TTG Plus > Viewpoint #12


Convincing the viewer

  • Summary: What is this page about?

    This page suggests ways that photographers can convince viewers to trust the TTG label when it is attached to a photograph in places other than already-highly trusted contexts.

    Why does TTG say viewers have to be “convinced”?


    • Ways of making the case     for the TTG label

  • 1. Consider the reputation of the context

    If the particular context where the label is being used is not highly trusted, it may be useful to link to other contexts where the same TTG-labeled photo is published and/or explained.

  • 2. Clearly separate TTG and non-TTG photos

    It is in the interest of TTG photographers to ensure that there are no non-TTG images that are labeled TTG in the same setting — and no ambiguity about which photos are which.

  • 3. Account for TTG from the start when shooting

    Many photographers have spent years perfecting the “appearance” of their photos but little effort on the “trustworthiness” of their photos.

    Unlike optimizing appearance, optimizing trustworthiness is largely determined by things decided before the exposure has ended.

    That’s why making TTG-qualified photos can for some photographers require a shift in priorities while they are photographing (see FAQ #404).

    The choice: “appearance” or “trustworthiness”?

  • 4. Understand viewers’ mindset

    The AI-wary public is increasingly suspicious of impressive images that look like photographs.

    It is in the interest of the TTG photographer to consider the mindset of a skeptical viewer who is encountering a striking photo that is claimed to be undoctored by a photographer the viewer has never heard of.

    “The golden age of digital manipulation” is long past

    The public now assumes photos are doctored or aigmented

  • 5. Preserve exposure data and scene information

    How much “proof” a photographer wants to gather — and provide to others — will depend on how much convincing there is to do.

    At the highest levels of desired proof, say for example “entry in an international photo contest with high stakes,” a photographer might want to gather all the “evidence” they can think of (even if most or all of it is never shown to anyone), including:

    • recording a VUO if possible

    • if there’s no VUO, saving the unaltered original file (and working from a copy of it)

    • saving the exposures that were taken right before and right after the chosen photo (to show how the scene evolved and then devolved)

    • recording as much relevant data as possible (if it is not in the EXIF data)

    • taking a photo and perhaps even a short phone video showing the scene (and the camera/tripod setup if relevant)

    • taking a screenshot of a weather-radar app showing the local conditions at the time of the photo (if relevant)

  • 6. Use the TTG-IC version of the label when in doubt

    TTG photographers are free to use the TTG-IC label as much as they wish, including in situations when they are not sure if it’s necessary (see #1014).

  • 7. Pay attention to what you say with words

    Viewers are likely to be skeptical when a photographer attaches the TTG label to photos but proclaims messages that are contradictory to TTG.

  • 8. Take into account why viewers disregard the TTG label

    Familarizing oneself with the items on this list can be helpful for TTG photographers.

  • 9. Explain anything that might make viewers skeptical

    TTG photographers can say as much as they wish about their photos (see FAQ #1011), especially in light of #3 on the Disregard list.

  • 10. Understand the factors that build viewer trust

    The attributes of trusted publishers may not all apply to individual photographers, but they are worth a skim for ideas.