Integrity of Photography in Visual Communication

Abstract

Integrity is truthful and unaffected quality. Truthful images in visual communication are aligned with an ethical photography code of ethics. Since the long time ago even during World War II, images had been the tools for propaganda to affect the mind of the public and cause behavioral change among the human society. Various studies have been emphasizing the impact of integrity photography as a visual communication tool. Truthful photography is used as evidence of cases or even to preserve histories of situations and environment for the future generations to see and learn from it. Nevertheless, in this era, the integrity of photography is questionable. Many images in pictures have been altered or staged to be manipulated for some other agendas and did not appear as what it used to be original. In each photograph, the integrity of it relies on the photographer himself, of how much accountability, he holds to bring out the true issue of what had really happened in the actual scenario. Some photographer purposely manipulates their pictures for the purpose of commercial value. In the past, and more recently, various images have been edited to meet the requirements of situations that succumbs to portray the truth of what had actually been photographed. However, some manipulated photographs could be of high value and being sought of; as such the illustrated photography and mixed media photography. For those conventional photographers, many have asked, "where does the integrity lie"? But for those artistic photographers, some would say "why not, it's digital'. This paper discusses the importance of integrity photography amidst the manipulated photography as a visual communication tool for the human society.