#15 in a series of background briefs

The 21st-century photographer’s choice

Optimize “Trustworthiness”?
Or optimize “Appearance”?

  • 1. Why wouldn't a photographer do everything possible to optimize a photo's appearance?

    Because many kinds of visual “enhancements” reduce the trustworthiness of a photograph, and trustworthiness is increasingly important to the public.

    When photographers perform “whatever manipulations they want” on a photograph — or have their smartphones to do it for them — they cannot expect viewers to trust the result.

  • 2. What's involved in optimizing “trustworthiness”?

    In order to optimize trustworthiness, the photographer often must forgo numerous changes that would improve the photo’s appearance.

    (Many of those changes are listed in P2 of the Trust Test. Other considerations in “optimizing trustworthiness” are contained in the other 8 requirements of the Trust Test.)

  • 3. What's involved in optimizing “appearance”?

    In order to optimize appearance, the photographer often must make changes that reduce the photo’s trustworthiness.

    (Many of those changes are listed in P2 of the Trust Test.)

  • 4. Photographers can't optimize both in the same photo?

    Usually not, for reasons explained in #2 and #3 above: choices must be made one way or the other.

  • 5. Should photographers tell their audience which choice they made, whether “trustworthiness” or “appearance”?

    There is nothing to be gained by telling viewers that a photo was optimized for “appearance,” because then the audience will judge the photo only on its appearance, with understandably raised expectations.

    But it is definitely worth telling viewers when a photo was optimized for “trustworthiness,” because viewers will regard the photo very differently than they would if they thought the photographer could have performed any manipulations imaginable. {See also #330 C or Brief #11}

    The TTG label is the easiest way to tell viewers that a photograph was optimized for “trustworthiness.”

  • FURTHER READING

    • For some “trust-oriented” photographers, “showing viewers what the world looks like in undoctored photos” is a lifelong goal Read

    • What categories of photos fall under “optimizing appearance”? Read

    • Photographers haven’t always had to choose between “trustworthiness” and “appearance” Read

    • Why have so many photographers in the digital age chosen “appearance” over “trustworthiness”? Read