In the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, The War Photo Limited Gallery, was dedicated especially to a war that happened between Israel and Lebanon in early 90’s; the motive was to obtain a visual view from both sides, with 4 photographers creating more global perspective on what truly happened during the war, the exhibitions attempt to follow and delve into a story to touch the lives of those affected by war (Heizmann, 2007). This shows that war photography is able to influence people’s perception on various types of experience, as well as evoking deep-seated emotions. Susan Sontag identifies the best war pictures as “the visual equivalent of sound bites”, because they are able to compress complicated issues in a profoundly persuasive manner; for example images of war victims that were harmed are able to provoke shame, disgust, anger and conflict, not in a way sheer verbal accounts would do (Gusterson, 2009).
Shell shocked children await evacuation (Israel-Lebanon conflict). (source: warphotoltd.com)
Photojournalism is a career that should be given more appreciation and reliability although it wouldn’t bring in huge profit because especially, war photojournalists, telling the truth with little verbal expression is very dignified. Wade Goddard (Heizmann, 2007) trusts a photographer more than the news media when it comes to story-telling because a photographer is on the frontline, witnessing as a story unravels and capturing images that are impartial whereas the media uses a team of editors and publishers to politically or ideologically report a story. This is supported by Mark M. Hancock, who stated that “A professional photojournalist is a visual reporter of facts; the public have trust in its reporters to tell the truth and the same trust is extended to photojournalists as visual reporters. At all times, we have many thousands of people seeing through our eyes and expecting to see the truth. Most people immediately understand an image (Akhter, 2009). Goddard (Heizmann, 2007) also asserted that the photographs of war will raise awareness on the damage a conflict/war can bring to a society, and the heavily victimised are always the women and children and Lana Slezic, a photographer expressed that she feels obligated to communicate the sufferings that happen in the places which many of us are oblivious to.
Even though I am not well-read when it comes to photography, I have always had a passion for it. Every time I appreciate an excellent photo, I can feel it moving my soul as well as inspiring me. In my personal view, photographs should be accompanied by texts to further empower the messages that are going to be disseminated. Therefore, if a picture is accompanied by a caption or a short description, the audience will easily be affected. Besides, images and texts are interdependent. Bernhardt (2009) maintained that the physical of text requires the visual apprehension in order for people comprehend the information. When combined with the best write-ups, visuals help to push home the message in the most powerful way and that’s how they must be used – when the power of two is packed into one, the punch is that much stronger (Carlson, 2009). It is one thing to take a photograph of a person, and it is another to make others to take notice by unveiling the heart of humanity. Have you been moved by pictures lately?
References
- Akhter, A 2009, 35 powerful phots that tell a story, viewed 15 June 2010,<http://www.noupe.com/photography/35-powerful-photos-that-each-tells-a-story.html>.
- Bernhardt, SA 1986, 'Seeing the text', College Composition and Communication, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 66-78.
- Carlson, A 2009, Why pictures speak louder than words, viewed 15 june 2010, <http://ddunleavy.typepad.com/the_big_picture/2009/07/why-pictures-speak-louder-than-words.html>.
- Gusterson, H 2009, Hiroshima and the power of pictures, viewed 15 June 2010, <http://ddunleavy.typepad.com/the_big_picture/2009/07/why-pictures-speak-louder-than-words.html>.
- Heizmann, S 2007, 'The power of the photograph',The Media Report, ABC Radio National Transcripts, viewed 15 June 2010, <http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2051819.htm>.
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