The Alter of Photos

It seems that photoshopping a photo isn’t a new concept considering its been going on for more than a 100 years. Photos have a big impact in our society just like films where it plays into the public’s mind. However, unlike film, photos are lasting images that can have multiple meanings conveyed into it in the individual’s eyes. Governments and organizations seem to understand human nature of perception and thereby “faking” the photos for their own needs to capture the public mind. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, but it allows these organizations to manipulate us. This fact is perhaps why we have such nationalism within our country and such ignorance of others from different countries. For example, one might show a fake photo of an eagle standing next to the American flag to promote nationalism, but another photo showing Middle East people protesting angrily showing “hatred”, but in fact its people protesting against a government that is suppressing them. America’s own politicians also use photoshopping or misleading titles to get their parties ahead.

            A photographer may alter a photo for not a political reason, but for an artistic expression, which also produces a large impact on the public. When president Obama was running for presidency in 2008, some photographers altered his photo making him appear almost like a saint not for his political stand points but for being an inspiration of being the first African-American to reach that threshold of what is difficult to accomplish. However, when altering photos are used for money schemes than mistrust is what defines our society such as media. When we realize that this is a ploy to make us spend so much money on fake stories and images, we start to mistrust our government doubting ourselves in what to believe. The old belief that photos can take bits of your soul/ghost may be true in the perspective of people altering your photo, thus altering evidence of the past that can lead you baffled.