Visualization, Sara Ceraso

Today we discussed the idea that images being shown to the public are used to help further understand what is going on in the world and to evoke some type of emotion.

I believe someone argued that these photographs were strictly just mean to document these situations to inform the people.

I have to disagree with this statement. The way I have been brought up viewing photographs is that there is no such thing as a "documentary photograph." I must argue that every photographer has an opinion on the photographs he takes, whether it is a strong one or not is another story. Unless a photographer is snapping shots with their eyes closed they still make the conscious decision to snap a photo at a certain time, of a certain moment and depicting it in a certain light.

I agree with the fact that photographs should circulate and be out there for people to see. But I can't see how these photographs could strictly be documentary.