Throughout the semester, we studied both images and the photographer responsible for the production of it. However, most of the time this is not how it happens in real life. Even if photographers develop their now style, it can sometimes be hard to tell whoosh photographer behind an image is by simply looking at an image. But when someone in a coffee shop opens a magazine and sees an image, most of the time they don’t have a very precise background on either the photograph or the cause behind the shot.

So, this raises the question: do we really need to know anything about the photographer in order for an image to be iconic? Do we even need to know anything about the cause behind the shot?

Just like in art, I find it very intriguing but also frustrating that once a piece is published and given to the public, the artist in a way looses its own art. Once a photograph is made public, it is subject to the viewer’s own interpretation of the image. The photographer somehow doesn’t really matter anymore. All there is left is the image in the magazine and maybe a caption. If the image is not captivating enough for the viewer, they will probably not read its caption or the story behind it.

Throughout the course, we studied how photographers themselves, aware of this challenging aspect of their job, deal with this. Some choose beauty, like for example Ron Haviv with his photograph of the 3 girls walking through the desert of the Darfour. Some others choose the shock effect by showing the blood, violence and pain. Some want us to feel angry, some want us to feel inspired. I find it amazing that within one same profession, there are so many different ways, philosophies and approaches possible. The diversity of photography is both its beauty but also its challenge. We got to study a piece of this diversity and, I found it so amazing that there are multiple ways of creating an iconic image, that will make a difference.

So, as someone who’s passionate about photography, I would answer that the answer is yes. Yes, it is important to know about the cause and the photographer in order to have a complete understanding of an image. But, I sincerely do not believe that  this would be everyone’s answer. It would probably not be the person flipping through the ages of a magazine at the coffee shop’s answer; and I completely understand it. However, this class gave me a better understanding of the world of photojournalism, and especially I believe it expanded my understanding of how to analyze a photograph.