Talking About Photography 3

Witness

Photography as evidence, the photographer as witness.

A spectator is not a witness.

Both are present but only the latter stops forgetting.

To be present is not enough to be a witness, to experience an event does not make one a witness.

And not even Seeing  is sufficient to count as being present.

But so much history is burned in the memory of those who cannot forget.

To  witness, not only to see, concentrates time in a moment—in a memory—for a self, and for others.

This is a noble job, free, and absolutely priceless. 

Pilar: Devastation all around. Torn up trees with roots exposed. A crushed school bus collapsed on itself. Houses with only basements left. An American flag hanging, still as the rest of the town. The sky growing in drama and darkness, gazing over the devastation and threatening the inevitability of more to come...


- The concept of photographer as witness brought to my mind pictures with extreme emotion that leaps off of the paper and strikes a chord in the viewers heart. Often these pictures that have the most impact represent situations and emotions that are not seen on a regular basis. However, the emotion is so raw they feel they can, or can at least try, to identify with it. One such picture that always does this for me is the picture below of a solder returning home and holding his baby for the first time. It's joyous and beautiful yet heartbreaking at the same time. (Margot Rittenhouse)

Molly Reich - Photography is a way to freeze a moment in time.  The photographer has the power to capture an action and turn it into a memory.  Heres a quote that I think pertains to this idea - "Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. . . it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything" - Aaron Sussman


Witness photography captures an emotion that the subject may not have known they were emitting.  Candid photography of people grieving or rejoicing or even suffering manages to express what people are feeling without using any words at all.  (Hadley Manfredi)

A story.

New glory or forgotten “sorry”.

She screams while he dreams,

stealing away memories and sins.

Another story.

No glory.

Only a piece of paper with a note “sorry”.  - Kirila


Look. See. Experience. Feel. Remember. Share. Be. Remember.
-Tamara S

Every Tear is a waterfall -coldplay
as we saw oh this light
I swear you, emerge blinking into
To tell me it’s alright
As we soar walls,
every siren is a symphony
And every tear’s a waterfall
Is a waterfall

(Federica Nuzzolese)