Essay about Photography

1. Essay about Photography
The Test of Time: The Power of the Photograph
What is a photograph? The simplicity of taking a photograph leads many to ponder its artistic value.
Yet, it is undeniable that there are some photos that cause an emotional reaction deeper than simply
observing a recorded point in time. Surely, there are photographs that cause more reaction than some
modern art pieces. There seems to be two types of photographs. The first classification is the 'time
capture' photo – an image with the sole purpose of recording a particular event or point in time. The
second nature of a photo carries a 'deeper meaning,' which has the ability to change the observer's
mood and cause a reaction. But what distinguishes these two varieties? There are a...show more
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There is clearly an artistic value to this image – it is taken at the location of a massacre of over 200
members of the Great Sioux Nation. However, did Elliot Erwitt intend a 'deeper meaning' for this
photograph? In an interview recorded on his official website, Erwitt declares, "If it turns out to be
entertaining what I do, I'm very pleased. But it's not conscious." It seems that Erwitt claims to not
possess artistic intent in his photographs. However, it is clear that he simply boasts an
unconscious artistic eye. It is obvious that the photograph of this church on hallowed ground falls
in the 'deeper meaning' category. The second Elliot Erwitt photo is taken from his official
webpage. It too is captured in black and white. The photo, shown in Figure 2 was taken in France
and depicts a man and child riding a bicycle down a road lined with trees. This seems to be a 'time
capture' photo; this particular event can never be perfectly replicated again. Despite the category in
which this photo clearly falls into, it is undoubtedly still art – the setting is too perfect to be
unintentional. However, according to Erwitt in his interview, unintentional is exactly the correct
word. Erwitt states, "I take pictures of anything that interests me as I walk around with my camera."
This means that many of his photos are taken on a whim; the right place at the right time. In this case
it is the viewer who makes the distinction between
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