Truth in Photography

Digital photography has come a long way over the last few years and whilst almost all publishing has long embraced the digital process, it is only recently that this technology had been applied to Fine Art and Collectable Photography.

Nick Rains's work embraces the 'Truth in Photography' philosophy that is beginning to emerge amongst serious fine art photographers around the world. A print of an image is a representation of what the photographer actually saw - no more and no less. A print shows, as far as is technically possible, the scene as the photographer experienced it.

'Truth in Photography' means that the viewer is not being misled by composites or montages, by visual trickery or any other illusions. What you see in a print was completely real, and a human being actually experienced it first hand. You, as the viewer of a print, are experiencing the same sights through the medium of the photographic print.

Belief in the integrity of the photography is of paramount importance to you, the viewer's, appreciation of the image:

"The power of a nature photograph is irrevocably linked to our belief system rather than rooted in the image itself. It truthfully represents a 'real' event that was witnessed by another human being". Galen Rowell 'The Inner Game of Outdoor Photography' 2001.

Another perspective on the issue of reality in photography can be found here. Michael Gordon in the US considers this question at length in an article on Nature Photographers Online Magazine.

Michael succinctly puts his case that all images need to be 'optimised' for the printing process and whilst some die hards see this as ''manipulation', it is incorrect to view film as the actual final product.

Ansel Adams is quoted as saying "“the negative is comparable to the composer’s score and the print to its performance“.

The confusion lies in the perceived 'motive' for so called 'manipulation', in Michael's case, as in my own, the motive is to overcome the very limited way a film can record a scene. The aim is to show the viewer what the photographer experienced in its entirety, to break out of the boundaries of film and take photography to its fullest potential.

Only the photographer can say if his or her print comes close to sharing the essence of the scene at the time of the capture. The viewer must take this on trust and simply marvel at the glory of nature.

Personally I would like my viewers to look through the print rather than at it, I want my technique to be invisible and for the essence of the scene to shine through making technical questions quite irrelevant.

After all, who cares what type of brush Rembrandt used.

Nick Rains 2006