Against Imprinting: The Photographic Image as a Source of Evidence

Wilson, Dawn M

Abstract

A photographic image is said to provide evidence of a photographed scene because it is a causal imprint of reflected light: an indexical trace of real objects and events. Though widely established in the history, theory and philosophy of photography, this traditional imprinting model must be rejected because it relies on a 'single-stage' misconception of the photographic process: the idea that a photographic image comes into existence at the time of exposure. In its place, a 'multi-stage' account properly articulates different production stages, such as registering and rendering, that are relevant to understanding the relation between a photographic image and the photographed scene. By denying that any photographic image is a causal imprint, the multi-stage approach proposes a more demanding evaluation of photographic evidence. This has implications for documentary film and photojournalism along with specialised applications such as forensics, surveillance and face-recognition technology.

Citation

Wilson, D. M. (in press). Against Imprinting: The Photographic Image as a Source of Evidence. Social Research: An International Quarterly, 89(4),

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 10, 2022
• Deposit Date: Nov 4, 2022
• Journal: Social Research: An International Quarterly
• Print ISSN: 0037-783X
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 89
• Issue: 4
• Keywords: Photograph; evidence; index; trace; imprint; image
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4111852
• Publisher URL: https://muse.jhu.edu/journal/644