1

IMAGES
OF LIFE

A father and son share a

quiet moment at a mosque
in New Delhi, India.

WARM UP

Discuss these questions with a partner.

1. What kinds of things do you usually

photograph?

2. What can a photograph do that words

cannot?

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 1A

Amateur photographer Haig Gilchrist captures

the moment a giant wave hits a ferry near
Sydney Harbour, Australia. This dramatic
photo was viewed by thousands online.

BEFORE YOU READ

DEFINITIONS A. Read the sentence below. Match the correct form of each word
in bold with its definition (1–3).

In addition to using professional photojournalists, many magazines

and newspapers today rely on amateur photographers to document
important events.
1. : to record in written or photographic form
2. : working without being paid; not professional
3. : a reporter who shares news using images

SKIMMING B. Skim paragraphs A and B. Which of these statements would

the author most likely agree with? Circle a, b, or c. Check your
answer as you read the passage.
a. The quality of smartphone photos is usually not very good.
b. Smartphones and apps have allowed anyone to be a photographer.
c. Many photojournalists don’t approve of amateur photography.

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 T HE
V I S UAL
VILLAGE
A Before the age of the smartphone, aspiring photographers had to learn
how to use high-tech cameras and photographic techniques. Not everyone
had cameras, and it took skill and a good eye to capture and create a great
photograph. Today, with the huge range of camera apps on our smartphones,
we are all amateur photographers. And pretty good ones, too: The quality of
smartphone images now nearly equals that of digital cameras.
B The new ease of photography has given us a tremendous appetite for
capturing the magical and the ordinary. We are obsessed with documenting
everyday moments, whether it’s a shot of our breakfast, our cat—or our cat’s
breakfast. And rather than collect pictures in scrapbooks, we share, like, and
comment on them with friends and strangers around the globe.
C Even photojournalists are experimenting with cell phones because their near
invisibility makes it easier to capture unguarded moments.1 The Internet
also allows photojournalists to avoid traditional media. They can now act as
their own publishers—reaching huge audiences via social media sites such
as Instagram. A photograph taken in New York can get a response from
someone in Lagos within a second of being uploaded.
D In the past, magazines published unforgettable photos of important people
and global events that captured our imaginations. These photos had the
power to change public opinion—even the course of history. But if there are
fewer memorable images today, it’s not because there are fewer good
images: It’s because there are so many. No one image gets to be special
for long.
E Cameras are everywhere—a situation that is transforming the way we
experience dramatic events. When there are major political events or natural
disasters, it is ordinary citizens with cell phones—not photojournalists—
who often provide the first news images. Quality still matters, but it’s less
important than what’s instantly shared.
F As people everywhere embrace photography and the media make use
of citizen journalists, professional standards appear to be shifting. In the
past, most people trusted photojournalists to accurately represent reality.
Today, however, digital images can be altered in ways the naked eye might

1 Something done in an unguarded moment is done when you think no one is watching.

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 never notice. Any image can be altered to filters. Images can be colored, brightened,
create an “improved” picture of reality. The faded, and scratched to make photographs
average viewer is left with no way to assess the more artistic, or to give them an antique look.
accuracy of an image except through trust in a Photojournalists using camera apps to cover
news organization or photographer. wars and conflicts have created powerful
images—but also controversy. Critics worry
G The question of the accuracy of images gets
that antique-looking photographs romanticize
even trickier when photojournalists start
war, while distancing us from those who fight
experimenting with camera apps—like Flickr
in them.
or Instagram—which encourage the use of

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 I There’s something powerful and exciting
about the experiment that the digital age
has forced upon us. These new tools make
it easier to tell our own stories, and they
give others the power to do the same. Many
members of the media get stuck on the same
stories, focusing on elections, governments,
A taxi driver in Kolkata, wars, and disasters. In the process, they miss
India, catches up on the out on the less dramatic images of daily life
news before starting his that can be just as revealing and relevant.
day (photographed by
Annapurna Mellor). J The increase in the number of photographs
and photographers might even be good for
democracy itself. Hundreds of millions
of potential citizen journalists make the
world smaller and help keep leaders honest.
People can now show what they are up
against, making it increasingly difficult for
governments to hide their actions. If everyone
has a camera, Big Brother3 isn’t the only one
watching.
K Who knows? Our obsession with
documentation and constantly being
connected could lead to a radical change in
our way of being. Perhaps we are witnessing
the development of a universal visual
language. It’s one that could change the way
we relate to each other and the world. Of
course, as with any language, there will be
those who produce poetry and those who
make shopping lists.
L It’s not clear whether this flowering of
image-making will lead to a public that better
appreciates and understands images. Or will
it simply numb4 us to the prof ound effects a
well-made image can have? Regardless, the
change is irreversible. Let’s hope the millions
H Yet, photography has always been more
of new photographs made today help us see
subjective than we assume. Each picture
what we all have in common, rather than
is a result of a series of decisions—where
what sets us apart.
to stand, what lens2 to use, and what to
leave in or out of the frame. Does altering
3 B ig B rother refers to a person or organization exercising
photographs with camera app filters make total control over people’s lives; the phrase originates from
them less true? George Orwell’s novel 1984.
4 If an event or experience numbs you, you are not able to
feel any emotions or think clearly.
2 A lens is a thin, curved piece of glass or plastic used in
things such as cameras.

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 READING COMPREHENSION

A. Choose the best answer for each question.

MAIN IDEA 1. According to the author, why are there fewer memorable photographs today?
a. because the quality of many images is very poor
b. because most images are not interesting to a global audience
c. because traditional media refuse to publish amateur photos
d. because there are so many good images these days
DETAIL 2. What kinds of images does the author think matter most these days?
a. images that are important to people and can be shared quickly
b. high-quality images that help show dramatic events
c. images presented in a traditional way that reflect reality
d. images that can be altered to improve one’s sense of reality
PURPOSE 3. Why does the author put the word improved in quotation marks in paragraph F?
a. The writer is using the exact word from another source.
b. The writer wants to stress that the picture of reality is greatly improved.
c. The writer feels it is questionable whether the picture is truly improved.
d. The writer is not sure the reader understands the word, so draws attention to it.
INFERENCE 4. Who does the author criticize in paragraph J?
a. citizen journalists c. B
i gB
r other
b. government leaders d. people who alter photos
PARAPHRASE 5. When referring to visual language, what does the author mean by as with any
language, there will be those who produce poetry and those who make shopping
lists (paragraph K)?
a. It will be most useful for shopping and for writing beautiful poetry.
b. It will be better because it can be used for a variety of things.
c. Visual language has certain limitations compared to written language.
d. Some people will use it for everyday things, and others for more creative things.

MAIN IDEA B. Match each paragraph with its main idea (a–e).
1. Paragraph A • • a. More photojournalists are taking smartphone images
now and uploading them to social media sites.
2. Paragraph C • • b. The effect on us of the increasing number of
photographs is still uncertain.
3. Paragraph E • • c. When there are big or dramatic news stories, amateur
photographers often share the first images with the public.
4. Paragraph G • • d. Altering photos with camera apps can give viewers a
misleading impression about serious events such as wars.
5. Paragraph L • • e. Anyone can be an amateur photographer now because
photos taken on smartphones are almost as good as
photos taken on digital cameras.

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 READING SKILL

Understanding Words with Multiple Meanings

Many words have more than one meaning. In some cases, the words may be different parts of
speech;for ex ample, a noun and a verb. They may be different in meaning (e.g., a slip of paper, to
slip on the ice), or similar (e.g., to score a goal, my goal in life). In each case, you may need to use
a dictionary to understand a word’s exact meaning.

IDENTIFYING A. Scan paragraphs A–D in Reading A to find the words in bold below (1–6).
MEANING Then choose the correct meaning (a or b) for each.
1. age a. a period in history b. how old someone is
2. pretty a. quite b. attractive
3. appetite a. physical hunger b. a strong desire
4. act a. an action b. to behave
5. second a. a 6
t h of a minute
0 b. number two in a series
6. course a. a class b. the direction

ANALYZING B. Read each of these excerpts from Reading A (1–4). Choose the sentence in
which the underlined word has the same meaning as the bold word.

1. … makes it easier to capture unguarded moments. (paragraph C)

a. NASA is using space telescopes to help capture images of distant planets.
b. The capture of the gang’s leader should lead to less crime in the city.
2. Photojournalists using camera apps to cover wars … (paragraph G)
a. The local media will cover the results of the election.
b. His photo appeared on the cover of a magazine.
3. … a result of a series of decisions … (paragraph H)
a. There has been an unusual series of events.
b. What is the most popular comic book series?
4. … and what to leave in or out of the frame. (paragraph H)
a. It looked like somebody was trying to frame him for the theft.
b. Look in the camera frame and tell me what you see.

CRITICAL THINKING Ev aluating Pros and Cons Do you think news photographers should be
allowed to use filters when publishing images of serious subjects (e.g., wars)? What are the
pros and cons of doing so? Discuss with a partner and note your ideas.

Pros:

Cons:

Your opinion:

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 VOCABULARY PRACTICE

COMPLETION A. Circle the correct words to complete the paragraph below.

Recent years have seen some 1relevant / dramatic changes in photography. The
availability of cell phones has allowed millions of people to 2embrace / represent
photography as a hobby. Image-sharing apps allow anyone to share photos
3
instantly / profo undly with friends and followers online; some people become
4
tremendous / obsessed with capturing and documenting every detail of their
lives. However, the popularity of image-sharing sites has also raised some
5
obsessive / controversial issues—
f or example, when images of an individual
are•widely shared without the person’s knowledge.

WORDS IN B. Complete each sentence with the correct answer (a or b).

CONTEXT
1. A controversy involves among people.
a. agreement b. disagreement
2. If a photo represents a place, it what the place is like.
a. shows b. doesn’t show
3. In a democracy, citizens the right to vote.
a. have b. don’t have
4. If the ideas in an old book are relevant today, they matter.
a. no longer b. still
5. If you feel a tremendous amount of pressure, you feel of pressure.
a. a lot b. a little bit
6. Somethi ng that is profo und is felt or experienced very .
a. briefly b. strongly

WORD FORMS C. We can add -tic to some nouns to form adjectives (e.g., drama + -tic = dramatic).
Complete the sentences below using the adjectives in the box.

athletic democratic dramatic genetic

1. A person’s ability—
f or example, their speed and strength—
m ay
be partly affected by factors.
2. In the 2
th
0 century, many countries held their first elections.
3. In 2
11,
0 Amy Weston took a(n) photo of a woman leaping to
safety from a burning building.

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