Reading a Picture

The importance of photojournalism to art, history and society.

Narrative art is often overlooked. Commonly found in photographs, artists throughout history in all mediums have told a story by capturing subtle nuances of a moment in time. Norman Rockwell images, especially the painting The Problem We All Live With, is an excellent example of a picture that tells a story. Painted in 1963 it tells a story of the Civil Rights movement by the postures, emotion and details of the painting which help to give clues to what was happening in the instance that image was recorded. What a great way to teach about history, sociology or basic understanding and appreciation for what shapes the people around us.

Dorthea Lange's Migrant Mother, Alfred Eisenstaedt's V-J Day in Times Square and Eddie Adam's Nguyễn Ngọc are all familiar images that tell a story of a moment in time. I think the Situation Room photo by the White House Photographer will become a famous image for that same story telling technique. With thirteen people with different expressions, posture and wardrobe there is a lot to read. We have our own opinions over the past ten years as well as all the current news reports and editorial commentary at our access to understand and interpret the story of US politicians deciding and monitoring a military action to eliminate a terrorist in the situation room. Imagine showing this image in conjunction with 9/11 photos to people twenty years from now. President Obama's intense posture, Hillary Clinton's concerned expression, Brigadier General Webb's focus that is different than the rest of the room, all interesting sights for discussion. For those people the time that's past and little personal experience to our current politics or foreign affairs, this photo may just be able to help them to understand this story of our decade.

It's so important to read the images, pictures or reality, around us. It gives us a perspective of things we ourselves may not experience and an understanding of how the personalities of people around us are formed from stories that can sometimes be caught in the blink of an eye, or in some cases a camera shutter.

*Photograph: Migrant Mother by Dorthea Lange

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