Monday 24 November 2014

Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle

Came across this rather erudite explanation of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle while surfing the net. While I wouldn’t want to push the analogy too hard the basic idea that observation alters the system being observed, unless the observation is sufficiently gentle that we can’t obtain a precise understanding has clear parallels in documentary photography involving people. If we’re involved enough with them that we understand what they are doing their behaviour is likely to be modified, however subtly, but the presence of the observer so our presence alters the activity and our observations stops being objective. If on the other hand we photograph from a distance, or without interaction, our understanding of their actions is that much less defined, and open to interpretation – i.e. subjectivity.

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