One Thousand Words
Let us explore the usage of photographs as a significant medium in society. Through Facebook, magazines, newspapers, or blogs, photographs speak more than one thousand words in conveying an author’s perspective. On a micro level, photographs document one’s life. On a macro level, photographs provide a tangible cultural reference point for society. When one delves into history books, most of the strongest mediums we explore are through photographs. Words can only sketch a simple image, while photographs provide a colorful, vivid illustration for the reader. Through the image, it is easier to understand the circumstances and details of the authors message.
Photographs serve as a vital force in society: they define the present, protect the past, and stimulate the future. One picture can define an individual’s life or a historical time period. For example, museum’s use this medium as a foundation for their organization. In the Museum of Modern Art, one can gaze through the pictures of artisans, fashion icons, or other historical topics. There are minimal captions at the bottom of the pictures because one usually focuses on the message the picture displays. For example, one has probably been exposed to pictures than biographies of Marilyn Monroe. Her picture alone is the source of much discussion in the American Pop Culture realm.
Through our class discussion of the telegraph, we came to the conclusion that before the invention, there was a significant lack of communication between pieces in society. This same principle can be applied to photographs: without photographs , there is a deficiency of communication between the past and the present. There is a severe lack of understanding because one does not have a visual reference point of the subject being discussed. Building upon McLuhan’s thoughts, media is not only an extension of man, but rather, is shaped meticulously through mediums. Photographs are the strongest type of medium because they convey a message without spoken language and immediately connect with a reader (as opposed to a reader reading words, then having an image formed in their head). In essence, a photograph creates its own language. A photograph can be understood by all cultures, and is mutually exclusive of nationality or native language. Viewing a picture is an experience: it evokes an emotional response which shapes our global society.
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| Martin Luther King |
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| Education in China |
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| Iraq War |
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| China Town |
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| Poverty in the 1960s |
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| The Navy |
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| Civil Rights Movement |
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| Architecture |
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI agree that a photograph is a very strong form of communication, especially because it can be understood in all languages. Photographs are an effecitve medium because it is a path from history to present day, as well as the future. Looking through the pictures you posted, it is easy for me to understand the culture, atmosphere, mood, and most importantly, the message of the scene. Showing someone a photograph can also save time and send a quick, but powerful message. You have chosen an interesting artifact of media because pictures represent a snapshot of time when history was made and which can never be experienced again. Telling a story of what happened is not as effective as seeing a picture of an event occuring. Photographs demonstrate a powerful message and transport us back in history through media.
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI think your comments are very interesting. You have chosen to discuss a topic that is often times overlooked. A photo can give context to a period of time or a place that some may know nothing about. Like you discussed, it can stand for an individual, a group of people or an entire society. A photo is a very powerful media artifcact in this sense because it can represent cultures and people while simultaneously transcending time.
Amazing usage of actual photographs. In stead of just "sketching a picture with your words" as you said in your blog you brought your blog to another level. I find it insightful how you describe photos touching all parts of time being it the present, past or future. In some peoples lives photographs go overlooked and its refreshing to see that you truly believe in the strength of a photo.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is extremely fascinating how one picture can mean so much more than several words. Just from the pictures you have posted, we can automatically distinguish the difference between time, emotion, objective etc. For example, sometimes it is hard to convey how happy a particular moment can make a person feel, but with a picture those emotions can be translated to others. I think it is important to distinguish however that some photographs can be defined as media, but others may not be. A picture of your friends on the beach for Spring Break and a picture of the President's inauguration, may arguably both tell a story, but the significance of the pictures clearly varies. I believe that for a photograph to be considered media, it needs to reach a large audience that would have a specific interest in seeing the photo.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I think you're absolutely right about photographs. They tell stories that some of the best writers and poets couldn't dream of describing. In a single photograph there can be a million different things going on at one time with hundred different interpretations of each thing. It's no wonder that as children, before we could read we had numerous picture books to look at. We could decipher them with our own imaginations, spinning our own stories and weaving them through the picture. To this day I would much rather spend my day "reading" a book of photography over a novel. I feel that novels and prose are a much hotter medium in comparison to photographs because photographs leave so much up to interpretation while still getting their point across loud and clear.
ReplyDeleteI never used to understand photography and why people can get so into it, until one of my best friends back in High School decided to go to school for photography. Then, I began to realize and explore the possibility that one single shot can represent so much. I was once having a conversation with my friend about the difference between photography and words, since I am more of a "word's person"; the discussion first started smoothly until both of us became a bit aggressive with our words. All of a sudden out of nowhere he tells me, "words are flat, they portray one point of view while an image, a picture, can be so much more." After that, I understood. A photo can really be thousands of words.
ReplyDeleteWords vs. images which one is a more efficient form of communication--this is a perrenial debate in media studies. Glad to see you taking this question up and you made a great parallel between telegraph bridging here and there and phtograph bridging now and then. Good use of the class readings.
ReplyDeleteWhile you made a convincing case of how 'one image worth a thousand words,' remember there's always the opposite argument that images are ambiguous, open for interpretations, but words are certain and pining meaning down. So in a sense, words say a lot more than pictures. Being aware of this counterpoint will help you think in a more dialectic way in your essay.
Overall, good job!