Filter #8: The impact of photography
Since the invention of photography, the medium has in
many ways changed our view of the world and influenced
our self-perception, attitudes, understanding of
history, political views, consumption patterns, and the
way we conduct science and live our lives.
Family photographs, image platforms such as Instagram,
Facebook or Pinterest, as well as anthropological and
ethnological photographs have shaped our perception of
'us' and 'them, advertising and fashion photographs have
influenced our taste and our desires, press photographs
have given us information about events, wars and
disasters far away, thus shaping our position to them,
documentary photographs have spurred social reform and
political movements, and iconic images such as the
soldier jumping over the Berlin Wall in 1961 or the
student standing in front of tanks in Tiananmen Square
in 1989 have shaped our perception of history. With
photography, criminology and science gained an
indispensable tool for accurately retaining visual data,
and technical innovations such as aerial photography,
micro- and macrophotography have given science access to
information we cannot perceive with the naked eye, which
in turn has shaped our knowledge and view of the world
around us. Most recently, the development of
AI-generated photography has pushed the boundaries of
how photography affects our perception of the world and
our place in it from the realm of reality to the world
of fantasy; from capturing what is in front of the
camera's lens at a given moment – Barthes' famous 'it
has been' – to, with a few keywords on Bing, Dall-E
eller Midjourney, visualising everything we imagine.
In the upcoming issue of Filter, we will take a closer
look at how photography in different ways has influenced
history and not least our view of it, and how the medium
still has a great influence on our perception of the
world and our actions. How the medium has been used in
advertising and fashion contexts, exploited for
propaganda purposes, and consciously or unconsciously
helped to spread a certain view of the world.
Suggestions for articles or portfolios that discuss the
influence of photography on our self-understanding,
perception of history and worldview in different ways
should be sent to kontakt@filterforfotografi.net.
Proposals are examined on an ongoing basis.
Release date: January 2024.
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About Filter
Established in 2007, Filter is the only photo
journal in Scandinavia that investigates photography’s
impact on how we live our lives, and how we make
politics, science and art. The journal presents
various types of photography (amateur, art,
documentary, travel and scientific) and different
approaches to the medium (photo theory, anthropology,
art history, cultural theory, philosophy etc.),
featuring both contemporary and historical
photographic material. Each issue is centred on a
theme. Themes so far are Photogenic, Space, Normal,
Disappearances, Hybrid and Nordic Now!
Editor-in-Chief: Camilla Kragelund
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