In Our Own Image: The Coming Revolution in Photography

by Fred Ritchin

Back in stock! From the birth of photojournalism and the rise of the picture press, beginning with seminal international periodicals like Vu and Life , to the sci-fi setting of MIT's Media Lab and the possibility of a "hyper-photography" that would capture our dreams and thoughts, Fred Ritchin's In Our Own Image is a classic account of technology's impact on what we see, and, ultimately, what we believe, about the world. A seminal text that has shaped the debate about digital imaging since its initial publication in 1990, this edition has been updated throughout to reflect recent changes in technology--for example, the exponential growth of the World Wide Web--and includes a substantial new foreword by the author.

Genres: Photography

142 pages, Hardcover

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.