Photographs are ways of preservation of what is valuable to us. Photographs capture the moment and lock all the precious memories in place. We often refer back to photographs to help us recall past events and preserve interesting experiences. Although it might seem like a thin, mass-producible object when it’s in physical form or a file that takes up space digitally, photographs are flexible and valuable.
As Sontag states in On Photography, “To collect photographs is to collect the world” (Sontag, 1). It’s like we are treasure hunters, journeying around the world and collecting different puzzle pieces of this world and of ourselves. She mentions how we often write about the history of an event or a person but those are just “printed words” but photographs are what give us knowledge. She says that photographs provide “the look of the past and the reach of the present” (Sontag, 2). Words can be interpreted in many different ways but a photograph provides a guide that opens up more direct conversation.
Photography is the documentary of history. Although much of Earth’s history still remains undocumented, ever since the invention of cameras, most of it has been. It also provides evidence. It’s like when people say “I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes”. Most of us like it when we have solid evidence because it proves a point. Sontag mentions how photography is used in the same way in criminology that helps with police investigations (Sontag, 3). But also, photographs are proof of existence. Everyone dies in life, some earlier and some later in life but it’s all part of a person’s life. Photographs are proof that you exist and give people a chance to remember you. During funerals, they also leave a clear picture of the deceased, so that people can remember most of you before they continue on with their own lives.
Personally, I believe that there is a story behind every picture that the photograph doesn’t fully cover so most of the story is concealed. A photograph might show some of the simplest things like a blank white wall but still have meaning behind it. A photograph doesn’t have to be eye-catching or follow a certain set of guidelines, it’s flexible and open to every and any type of story. When I take photographs, my ultimate goal is to be able to capture the most memorable moment of my life, from my smile to my clothes, to my pose, or from the position of the object to the specific angle at which the sun shines on the object. All of them tell a story…my story.
I really agree with your response and loved the way you ended it. I also love to take photos, and they do actually tell a story about me, not about others. And why not? It should be about our story, our life, and our memories. And your title literally enticed me to read it. Such a unique title! With a click, we can capture the beauty of our lives, and it made me wonder how beautiful the world is.
I agree that photographs each depict a different story. Even when it seems self-explanatory to some, upon closer inspection, one can uncover deeper meanings from what they observe. I like that you mentioned how “a photograph doesn’t have to be eye-catching or follow a certain set of guidelines.” With people participating in trends and taking very similar pictures, photographs have begun to feel repetitive and less meaningful.