Can photographs change the world?

A photograph is “a picture made using a camera.” Photographs have been taken for many years. Photographic images can have an impact on oneself and society. In the video by TED the speaker Jonathan Klein said “people believe that images can change the world,” but he disagrees. He believes that “images provoke a reaction in people which cause change to happen.”

When people look at a photograph it can be interpreted differently by each person that looks at it.  Specifically as mentioned in our course content there was a photo of a woman’s grandchild in which she said had changed her world. This photo has changed the world of her, but if you or I were to look at this photo it does not necessarily change our world. In regards to a photo that has changed my world, similarly I would say all of the photos taken of my children at different stages in their life mean something special to me. Many of these photographs document the different milestones that my children have gone through. Not only do these photos mean something special to me, in the years to come when my kids look back on them they will be able to see the different stages growing up in their life.

Photo by: JcPenny Portrait Studio

Some photographs that specifically affect me personally are photographs of my son Elijah. The first photo that my boyfriend ever took of him he was blue and he was not breathing. Shortly after that he was in the NICU and he had his face covered because he was scared of the light. Finally a couple of hours later I have a picture of me holding him for the first time. When looking back on these three photos it reminds me about how life can be taken for granted and before you know it how life can have unexpected turns. As the years have passed and my son has grown to be a strong 5 year old boy I will never forget the day he was born.

Photo by: Jose Ramos

Photojournalists take photos all the time of events that happen, specifically the aftermath of the event. These photos are put all over newspapers, magazines, and the internet. These photos are viewed by many people in the society and have a huge impact of many people. These photos do not only have an impact on the event the day and shortly after it happens, they also are a part of history and when looked at many months or even years later it can be easy to remember the impact the event had on society and people at the time. The first photos that were taken after war really had and still do have an impact on society because it expressed the reality of what was happening and the death of many people. I feel like many of the photos taken by photojournalists after such events can and will have a huge impact on anyone who was affected by that event.

 

Photo by: unknown
Photo source:  http://www.corvalliscommunitypages.com/Americas/US/ww1/wwi.htm

One of the photographs taken by Charles Moore that has changed the world is a photo taken in Birmingham of three black people being sprayed by a “liquid battering ram.” This photo “rallied support for the plight of the blacks.”

 

Photo by: Charles Moore
Photo source: http://fansinaflashbulb.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/charles-moore-1931-2010/
Photography is a great way for people to be able to view the world. Many photos have a different impact on different people. It is the keen eye of the person looking at the photo that decides the impact the photo can have on that individual itself or the society as a whole.