What photography means to me

By referring to Marvin Heiferman’s essay, Photography changes Everything, articulate what photography means to you.

    After reading the essay "Photography changes Everything" by Marvin Heiferman, it had reminded me and broadened my horizons for how much influence even the everyday photographs have on our lives. Like Heiferman mentions in his writing, we often forget about the "workday images". They invoke feelings and emotions and can be a cause for commotion but like the author mentions, these images are often not considered the same as traditional artistic photography. After reading through this article it has given me a respect for the things we tend to ignore subconsciously. These photographs can do the same if not affect us just as much as traditional photography. 

    Photography to me is the act of collecting a moment in time, saving it, and transforming it. When I think about the photographs that have made the greatest impact on me and my life, I think of all the family photos. Life is not forever and neither are memories, with photographs you can hold onto a memory forever. It can bring back emotions and feelings of nostalgia. Photography can transport you to a place you may have never been or somewhere you have been many times. It gives us a glimpse at things we would have never seen in day to day life. Photography has a place in every part of our lives and like Marvin heiferman writes in his essay, "Photographs dont only show us things, they do thing. They engage us optically, neurologically, intellectually, emotionally...". 

Photography to me is like a time capsule, it teaches us, entertains, makes us think and feel, and its role in our lives is larger than we often realize. Its ability to look into the past and stop time is the most impactful part of photography. Photography is difficult to define and articulate due to its many purposes and intentions, but I believe this is what photography means to me.