#filterdrop: Attending to Photographic Alterations

Date

2023

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

The Nordic Society for Aesthetics

Type

Article

Peer reviewed

Yes

Abstract

It is well-documented that the alteration of portrait photographs can have a negative impact on a viewer’s self-esteem. One might think that providing written disclaimers warning of alteration might help to mitigate this effect, yet empirical studies have shown that viewers continue to feel like what they are seeing is real, and thus attainable, despite knowing it is not. I propose that this cognitive dissonance occurs because disclaimers fail to show viewers how to look at the contents of a photographic image differently. Consequently, viewers have the same perceptual experience, where the picture appears to faithfully resemble a direct visual experience of the subject, which conflicts with their changing sense of warrant. However, I argue that the degree of perceived similarity, and so contact, may be subject to change depending on what a viewer is attentive to during their viewing of an image, including subtle but unrealistic signs of alteration.

Description

open access journal

Keywords

Citation

Anscomb, C. (2023) '#filterdrop: Attending to Photographic Alterations', The Nordic Journal of Aesthetics, 65-66.

Rights

Research Institute