afterwards as a
mistake, and we wouldn’t repeat that mistake today."[20]
There are other incidents of questionable photo manipulation in
journalism. One such incident arose in early 2005 after Martha Stewart was released from prison. Newsweek used a photograph of Stewart's face on
the body of a much slimmer woman for their cover, suggesting that Stewart had
lost weight while in prison.[21] Speaking about the incident in an
interview, Lynn Staley, assistant managing editor at Newsweek said, "The
piece that we commissioned was intended to show Martha as she would be, not
necessarily as she is." Staley also explained that Newsweek disclosed on
page 3 that the cover image of Martha Stewart was a composite.[21]
Image manipulation software has effected the level of trust many
viewers once had in the aphorism, the camera never lies.[22] Images may be manipulated for fun, aesthetic
reasons, or to improve the appearance of a subject[23] but not all image manipulation is
innocuous as evidenced by the Kerry Fonda 2004 election photo
controversy. The image in question was a fraudulent composite image
of John Kerry taken on June 13, 1971 and Jane Fonda taken in August, 1972 sharing the same
platform at a 1971 antiwar rally; the latter of which carried a fake Associated
Press credit with the intent to change the public's perspective of reality.[22]
There is a growing body of writings devoted to the ethical use
of digital editing in photojournalism.
In the United States, for example, the National Press Photographers
Association (NPPA)
established a Code of Ethics which promotes the accuracy of published images,
advising that photographers "do not manipulate images [...] that can
mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects."[24] Infringements of the Code are taken
very seriously, especially regarding digital alteration of published
photographs, as evidenced by a case in which Pulitzer prize-nominated
photographer Allan Detrich resigned his post following the
revelation that a number of his photographs had been manipulated.[25]
In 2010, a Ukrainian photographer Stepan Rudik, winner of the
3rd prize story in Sports Features, has been disqualified due to violation of
the rules of the World Press Photo contest. "After requesting RAW-files of the series from him, it became
clear that an element had been removed from one of the original photographs."[26] As of 2015, up to 20%[27] of World Press Photo entries that made
it to the penultimate round of the contest were disqualified after they were
found to have been manipulated or post-processed with rules violations.[28]
Use in glamour photography[edit]
The photo manipulation industry has often been accused of
promoting or inciting a distorted and unrealistic image of self; most
specifically in younger people. The world of glamour photography is one specific industry which has
been heavily involved with the use of photo manipulation (what many consider to
be a concerning element as many people look up to celebrities in search of
embodying the 'ideal figure').[29] Manipulation of a photo to alter a
model’s appearance can be used to change features such as skin complexion, hair
color, body shape, and other features. Many of the alterations to skin involve
removing blemishes through the use of the healing tool in Photoshop. Photo
editors may also alter the color of hair to remove roots or add shine.
Additionally, the model’s teeth and eyes may be made to look whiter than they
are in reality. Make up and piercings can even be edited into pictures to look
as though the model was wearing them when the photo was taken. Through photo
editing, the appearance of a model may be drastically changed to mask
imperfections.[30]
Celebrities
against photo manipulation[edit]
Photo manipulation has triggered negative responses from both
viewers and celebrities. This has led to celebrities refusing to have their
photos retouched in support of the American Medical Association that has
decided that "[we] must stop exposing impressionable children and
teenagers to advertisements portraying models with body types only attainable
with the help of photo editing software"[31] These include Keira Knightley, Brad
Pitt, Andy Roddick, and Jessica Simpson.
Brad Pitt had a
photographer, Chuck Close,
take photos of him that emphasized all of his flaws. Chuck Close is known for
his photos that emphasize all skin flaws of an individual. Pitt did so in an
effort to speak out against media using photoshop and manipulating celebrities’
photos in an attempt to hide their flaws. Also, Kate Winslet spoke out against photo manipulation
in media after GQ magazine altered her body, making it look
unnaturally thin.[32]
In April 2010, Britney Spears agreed to release "un-airbrushed
images of herself next to the digitally altered ones".[29] The fundamental motive behind her move
was to "highlight the pressure exerted on women to look perfect".[29]
In addition, 42-year-old Cate Blanchett also appeared on the
cover of Intelligent Life's
2012 March/April issue, makeup-free and without digital retouching for the
first time.[33]
Companies
against photo manipulation[edit]
Multiple companies have begun taking the initiative to speak out
against the use of photo manipulation when advertising their products. Two
companies that have done so include Dove and Aerie (American Eagle Outfitters).
Dove created the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and also the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty as a way to try to help build
confidence in young woman. They want to emphasize what is known as real beauty,
or untouched photographs, in the media now.[34] Also, Aerie has started their campaign
#AerieREAL. They have a line of undergarments now that goes by that name with
the intention of them being for everyone.[35] Also, their advertisements state that
the model has not been retouched in any way. They also add in their
advertisements that "The real you is sexy."[36]
Also, the American Medical Association has taken a stand against the use of
photo manipulation. Dr. McAneny made a statement that altering models to such
extremes creates unrealistic expectations in children and teenagers regarding
body image. He also said that we should stop altering the models so they are
not exposed to body types that can be attained only through the use of editing
the photos. The American Medical Associations as a whole adopted a policy to
work with advertisers to work on setting up guidelines for advertisements to
try to limit how much photoshop is used. The goal of this policy is to limit
the amount of unrealistic expectations for body image in advertisement.[37]
Governments
against excessive photo manipulation[edit]
Governments are exerting pressure on advertisers, and are
starting to ban photos that are too airbrushed and edited. In the United
Kingdom the Advertising Standards Authority has banned an advertisement by
Lancôme featuring Julia Roberts for being misleading, stating that the flawless
skin seen in the photo was too good to be true.[38] The US is also moving in the direction
of banning excessive photo manipulation where a CoverGirl model's ad was banned
because it had exaggerated effects, leading to a misleading representation of
the product.[39]
Support
for photo manipulation in media[edit]
Some editors of magazine companies do not view manipulating
their cover models as an issue. In an interview with the editor of the French
magazine Marie Claire,
she stated that their readers are not idiots and that they can tell when a
model has been retouched. Also, some who support photo manipulation in the
media state that the altered photographs are not the issue, but that it is the
expectations that viewers have that they fail to meet, such as wanting to have
the same body as a celebrity on the cover of their favorite magazine.[40]
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