Exercise - the myth of objectivity

Write a 250-word reflective commentary on the above quotes by Andre Bazin and Allan Sekula. Briefly compare their respective positions and record your own view on the issue of photograhic objectivity. 

The two examples of understanding objectivity by Bazin and Sekula present a very different view on the subject. Andre Bazin argues that the automatic character of the camera allows for a fully objective capture of reality. In his opinion the purely automatic creation of the image does not involve any form of self-expression, it does not include any personal choices or any subjectivity. He believes that at a press of a button an image is created, a machine replicates the reality and supplies with the exact copy of the view ahead.
On the other hand, Alan Sekula presents a very different point of view, arguing that the outcome of a photograph is always predetermined by personal choices. He thinks that the photograph cannot have the universal meaning, as it is ‘the outcome of a culturally determined relationship’.
I am sure it is not surprising that the latter understanding of objectivity fits my personal opinion better. I have previously numerously expressed my strong belief that photography cannot be objective. It most probably the most truthful method of capturing the reality due to the partial automation of the process, but the final outcome is always pre-determined by the choices made by the photographer. Our culture, personal interests and attitudes will always throw a shadow of an influence on how the image is captured and selected. The term objectivity does not apply to the photographic medium. The tool may be purely automatic, but it relays on a living being to consciously operate it.