Photography as Proof

“Camera Lucida” discusses the true value of a photograph in a more philosophical kind of way. A large focus of the reading based on the use of the photograph as “Look”, “See”, “There it Is”, conveying that photographs serve the purpose of proving something exists. With out a photograph, how can you prove something happened or even existed.

Photography is Unique

The reading also discusses the belief that a photograph can never be reproduced in the exact same circumstances. Although the above statement seems deep and philosophical, it only works within reason, such as. If you take a picture of a car in a well lit studio, that picture could be reproduced on a level of accuracy undetectable by the human eye, and each picture can also be duplicated through digital media. This statement does work however for natural imagery, such as taking a picture of an endangered animal in its natural habitat, or a picture thunderstorm over the ocean, as nature in its own way, is to chaotic to reproduce.

The Value of a Photograph

One intriguing point identified was the value of a physical photograph in its fragility. Why do photographs in physical form cause more emotion then one of many displayed on a screen? Is it due to the fact that it is a physical object that never changes, or the fact that it will eventually deteriorate over time? Questions like this get me deep in thought, as I have thousands of photographs on my phone, but the photographs that mean the most, are the physical strips from photo-booth’s with my friends and I, hanging on my wall. Even though the digital equivalent of these images are on my phone, I still can’t help but feel more emotions from the physical object.