FAQ 10 - “IC” alerts

Alerting viewers to “inapparent circumstances,” as per P8

  • 1001. Why are “IC” alerts important?

    Because a photograph that needs an “IC” alert is actually disqualified from TTG when the photographer does not add the “IC” (see P8).

    Seen another way, when an “IC” alert is warranted on a TTG-labeled photograph, viewers should treat the absence of an “IC” just as seriously as they treat a secretly doctored or aigmented photograph.

  • 1002. Where should the “IC” be put? How big should it be?

    Viewers are told to ignore the TTG label when the “IC” label is not in the same size, color, location, and font as the TTG label (“TTG/IC”).

    Additional explanation can be placed elsewhere, in smaller type, and noted with a * after the “IC”.

  • 1003. What kinds of photos typically need an “IC” to meet P8?

    P8 is here

    It's basically “photographs that do not depict what they appear to depict”:

    1. Photographs of “animals of typically wild species” in which the photograph was made in less-than-fully-wild conditions that are not immediately apparent to the viewer

    2. Optical illusions and trick photos

    3. Photographs of things that had undergone “subject manipulation” that isn’t visually apparent but that the viewer would want to know about

    4. “Set-up” photos whose set-up nature is not immediately obvious to the viewer

  • 1004. What about “posed” photos?

    Photographs usually do not need an “IC” if they are obviously posed, including group photos and photos of any human subjects who were clearly “directed” for the purposes of the photograph.

    The test for “IC” alerts is always whether there are inapparent circumstances that viewers would want to know about.

    If the circumstances are immediately apparent — for example, if viewers can instantly tell that a photograph was “posed” — then the photo doesn’t need an “IC” alert (unless there’s something else about the photo that warrants an “IC”).

    Are selfies eligible for the TTG label?

  • 1005. How is the need for “IC” alerts determined?

    • If a respected international news agency would alert viewers to “inapparent circumstances” when publishing the photo in an information-reportage context, then the photographer using the TTG label must add an “IC” to it (“TTG/IC”) or the photo cannot meet P8.

    • But if such an agency would not attach an alert to that photo in an information-reportage context, then the TTG photographer need not add an “IC” either.

  • 1006. Do all TTG photos of “typically wild animals photographed in less-than-fully-wild conditions” always need an “IC” to meet P8?

    Yes, with only two exceptions:

    A. There are instantly visible signs in the photo of the less-than-fully-wild conditions (for example, it is clear that the animal is within a zoo enclosure)

    or

    B. The photo is published in a context where ALL of the photos were taken in similar conditions (for example, in an article where all of the photos are from a zoo, or on a webpage where all of the photos are from a particular nature reserve).
    ____________

    Adding an “IC” to TTG-labeled photos of “typically wild animals photographed in less-than-fully-wild conditions” does not compromise the value of such photos, because all other TTG-labeled photos taken in similar contexts should have an “IC” as well.

  • 1007. Can applying an “IC” alert “save” an otherwise TTG-qualified photograph from being deceptive?

    Yes, any photograph that meets P1-P7 can be explained well enough to meet P8 (with the sole exception listed in the last paragraph of P8).

    In other words, except for that one exception in the previous sentence, no photograph is ever disqualified from TTG because of what was done to the subject.

    The resulting image can always be explained well enough — with an “IC” alert and further explanation — to keep the photo eligible for the TTG label.

  • 1008. And the photographer can say more than “IC”?

    Yes; in many cases the TTG photographer will want to provide more explanation to viewers than a simple “IC” alert.

    (Why? See #3 on this page)

    In those cases, the photographer puts an * after the IC (so that the label says TTG/IC*).

    Then viewers know to look nearby for the additional explanation, which will begin with *

  • 1009. What if I like my photos to speak for themselves, with no words attached?

    Then you probably won’t be attaching the term “TTG” to your photograph, so this page isn’t relevant to you.

  • 1010. If an alert can be as short as the two letters “IC”, how long can an IC alert be?

    Alerts can be as long as the photographer thinks is necessary to prevent deception (or even to reduce viewer skepticism; see #12 below).

    There is no maximum length.

  • 1011. How is the “IC” handled when one “TTG” is used to cover multiple photographs?

    With whatever method works best.

    It’s a simple matter to use “TTG/IC” if all of the TTG-labeled photos also need an “IC,” but if only some of the photos need an “IC,” those images can be easily noted. See also the guide to labeling photographs.

  • 1012. How much flexibility do TTG photographers have in what they say about a photograph beyond an “IC” with a * ?

    TTG photographers (like all photographers) have infinite flexibility in what they say about their photos. There are never any restrictions on the nature or quantity of what is said.

    Whether they use TTG or not, any photographer who wants to optimize “viewer trust” in the digital age may discover that a little explanation can make a big difference.

    More

  • 1013. Does the caption on a photo suffice for preventing deception in a TTG-labeled photograph that needs an “IC” to meet P8?

    No, it does not suffice unless there’s an “IC” with an asterisk * pointing to the caption.

    A. Any TTG-labeled photo that needs a viewer alert to meet P8 must have an “IC” added after the “TTG” or the photograph is disqualified by P8.

    (It is easy put an * after the “IC” — so the label would say TTG/IC* — to point viewers to the caption, which of course would begin with *)

    B. If the photo does not need any viewer alert to meet P8, then the photographer need not worry about an “IC” and can provide an explanation or caption as they wish (with or without an “IC” pointing to that explanation/caption).

  • 1014. Why should it always be an “IC” and not other abbreviations or acronyms?

    For trust reasons. Viewers are unlikely to spend time figuring out a jumble of homemade acronyms and abbreviations that may apply to only one photographer (or only one photograph).

    The advantage of a simple “IC” is that it’s instantly recognizable (albeit an unfortunate pun) and can either stand on its own or can point to a fuller explanation of a photo’s circumstances.

  • 1015. If — as it says in multiple places on this website — “not attaching an IC alert can hurt a photographer’s reputation,” why wouldn’t photographers always attach an “IC” to the “TTG”?

    Because with many kinds of photography, photos without any alerts can seem more impressive to viewers.

    {dump "more" below?}

    But TTG photographers can use “IC” all they want

  • 1016. What if the photographer supplies an “IC” alert with a TTG-labeled photograph but the publisher leaves out the “IC” alert while still publishing the photo with the “TTG”?

    Then the publisher is fully responsible for any criticisms and consequences. See #5 of the guide to Publishing TTG Photographs.

  • 1017. What’s to keep a photographer from labeling a non-qualified photo as “TTG” and then using an IC alert — with a * attached — to provide an explanation of the things that disqualify that photo from TTG?

    For example, what’s to keep a photographer from using a really long exposure to make sasibe-visible objects invisible, and then describing to viewers the objects that aren’t visible in the photo?

    (What are sasibe-visible objects?)
    _______________

    The first seven requirements of the Trust Test always weed out any visually non-TTG-qualified photographs before there is an opportunity to attach an alert to meet P8.

    With regard to question #1017 (above), the scenario in the second paragraph of the question couldn’t make it past P4, P5, or P7—

    — so the photo is already disqualified from TTG before there’s even a chance to think about P8.