Be Honest, Not Truthful

This is a chapter from the book A Lesser Photographer.

Photography may be at its most powerful when it tells a story. But is that story more powerful when it’s a truthful story? I think that’s a false pursuit.

In storytelling, there is no truth.

Art is the perception of an artist, usually objectified. That perception will not be the perception of the viewer. The more unique the art/artist, the further from the viewer’s perception the story will be, no matter how honest the artist is to their own vision. The story is not truthful, but that doesn’t mean it can’t reveal truth.

Honesty in storytelling is just being open and vulnerable. Even so, there’s nothing your brain will fight harder against.