The camera never lies - Unit 6

C1 Advanced · Multiple Choice Reading · Complete Advanced, Cambridge University Press

You are going to read an article about photo apps and filters. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Emily Colson takes a personal look at the rise of photo apps and filters. My mum has often told me how, when she was a child and on a family holiday, my grandparents were perfectly satisfied to come home with a mere twenty-eight photos of the entire week, each one taken on a disposable plastic camera. Once home, this would be sent off in the post for the film to be developed. A full week later the pictures would eventually arrive through their letterbox, at which point they would excitedly flick through them, only for the inevitable anti-climax soon to follow, when everyone came to the agreement that only three or four were genuinely worth keeping. This whole experience is so far outside of my own frame of reference as to be utterly unthinkable – how vastly improved would my family’s lives have been, given the chance to retake, edit and filter their pictures? Photography – by which I’m referring to the sophisticated images taken by someone who genuinely knows what they’re doing, rather than some blurred smudges of a beach taken by my grandad – has historically had a reputation for being a somewhat exclusive hobby. Not so much in the intense practice and expertise required to shoot, but more in the expense of obtaining the necessary, top-level gear: the cameras, lenses, flashes and rolls of film that always used to shut the average novice out. Yet, after manufacturers found they were able to bring to market the self-focusing digital cameras, remaining barriers began to be broken down, ultimately leading us to the photo apps that inhabit billions of smartphones today. The unique selling point of photo apps and filters is that novices can quickly come up with a collection of stunning shots without having to spend serious amounts of time and effort carefully learning how to skilfully frame, capture and edit their work. That said, I’ve probably used up as many long hours messing around with equipment as I could have spent attending a full-time photography course, so whether they are as easy to use as advertised is certainly questionable! Of course, photo apps have also been adopted by the more skilled and knowledgeable enthusiasts who see filters as correction tools for their already accomplished photographs, but by and large, the most popular images online are those posted by rank amateurs who don’t take their creations too seriously. These days, I and millions of others like me are firm in our conviction that life is so much more with our photo apps. For both friends and unknown followers, we compile and share the images that populate our lives online; we detail, discuss and display. Doing so has meant both gaining self-confidence in the creation of our own individual brands, and cementing the emotional bonds we have with our friends, whose Instagram feeds we spend so much time on. In being more willing than ever to communicate aspects of our character with such vivacity, colour and playfulness, perhaps we unknowingly reveal more about ourselves and our inner thoughts than we had intended. Despite this, critics have not been slow to argue that, for every user of the latest photo apps as a fun addition to their social circle, there is another who takes things to the opposite extreme. App designers, for example, who supposedly make millions by promoting a laser-focused fixation on vanity. Or, indeed, anyone creating these hyper-real versions of themselves, who is supposedly contributing to our culture’s obsession with image, betraying their true selves with face-altering filters, the function of which is to make teeth appear whiter, jawlines sharper, and to somehow remove imperfections. Or as the claim goes. Of course, I willingly accept that, while seeing celebrities’ snaps next to my own on Instagram gives me an immense buzz of excitement, that might very well, in others, provide stimulation for negative self-comparison. Yet I would urge caution in anyone seeking to blame photo apps for all of society’s ills. We have witnessed the great democratisation of photography. In 2010, the year of its launch, Instagram saw over 150 million photos uploaded. This has since risen to around 100 million images a day. And that’s just one app; our apparent need to retake, edit and filter is unlikely to fade any time soon. With any photo we take, armed with our favourite app and a preference for a particular style, it is clear that we find great difficulty in resisting the urge to interfere with it, edging hopefully towards our own, very personal, visual interpretation of perfection.

regret that so few photos exist of her mother’s family holidays.

surprise at the lengthy process of amateur photography in the past.

appreciation of the photo technology which is available today.

amusement at her grandparents’ limited photography skills.

In the first paragraph, the writer is expressing her

It is best left to the professionals.

It reinforces a particular set of cultural stereotypes.

It relies entirely on the possession of specialist equipment.

It is a medium that has undergone a notable transformation.

In the second paragraph, what point is being made about photography?

recognises how photo apps do not necessarily deliver the simplicity they claim.

believes it is dishonest for experienced photographers to use apps and filters.

approves of the widespread recognition of humorous photos found on the internet.

doubts whether taking a photography course is likely to produce expert results.

In the third paragraph, the writer shows that she

inspire users to document their routines for others’ enjoyment.

allow users to deepen the connections they feel towards certain people.

provide users with an opportunity to promote their online businesses.

encourage users to be alert to the dangers of sharing personal details.

In the fourth paragraph, the writer says that the main benefit of photo apps is that they

any negative effects can be blamed on the greed of the designers.

the improvements to image quality have been remarkable.

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

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