Gavin Liu, G10, BASIS International School Shenzhen

As technology improved over the past few centuries, people have developed new ways to record our life, such as film and photography. A newspaper editor from the United States once said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Photography helps us better comprehend the world, by reflecting reality and offering more perspectives to our lives.

Photography is undeniably one of the best ways to record our lives and tell the truth of the world. It has many advantages compared to words and books, because it allows people to see for themselves the situation that is recorded. During World War II, a photographer named Robert Capa traveled to China. On his journey, he saw the crimes and atrocities committed by the Japanese army and recorded them in photography. Later the photos were sent to Europe, America, and various parts of the world. His photos helped people living thousands of miles away from China and those coming many years later to understand the sufferings the Chinese people had endured.

Similarly, a few years ago, a photographer published a photo about starving African children. This picture let those living in developed countries see the truth about the plights faced by Africans. These photographs helped millions around the world to know and care about things happening far away from them. It is undeniable that photos cannot tell the full story without providing context. Or even worse, photos can be manipulated to present what the photographer wants people to see and believe. That said, photos still provide us with information we cannot possibly access otherwise.

Not just providing information, photos also get people to think about things from new perspectives in a way similar to a movie or a novel. Some say “The Great Gatsby” reflects the clashes between different social classes, while others may interpret it as a sad love story.

Some view “Forrest Gump” as a personal adventure set against the backdrop of American history, while others say it’s an allegory about always cherishing hope. The same applies to photography. Some may consider the famous photograph of “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” as a sign of victory, while others may say it reflects upon the tragedy of war and death.

A photo can get people to think, by adding more perspectives of our world. Seeing the world through other people’s perspectives allows us to reflect upon things we would otherwise take for granted and to have a more profound understanding of the world we are living in.