National Camera Day: White Visuality

Today is National Camera Day and as we celebrate the instrument, we have to acknowledge the truth behind the camera. A large part of photography today derives from White visuality and when we started TONL almost 3 years ago we recognized that stock photography could be a solution to how we saw the world. The camera not only works as an extension of the eye, it also validates our experiences in who we are as people. The camera was one of the first tools used in justifying colonialism and racism in the world as we see it today. With that said, White visuality set the standard of how we see the world and unfortunately the lens on how we sometimes see our own stories.

Photographs operated as evidence of truth to justify pilaging and "exploring" the rest of the world. It held more power and accuracy than someone's account of what they potentially saw in these "new" places. During the "colonialism" era, photography showed a warped idea of different people and cultures. Essentially, all of this fed into the idea of European superiority from the START of photography.

Photography like this was all too common for European nations. It embedded the idea of "civilized" vs the "uncivilized". Photography at the time portrayed "colonialism" as good for Africans and native populations worldwide.

"When we speak of shooting with a camera, we are acknowledging the kinship of photography and violence" - Teju Cole