In Our Own Image: The Coming Revolution in Photography

by Fred Ritchin

Looks briefly at the history of photojournalism, and discusses the danger posed by computer manipulated photographic images

Genres: Photography

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1990

Reviews

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up for a buck in the thrift store. It was a fast read. This book was groundbreaking in 1990 but today we have moved so far into aggressive advertising techniques and digital manipulation of images both still and moving,that the points the author raises about manipulation and acknowledging it while still valid seem tame.

Many people today take these image changes and creations totally for granted, expect them in photography, movies and t.v. commercials.The kind of creepy CGI baby on the cover is small potatoes today. Newspapers have largely moved online where almost anything goes in a mass tabloid culture. Personal photography and editing of those images is widespread. The acceptance of exaggeration and focus on the sensational side of reporting in images that may not reflect the written content has come to pass as the author feared, in fact is often the norm.

The poor reproduction of the accompanying examples was annoying to me. It was hard to examine them closely. That may be more the responsibility of the publisher.

[Margot Note]

Great book, scary cover. I read this in one sitting through the one of the worst rainstorms of my life. My synapses were zapping like the power lines outside my window.