A reality check

It seems clear that there is an increasing crossover between illustrative (aka straight, documentary, journalistic, editorial) and produced (aka commerial, creative, advertising, conceptual) imagery in terms of what is deemed by viewers as 'real'. In essence what was once accepted as reality is now viewed with a level of scepticism by some viewers. I'm not just talking about moon landing conspiracists here. In recent years Photoshop combined with the distribution of the Internet have thrown up tens-of-thousands of faked 'real' images and made them available to millions of viewers. It's got to the stage where professional PJ's have lost their contracts for enhancing their hard news images...

http://www.intellnet.org/news/2003/04/02/19060-1.htm

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3286966,00.html

Conversely commercial imagery, once the exclusive domain of the beautiful people, the designer home, and 2.4 children is moving towards societal reality. As recently mentioned on my MAP Report entry the hero figure is being replaced by the real person. But it goes beyond this and can be separate from this.

Documentary styling is the other facet to consider. I'm seeing a growing number of print and internet ads that at first glance you take to be a genuinely candid snap taken by a friend of the very real looking (non-'modelly') subject(s). Only when you begin to clock the subtle technical considerations do you realise this is produced imagery. It's becoming a popular look for advertising featuring and targeting teens & young adults.

I'll finish this entry with a link to a Meisel shoot for Italian Vogue. It was published Sept. 2006. When the high end of fashion photography throws up something like this you know there's a real shift in produced visuals underway ... Click here.