The Art of Editing Photographs

The last topic addressed will be the idea of altering photos, and as result, altering memories. One quote that really stands out to me would be that by Kenneth Brower (1998, posted online 2014). Brower stated that, “A leopard can't change his spots, but the modern photographer can easily do it for him.” What is interesting about this quote is that it focuses on the idea that with our current technology, photographers can alter photos as they please, and essentially make whatever they choose to make. For example, if they want to make a photo appear more creepy or haunting, they can do that through black and white filters, adding some shadows, or a variety of other things. For example, look at the photo below, from a collection of Toronto Maple Leafs photos taken in 1992:

Looking at this photo, we see a bunch of gangster looking men, many of whom are holding guns, and in general, look like they are from a period much earlier in the 1900s, not 1992. (Especially with the growing concerns about guns and terrorism in the late 1900s/early 2000s) This effect is made through costumes and lighting, and while it appears to be old, it is merely an effect achieved through various editing and other techniques. Additionally, as seen in the Coca Cola photos, by simply adding a black and white filter, you can make a newer photo seem much older, assuming the actual content of the photo is also older. Should they desire, photographers could even add items in to older photos however they desire; the only thing restricting them is their familiarity and ability to use photo altering programs. To illustrate, I would like to point out the photos below.

At a glance, it’s obvious that the photo on the bottom is that of an older car toy. However, what if a photographer decided to change an older photo so that it had an extra car. They might use the photo on the top, which was made by cutting out everything but the car, and adding some filters/touch-ups. They would then insert it as if it were a real car, into a real photograph. While I’m far from perfect at editing photos (I did that editing on the right in about 5 minutes) professionals will be much better, and would be able to insert objects like this car, along with many other things, into photos, completely changing them, and as result, potentially changing the memories of people who see those photos but experienced the actual event. After all, if the car is in the photo, people would just assume they forgot it was there, right?