mass image

After reading articles by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Charles Baudelaire, and the article, "the Pernicious Picture Postcard", it is pretty easy to grasp the opinions of each. I agree that the picture is a miracle in some aspects, as Holmes may have mentioned. Today, the image is as powerful a tool as the most powerful weapon in our arsenal. An image has the ability to win wars. Look at the image of the Marines raising the flag over Mt. Surabachi during WWII. In some ways, it really is a miracle. However, when using an image to express scenes from travel, or emotions from a particular character, feeling comes up short. You can use a photograph in a documentary to speak just as well as your written words. An image by itself leads the imagination to run wild. Words and an image can make up a perfect pair. One without the other may not do any justice. Sometimes an image is left alone in order to arouse the imagination. Baudelaire explains the image as ruining the the painter. The image is not natural. I feel that when attempting to persuade a person during a time of war, or to convict a law breaker, the image is a force to be reckoned with. I also believe that an image may take away from the experiences obtained through travels. A photo is a useful tool and it is an important form of mass media.