Is a picture worth a thousand words, or is it exploitation?
By vega83
@vega83 (6340)
Bahrain
April 8, 2007 9:01am CST
Please read the whole thing before you answer.
Have you ever seen the exhibit of world press photo, has it ever come to your town? It is the work of world renowned photographers in the field of journalism from all around the world.
Last year, this exhibition came to Bahrain, it was all over the mall, these wonderful pictures, and you couldn't keep me away from the mall in those days.
So, anyway, once I went to this one with one of my friends and we got into a sort of debate about these photos, of course, most of these photos are of violence and suffering around the world and some of the happenings around our world and all different fields.
She felt that this might be considered as exploitation of the sufferers and the victims, while we look on, and I felt otherwise.
I felt that it's merely putting a face to all those names and numbers we hear in the news, and we are so unaffected because you can't really feel an emotional connection to 20 people who've died somewhere, but if you see a picture of a child or relative to the victim who died, then it hits home.
I feel that this is a great way of awareness, how we can know what's going on around us, instead of just hearing about it on the news in a very impersonal manner. Seeing those pictures, who knows how many people have been inspired and become volunteers to help in those places or offered help in any other way.
Think of it this way, how many times have you heard of some revolution or some massacre happening in some remote part of the world and how you felt when you heard it. Now imagine watching a movie about the same thing like 'Hotel Rwanda', and then realize how emotionally involved you were in that as it visually stimulated your human nature.
So what do you think, people? Are these pictures just the exploitation of human suffering, or are they doing any good in introducing us to our world, creating awareness and inspiring us to help each other?
I'm waiting for your opinions on this.
5 people like this
4 responses
@smileyDevil (271)
• India
8 Apr 07
good question.
any picture is worth thousand words, but it should also be accompanied by words. else the picture would definitely create a confusion and lead to wrong conclusions by the viewer.
some pictures are motivating and some pictures are distasteful. some pictures talk where as some pictures dont.
so, it depends on the type of picture that you as a viewer is looking at.
about the pictures that you have described, my frend, i understand your concern. but the fact is, it shows the reality in the land that they were taken.
@vega83 (6340)
• Bahrain
9 Apr 07
Yes, it does show the reality of the land that they were taken in but i do agree to a certain extent that it needs words to explain the picture, it might need just a few like in the title only and when i went to the world press photo exhibit, all the pictures come with an explanation on where they were taken and when. It's mainly for clarity and you can separate then, the events that you have heard about all year long in the news, and actually see it as reality, I don't think the words hit home, it's the visuals that grip us and make us feel. Photography, any kind, still or moving, is great in that way.
2 people like this
@vega83 (6340)
• Bahrain
10 Apr 07
yes, that's right, they can be more misleading if explained that's why what I do is before reading anything, I try to get a feel of the picture itself without reading those words, so that I am the first one who influences ME on what I think of the particular picture and what message I get from it. I wouldn't want anyone dictating how I should feel by leading me to it, or misleading me to it. Because in he end it doesn't matter who did what to whom, because in the end it has just always been human against human. That's the bottom line, I don't like playing the blame game.
@nowment (1756)
• United States
8 Apr 07
My first instinctive response to the question was no, because pictures do not always reveal the whole picture. Then reading the post, I see it is a different question entirely. I do think that pictures can put a name to what is happening, that cold statistics I agree, I do remember hearing about and being horrified by what had happened in Rwanda, but seeing the movie Hotel Rwanda really gave meaning to the horror that the world turned a blind eye to. I think that some of those images are exploitive, when someone is using those images to gain, or find profit for themselves yes it is exploitive, but when it is something that is going to make people aware, bringing awareness to issues that are being ignored or people hear about but are just statistics, then it can change your whole perspective.
For me actually meeting someone who lived through WWII who was Jewish puts new perspective on that period in history for me, so that movies like Schindler's List have even more meaning.
For me the numbers are not just numbers. But we keep hearing about places and horrors all the time, and they are just numbers, just stories that we can dismiss. See a face and then the numbers are more than just a list, they are people, real people.
2 people like this
@vega83 (6340)
• Bahrain
10 Apr 07
Yes, I too have always wondered what would have happened if the photographer had actually helped that child get to the food camp, I guess both those lives would've been very different.
No, I had never heard of the paperclip lady, but now that I have, it is amazing. You're right, usually the happenings of our world and the lives of so many, just become meaningless statistics to us, unless someone like that comes along and shows us some more. Anything that can gives some reality to words or some physicality to it, can make us think in a whole other way, and sheds a whole new light on these situations.
@wildhorse (1293)
• Egypt
11 Apr 07
It's hard to say, I guess for many people it became a motivation to volunteer as you said or to demonstrate and press for changes, etc but for me I find these kind of photos (and some TV coverage) very frustrating and depressing.. there's simply nothing that I can do about what's going on in the world and not even about what's going on in my own country.. I avoid news and this kind of photos now as much as I can. It does serve a purpose and I don't think it's exploitation but for me it's just depressing :(
@vega83 (6340)
• Bahrain
11 Apr 07
yes, it can be a motivation for people like you and me too, even though we think we're helpless and can't really make a difference, we still can. Just by a simple donation or a letter to the leaders of our countries or by spreading the awareness, I'm not a huge fan of demonstrations though, especially the ones that turn into riots, and people start burning stuff. In the process they destroy the property of their own country to stop something happening in another country.
When I see photos like these, it doesn't make me feel depressed but just the opposite. It just gives me a bigger picture of the world and makes me feel like I'm so blessed and that things we take for granted in our lives are actually a privilege. And maybe you can't make any difference now, but it's there in your heart and it could shape your life on who you become. No one is a philanthropist or activist by birth. That stuff comes with influence and I find pictures like these an influence, not to choose sides on, but to all join together and do something to make a healthy difference.
1 person likes this
@vega83 (6340)
• Bahrain
11 Apr 07
Well, yes actually you got me, I am an optimist by nature, I always try to see the silver lining in the cloud, the brighter side, there is very little, if anything, that depresses me.
But it just doesn't mean that I'm happy I'm better off than most people, of course I feel for them, and I do contribute where I can, and try not to take things like running water or electricity for granted, when it's gone for a while then we realize how spoiled we really are.
@wildhorse (1293)
• Egypt
11 Apr 07
Maybe you are an optimist by nature :) I know we take many things in our lives for granted but i had to move around and saw how other people lack too much of what we think of as basics, it's like a nightmare when you have to live without electricity or running water for a day but some people has to do without it all of the time. I don't that I can change anything but I believe if I had a chance I would give it a try.. well at least we can change things in our hearts and this is the weakest of faith :)
1 person likes this
