The truth of photographic images has been challenged since the 19th century when the means for making them were invented. While the medium was embraced by the public at large, photographers have continued to grapple with the methods and techniques available to them, experimenting with technologies as they emerged and discovering the capacity of the medium to represent the world they experienced.
 
Photographs are inherently subjective in the ways in which they are made and perceived. There is no absolute truth in the photographic image. Photographers frame the reality that they see, whether the process is spontaneous or planned.

The truth of photography relies not only on the integrity of the image, but on its context and accessibility.

VIEWING TRUTH IN PHOTOGRAPHY

The themes can be viewed in sequence or in whichever order the viewer chooses. Select a theme from the menu bar at the top of the page, or click one of the buttons below.​​

FOCUS

Focus highlights photographers, organizations, and issues crucial to our understanding and questioning of Truth in Photography.

HOME FROM HOME
Evgeniya Strygina

Russian photographer Evgeniya Strygina relocated to the UK in 2022 and still seeks to find a place that feels like home. Her photo project looks at other immigrants, both Russian and Ukrainian, and how they adapt to their new "home."

PYRAMIDEN
Louise Faure

In 2019, photographer Louise Faure captured the ghostly setting of Pyramiden, an abandoned town in the Arctic.

Searching for the Hidden
Arnas Špaka

Using traditional photographic methods, Lithuanian photographer and printmaker Arnas Špaka lets the slow, thoughtful process inspire him to create artistic images exploring silence and shadows.

40 YEARS OF DOCUMENTARY ARTS

​This section focuses on some of the photo projects created by Documentary Arts, the producer of Truth in Photography which is celebrating 40 years of broadening public knowledge and appreciation of the arts of different cultures in all media.

JASPER, TEXAS
Alonzo Jordan and Alan Govenar

The city of Jasper, Texas is perhaps best known for being the location of the lynching death of James Byrd Jr., but George Adams hopes to shift the focus away from the tragedy and onto the accomplishments of African American residents like photographer Alonzo Jordan.

KENYA – DOCUMENTING LIVING HERITAGE
James Muriuki and Alan Govenar

Collaborating on a project for UNESCO, James Muriuki and Alan Govenar helped teach Kenyan students to photograph and preserve living heritage.
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