January 11, 2008

Lies, Damned Lies, and Photographs

To the Editor:

I agree with Louis P. Masur's conclusion that a photograph cannot be interpreted without knowledge of the context in which it was taken ("How the Truth Gets Framed by the Camera," The Chronicle Review, November 23). The author quotes Thomas Hoepker's "the devious lie of a snapshot."

Beyond that, a metamorphosis is taking place, one that threatens to discredit photography for all time. In the past, photographs were generally regarded as a moment of truth. True,

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