Discursive Prompt: Photography

Photography has deeply influenced individual lives, society, and civilization by shaping how we document, communicate, and remember. On a personal level, it preserves memories, emotions, and identity, allowing people to visually express themselves and their experiences. Societally, photography has been used to drive social change by raising awareness of injustices, documenting movements, and influencing public opinion through powerful imagery. Historically, it transformed how we record and understand events, offering visual evidence of major milestones like wars, revolutions, and everyday life, democratizing historical narratives. Culturally, photography has shaped norms around beauty, race, and identity, especially through media and advertising. In the present, photography is central to communication, driven by smartphones and social media, influencing everything from personal branding to activism. It also plays a key role in marketing, journalism, education, and art. Across the past and present, photography continues to bridge personal and collective memory, shaping how we see the world and ourselves.