We, human beings are emotional. Life brings out the best and the worst in us. And all that comes out through the emotions. Photographs are the best way to capture these emotions. And as soon as the emotions are captured in a photograph, they become memories. In fact, some of our best memories are from photographs.
Photographs make us stop and reflect upon those moments that we have already lived. They make us nostalgic and emotional, all at the same time. Birthday parties, weddings, Christmas with family, baby showers, anniversaries, natural disasters etc. whatever might have been the occasion, photos capture them in all their glory. They give us an opportunity to analyze how our lives have changed or remained the same. We can have a look at our lives through them more attentively because they force us to focus on a particular moment.
It is often said that a camera lies. But that’s not true. Every moment captured by the camera once existed. Otherwise, how would it have captured. But, there is no shying away from the fact that a camera can interpret. The composition, lightening, angles – all can be interpreted. But, therein lies the beauty of photography and also, its power. It is not accurate but it is real. A photo can inspire some, change the views of some, and shake up the ideals of some, may educate, and may inspire to act and so on. They can invoke the innermost feelings of human beings like fear, anxiety etc.
Photographs not only affect the personal lives. They may also affect the public. For example, the Vietnam war (1965-1975). The images brought back from the war affected the public opinion greatly. In fact, the US army even integrated photo journalists in their combat operations so that they could photograph for them.
In today’s modern world, the social media has increased the importance of photos even more. Just consider the example of Facebook. Sharing of photos is the most usual activity there. And, why not? They are the most interesting and powerful way of communicating one’s feelings. They allow us to convey something, which might have not been possible through words.
In fact, the importance of photos in one’s life is so much that if it is asked of people that what would they rescue from their burning house, most of the times, their answer would be the photo album or the digital images.
They grab our attention like nothing else. And, let’s put it this way. With time, our mind becomes fickle and we start forgetting things. The only way we can record them is through pictures. They have been and will remain the best way to store one’s memories and emotions. In fact, they are the prized possessions of one’s life.