Is Photography Dead?

imageUntitled, anonymous photograph from the 1950’s © Photographer Unknown / National Gallery of Art While Peter Plagens’ article Is Photography Dead? (written for the December 10th issue of Newsweek) draws a few interesting conclusions about the “digital revolution,” it generally seems to overlook fundamental ideas about art and photography which I thought were actually rather self-evident.

By now, we’ve witnessed all the magical morphing and seen all the clever tricks that have turned so many photographers - formerly bearers of truth - into conjurers of fiction. It’s hard to say “gee whiz” anymore.
Fiction in photography may be a relatively new idea but doesn’t it seem that the notion of photography concerning itself with “truth” or representing “reality” is what perished (long ago)? Since when has fine art photography really been about the “tool” used by the photographer? Isn’t the true power of art that it transcends the mediums limitations by way of the artist? I encourage readers to offer their thoughts on this thread.