The Impact and Transformation of Photography in America

Throughout modern history, photography has played an integral role in the attitude and opinions of the people living during the time a photograph was taken. Even years and decades after an influential photograph is released, its influence does not die. These photographs continue to have an impact on the public and how people remember or interpret a time period. As photography has become a more common and accessible hobby, it has begun to have a different impact on society. Overall, whether using photography to remember historic events, form a public image, or express an idea through an artistic medium, photography has proved to be more widely used and helpful as time progresses.

Many of the most famous photographs were taken during a time of war and released to influence the public's opinion about the war. War was a worldwide phenomenon that the majority of people wanted to be up to date in. WWI saw a rise in photographers wanting to capture the war, which paired nicely with the emergence of photo magazines, advertising, and movie newsreels (Griffin 123). The photographers of WWI and their work caught public attention. When WWII began, nearly every nation involved ensured that almost every armed unit had a photographer and a cine photographer (Griffin 124). Because of this effort, museums, archives, and private collections are privileged in having an extensive collection of films and photographs from such an impactful period (Griffin 124). During WWII, photography was used as a way to boost morale and patriotism in the country. The majority of photographs captured by Americans were either to show the strength and heroism of American soldiers or to show the villainy of the Axis Powers. Photography has a great impact on memory and interpretation which is evident in how many people remember or interpret the era of WWII as a time of unity and patriotism.

In contrast to the heroic and patriotic photographs taken during WWII, the Vietnam War era saw a more horrifying and heart-wrenching collection of photographs. While WWII photographs were used to boost morale and support for the war, Vietnam War era photographs were used to expose the reality of war, what the government was subjecting young men to, and how the war also had a negative impact back home. The photographs of the My Lai massacre, for example, brought much disbelief to the public when released (Kuhn et al. 207). The photographs did not depict American soldiers as brave heroes, but villainous murderers. Many people made excuses for the actions of U.S soldiers by condoning the killing of children and claiming that the soldiers sent were mere children as well and this is just the reality of war (Kuhn et al. 207). As the war waged on and more horrific images piled in, public opinion tended to sway against military involvement in Vietnam. Photographers also captured conflicts at home as a result of the Vietnam War (Kuhn et al 209). The photographs of the Kent State shooting, for example, revealed the results of a student protest against the war. This was also used as a way to sway the public against the war in Vietnam. Much like WWII photographs had an impact on memory and interpretation, so do photos taken during the Vietnam War. People often remember or interpret the Vietnam War era as a time of extreme unrest and violence.

      In the 21st century, photography has evolved immensely. The growing use of mobile photography allows the everyday person to capture any moment, big or small, instantly have access to it, and upload it to the internet. Now, people can push their agenda on certain events by posting to the internet and uploading their photos to prove their point. In recent years, photography is being used as a form of communication and identity formation (Dijck 63). While photography in the past was typically used to capture momentous events and remember them, photography recently has been used to capture everyday events and people can now manipulate the photos which in turn impacts a person's memory of the event and public image (Dijck 72). Not only is it the ability to photograph anything at any time, but the access to photo editing is changing what photography is. People can now easily photoshop themselves or edit the photo to be brighter or sharper. These tools can have an impact on a person's memory of the event whether that be how thin they used to be or how sunny it was outside. Quick access to the camera also impacts how we view major events such as large protests or shootings. Instead of seeing only the photos the media releases, people can now view a large variety of photos from people who were at the major event. 21st-century photography has taken a big leap from what photography was initially used for and society will continue to see major changes in photography in the future.

      Photography is a form of art that people have turned into a profession. Above are photos captured by professional photographers that have been featured at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. Each photographer has a message or purpose attached to their exhibit at the museum. For example, Noelle Mason's X-ray vision vs. Invisibility focuses on the dehumanization of immigrants in politics and society. She tries to challenge viewers to view immigrants in a way different from how politics has been trying to push the dehumanizing view of immigrants. Bremner Benedict's Hidden Waters / Desert Springs / Uncertain Future focuses on the importance of environmental conservation and how climate change has had a major impact on these waters and their ecologies. Jeff Whetstone's Batture Ritual shows the economies and ecologies in Louisiana by the Mississippi River in a different light to reveal to people the way of life in this area. Photographers having their work featured in museums and art galleries allows them to spread their message to a wider audience and implement change in society. While photography has transformed into a way for a regular person on social media can instantly update people on what they are doing, it has also increasingly been used as a form of art and a way to get people to focus on larger issues and reflect on their lives and perspectives.

Photography has always been in my life more traditionally. Growing up, my parents tried to preserve our childhood memories by constantly taking photos of my sister and me. As we grew older, the constant picture-taking slowed. When I got involved in social media, photography was casual and most people posted very basic and everyday things. The poor camera quality may have given people less incentive to try hard to take good photos. However, over the years on social media platforms, such as Instagram, photos being posted have become more posed and superficial. People have become more particular about what they put on social media and try to form a public image they desire. Women tend to dress up and get ready to go somewhere just so they have good photos for social media. While men tend to try and appear as more masculine in their posts. People also tend to judge others based on their activity and posts on social media. For example, if a person posts frequently on social media then they may be perceived as self-interested and if someone posts very little on social media then they may be perceived as strange or out of touch. People also sometimes edit their photos whether they put filters on their photos or use photoshop. I use photography as a hobby and occasionally post them. My sister is a photographer, so she uses social media to promote her photography to potential clients. However, photography in social media is moving towards a more performative direction. Photography is also being even more heavily used in advertising and with social media it is even easier to advertise to a wider audience. In my lifetime. I feel I will experience even more dramatic shifts in photography.

      For decades photography has been evolving from art that only professionals and the wealthy could enjoy to something that the majority of Americans have access to. All smartphones have very good camera quality on them, and a lot of people utilize this feature. During the 20th century, photography was used by families to preserve their memories and by photojournalists to show the public what major events were happening in the world and sometimes they manipulated how to interpret them (Griffin 150). Now, photography is used by everyday people who can communicate, form their identity, manipulate their public image, and distort their memory of an event through photography (Dijck 72). In the end, photography is a form of art and a way to express and share ideas with others. Photography will continue to evolve for decades just as it has in the past decades.