If you’ve ever questioned the power of an image, consider the current news cycle. The US government has decided it won’t show images of the dead Bin Laden.
If you’re wondering why, the answer is simple. A photograph–an image–is an incredibly powerful thing. It can be a tool, intentionally or incidentally. It can tell an entire story of a month, year, decade, or a generation, captured in perhaps just 1/1000 of a second. An image change a life, end a war, start a riot, bring someone joy, inspire a revolution, open or close a debate. An image can move the world.
My point has nothing to do with the governments treatment, or lack thereof, of the Bin Laden image…should or shouldn’t, left or right in America, good versus evil, or any other debate along political lines. That is not my point, and this is not the forum here for those discussions. Don’t go there. Instead it has everything to do with the proof of the power of an image. Therein lies the only reason that this debate rages on. If it weren’t powerful, there would be nothing to say.
My point is a simple one and specifically this: if you’ve ever doubted if, in this modern era with technology moving a light speed, whether there is still respect and value for the 130 year old concept of a photo, think again. If you’ve ever wondered if the power of a photograph is waning, think again. The power of a photograph is at an all time high. Sometimes we… need these reminders.
Consider this as you go to work with your camera.
Agreed, very good point that I missed in all the talk about what to do with it. Another point is that there’s a ton of “backstory” out there to the photo. Without the backstory, it would just be a photo of a guy with a bullet hole in his head–not nearly as compelling.
You make a very good point.
You would think that just the information provided by the American Government would be enough to satisfy people’s curiosity about this whole situation; with the explanation of the op itself, but because of our information-saturated world, people want more. Even if the image was released, people wouldn’t be satisfied until a video from the satellite feed was released. Even if THAT were released, people would want to find out exactly which SEAL it was and hear him talk about it and gain notoriety. We inherently live in a culture where things Aren’t Good Enough. We will always want more, and it starts, in this case, with a photograph that would perhaps be one of the most important in recent American history, if not in American history.
The fact that they aren’t releasing it goes to show just how important this image is. People want to see. If it didn’t matter, people wouldn’t care that is isn’t going to be shown.
I’m with Scott in AZ on this…..what’s the point (besides none) of a powerful/moving photograph if nobody is “allowed” to see it?
Fantastic point Chase! That had not even come to mind. There’s also another side that has not been discussed and that’s the validity of the photo itself, as in what if it were manufactured and not real (photoshop and such). That not withstanding, I totally agree with you and am glad you pointed it out!
Fantastic point. The part I don’t understand is why is there so much demand for the photo? In this day and age most people with good Photoshop skills can make a very passable fake one anyway. I work in fashion retouching/photography and know nothing u see on magazine covers is close to the original raw photo anyway. So why would a photo “prove” he’s dead. I tell myself it’s because most people don’t know how far photoshop can go but I’m not sure if that’s the case. Even talented video guys will tell u compositing someone to be in a video isn’t that hard either. Especially if it’s low light night vision style video that I imagine this footage would be. I guess it’s at the point where we have to ask “what does prove things these days?” you have to be there? Dunno. Great post Chase as always!