The photograph above is a well tried and tested media trick; the expression on Stone’s face says it all. How would you like to walk into this man in a dark alley? Or a quiet country lane? The reality of course is that it is very easy to take unflattering photographs of anyone. A photograph of a man horsing around at a party can be used to make him look like an idiot. A photograph of a woman making a sexual gesture can be used to portray her as a slut. And a photograph of a man sitting in a police cell charged with heinous crimes, or in a prison van after his conviction...well, you wouldn’t look very happy either, would you? It has often been said that the camera doesn’t lie; the truth is that the camera has lied since the inception of photography. American con-man William Mumler was producing spirit photographs back in the 1860s.
The two photographs below paint a different portrait of Michael Stone. The side shot shows a man who looks somewhat older than he actually is, while the shot of him holding a cigarette could be anyone’s drinking pal.
Return To Site Index