Allegory of the Cave
Place where people observed shadows
What is the cave?
Photography's visual code
What is a code that dictates what is acceptable for us to see, and what is worth observing and experiencing?
“To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing them as they never see themselves, by having knowledge of them they can never have; it turns people into objects that can be symbolically possessed.”
What is an Act of Voyeurism?
When photography was first invented, it was still widely inaccessible to everyday people. It was only used predominantly by wealthy, extremely tech-savvy people.
What was early access to photography?
Mistaken illusions for reality by the prisoners
What are the shadows?
A photograph is both a pseudo-presence and a token of absence.
What is photography as a way to connect?
"To spies, meteorologists, coroners, archaeologists, and other information professionals, their value is inestimable.”
What is the value of photography?
The first popular use of photography was to memorialize the achievements of family members and close friends (weddings, graduation, birthdays).
What is the first popular use of photography?