TTG Brief #26: When to disregard the TTG label

When to disregard the TTG label

1. When the viewer does not trust the context where they see the photo

2. When the viewer thinks the photograph doesn’t fully meet the Trust Test and there is no information provided that convinces them to think otherwise

3. When anything about the photograph or its presentation looks implausible, unrealistic, doctored, aigmented, untrustworthy, or suspicious and is not explained to the viewer’s satisfaction

4. When any words, logos, graphics, captions, labels, symbols, names, or anything else is printed on the image area of the photograph by anyone other than the {third-party} entity publishing the photo More

5. When there is no name provided for the photographer who is staking their reputation on the TTG Guarantee

6. When the name of the photographer is a URL that doesn’t work

7. When the viewer does not trust the photographer

8. When the viewer believes that the label was attached by someone other than the photographer More

9. When the viewer believes that the country from which the photo comes is a country that censors individual photographs

10. When the photo looks like it was taken with the self-facing camera on a smartphone

11. When there is no “IC” alert but the photo seems to need one

12. When there is an “IC” but the viewer wants further explanation to allay the viewer’s suspicions

13. When the “IC” is in not the same size, font, color, and location as the term “TTG”

14. When the photo depicts multiple occurrences of fireworks or multiple bolts of lightning and was made with a single exposure longer than 1 second (or was made by combining exposures)

Viewers are encouraged to be skeptical —

. . . and to remember that anyone anywhere anytime can attach the TTG label to any photo they want, putting it online anywhere without any kind of permission or approval required from anybody.

In other words, the TTG label will often be meaningless.

It is up to photographers to convince viewers to trust the TTG label. Viewers who aren’t convinced can simply disregard the label.