In Plato’s Cave But What I Interpreted
My interpretation of this image showcases how Plato’s believed that human beings are only capable of seeing the world around them in a cave. As said in the article, “In teaching us a new visual code, photographs alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have a right to observe.” In this case, you would know that reality is outside the cave but being inside you aren’t capable of connecting with it. Sontag says that photography is the same thing, we aren’t able to connect with it but attempt to by capturing a moment with an picture.
When taking pictures it’s like taking part of the world with you. It becomes something that you can turn into an object, it becomes light weight, easy to make and you can carry around with you. A photograph is just an experience you choose to capture like a celebration, nature, or honestly anything you find worth capturing. When we take pictures when going places it because it gives us sense of ownership and belonging. Images are not statements about the world but more so pieces of it. They are miniature pieces of reality that one can take and keep with them.
Photographs capture things to be exact and more reliable. If you tell a person a story they can only visualize the words you are telling them. You tell the same story to 10 people and they can all visualize something a bit different. If you tell a story and it sounds bizarre like a man walking on the moon, necessarily no one would believe you. If you show an image of a man walking on the moon then that is more believable. With images you can provide more accurate information rather than just words.
