Art History I / Photography and Mass Media
Practice question · Select all that apply

Which are true of a photograph's indexical character?

Hints
  1. Three describe what the index does and does not certify; one overstates it.
  2. Framing and caption can mislead completely without any falsification.
Show the answer
  • A. It says nothing about framing, timing or caption
  • C. It guarantees that something was in front of the lens
  • D. It explains why photographs function as evidence
Why

The fourth is the standard overreach. The index certifies that light from something reached the film or sensor, nothing more. A photograph that is entirely unmanipulated can mislead completely through framing, timing, sequence or caption, and that is where nearly all photographic misleading actually happens.

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