Can Photographs Change the World?

A common question that gets asked is “can photographs change the world”. A lot of people have their different opinions on this question, but I strongly believe that photographs do have the power to change the world, and some photos do. In the article, Ferguson’s citizen journalists revealed the value of an undeniable video, it states, “a digital tool of enormous power.” It all starts with a situation or a place, then the photo is taken with a camera of some sort, and after that comes the potential for change. The camera does start it all and that’s why it is referred to as having so much power. The power to produce a snapshot of a moment that can change mindsets of people, which leads to changing our world.

In the video, Photograph of Boris Yeltsin Dancing, it says “Sometimes a great photo can change the course of history.” Photographs of situations that people may not see in their everyday lives are the photos that change history, the present, and the future. People get emotionally attached or intrigued by a photo and that is what causes them to make change, whether it be in their own personal lives or something that contributes to a bigger change; it’s a chain reaction. One person changes their ways or the way they think or do things, it makes others want to as well and perhaps even in fact change themselves. It all starts with people making a difference to change the world.

One photo that affected me personally was a photo by Pavol Stranak. It is a photo of kids on the other side of the world, drinking the same water as camels. I was shocked and it triggered something in me. In the video, Photos that Changed the World, it says “Since the beginning of photography, images have provoked reactions in people, and those reactions have caused change to happen.” In a way, I felt for the children and it made me want to help in any way I could. I couldn’t physically help get them clean water, but I wanted to do something, even if it was just a little thing. I started donating money to people in need of water, and not just water, but people living in poverty as well. I saw a photo and it made me want to change the world. It wasn't fair that I had clean water to drink everyday while others did not have that opportunity. I am sure that photos like these didn’t only trigger something in me but in others too, I truly believe that.

In the article, Censorship of war casualties in the US, it writes, “Americans need something, that’s certain. Because they definitely do not know what is going on.” A famous photo that I believe changed the world is a photo by Kevin Carter, and it is a photo of a starving child next to a vulture. The power of this picture is that the vulture and the child are almost the same in size. The photo clearly shows how skinny the child is verses how the normal sized the vulture is. I think people all around the world saw that photo with wide eyes, because how can people know the horrific things that are happening to others in the same world. Photographs give a clear image and help people imagine what is going. I think that photos like this cause a change, it makes people think and it makes them contribute to cause a change. A photograph that can change the world.

Photo by : Kevin Carter

Image source : https://allthatsinteresting.com/kevin-carter

Photo by : Pavol Stranak

Image source : https://www.cleanwaterhere.org/global-photography-exhibit-2018/