After Photography by Fred Ritchin

This article discussed the proliferation of images many of us experience in our daily lives, a topic even more relevant in our increasingly digital age. Does accessibility make something more real? Ritchin stresses that it is our decision to be responsible viewers that can negotiate the change we want to come about. The photographer acts as the messenger in this sense. Often times, when images of strife and conflict arise, the audience may question why the photographer didn't do more in the events depicted in their images, in other words, actively partake in an event, but this is a kind of passing blame. The author means to tell the reader that it is his or her responsibility to question what one sees and not merely pass over image after image. A photograph has great potential to instigate change, but only if the viewer plays an active part and does not use his or her eyes in a mechanical, pedestrian way.