How a photograph make the world a better place
QUESTIONS
1. ‘All good photographers make pictures of persuasion.’ Answer this
question by discussing any two photographs that seek to persuade us of
something.
OR
2. At the end of the second Decisive Moments film, the commentary says ‘by
the end of the 1930’s, the naïve belief that the camera never lies had been well
and truly exploded.’ How and why does the camera lie? Answer this question
by discussing two propaganda photographs.
OR
3. Are there things that should not be photographed? Answer this question by
discussing the photograph of Ruth Schneider’s execution.
OR
4. How might a photograph make the world a better place? Answer this
question by discussing the photography of Steve McCurry.
Solution
The Afghan Girl 2
A Photograph Makes the World a Better Place
The photograph of the Afghan girl made headlines in the in the National geographic. In the
middle of war, the eyes of Sharbat Gula became an inspiration. Afghanistan had been in war for
years, millions had died many more displaced, the few who managed moved to refugee camps in
Pakistan. The people had seen war for the better part of their lives. Sharbat was only seven when
a bomb robbed her of her parents; she spent half her life in a refugee camp. Such destruction,
pain, and anger for such a young girl would be enough to make anyone give up. The
hopelessness of the situation was immense; it was clear in her face. The world’s view of the
Afghan war was one of torment and hopelessness [1].
Photography is not merely a composition of pictures; photos tell stories to the society
concerning the issues that are currently happening in distance places. The stories that are told
from a tear, a smile, or the brightness of the eyes of a young girl in a refugee camp. Such
exposure of the effects and causes of war can have great impacts in solving societal issues.
Photographs remind the world that there are places that do not experience the same peace or
democracy that we experience. Humanitarian effort and political action to save such countries
are inspired. The afghan war became more than stories in the news, the photo of the young girl
showed the world the situation that the people experienced in war, the scars the children had and
the strength they put in such circumstances [2]. The photograph of the young girl was shocking
at first. Her eyes were captivating and bewildering. She became the face of Muslims, women and
children in war. The brightness and resilience of the eyes became a symbol of encouragement
and perseverance in the harsh conditions.
The Afghan Girl 3
The second photo, taken seventeen years later, proved what all men know at the later stages
of their lives that they have to play by the hand they deal. Her face shows the effects of the
hardship she has undergone and the lose she suffered through her life, most recently that of her
infant daughter. Her eyes show a little less life and hope. They had the same ferocity they once
upheld, perhaps because of her Pashtun blood, the most Warlike tribe in Afghan [1]. For the
years that the photograph of the 13-year-old Afghan girl has been on newspapers, journal and
classrooms, the same story of war has been told. The resilience of man in all situations remains
an inspiring fact for every person, making the world a little better every day.
The Afghan Girl 4
Reference List
1. Callwood, T. (2013). Haunted, Yet Haunting: A Visual Analysis of 'The Afghan Girl'.
Haunted, Yet Haunting: A Visual Analysis of 'The Afghan Girl', 1. Retrieved from
http://www.jmu.edu/lexia/volume_1/Haunted.html
2. Open Society Foundations. (2013). Documentary Photography in an Open Society |
Open Society Foundations (OSF). Retrieved from
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/documentary-photography-open-
society
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