After reading and discussing the Robert Adam's "Why People Photograph?" I am still undecided on what I believe about text and photography. Adam's seemed to believe and would possibly agree with the statement that text does not belong with photography. He believes that the text takes away from the photo and that the photo should speak for itself.

In the reading he states" the main reason that artists don't willingly describe or explain what they produce is, however, that the minute they do so they've admitted failure. Words are proof that the vision they had is not, in the opinion of some at least, fully there in the picture. Charactering in words what they thought they'd shown is an acknowledgement that the photograph is unclear-that it is not art." This statement basically shows that Adams feels as if the text supplied with the photograph makes the photo no longer art because it had to be explained and the picture could not speak for itself.

I understand what Adams is saying because I think photos should be perceived in the eye of the viewer. I don't feel like the picture should make someone feel one exact way or about it and they should have the right to interpret and take away from the picture whatever they please. However, I do believe that text can help explain a photo in some cases. It can get across the message that the photographer wanted to portray in his/her photo. As discussed in class yesterday, the text in the photos about Kareem Abdul-Jabar and snow white played a vital role in the understanding of them as well as the Paul Fusco RFK image. Too much text can take away from the photo or make it see as if the photographer is creating fluff or unnecessary detail but in many cases it enriches the viewers experience with the photograph.

Also the documentary we viewed in class yesterday showed me just how far photography has come. The fact that it could not get into the New York Times newspaper in its early stages to it now being the catalyst of photos selling for millions of dollars amazes me. It makes me wonder how far photography will grow in the future if these changes happened in the matter of 30 years.