- What does Ritchin mean with the “fluidity of the digital”? Give an example of digital imaging/digital photography that exemplifies this.
The “fluidity of the digital” means the demise of the objectivity of the photograph once it becomes pixels on the screen. Because after the photos are digitalized, they can be easily modified, which eventually results in the alternation of the information the original image tried to express. An example of this would be the digital counterfeit of documents. Forgers use created seals to give authenticity and authority to unauthorized documents. In this case, an original worthless paper becomes authentic because of the existence of a digital seal.
2. Reflect on the extent to which photography is capable of capturing reality; and compare it to other media (technology)
I find there’s a contradiction when reflecting on the extent of photography capturing reality. On the one hand, photography is capable of capturing the most exact image from the perspective of the camera. While on the other hand, after entering the digital age, photographs can be easily modified for the purpose of the photographer. Here, the phrase “capturing reality” in the question becomes vague because reality can no longer be “captured”: fluidity resides in the action of capturing.
De Heem, Jan Davidsz. Vase of Flowers. 1660, Oil on Canvas
When comparing photography with paintings, the contradiction becomes more salient. In a realistic still-life, we tend to believe the painter can capture reality. Taking the oil on canvas above as an example, at first sight, we will believe the painter successfully captured reality, just like how we believe in photographs. However, the painting is completely painted out of the artist’s imagination: the flowers in the vase could not blossom at the same time. Thus, the vase couldn’t have appeared as how we see it today. Instead, the artist’s imagination is blended into the painting.
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