Legrady opens his discussion by stating that technology distorts our perceptions. This holds true because we are so ready to accept what we see, but we are not certain whether the image we see is depicted naturally or fictionally. He goes on to describe that photography is a symbolic practice where belief is generated from the use of vantage point, frame, and subject. In the later portion of the 1800s, photography and painting were related, however as photography continued to advance in its ability to capture an image based on light, painting became a distortion of its subject matter rather than a depiction of the subject itself. Technology continues to advance to this day, and as a result it has gotten to a point where the digital can simulate its subject in an almost undistinguishable way. Images once stored in a computer, become numeric values that not only record the subject itself, but past data, creation, facts, info, etc. As a result of this how are we able to claim that one thing is not an accurate depiction of another?
It's fascinating how the laws that define human perception and sight such as laws, psychology, social manners, and historically produced sights, etc. are similar to the laws which define a photographed image. When we view an image that depicts something we relate to such as the physical world, we determine it as factual based on our own laws on perception. However at the end of the day digital images are nothing more than numerical/ mathematical algorithms which display a captured subject in the form of pixels, each containing numerical values as well. Legrady goes into depth on how as a result of each of these pixels being able to be manipulated, it becomes more and more difficult for us to establish something as factual or fictional. Any part of a digital image can be tweaked and manipulated based on numeric values, etc. as a result making it so we can shift colors, numerical data, size, position, saturation, etc. Now most images we see on a daily basis are in fact not the originals, but manipulated to be more appealing to us visually, whether as forms of advertisement, etc. With manipulation, we go into ethics and morals based on the photographic image, since now our sight and what we perceive can be altered on such a level that it distorts our definition of reality. Legrady goes on to explain personal experiences with photo manipulation and how others have manipulated images in order to deceive viewers.
In this image I chose, we see a direct change in the original image to the output image. It's funny seeing all these commercials nowdays for weight loss etc. and most of the time the people depicted are different actors for the before and after shots. This is an example of our eyes being able to perceive fact and fiction, however models and other photographed subjects are often altered from the state they were originally shot in in order to intensify the visual effect of the photograph. Pixel manipulation is complex, but executable by many professionals so that the output image can be either slightly altered, or depict a subject that gained or lost over 100 lbs.