O documento fotográfico : da media o cultural à media o técnica

The media society is a global society, nomad and dedicated to recording, which, with the practiceof digital information, led to the definition of documentality (phenomenology of social objects). As a socialdocument, the photograph depends on and exists if people believe it exists as a document – as an intention,a will and an expression. Today, the photo-document is approached as form, sign and medium. If it is arecord that is apprehended with meaning it is sharable. With digital means, operations are done in any placeand at any time; the archiving of data preservation is delocalised (no direct appropriation takes place);reading requires the interface of a machine, breaking the imbrications and continuity between traditionalsupport and inscription, now subject to the programme’s formatting, which may place interpretation atrisk. Preservation only allows for migration to another devise, what remains is a logical structure, thecapacity to reproduce. Cultural measurement has been joined by technical measurement, which graduallytakes priority.