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We can relive a tragedy through photographs. Mr. Thomas Neff showed us in his presentation the lengths he went to capture and preserve the truth. I remember when Hurricane Katrina made headlines on the news and was constantly being monitored. It feels like it was just yesterday that every news channel anyone tuned into was showing the devastating effects left behind. 4 years have passed since then. However, on Friday night at the Macaulay Honors College, it felt like we traveled back into time. Through Thomas Neff’s photographs, we were seeing those moments that some people will never be able to forget. After disaster struck, there were people who chose to stay behind to protect and salvage whatever remained of their homes. Mr. Neff mentioned how he helped evacuate the survivors but that some could not leave. They could not abandon what they had worked for their whole lives. All it took was one moment to wash everything away.

One of the photographs he took showed a man standing in the doorway of his home with his dog. His expression looked tired. His home was intact but there were broken pieces that were lying about. This was a moment that Mr. Neff was able to contain in his photograph. One of the audience members remarked about how his pictures seemed very realistic. He didn’t seek to beautify the tragedy in any way and rather presented it the way it was. There was no bias, only truth. I admired how he took every attempt to ensure that his subjects were portrayed truthfully. He made sure the stories that he collected and wrote had their approval. Photographs carry the moments that can help define one’s life, whether it’s the point at which he was happiest or a point in his life that proved to be the most painful. They are a record against time, anti-aging pieces of art.

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