Sunday, September 14, 2008

American Photography: A Century of Images

Not only has photography shaped our generation, we’ve grown dependent on images as proof of the events that occurred in our lives. This may explain why so many parents carry pictures of their children in their wallet, or why mom keeps her camera close when the family stuffs themselves in the minivan and takes a vacation.
Cameras are even more accessible to our generation than any previous time in history. When I am on a photo shoot, it’s funny to think that I have three separate cameras on myself: an old cannon slr which uses 35mm film, a digital point and shoot for when I miss the shot and waste my film, and in my pocket I often forget that I have a camera on my phone. Unlike when I was growing up, cameras are so affordable today that they are made for kids as well. With everyone holding a camera, it is interesting to think how anonymous people will use cameras in the fast paced world of today.
War is a terrible phenomenon that sees many opinions and is a source of controversy amongst many people. Not to say that I know much about the vietnam war, but unlike the media today, there were some powerful images that caught people and made them want to stop that war. The old saying is a photo is worth a thousand words. I like to think of it as the photo having the power to stir about a thousand feelings. Photography is a medium that can bring a call to action without using a single piece of text.

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