The purpose of this article is to discuss the roles played by private and official photography. We will examine how these roles are reflected in a collection of photos from the educational resource. We will also discuss how photos can create meaning or challenge dominant narratives in society. Through the different photographs in this unit, this can be seen and compared.
Even though official photographs and private photographs seem to be quite different in their conception, realization and result, one might observe that, especially in today's digital era, these boundaries are often blurred. Official photography can function as an agent of creating visual icons of historical events and official photographers can function as agents of cultural memory, to the extent that these photographs are widely circulated and recognized. Such pictures, produced and circulated within an official context, become recognized by large audiences within a certain nation or even across the world, and play an integral role in the way public memory is shaped around a specific historical event. Thus, official photography has a decisive role in the way that we, individuals, remember and carry in our minds the visual memory of events that we never personally witnessed.
Private photography, on the other hand, including but not limited to photography of personal, family or community events, aims to safeguard a piece of said individual/family/community history, and undoubtedly reflects a personal view of the events. Yet, at the same time it reflects the collective, to the extent that a person's actions are constrained by the social system in which they live and act. In this sense, the private photographs reflect both the personal view of specific events, while at the same time are framed by the mainstream view. This becomes even more apparent today, in an era where the family album has been replaced by the social media feed.
Visual memory of certain historical events, as known from any photographs taken in order to record these specific events, official or personal, is shared among different people across the globe. People leading distinct lives, residing on different continents of the world and with diametrically opposite worldviews, nonetheless share identical images of history.
On a state level, when it comes to discerning the mechanisms behind the creation of a national narrative, the tool of photography, in an official capacity, is very powerful in the construction of an ensemble of representations and collective memories which, in turn, ultimately shape the social identity of a particular entity.
Often times, photography is used in the construction of meta-narratives, which are narratives that go beyond a single story or event to encompass broader themes or ideas. By capturing images of people, places, and events, photographers can create a visual story that not only tells the story of a particular moment but also reflects broader cultural or social theme. By capturing images that convey a sense of time and place, photographs can provide a window, not only into a particular historical moment or cultural context, but give viewers a glimpse into the social, political, and economic forces that shaped that moment. For example, photographs of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s not only document specific events but also provide insight into the larger struggle for racial justice in the United States.
Photography can also be used to create visual metaphors that help convey abstract concepts or ideas. By framing a particular subject in a certain way, or using composition and lighting to create a certain mood, photographers can create images that convey a particular emotion or theme. For example, a photograph of a mother at a funeral might convey despair or family, while winners on an Olympic podium could be used to convey excellence or competition or even pride.
Finally, photography can be used to challenge dominant narratives and offer alternative perspectives. For example, a photograph of a female construction worker might challenge gender stereotypes about what types of work women can or should do. By capturing such images that challenge stereotypes or highlight marginalized perspectives, photographers can help broaden our understanding of the world around us.
In sum, photography can be a powerful tool for constructing meta-narratives by capturing images that convey a sense of time and place, creating visual metaphors, and challenging dominant narratives. By using photography in these ways, we can better understand the complex and multifaceted world we inhabit. Sometimes a photo is just a photo, sometimes it is an iconic or historic image…but either way, a photograph is a frozen moment, a world of its own, that invites the viewer to ponder, enquire and marvel.
