When we look at photographs, we believe that we have seen the picture – the subject, what it is comprised of, and what the meaning might be. We should not, however, trust what we have seen, for our eyes are not cameras that permanently, unemotionally and truthfully capture the moment for what it is.
As humans, we are intent on proving ourselves right. We are obsessed with the ideas that we have cultivated in our minds, and therefore what we see is shaped by our prejudices and past experiences. We are rarely able to free out minds of the thoughts and emotions to just look at something for the simple pleasure of looking at it. When we fail at truly seeing, the essence of objects and photos are hidden from us.
Photography captures the moment and allows us to look back onto what our eyes might have not originally seen, giving us the opportunity to look past our predetermined judgements and allow us to take a new perspective on what we think, believe and feel.