Photography Changes Everything

I think that Marvin Heiferman brings up several valid points about how photography is viewed now that most people have camera phones and social medias to post pictures on. I also think that this essay draws attention to the facts that mundane images can be beautiful too. “Photography resists being shaped by any single set of imperatives or standards.” I agree with this statement not only because any photograph taken falls into the category of “photography,” but also because there can be beauty in anything. A simple photograph taken of something ordinary can mean much more than the viewer may realize initially. The viewer may not notice that a photograph of a flower is taken at a graveyard, or that a picture of a smiling person may be of someone who’s talents are yet to be discovered.  “In my work, I’ve often thought about how to talk about all those other images out there. Not the ones made by photographers and artists, but the less pedigreed ones that play equally important and vital roles in our lives—the photographs that don’t get framed, but which deliver news, sell clothes, get you a date, cause parking tickets to be written, and save lives.” I think that this sentence expresses the value in underappreciated pictures. This is important because most people don’t stop to look at images that are less than extraordinary, which is a habit that I think people should start doing. Even art that is originally not made to be admired, should be. Art is glanced over with the assumption that it is serving its purpose contains unrealized beauty. Overall, I think that this article emphasizes the need to appreciate art in this new digital age.