Lee High

How does a photograph changes the way people react emotionally and shows other the

importance of a photo?

Vivian Belman

Mr. Foote

Senior Capstone

21 April 2017
 Belman 1

Vivian I Belman

P. Foote

Senior Capstone

April 21, 2017

Photography

Photography is something that people are able to feel, remember, and enjoy the moment.

A photograph can cause a person to change their emotions. Being able to show others a new way

to feel, change their mood, even a persons attitude can be changed, photos can even touch a

soul. Once someone takes the first look at a particular photo it can be marvelous or atrocious.

Photography is a way of feeling, expression of oneself, and how people take it is all about

how they view it.

Knowing that a photo will and can change the way you identify things. Furthermore, it can

cause a person to change their emotions. Others don't see photography that way. It is fair to say

that the ability of photography to capture the real world helped to shape the twentieth century

into one that would become almost obsessed with truth and accuracy (Davidman). The

transgender community at one point was insecure to show who they truly were, and photos were

a way to show the world how they view themselves and give the world a piece of themselves.

Pictures show people the perspective that words cannot. Photography has sat at the

intersection of truth and fiction (Davidmann). A gentleman named Ken felt like a woman and

wanted to make the transition from male to female in the 1950's. She was being persecuted for

who she wanted to be. Photos spoke for her in a way that others would could not see using
 Belman 2

words. Through photography she had a way to let others know why she made the choice she

made. Photos are a magnificent way to get people to see both sides of every story.

A piece of paper, ink, a camera and a person can create amazing products. Anyone with a

heart and who is able to express their feelings can experience the mind blowing emotion, and

self-reflection a photo can evoke. "Vivid and powerful, and I found them very moving. They

brought to light how little was known" (Ken). Photography has made an enormous impact on

history and people. Many, "believed that the photograph helped put an end to the tendency to

mythologize history" (Strayer). During the Civil Rights movement in Iraq, there were photos

taken to freeze in time where and what happened. But the most important aspect to remember is

to demonstrate the past as it really was. In that specific, historical time period, there were adults,

children, babies, and teens that lived that moment and photos support and remember their

experiences. These individuals describe, "photos that I vividly recall making an impression on

me" (Till). It was as if the image had been brought to life to change opinions, thoughts, and

emotions. Also, having these photographs help people to believe that an actual war or conflict

happened during a specific time and, "photography has provided a more democratic form of

record-keeping than written texts" (Strayer). Just like in history people have their own story. A

family might want to have photos taken of their first baby and capture a specific moment of their

life and the child. According to Mrs. Sarah Wood owner of Sew Photography, she "captures the

moment, smile, and feeling that the child was feeling at the moment. It is one of the moments

where I want to show the parents right away how cute their child looks" (Wood). Just like a

timeline a photo can also be useful and helpful to let other not forget the moment.
 Belman 3

It can be hard for humans to show their feelings by just looking at a photo, there are times that

individuals try to avoid the emotions that it comes with. While photographs may not lie, liars

may photograph" (Hine). Humans by nature lie and try to change things and a photographer

takes advantage of the moment. Photographs are there to conquer someone's mind and emotions.

On the other hand, "most photographs are viewed as art," (Strayer) which is not wrong but it is

also a way that people view the photograph that determines whether or not it is art. "The best

part of doing photography is having an outlet for personal expression and creativity," (Wood)

and this is evident in the many photographs families own and treasure. The fact that someone can

tell a story with such emotions it's amazing, with a photo memories are affected.

Even though people might have different opinions and thoughts about a photo. Being able to

feel is not wrong, nor is it wrong to have an opinion, because expressing thoughts and feelings is

not wrong. Yes, remembering can be something anybody can do but memories can be flawed

and people are constantly doing that. But remembering can be done in a more and perfect way,

for this to happen people have the ability to take photographs. This is good for someone's health,

emotionally and mentally. Nowadays, everyone takes photos and all of them mean something to

each person.
 Belman 4

Work Cited

Olson, Gary. The emotional power of photography from the civil rights movement to iraq,How empathy
can impact change.April.2008
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2008/04/03/emotional-power-photography-civil-rights-movem
ent-iraq-how-empathy-can-impact

SCOTT, CLIVE. "Frederick Evans: photography as mediation." Journal of European Studies, vol.
30, no. 1, 2000, p. 35. Academic
OneFile,go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA6426304
9&it=r&asid=8420d9edac0a80eaa3017961424a8800. Accessed 21 Apr. 2017.

Strayer, Jennifer. "A conversation with Geoff Wexler: photography and the Davies Family
Research Library collections." Oregon Historical Quarterly, Winter 2016,

Szucs, Suzanne E. "Ken. To be destroyed." Afterimage, Jan.-Feb. 2017, p. 40+. Academic OneFile,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA484157372&it=r&
asid=87d385bf99db47d7bb35c0c8309493a5. Accessed 21 Apr. 2017.

Wood, Sarah. "Photography." E-mail interview. 11 Apr. 2017.