Can Photographs Change the World?
I believe that there are many ways in which a world could
be changed. Photographs are one of the ways that media can influence people to
do something, or to bring on change. Before cameras were invented, paintings
were the most abundant form of art, and were the ones that were used to inspire
revolutions, industrial movement, and empire expansion. After photography was
invented it became a lot quicker and easier to capture certain moments that
were important for photojournalists and for the public to see. There was a lot
of meaning put into each picture that was published that after circulating in
major journals and newspapers across the world these pictures caused a change
in politics, or a change in the way people act and think.
Photo by: Elliott Erwitt
Image Source: http://allday2.com/index.php?newsid=158125
One of these pictures that I want to talk about is a photo
taken by a photojournalist named Elliott Erwitt. This picture was taken in 1950
in North Carolina at one of the parks. The picture was showing an
African-American man drinking out of a water fountain that had a sign “colored”
above it. The “colored” water fountain was very old, rusty and not cleaned.
Right next to it, was another water fountain that was a lot cleaner and newer.
Above the new water fountain that was a sign that said “white” on it. This
picture was a basic example of harsh segregation that African-Americans faced
in the southern part of United States in 1950’s. Many historians come to a conclusion
that this was one of the photos that sparked the whole movement for equality
between all races. Some of the famous event that followed were the “I Have a
Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. many walks and parades and protests to
demand equal right for whites and blacks. After some time passed African
Americans finally got the right to vote, right to same schools and colleges and
just basically be equal to all white American citizens.
Image by: Alex Shilling
Image Source: http://injesus.ru/blogs/view/128
A photo that changed me a
lot was a picture taken by Alexander Shilling. This man’s name is Nick Vujicic
who was born without legs or arms. He has given many speeches and has had many
big audiences. He shared his life story, happy moments and disappointments of
living without extremities. When I saw this picture, it changed me in the sense
that no matter how hard your life may seem, happiness is possible and troubles
are just shadows on a beautiful picture. In this picture Nick looks like he is
the happiest man on earth because he is standing next to someone who means the
world to him. This made me think and realize that no matter what happens to me
and no matter where life may take me I should always be thankful and happy for
what I have because some people are not as fortunate to have even that.
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