08 Sep, 2021

In our first Design for This Century recitation class, Johanna and Hannah posed two questions for us-

 

Can you think of an image that had the power to provoke a strong emotion in you? 

For this I would say – It is true that images have a lot of power to provoke emotion. Very often, negative emotions seem stronger, but it is worth noting the positive emotions images can provoke in you. The example I would like to mention here is the photographs from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards’ list of finalists. The images selected in this bring out a different, lighter perspective on wildlife photography. They beautifully capture the surprises nature has for us if we keep an open mind. In a way, I feel that they bridge the gap between humans and animals and instead of othering the animals, we see them from a very human lens. These photos also have helped in spreading awareness about wildlife conservation.

 

The web often confronts us with images completely taken out of context, or it’s unclear. As a consequence the image is often misinterpreted. What are some ways we can avoid this?

To speak about this – In the age of social media, there has been massive amounts of information available to everyone at any given point and it is rapidly changing. After watching the documentary called “Social Dilemma”, it made me realize how targeted this information is and how important it is to consume any content with a grain of salt. Every source of information has its biases and I believe the most important thing to do is to keep your mind open to different possibilities. In today’s world it is very difficult to always verify the information before spreading it. Hence, it is also necessary to educate ourselves about reliable sources of information, how information is being shared and used in the world and who it benefits. This applies to all forms of media providing information, not just images, since media is very dynamic in today’s context.