10 Photos that changed the world

some of the events captured in the photographs people are suggesting, are bigger than the impact of the actual photographs themselves. I think that means they don't really fit into the "Photographs that changed the world" category.

For example, a photograph of a plane hitting one of the twin towers didn't change the world, it was the actual event that did that.

Some one suggested the Kevin Carter (Vulture and child shot) I think that comes a bit closer to the mark as an example of a "photo that changed the world".


...Elvis meeting Frank Sinatra though? Really? :)
 
Question that comes to mind....

Does it matter if the image is a single frame from video?


Like I said, the moment JFK was shot is the most famous shot :) of all!




Remember... this is "World" we are talkin here. JFK is probably most known within the U.S. (and perhaps its allied friends).
 
I would have to disagree with you Romphotog on many of your selections.

Don't get me wrong all of them are incredibly moving in every way but:
- The world trade centre changed the world because people died and everyone knew. When thousands die in an indestructible building due to terrorism you don't need a single photo for fear to be spread around the world.
- The assassination of JFK had far reaching consequences. I frankly don't care much. I am not American and didn't have any strong connection to the president. To me the footage is just of some random assassination. The consequences of the assassination changed the world, not the photo. Unlike the photo of the Vietcong getting murdered, the president's death was known instantly to 100million people. If the photograph didn't capture this Vietcong moment, no one would have been the wiser, or really cared.
- Before you mentioned the photo of the only meeting of Elvis and Sinatra I never knew they had only met once, frankly I doubt it would have made a difference if they'd never met. Being there would have probably blown my mind. But as far as a photo of it I don't see how it ranks any higher than a photo of old guys from Pink Floyd doing the liveaid concert. I guarantee this photo wouldn't have changed the world in any way. Would love to have it on my mantelpiece though.

The oldest photo ever, world war photos, and the moon landing I fully agree though. Those photos all would have changed the world.

Mind you I don't agree with every choice in the 10 listed above either. Einstein with a tongue out may make people giggle but it doesn't change the world.
 
For example, a photograph of a plane hitting one of the twin towers didn't change the world, it was the actual event that did that.

Very GOOD!!! very good!

ok, as you could say the same for war pics, 9/11, moon landing, etc.
It wasnt the photo, but the event that was important. Again, there are many war and moon shots, pics of hungry kids, etc. Pics of My Lai were just shown in a doc about it on PBS.
 
How about film rather than photos? I nominate Edison's first ever films, which he made to make money. They were ifcourse girly films, just overweight women dancing in see thru clothing. Men paid 5c to watch them on Kinescopes.
 
I think it's interesting that there are no digital images... Where's the world-trade centers one? Or The atomic bomb?

I mean yeah, einstien being a g and sticking his tongue out is cool; but I don't think it changed the world.
 
For example, a photograph of a plane hitting one of the twin towers didn't change the world, it was the actual event that did that.

Very GOOD!!! very good!

ok, as you could say the same for war pics, 9/11, moon landing, etc.
It wasnt the photo, but the event that was important. Again, there are many war and moon shots, pics of hungry kids, etc. Pics of My Lai were just shown in a doc about it on PBS.

War pictures are not all the same nor equal. We all know of the conflict in Vietnam so the resulting photos of it didn't change anything. But photos of the particular event or atrocity committed by certain solders were a direct impact to changing policies. One could surmise that nothing would have been done if it were not for certain photos.

Dorothea Lange's photos brought attention to the hardships of the Great Depression. It did more than just document.

Kevin Carter's photo did even more... it made people stop and think about the morality and ethics behind such occurrence/photo.


Documenting a particular event is different from a photo causing an event.
 
For example, a photograph of a plane hitting one of the twin towers didn't change the world, it was the actual event that did that.

Very GOOD!!! very good!

ok, as you could say the same for war pics, 9/11, moon landing, etc.
It wasnt the photo, but the event that was important. Again, there are many war and moon shots, pics of hungry kids, etc. Pics of My Lai were just shown in a doc about it on PBS.

I think you are getting iconic photo's mixed up with photo's which significantly changed the course of history because they were taken.
 
Very GOOD!!! very good!

ok, as you could say the same for war pics, 9/11, moon landing, etc.
It wasnt the photo, but the event that was important. Again, there are many war and moon shots, pics of hungry kids, etc. Pics of My Lai were just shown in a doc about it on PBS.

I think you are getting iconic photo's mixed up with photo's which significantly changed the course of history because they were taken.

Bingo!

Certain images truly did change the course of history. For example, think of those images from Vietnam era where we saw TV images of kids coming home in body bags. Those images probably contributed significantly to the course of the war.

More recently, we can think of the cell-phone image from Tehran of Neda getting killed which also rallied public sentiment.
 
Certain images truly did change the course of history. For example, think of those images from Vietnam era where we saw TV images of kids coming home in body bags. Those images probably contributed significantly to the course of the war.

:thumbup:

Which is why the military tried to keep those photos out of the public eye in the present war(s).
 

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