Society has become increasingly surrounded by photography. Though not inherently negative—as this has aided the improvement of spreading information—it brings into question the value of a photo nowadays.
I remember being deeply enthralled by the idea of photography as a child. Before I had a phone, my parents would send me on field trips with a little disposable camera that we would then take to Walmart for the film to be developed. In my youth, everything seemed photogenic, and I often asked my parents to take pictures of what I saw. To these requests, my father would often respond, “it’s better to have a memory than a picture.” Ironically, he recently took up photography as a hobby. With these anecdotes I assert that the place of photography in the world has changed. It holds onto the purpose of immortalizing moments, but the proverbial market has been flooded. A photo has to be truly eye-catching for people to notice it, whether it be with color, gore, or sensuality. In my mind, photographs had more power when the technology had just begun to grow. With all this being said, I don’t oppose the change in times and progress in technology; after all, my desire for high-definition video game graphics can’t be sated without it. I am merely intrigued by witnessing some of these advancements firsthand.
When I see a photograph, I expect to experience some sort of emotion, whether it be a
twinge of nostalgia or a jolt of revulsion. In a study conducted to understand our natural inclination towards photography, Frontiers concluded that, “pictures open up powerful possibilities for action, but also for feeling at home and safe.” However, I can’t say I feel
particularly motivated to take world-changing actions at the sight of a gourmet plate of food someone purchased at a high-roller restaurant. On the other hand, photography can be considered as an art form, as can food, so that photo may actually be an artistic masterpiece and I am simply unable to comprehend it. Photography has become so normalized and omnipresent that it has lost its effect. The NGA informs that photography’s popularity really began in the 1850s and could be utilized by skilled individuals. Until phones and cameras became commonplace, photography reserved itself for more-privileged people. This certainly changed with the introduction of social media platforms, where people share photos of their pets, their food, and, of course, themselves.
Some say that the dollar doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. I feel that photography has gone down a similar path. Photos used to mean a thousand words, but now social media means a thousand photos.