The power of a photograph A few days ago, Washington Post staff photographer Carolyn Van Houten was in Tijuana, Mexico, following the remaining members of what became known as the "Caravan," a group of Central American people who had trekked across Mexico to seek asylum in the United States. The subject of national headlines due to statements by President Trump — "Trump has made this caravan a symbol of a porous border and lax immigration laws," wrote my colleagues Maya Averbuch and Joshua Partlow — "they were exhausted," said Van Houten. What was striking, said Van Houten, who spent more than a week with the asylum seekers, was that these families "were still trying to keep a semblance of normalcy for their kids." "They were playing games; they were trying to keep the spirit up," she said. But there was palpable anxiety among the group. "Anxiety at not knowing what came next." The role of a photographer is to convey such feelings through images. "There are pictures of what it looks like," said Van Houten. "We wanted to show what it felt like." When I look at this photograph, I am moved by the woman's last glance at her husband as she is forced to continue her way to the border without him. The child she holds in her arms reacts to the commotion, probably unaware that he might not see his father ever again. This is the kind of photographs that act as reminder that still imagery still holds power over us; the power to connect people, the power to create understanding in a too-often-polarized public debate. — Olivier Laurent Each week, we share with you insights into photography - from the work of our staff photographers to the latest innovations in the craft. We would love to hear from you about what we should cover next. Email us with your ideas and suggestions. | 
Twitter
Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment