Through the camera lens
At some point or another during the last couple of months, we’ve all been exposed to photos of global events that have caused a lot of turmoil. The unrest and uncertainty in a lot of places has left me feeling deflated and disheartened. To me, the photos have been more discouraging than the headlines; seeing the pain and desperation has made a story more real.
Funnily enough, these photos got me thinking about war photography. Specifically, it got me thinking about the first war photographs I ever came across. Some of the world’s most famous war photos haunted the walls of my history class at school. History fascinated me, but history lessons bored me. So, I would daydream, and get lost in the photographs hanging in the classroom. I remember finding it very odd that none of my teachers ever referred to these photos during my classes, leaving me to just make it up as I saw fit (and in hindsight, it was probably because they thought that learning about how Henry VIII had 6 wives was more child-friendly).
Below, you’ll find a few of the snaps that hung in my classroom, along with a few of the thoughts that crossed my mind (please bear in mind that a child’s imagination is bonkers):
Even though I eventually learned about the history happening behind the camera lens, I owe it all to images like these. War photography strikes interest in past and current events, not only because they share a glimpse into the reality of a news story, but because it is fundamentally objective. Photos play a vital role in our lives, especially when it comes to connecting us to people around the world.
The advent of digital cameras and smartphones inevitably changed war photography. Pictures can be transmitted around our planet seconds after they’ve been taken, dramatically transforming how we react to compelling information. Our over-exposure has made us often move on to the next story, leaving behind thoughts or actions of solidarity. Regardless, it also brings out an overwhelming need to inform, educate, and share. The fact that it has never been easier to communicate what is happening in a certain place at a certain time makes photographs an essential part of journalism and history.
P.S. Coincidentally, I recently checked out “La guerra infinita”, an exhibition of photographer Antoni Campañà’s work during the Spanish Civil War. Campañà didn’t want to share his photographs, and hid them in a box, only to be discovered by his family after more than seventy years. Check out the online exhibition if this article got you in the mood for some more war snaps.
