Original & unengineered image in digital photograpy, is it possible?

Abstract

This research aims to find whether the image coming out directly from the digital camera and unmanipulated via picture editing software is the authentic or original image that tells of the fact and is not engineered. A digital image that is published often sparks a debate on whether the image is true or manipulated beyond the tolerance of the journalism code of ethics. Some debate rises to question the authenticity of the image because the photographer or the photo-editor puts some aesthetics choice or tries to push the quality of the image during the process. Knowing whether the image coming out directly from the digital camera can be considered unmanipulated is a necessary beginning to other research in photography and digital photojournalism world. This finding will be a stepping stone to another research about image processing techniques in the digital photography era. It will help create a new understanding of what is digital photography. This research uses the qualitative method. There are three conclusions in this research. First, pictures coming out directly from the digital camera cannot be considered as an original image. Second, the picture from a digital camera directly cannot be considered as a picture that tells facts. The fact refers to the authenticity of recorded light from the scene forming the layout of things and colors of the image, not the event. Last, the picture from the digital camera directly cannot be considered as a picture that is not engineered.