The Two Authenticities of the Photographic Media

Citing the use and manipulation of video images in a recent Los Angeles court trial as an example, the author discusses photographic media, dividing them into two types of authenticity. The first type attempts to represent the facts of reality, and the second type conveys human expression. At its most effective, photography blends these two approaches, capturing fleeting moments at the same time as it presents composed images. With the introduction of motion pictures, the elements of time and action allowed for further manipulation of images. Now, the advent of digital photography has further blurred the distinction between factual reality and expressive reality, increasing distrust in the reliability of images.