Getting the Big Picture

Some photographs etch themselves into our memories and stay with us. They can inspire grief, hope, or pride. Quite often, these images become synonymous with the events they document.

Photographs began appearing in newspapers in the 1890s. As cameras, film, and printing technology improved, photojournalism emerged as an important new way to document news events. Beginning in the 1930s, newsmagazines like Life and Look featured large photographs that were at least as important as the text. Sometimes a photograph became the story: People would remember the picture long after the words had been forgotten.

Alfred Eisenstaedt (ahy-zuhn-stat), one of the most important photojournalists of the 20th century, contributed hundreds of photographs to Life magazine. One of his most famous photographs, above, was taken on August 14, 1945—the day that Japan surrendered to the Allies. World War II was finally over. In New York City, people poured into Times Square to celebrate, including many photojournalists who photographed people as they rejoiced. As a sailor kissed a stranger in a white dress, Eisenstaedt snapped their picture. (The sailor believed the woman was a nurse, but she was actually a dental assistant.)

Despite the chaotic situation, the photographer managed to create a strong composition. The city street recedes into the background directly behind the couple. The stark contrast between the sailor’s dark uniform and the woman’s white dress is emphasized in black and white. We don’t see the subjects’ faces, making their celebration universal for all viewers. This photo came to symbolize the end of World War II.

On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. Taken by Armstrong, the photo of Aldrin, above, records one of the most stunning achievements in history. It also represents a major U.S. victory in the “space race,”
 a contest with the Soviet Union to explore space. (Dominated by Russia, the Soviet Union was the first Communist nation. In 1991, it split into 15 countries.)

The flag is the focal point. Its red and white stripes stand out against the monochromatic moonscape. The footprints create texture on the moon’s surface, which is emphasized in the unfamiliar, sideways sunlight.  

Even in the aftermath of a tragic event, a photojournalist may capture a moment of hope. On September 11, 2001, a terrorist attack in New York City destroyed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Thomas E. Franklin, a newspaper photographer from The Record in New Jersey, was covering events as they unfolded. One of his photos captures three firefighters standing in the rubble, raising an American flag. The firefighters, the flag, and the pole form a triangular shape that echoes the slanting beams among the debris in the background.

The photographer also emphasizes the small scale of these figures. The three fill only the lower third of the image, while the lines of fallen structures rise around them and off the edge of the picture plane.

Although this photo captures a scene of devastation with a gray background, sunlight illuminates the vibrant red, white, and blue flag like a beacon of hope.