Photography: Interpretation of Reality, Art or Simply Entertainment?
Photography is the whole world full of adventures, interesting events, stories, games of colors and light. As one of the most interesting and exciting forms of art, it appeared a long time ago, and to this time has been greatly influencing the human life. In the 19th century, for example, the adherents of positivism believed that photography is a science that allows to record reality. Photography, both art and science, has constantly been improved by different artists, inventors, scientists, and engineers.
We are all accustomed to believe by taking pictures we capture the best moments of our life, and photographs help to recall the events of the past. However, there is much more to tell. A photographer is a painter who depicts his life on a canvas by conveying certain emotions or experiences, and who describes reality the way he or she sees it or wants it to be. So, we cannot always be sure whether a photograph reflects reality with the highest accuracy or vice versa, hides it. Let’s consider a number of current arguments and facts about photography, and find out what it really is.
The Actual Value of a Photograph
In addition to representing reality, photography is also important in other areas of human life. For example, in the world of commerce, a photograph can play a key role in influencing consumers or clients or forming the reputation of a particular brand or company. Photographs have a huge emotional impact on people, making them experience particular sort of emotion, so that they have a certain desire to buy something, go somewhere, or look in a certain way. This can be especially observed in the case when women want to be similar to models in advertising and buy hundreds of goods. Television and the internet have been using it for decades, and believe me, do not lose.
The value of the image is determined by its color, its uniqueness, charm, and also practical meaning. If the power of the photograph is so great, that it can make people think over something, or compare or connect themselves with the objects depicted on it, it is regarded as a very valuable thing. We need to remember, that every image has a story to tell, and it shouldn’t be neglected.
Photograph as a Powerful Weapon
To take a good photograph, a person doesn’t need to put much effort. He or she only has to find the perfect light, background and add a little creativity. But depending on a target audience, you will need to take into account some more aspects. For some people, the shooting time or locations would be enough to make a conclusion on the photograph. To sum up, different people see the photographs in different ways.
Very often, a photograph is a powerful weapon to influence groups of people. As mentioned previously, you do not always know the truth behind a photograph. Therefore, many photographers take the use of it to control the vulnerable people. In addition, people with different ideologies interpret images in their own ways and sometimes may not understand the meaning well. For instance, if you want to grab attention from particular people, you can try to make the image cause shock, aggression, sadness, stress, or uncertainty. Such incidences have already happened more than once in the real world, and especially during the Lebanon war period. This is a warning to all people to be careful and unbiased when viewing photos and videos in the media.