The Power of Photography A In 2014, approximat…
The Power of Photography A In 2014, approximately 1.8 billion photographs were uploaded to the Internet each day. Today, everyone is a subject, and knows it—soon we will be adding “the unguarded moment” to the endangered species list. Yet certain photographs have the power to do more than just document lives—they change lives. They can transport us to unseen worlds. They can profoundly alter the way we see things. And while most of us are taking pictures of our breakfast, there are those fortunate few who take photographs for a living: professional photographers. B People often romanticize the life of a National Geographic photographer. Yes, they travel the world. They are witnesses to all earthly beauty. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. They must overcome daily obstacles (flight delays, inhospitable weather), and are often interrupted by disaster (broken bones, imprisonment). Away from home for many months at a time—missing birthdays, holidays, school plays—they can find themselves in dangerous situations. Or sitting in a tree for a week. Or eating bugs for dinner. C Still, these photographers wouldn’t have it any other way. Their work reflects different passions: human conflict and disappearing cultures, big cats and tiny insects, the desert and the sea. Yet they share similar qualities as well. They each have a hunger for the unknown, the courage to be ignorant, and the wisdom to recognize that, as one says, “the photograph is never taken—it is always given.” D Photographers often sit for days, even weeks, with their subjects, listening to them, learning what it is they have to teach the world, before at last lifting the camera to the eye. They have spent years in the worlds of Sami reindeer herders, Japanese geisha, and New Guinea birds of paradise. Their tremendous commitment can be seen in their photographs. What’s not visible is their sense of responsibility toward those who dared to trust the stranger by opening the door to their quiet world. These photographers view photography as teamwork, a collaborative venture between two souls on either side of the lens. E In a world seemingly numbed by a daily avalanche of images, can photographs such as this still tell us something important about ourselves and about the imperiled beauty of the world we live in? Photographers use their cameras as tools of exploration, and as instruments for change. Their images are proof that photography matters—now more than ever. According to the passage, is the following statement true or false? National Geographic photographers spend time with their subjects before they take photographs of them.