Publication: Savaş fotoğrafında gerçeklik
Abstract
Mekanik özelliklerle donatılmıĢ teknolojik bir sanat dalı olan fotoğraf, günümüzde dijital teknolojinin geliĢimiyle, yaratıcılıkta sınır tanımaz bir boyuta ulaĢmıĢtır. ÇeĢitli manipülasyon yöntemleriyle, fotoğrafçının seçimlerine ve bakıĢ açısına dayalı olan fotoğraf gibi öznel bir yaratıyı gerçek olmaktan daha uzak hale getirmek, bugünkü koĢullarda kolaylaĢmıĢtır. Objektif olmayan, yanlı görüntülerin yanı sıra Hıristiyan tasvirlerinden bugüne dek süre gelen kan ve vahĢet içerikli görüntüler, izleyicilerin görsel algısına zamanla yerleĢtirilmiĢ ve insanlar tarafından günden güne kanıksanmıĢtır. Objektif olmayan, gerçek dıĢı, çoğunlukla da Ģiddet içerikli fotoğrafların yaygınlaĢmasıyla görsel algı bambaĢka bir boyut kazanmaktadır. Günümüzde gazete, dergi, televizyon gibi kitle iletiĢim araçlarının neredeyse tamamında fotoğraf kullanılmaktadır. Ġlk çağlardan beri yazıya göre daha kolay algılanan görsel malzemelerden biri olması nedeniyle, fotoğrafın gerçekliği, tüm bu geliĢmelere ve manipülasyon yöntemlerine rağmen çoğu görsel malzemeden daha çok inanılırlığını sürdürmektedir. SavaĢ fotoğrafları, özellikle gazete gibi haber içerikli yayınlarda adeta haber metnini destekleyen bir kanıt gibi kullanılmaktadır. Ancak teknolojinin geliĢimiyle bu inandırıcılık, yerini Ģüpheye bırakmıĢtır. Her ne kadar Ģüpheyle yaklaĢılsa da “gerçek” olduğuna dair yaygın bir inanıĢa sahip olunan fotoğraf, alt yazının da desteğiyle izleyicileri yönlendirmeyi baĢarmaktadır. Bu çalıĢmada, sanatsal bağlamda gerçekliğin geliĢimi ıĢığında belgesel fotoğraf ve savaĢ fotoğraflarının geliĢim süreci; savaĢ fotoğrafları üzerinde çeĢitli bilgisayar programları, kurgulama yöntemleri, fotoğrafçının bakıĢ açısı ve kadraj seçimi gibi uygulanan manipülasyon teknikleri ile iktidar ve medyanın kitleleri yönlendirme biçimi olarak gösterilebilecek propagandanın savaĢ fotoğraflarının gerçekliğine etkisi incelenecektir. Anahtar sözcükler: Fotoğraf, SavaĢ, Gerçeklik, Propaganda, Manipülasyon.
Photography, which is a branch of art endowed with mechanical properties, nowadays has reached a stage where there is no boundary in terms of creativity. Bringing a subjective creation like photography, which is based on the choices and perspective of the phographer, far from reality has become easer in presentday conditions. It has been easier to estrange photography, which is a subjective form of creation based on the choices and perspective of the artist, from the sense of reality by means of various manipulation methods. Apart from non-objective and partial ones, images containing blood and violence since Christian depictions until today have gradually been established in the visual perception of the audience and inured by them. With the popularization of non-objective, unrealistic and generally violent photographs, visual perception has taken on a completely different dimension. Today, photography is used in almost all of the mass media such as newspapers, magazines and television. Due to the fact that it has been one of the visual materials which are easier to comprehend compared to writing, reality of photography sustains its credibility more than visual materials despite such developments and manipulation methods. War photographs are used as a means to support the news text especially in the newspapers which contain current news However, this credibility is replaced with suspicion with the development of technology. Photography, which is commonly believed to be “real” although people somehow approach it with suspicion, achieves to guide the audience with the support of subtitles. In this study, development process of documentary photography and war photography in the light of reality in artistic context, influences of manipulation techniques such as various computer programmes, editing methods, photographer’s perspective, choice of frame and propaganda, which can be shown as media and power’s tool for manipulating the masses, on the reality of war photographs. Key Words: Photograph, War, Reality, Propaganda, Manipulation.
Photography, which is a branch of art endowed with mechanical properties, nowadays has reached a stage where there is no boundary in terms of creativity. Bringing a subjective creation like photography, which is based on the choices and perspective of the phographer, far from reality has become easer in presentday conditions. It has been easier to estrange photography, which is a subjective form of creation based on the choices and perspective of the artist, from the sense of reality by means of various manipulation methods. Apart from non-objective and partial ones, images containing blood and violence since Christian depictions until today have gradually been established in the visual perception of the audience and inured by them. With the popularization of non-objective, unrealistic and generally violent photographs, visual perception has taken on a completely different dimension. Today, photography is used in almost all of the mass media such as newspapers, magazines and television. Due to the fact that it has been one of the visual materials which are easier to comprehend compared to writing, reality of photography sustains its credibility more than visual materials despite such developments and manipulation methods. War photographs are used as a means to support the news text especially in the newspapers which contain current news However, this credibility is replaced with suspicion with the development of technology. Photography, which is commonly believed to be “real” although people somehow approach it with suspicion, achieves to guide the audience with the support of subtitles. In this study, development process of documentary photography and war photography in the light of reality in artistic context, influences of manipulation techniques such as various computer programmes, editing methods, photographer’s perspective, choice of frame and propaganda, which can be shown as media and power’s tool for manipulating the masses, on the reality of war photographs. Key Words: Photograph, War, Reality, Propaganda, Manipulation.