apologies for any cross-posting
Digital photos 'endanger the past'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1620000/1620067.stm
I'm grateful to David Dawson for drawing this interesting article on the BBC website to my attention.
Its the first time I've seen selection and photographic record issues come up in a digital environment. Some interesting feedback posted too (just a little on the archiving issues most postings completely unaware).
Any archivist/records managers perhaps with experience of photographs in a public enquiry or evidential case or imaging specialists want to post comments to the BBC website (I would be grateful if you would copy me in on postings)?
Small extract of the piece pasted below........
Experienced photographer Jayne West wrote her degree dissertation on the historical impact of digital capture. She argues that the use of digital photography in news reporting means we could lose a valuable pictorial record of history.News photography sits within the documentary genre. A belief system has built up around it, which says it is telling the truth, that the photograph records an absolute replica of what is there. But we have always been aware that by framing, selection, focus, things can be included or excluded to change the meaning of pictures. With digital image capture, the most pressing issue is that we are losing the past. We lose the sequence of images that captures the events leading up to whatever image is chosen for publication............
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Neil Beagrie JISC Digital Preservation Focus
Assistant Director Secretary, Digital Preservation Coalition
JISC London Office, Tel/Fax/Voicemail :+44 (0)709 2048179
King's College London email: [log in to unmask]
Strand Bridge House url: www.jisc.ac.uk/dner/preservation/
138 - 142, The Strand, email list: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/digital-preservation
London WC2R 1HH
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