A picture is worth a thousand words...
or is it?
Photographs are wonderful. They capture memories and moments we want to remember. A picture allows us to share our experiences and our stories, visually. But does a picture really capture the moment? Is a photo really worth a thousand words?
I found myself asking these questions after receiving a picture from a guy a few months ago. He clearly wanted to know what I thought while I had no strong impression one way or another. It was a picture of a man - coloring was off due to flash or settings - but, it was a picture all the same. I wasn't sure exactly how to respond.
Many people place a great deal of importance on pictures, especially in the world of online dating, meeting, and relationships. With the click of a mouse, we can send pictures all over the world. Just as easily we can manipulate the pictures to reveal or hide ourselves as desired. Perhaps some find comfort in receiving a picture. "He must be okay, he sent a picture." But is he honestly going to send you his mug shot?
Despite being a visual person, which is weird for oh so many reasons, I don't put a lot of stock in pictures of people. A photo may give me an idea of how a given person looks at a given point on a specific day but it doesn't tell me much about the energy, confidence, or vitality of the person. A picture does not demonstrate personality or character (and those that do are often not those we choose to send to a stranger!)
Washington DC is currently considering similar issues. Planners are reviewing designs for the MLK JR monument. This doesn't sound that challenging for a city that is largely about monuments and memorials, yet it is quite the conundrum. The traditional monument has been declared unsuitable because it doesn't capture the essence that was MLK JR. As the average photograph does not contain the character or personality of the subject, planners believe that a traditional sculpture no longer has the ability to memorialize a man whose image and words and movements are embodied in digital memory.
It all boils down to intent? What is the desired effect of the monument, the picture, the image?
Is a sculpture going to capture all that was and is MLK JR? No, just as a picture doesn't embody the nuances and idiosyncrasies of a person.
When I showed a friend, this was years ago, a picture of the Diva's dad, she said "He's cute!" I looked at the picture again (he hates this story). I supposed that he was cute (still is) but I never really thought about it. It was the person, not the picture, that I found attractive - those things that were not and could never be on display in the photograph. His thoughts, ideas, dreams, creativity, charm, confidence, wit, style, quirks, sensuality, carriage, priorities...
I can understand the dilemma that the reviewing committee in DC faces. A picture can give us a very vague idea of a person, but it is just that, an idea or an outline. The person is so much more. How could I respond to the man who sent me his picture in a way that he could understand? I appreciated his picture but, I have no doubt that there is more to him than what I can see on my computer screen.
It is for all these reasons that I ask, is a picture really worth a thousand words?
4 comments:
I think offering a photo to someone is offering a part of oneself. It doesn't necessary imply that what you see in that photo is all there is to the man, but merely suggests here's one perspective. If this meets your approval, you can proceed to explore the other aspects of that man.
I think that you know the answer to your question already… No, it doesn’t paint much at all. I am so on board with your statement “A picture does not demonstrate personality or character…”. I for one hate myself in pictures. I like to see people in real form to gauge their personality or character traits. I love blogs for this reason…without pictures the words of a person paint themselves. They show feelings, emotions, and a since of realness…
You can't hide, or ignore, "alive eyes," in person or in a picture. There are more than a thousand words promised in the view of a mind behind those kind of eyes.
Kenneth - It does provide an image, but how often do we judge on a picture only to find that the picture was far from accurate? (either way )
Just a Man - With a picture and a blog one gets more of a picture, I suppose that the only way to really know someone is in person and then... it takes years.
Dave - Ah, the eyes, windows to the soul. We share so much through our eyes which is not reflected, or often not reflected, in pictures.
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