“All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s (or thing’s) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt.” – Susan Sontag
The advancement in Photoshop technology has definitely changed the definition of photography. I personally had always viewed photography as a medium with which truth is reflected. The invention of cameras marks such a milestone. Cameras are wonderfully designed so we can capture what we see and what we feel to the smallest detail; however, nowadays with easy access to Photoshop, we often question the validity of the pictures we see. It’s quite a shame, really, to come across a magnificent picture and having to scrutinize it to determine if it is “real” or not. Now, after encountering photography from a more artistic standpoint, I have come to understand that photography isn’t necessarily about capturing the truth as we perceive with our eyes. Photography is the instrument in which we form our music of imagination.
Coming across Melanie Martinez‘s photography on The Voice, I realized that Photoshop can be utilized in such a way to portray the fantastical element of every day objects and every day lives. Along with her music and fashion, she exudes a style that is simply ethereal.
Check out more of Melanie Martinez’s photography here!