Manipulation

On page 25 in Practices of Looking, changing an image to get a certain look or reaction is discussed. The book uses the example of O.J. Simpson’s mug shot. Newsweek used the image as it is, while Time changed it and created his skin darker and they also heightened the contrast (pg. 25). This shows us just how people and companies try to get us to look at an image a certain way or think a certain way. I know that this is said a lot, but who really actually thinks about what has been done to each image they see? I know I don’t, unless it is obvious. I don’t always believe what I see, but I don’t think about what small changes have been made to an image. When I really look at an image with a real intention then I will think what the designer or artist did or didn’t do, but if I am just casually looking I don’t pay a whole lot of attention. But then again that is probably why people and companies continue to manipulate images the way they do, and nobody really tries to stop them.