Powerful Statements of Photography Whoever

Powerful Statements of Photography

Whoever said "one picture is worth a thousand words," could have mentioned, too, that those "thousand words" should be exponentially multiplied by the number of individuals sharing the expression of the photograph; that is, empathy, sympathy, love, anger, outrage, generosity, and so throughout the entire conceivable range of human emotion. There is perhaps no greater force on earth than the emotions that drive human beings, compelling them to pick up arms to defend against a "cause." or, to take up picket signs and march against a "cause," in opposition of an idea, event, or government where photographs have been used to move the viewing public to action. In its worst form, photography is used to satisfy the salacious hunger of individuals who live vicariously through the lives of celebrities. A photograph of the late Prince Diana - whom the world knows by just that reference because of the many photographs of her - could be worth thousands of dollars to the photographer (see, online photo gallery at (http://www.princess-diana.com/diana/diana.php).If the photograph exposed a very vulnerable side of the princess, or caught her in a very private moment, then the value of the photograph was increased by thousands of more dollars in value to the magazines and publications that sought to satisfy the public's hunger for news about the princess. This paper will examine some of the historical events and people in history, where perhaps a single photograph viewed world-wide served as impetus to bring about change on a massive or world scale, demonstrating the power of the photograph.

Vietnam

Vietnam was the first "televised" war, or conflict, in human history. For the time in history, people around the world were able to watch ongoing, live events of war on television during their dinner or leisure time. One of the most moving photographs of the war is found online, at http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Vietnam-war-picture-that-touched-a-nation-can-still-surprise/2005/05/22/1116700595259.html. The photograph resulted in an outpouring of emotion and philanthrophy.

In 1973 photographer Chick Harrity snapped one of the Vietnam War's most memorable images. It showed a baby girl, named Tran Thie Het Nhanny, lying in a cardboard box next to her brother, who begged on the streets of Saigon.

When the photo was published in February of that year, it inspired Americans to raise money to bring the baby to the U.S. To undergo surgery to correct a congenital heart defect (Fairfax Digital, 2005, found online at (http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Vietnam-war-picture-that-touched-a-nation-can-still-surprise/2005/05/22/1116700595259.html)..

One of the most disturbing photographs of the war was that of then 9-year-old child, a little girl, running with other children, fleeing a recent bombing. In the background, there are soldiers, carrying weapons. The children are the survivors of a 1972 napalm attack on the Vietnam village where they had gone to hide and find safety. This photograph was responsible for a loud - even louder than usual - outcry and protest by anti-war protesters state side. The photograph can be viewed, online at http://www.slate.com/id/1896.The photograph, copied from that site below, is as disturbing today as it was when originally published in 1972. It should be noted, too, that the child was identied as Phan Thi Kim Phuc, who, in 1996, 24 years later, was photographed laying a wreath on the grave of Vietnam era solider, in Washington, D.C.

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