Ideas on the photographic medium as a tool for manipulating reality

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to understand the subjectivity of photography in a ‘political’ context, and provide an analysis of different facets of photography with a focus on the manipulative qualities of the medium. The analysis explores the nature of photography by separating the medium into three possible areas: memory, documentation, and art. Subsequently, photography is considered as multifaceted and is described according to its functions as a ‘writing machine’, replacement of memory, tool of control, tool of propaganda and deceit, and a tool for counter-action. Lastly, the paper attempts to answer the question of what is authenticity in photography and how one could perceive it.