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Photographer Takes Pics Of People In Public From 2 Perspectives And It Shows How Easily The Media Can Manipulate Reality
Interview
Perception is reality until proven otherwise. But our perception may change in an instant depending on exactly how much we know. Recently, two Danish photographers have taken this idea to a whole new level.
In these times of fake news, it’s hard to know what’s real anymore. Media manipulation is rife in some of the largest reporting outlets around the world. How do we know, from the pictures alone, that biased news articles and stories aren’t secretly being fed to us? It turns out, we can’t.
Photographers Ólafur Steinar Gestsson and Philip Davali conducted an experiment for the photo agency Ritzau Scanpix. The Copenhagen-based artists used their cameras and certain optical illusions to capture the same people chilling out outside on the same day. The trick was to use two different lenses — a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens — to create certain perspectives. Their photography techniques show a staggering difference in the perceived distance between these people. It makes us wonder if the journalism code of ethics is always being followed by photographers too.
More info: Instagram | Twitter | Ritzau Scanpix
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Telephoto-lens
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
Wide angle
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
Bored Panda contacted Kristian Djurhuus, the editorial manager at Ritzau Scanpix, who appointed Philip Davali and Ólafur Steinar Rye Gestsson for this shoot, to find out more about the project.
Kristian told us how he came up with the idea: “The proximity of people has widely been debated in Denmark in the past weeks. Danish politicians and authorities have frequently referred to images which they believed to show members of the public behaving in disagreement with the general guidelines.”
Telephoto-lens
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
Wide angle
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
As a national photo news agency that supplies important visual coverage, Kristian became aware that their “contribution could be misread”. With regards to media manipulation, the choice of angle and perspective is now equally as important as the image being shot. Now, basic photography techniques have taken on a darker, new meaning. But this wasn’t always the way. “The technical choices have never been a politically debatable issue in the history of photography,” said Kristian.
Telephoto-lens
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
“As producers of photography, we have a responsibility to draw attention to the fact that images in some cases do not show the proximity of objects as people seem to believe,” he continued.
“The right solution would be to clarify the circumstances in the captions of the images so that they won’t be misread.”
Wide angle
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
Telephoto-lens
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
Wide angle
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
Telephoto-lens
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
The wide-angle lens is similar to the way our eyes see. Ólafur Steinar Gestsson explained to a local Danish website: “it takes wider pictures, and as a photographer, you use it when you are close to what you need to photograph.” Similar types of cameras are built into our iPhones, helping us to capture images the way that we imagine them.
Meanwhile, the telephoto lens is the long lens used to photograph press meetings, football matches, and any situation where the subject is far away. “It gets closer to what you are photographing, and in a way, it pulls the subject together,” he said.
Wide angle
Image credits: EPA / Philip Davali / Olafur Steinar RyE
Ólafur toldTV2 that viewers should be aware of the lens and equipment photographers used to take a particular picture. “If there was a description in the caption of how the image was taken, the editor would have the freedom to choose.” According to him, photographers “must always keep in mind how we do our job”. So, if reporting is to be fair and unbiased, perhaps a new journalism code of ethics should be drawn up for photographers too.
This is what people had to say about it
The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has published a journalism code of ethics for their members, but really, any budding photojournalist should follow their advice. Here are a few notable takeaways:
“Be accurate in the representation of subjects. Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities. Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects.”
If reporting is to be fair and unbiased, it’s up to the reporters to uphold their standards. And you can see how easy it is to manipulate people with just a lens and a certain angle.
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What do you think ?
RitaGG 5 years ago
And why don't photographers show a third perspective, a normal lens? You know, reality?
Emily Selway 5 years ago
Even a "normal" lens, (most photographers would consider that to be a 50mm) compresses things to an extent, especially from certain angles. Photographs just can't show full 3D reality in 2d
Load More Replies...
Daria B 5 years ago
To all of you, who complain how "no one ever reports about *insert topic of concern*". Well, yet you know about that, how? If you're not an insider, it means that SOMEONE actually is reporting about these things....
Giovanni 5 years ago (edited)
Every time someone reports on something of which i'm an insider i can't help but notice how everything is so distorted that it has little to do with reality. I've accepted the fact that being informed is basically impossible.
Load More Replies...
holly wilson 5 years ago
the one who bitched about picnickers being selfish, OYVEY! look around, there's plenty of room and plenty of places to spread out and have a picnic!
Dutch VanZandt 5 years ago
A great lesson to teach people in general... don't believe everything you see and hear! Critical thinking skills should be taught in schools so that young people are made aware of this kind of thing... especially when it comes to social media and advertising.
Umgreg Universe 5 years ago
In my school, they do teach critical thinking, but only in certain classes that you have to pass an extremely hard test to get into. A lot of the kids at my school are overwhelmed enough with assignments that don't require critical thinking that anything with that added in would be nearly impossible for them. Schools teach to the test, meaning you're taught how to pass your test and nothing more. They can't test us on critical thinking, so they don't bother teaching it.
Load More Replies...
John Smith 5 years ago
I used to be a professional photographer and I can tell you that the media only want sensationalism, because it’s what sells. And they need money to run, and the two enemies of the media are the absolute truth and good news. Now a lie with a half truth??!! — they eat that up!
Christina Sirb 5 years ago
Not only because sensationalism "sells", but because in postmodernism truth was ousted and relativism permits anything, distortion, manipulation, deceit. After all, "who are we to judge", isn't it?
Load More Replies... Shart 5 years ago
And what...like we already didnt know the media is biased and doesnt tell the whole story
Full Name 5 years ago
People don't though. They'll take clearly distorted, biased news and repeat it like it's objective and gospel.
Load More Replies...
Nirity 5 years ago
I don't understand what is all the noise for. Doesn't people know everything from different angle looks different? I don't get it.
Deb Nix 5 years ago
It shows how media can take a small group of people, say at a rally or protest and blow it all out of proportion. "Thousands attended." Nope. Maybe a hundred.
Load More Replies...
Kimberly Brady 5 years ago
I think it's interesting the way some people's response is 'photos lie!'. No, photos tell a story from a certain point of view. It's the same as if you hear one half of a conversation: take for example, "I love you." I remember doing an exercise in my very first acting class, where the topic was infusing every line with the entire history and present of the story. A woman saying "I love you" to a child, to a man beating her, to her dying father, to her mother who has betrayed her yet again, all you may hear is the words, but there is so much more being said. Are the words lying? Or are you just not hearing the whole truth? We all like to believe we are soooo smart. But no one ever knows the whole truth. A picture says a thousand words... but if the words you hear are only the ones you want to hear, then you still don't know what the picture is really saying. The picture didn't lie. You just decided to only hear the song you wanted it to sing.
Daniel Kivett-v 5 years ago (edited)
I can’t speak for everyone else, but for me it’s not so much about the photo that is lying, it’s more about the person sculpting a narrative around the photo that is lying.
Load More Replies... Solrac 5 years ago
The media? Or the photographers? Besides, I don't see much difference in most pics
Debbie Trail 5 years ago
The media can use the pictures they choose though.
Load More Replies... RitaGG 5 years ago
And why don't photographers show a third perspective, a normal lens? You know, reality?
Emily Selway 5 years ago
Even a "normal" lens, (most photographers would consider that to be a 50mm) compresses things to an extent, especially from certain angles. Photographs just can't show full 3D reality in 2d
Load More Replies... Daria B 5 years ago
To all of you, who complain how "no one ever reports about *insert topic of concern*". Well, yet you know about that, how? If you're not an insider, it means that SOMEONE actually is reporting about these things....
Giovanni 5 years ago (edited)
Every time someone reports on something of which i'm an insider i can't help but notice how everything is so distorted that it has little to do with reality. I've accepted the fact that being informed is basically impossible.
Load More Replies... holly wilson 5 years ago
the one who bitched about picnickers being selfish, OYVEY! look around, there's plenty of room and plenty of places to spread out and have a picnic!
Dutch VanZandt 5 years ago
A great lesson to teach people in general... don't believe everything you see and hear! Critical thinking skills should be taught in schools so that young people are made aware of this kind of thing... especially when it comes to social media and advertising.
Umgreg Universe 5 years ago
In my school, they do teach critical thinking, but only in certain classes that you have to pass an extremely hard test to get into. A lot of the kids at my school are overwhelmed enough with assignments that don't require critical thinking that anything with that added in would be nearly impossible for them. Schools teach to the test, meaning you're taught how to pass your test and nothing more. They can't test us on critical thinking, so they don't bother teaching it.
Load More Replies... John Smith 5 years ago
I used to be a professional photographer and I can tell you that the media only want sensationalism, because it’s what sells. And they need money to run, and the two enemies of the media are the absolute truth and good news. Now a lie with a half truth??!! — they eat that up!
Christina Sirb 5 years ago
Not only because sensationalism "sells", but because in postmodernism truth was ousted and relativism permits anything, distortion, manipulation, deceit. After all, "who are we to judge", isn't it?
Load More Replies... Shart 5 years ago
And what...like we already didnt know the media is biased and doesnt tell the whole story
Full Name 5 years ago
People don't though. They'll take clearly distorted, biased news and repeat it like it's objective and gospel.
Load More Replies... Nirity 5 years ago
I don't understand what is all the noise for. Doesn't people know everything from different angle looks different? I don't get it.
Deb Nix 5 years ago
It shows how media can take a small group of people, say at a rally or protest and blow it all out of proportion. "Thousands attended." Nope. Maybe a hundred.
Load More Replies... Kimberly Brady 5 years ago
I think it's interesting the way some people's response is 'photos lie!'. No, photos tell a story from a certain point of view. It's the same as if you hear one half of a conversation: take for example, "I love you." I remember doing an exercise in my very first acting class, where the topic was infusing every line with the entire history and present of the story. A woman saying "I love you" to a child, to a man beating her, to her dying father, to her mother who has betrayed her yet again, all you may hear is the words, but there is so much more being said. Are the words lying? Or are you just not hearing the whole truth? We all like to believe we are soooo smart. But no one ever knows the whole truth. A picture says a thousand words... but if the words you hear are only the ones you want to hear, then you still don't know what the picture is really saying. The picture didn't lie. You just decided to only hear the song you wanted it to sing.
Daniel Kivett-v 5 years ago (edited)
I can’t speak for everyone else, but for me it’s not so much about the photo that is lying, it’s more about the person sculpting a narrative around the photo that is lying.
Load More Replies... Solrac 5 years ago
The media? Or the photographers? Besides, I don't see much difference in most pics
Debbie Trail 5 years ago
The media can use the pictures they choose though.
Load More Replies...
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