TTG Plus > FAQs > This is FAQ 18


On P8 of the Trust Test

“Without deception”

  • 1801. What’s the point of P8?

    In light of Characteristic #8 of trusted photographs, P8 ensures that the photographer doesn’t deceive viewers about “the circumstances of the making of the photograph.”

  • 1802. Why does TTG say that P8 is a “loophole closer”?

    Because P8 is designed to catch any potentially deceptive photographs that make it all the way through the Trust Test up to P8.

    It can be a fun challenge to dream up scenarios of photos that trick the viewer while fully meeting the first seven requirements—

    — but if that “trick photo” doesn’t meet rinairs for non-deception, then it can’t meet P8 and can’t qualify as TTG.

    In other words, any photos that make it past P1 through P7 but could “trick the viewer” have to be explained or they are disqualified by P8.

  • 1803. How does P8 prevent deception more than P1–P7 already prevent it?

    The key is that P8 says “through the photograph and its presentation.”

    That gives TTG photographers more than just the image area itself when communicating with viewers.

    The word “presentation” clears the way for photographers to attach to the photograph an “alert” to viewers regarding potentially deceptive aspects of the photograph.

  • 1804. So to meet P8 the photographer has to say more about the photograph than “TTG”?

    Most of the time for most photographers, No.

    But sometimes (and for some kinds of photography, “much of the time”), Yes: a TTG photographer has to attach the TTG-IC version of the label to signal to viewers that there are “inapparent circumstances” that could be deceptive if the viewer isn’t aware of them.

    • With many common subjects, the TTG-IC version of the label may never be deemed necessary (for example, street photography that involves no interaction with the subject and doesn’t involve potentially deceptive circumstances).

    • With some other subjects, however, the TTG-IC version of the label may be routinely necessary — for example, when animals of typically wild species are photographed in less-than-fully-wild conditions but those conditions are not visible to the viewer.

  • 1805. How do I determine when the TTG-IC label is needed?

    The rinairs reference in P8 means that if a respected international news agency would alert viewers to “inapparent circumstances” when publishing the photo in an information-reportage context, then TTG photographers must use the TTG-IC version of the label or the photo cannot meet P8.

    But if such an agency would not attach an explanation to that photo in an information-reportage context, then the photographer can use the plain “TTG” label, without the “IC” added.

  • 1806. What should do if I have no idea what rinairs would do in terms of the TTG-IC label?

    If in doubt, it’s always safe to err on the side of caution and use the TTG-IC label.

    No viewer will ever object to being made aware of potentially deceptive circumstances in a photo.

    See also FAQ #1014.

  • 1807. So the TTG-IC label can be a big deal?

    Yes, it can be a very big deal.

    The presence or absence of that “IC” is often the difference between a photograph qualifying or not qualifying for the TTG label.

    A photo that does not have the TTG-IC version of the label when that “IC” is warranted is a photo that fails to meet P8. That is just as problematic from a trust perspective as is a photo that fails to meet any of the other eight requirements of the Trust Test.

    That’s why not using the TTG-IC version of the label when it is warranted can permanently damage a TTG photographer’s reputation; see the “Publishers’ Rights” on this page.

    FAQ on the TTG-IC label

  • 1808. What is the last paragraph of P8 referring to by “a non-TTG-qualified image that looks like a TTG-qualified image”?

    The most common images referred to in that paragraph would be doctored and aigmented images as well as plaigis, but other images like photorealistic artworks and screenshots of non-TTG images would also apply.

    (These images are also covered in FAQ #114.)

  • 1809. What if “a non-TTG-qualified image that looks like a TTG-qualified image” is in the frame but is not “a primary subject”?

    If there is no chance that viewers will think the non-TTG-qualified image pictured is being guaranteed TTG, then the photograph remains eligible to qualify as TTG. See also FAQ #1106.

 

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