Eyes Cannot Lie Nora Ephron wrote, “The Boston Photographs” to make her argument about how the media should be able to publish photographs of death. She used the Boston Photographs as her example. The photographs were taken by Stanley Forman. They were of a woman and a child falling from a fire escape. Readers thought the photos were disturbing and should not have been published. The photographs were taken by accident when the photographer thought the woman and child would be rescued. He turned away at the very last split-second before the woman fell to her death. There were a lot of criticism for the published photographs. Ephron thought that the photos were rightfully published and argued that the pictures were irrelevant to the woman 's …show more content…
Instead of telling readers what to think through words, readers can form their own point of view from a photo. A photograph that showed different interpretations was taken during WWII after the destruction of Iwo Jima in Japan of Americans soldiers raising an American flag in the ruins. Some viewers may perceive this act as patriotic, and others may have thought it was an act of terrorism and revenge. Either opinion could be argued and the photograph is the evidence. Since photographs can be unbiased, they can also hold truthful detail. For example, one photograph from the Vietnam war depicted a Vietnamese police officer shooting a Viet Cong in the streets. There are a lot of emotion in that photograph that words cannot describe all; which included the fear and hostility that was upheld during the time. Newspapers need to print more of these kinds of photographs to educate people the ugliness of war and death. Ephron pointed out, “throughout the Vietnam War, editors were reluctant to print atrocity pictures. . . That 's what that war was about.” War and its deaths are a part of history too, and history needs to be kept true and unbiased. As long as the photos are not altered nor used for propaganda, they can be …show more content…
While Ephron argued that photos of death and war should be published just because it happened, but those photos do have some purpose. They are to preserve history, accurately record events, and be able to convey strong messages to readers. Photojournalism should be able to open minds of readers because the stories do not necessarily have to be told in a picture. Stories of war and death must be respected and honored, so these kinds of stories should not be unmentioned nor censored. They should be remembered. Also, photojournalism should not be abused in any sort to keep the integrity of the stories being captured. Ephron had said, “photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism,” because it can cause a quicker response. Photojournalism is not only a piece of news, but it is also art. Works of art have the right to be expressed and shown to the
For Emerson, the reticent beauty of nature was the motivator. To him, photography should be recognized because its still-life beauty was able to persuade the public’s appreciation of the life and nourishment
An image has the explicit power of telling a story without saying any words, that’s the power behind a photo. A photo tends to comes with many sides to a story, it has the ability to manipulate and tell something differently. There is a tendency in America, where explicit photos of war or anything gruesome occurring in the world are censored for the public view. This censorship hides the reality of our world. In “The War Photo No One Would Publish” Torie DeGhett centers her argument on censorship, detailing the account of graphic Gulf War photo the American press refused to publish. (73) DeGhett argues that the American public shouldn’t be restrained from viewing graphic content of the war occurring around the world. She believes that incomplete
In conclusion, while books, photos, movies and other historical documentation can portray information or a message about wartime events, they will never be able to produce the feelings of those that were personally involved in wars have experienced. Yet, it is incorrect to criticize these writers. The information they reveal is still very important historical information. Even if a reader or viewer of this media cannot feel exactly the same emotions as those involved, they still often experience an emotional connection to the events being depicted. This is important, not only for the historical knowledge gained about wars, but also to understand the nature and futility of their occurrence.
I glance amusedly at the photo placed before me. The bright and smiling faces of my family stare back me, their expressions depicting complete happiness. My mind drifted back to the events of the day that the photo was taken. It was Memorial Day and so, in the spirit of tradition my large extended family had gathered at the grave of my great grandparents. The day was hot and I had begged my mother to let me join my friends at the pool. However, my mother had refused. Inconsolable, I spent most of the day moping about sulkily. The time came for a group picture and so my grandmother arranged us all just so and then turned to me saying, "You'd better smile Emma or you'll look back at this and never forgive yourself." Eager to please and knowing she would never let it go if I didn't, I plastered on a dazzling smile. One might say a picture is worth a thousand words. However, who is to say they are the accurate or right words? During the 1930s, photographers were hired by the FSA to photograph the events of the Great Depression. These photographers used their images, posed or accurate, to sway public opinion concerning the era. Their work displayed an attempt to fulfill the need to document what was taking place and the desire to influence what needed to be done.
Originally published in 1975, Nora Ephron’s essay “The Boston Photographs” is both still relevant and controversial almost forty years later. It deals with the series of three photographs that were published in newspapers across the country. The most important one shows a mother and child falling off a collapsed fire escape. Both have their limbs outstretched. If both had survived, maybe the reaction would have been different. The child survived by landing miraculously on the mother, but the mother ended up dying. The question on everyone’s mind was why the photographer, Stanley Forman, decided to take the photographs instead of trying to help the falling mother and child.
The motivations behind why photos were taken will be explored, such as propaganda, as well as reactions to them. Research into events being photographed, their intentions and who requested them will be made, also assessing its effect on the public determining success. B. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE Battle field photography was not developed for the sole purpose of recording events as would a newspaper or painting. Battlefield photography brought intense images directly from the field to the public, bringing the horrors of war to families so far from their husbands and sons (Niller). The photography institution brought the reality of war to the public in manners newspapers were incapable of (Harvey 73).
In today's world, photographs are the most form of media to deliver news and messages. They depict the mere fact, but are censored to hide violence. Such an act conceals the reality of life and is unfair. Graphic images must always be exposed to the public as they present the blatant reality and educate people about world crisis.
On March 5, 1770 a bloody conflict broke out that was later called the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre came to be when Edward Garrick a 13 year old apprentice taunted British sentry man Private Hugh White. Retaliating against the boy's insults Hugh White struck the child on the side of the head with his musket. Hearing garrick's cries of pain a large crowd gathered around Hugh White shouting and throwing things at him. Captain Thomas Preston was alerted of the situation and led six soldiers of the 29th regiment (and a non-commissioned officer) in Hugh's defense. The crowd grew larger as insults were thrown at both sides. The now mob-like crowd began throwing snowballs,ice, and sticks at the soldiers and threatening them with clubs. At
Photographs are used to document history, however selected images are chosen to do so. Often times these images graphically show the cruelty of mankind. In her book, Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag asks, "What does it mean to protest suffering, as distinct from acknowledging it?" To acknowledge suffering is just to capture it, to point it out and show somebody else that it exists. In order to protest suffering, there has to be some sort of moral decision that what is shown in the photograph is wrong, and a want from the viewer to change that.
The mass media carries with it unparalleled opportunities to impart information, but also opportunities to deceive the public, by misrepresenting an event. While usually thought of as falsifying or stretching facts and figures, manipulation can just as easily be done in the use of photography and images. These manipulations may be even more serious – and subtle – than written manipulations, since they may not be discovered for years, if ever, and can have an indelible and lasting impact on the viewer, as it is often said, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. One of the most significant images of Twentieth Century America was the photograph of a migrant mother holding her child. The photograph was taken during the Great Depression by photographer Dorothea Lange, and has remained an enduring symbol of the hardship and struggle faced by many families during the Depression Era. This image was also an example of the manipulation of photography, however, for it used two major forms of manipulation that remain a problem in journalistic photography.
Pictures cannot be reenacted; therefore, this is why photographs are noteworthy. This statement rings valid; many people, including Nora Ephron, agree with it. Moreover, Ephron writes a final essay called “The Boston Photographs”, and she references an occurrence where a woman deceased. The photographs of her and her child falling are visible in news articles. People believe that these pictures were too private. Nevertheless, Ephron believes that newspapers should not censor obscenities from the public because they represent certain issues. A comparable theme of death appears in a recent photograph of the blood-spattered death of many Syrian inhabitants by the air strikes of the Syrian government.
Each photo drags the reader into reality. The visual elements not only help the reader continue to read the article but also provide a voice. By voice I mean each photo has a different story to it that is under the argument of rising poverty rates. Each photo was taken in black-and-white as if it was representing how the poor citizens of these communities were viewing the world they are in. The dark and gloomy photos was creating an exaggerated atmosphere that the reader was undergoing when reading the photo essay. Everything seemed to be moving in one direction, distress. As a reader, this photo essay appeals to me because I feel an emotional attachment to the photos while getting factual evidence to prove the thesis. When reading through the argument it was clear that the author was credited. Knowing that there was a photographer who took the trip around the United States to capture each moment of the lives of these poor citizens makes this photo essay reliable. From the way, the author was describing the communities to the black-and-white colors of the photos there was a realization that I made while reading the
For this source I chose the article, In Plato 's cave by Susan Sontag. The source talks about all of the different ways society looks at photographs. In the quote by Sontag she says,
“I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony. The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated” (Nachtwey). Photojournalism is the art or practice of communicating news by photographs, especially in magazines. Photojournalism has evolved immensely from the beginning to the present. Photojournalism developed during the Crimean War, submitted to its evolution throughout the course of the Golden Age, and eventually settled on its present-day existence today.
Photojournalism plays a critical role in the way we capture and understand the reality of a particular moment in time. As a way of documenting history, the ability to create meaning through images contributes to a transparent media through exacting the truth of a moment. By capturing the surreal world and presenting it in a narrative that is relatable to its audience, allows the image to create a fair and accurate representation of reality.