Charlie Marine, Outside McDonald's, New York, NY
Interstate Magazine is a photographic journal of American Identity. It exists to photographically show – and in many cases, perhaps, to reintroduce – America to Americans. In so doing, Interstate Magazine hopes to help reverse the dehumanizing effects of contemporary socio-politics. But what if the photographs have the opposite effect? After all, we have all seen photographic meme after meme that denigrates, derides and divides. To achieve its goals in a meaningful and lasting way, the photographs of Interstate Magazine must embody Accuracy, Truthfulness and Respect. Below, we summarize these three critical aspects of our photography.
ACCURACY
First and foremost, every Interstate Magazine photograph must be accurate. No photo can be retouched, composited, or otherwise “Photoshopped” to change its substantive content. As used here, “substantive content” means the elements of a photograph which depict the persons, places or events that comprise the subject matter of the photograph.
TRUTH
Second on the list is truth. Truth is obviously related to accuracy, but it is more subtle. To be truthful, a photograph cannot be framed or adjusted in any way so as to knowingly, intentionally or manifestly mislead a viewer’s interpretation of the substantive content subject matter of the photograph, for example, by cropping out elements or manipulating perspective that alter a viewer’s perception of what is “happening” in a photograph. Photographs suffering these flaws may be deemed “accurate”, but they are not truthful, and they have no place in Interstate Magazine.
RESPECT
Finally, it is vital that all photographic subjects be treated respectfully. Respect – defined generally as “having due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions” of an individual – can be difficult to define in the specific context of photography. In a nutshell, all photographs included in Interstate Magazine will (1) respect individuals’ reasonable expectations of privacy based on general societal norms, (2) avoid images intended to denigrate or embarrass, and (3) seek to avoid overt bias. Of course, there is no acid test to determine whether any particular photograph meets these standards, but Interstate Magazine will publish only photographs that do.
Much, much more can be said on each of Truth, Accuracy and Respect in photography, and future blogs will address elements of each. But the foregoing describes, in a general sense, at least, Interstate Magazine's guiding, core principles underpinning its photography.