L’appareil-photo ne ment jamais!
or
The camera never lies!

A speech in French about the creation of meaning in a photograph.  I suggest that the camera itself does not produce meaning. Rather, it is nothing more than an inanimate object that captures or supports the intentions of other ‘creators’. I focus on three key roles:

• the photographer as the person who decides what to include in the picture, the lighting, depth of field, etc
• the editor who uses software too ‘adjust’ the in-camera image
• the viewer who brings their own experiences and perspectives to what they see.

Following a brief consideration of the the role of each in producing meaning, I ask the audience to reflect on their own role in the creation of meaning the next time they look at a photograph.