What is odd is not that so many of the iconic news photos of the past, including some of the best-remembered pictures from the Second World War, appear to have been staged. It is that we are surprised to learn they were staged and always disappointed.

Susan Sontag
About This Quote

The idea of news photos being staged is often viewed with cynicism and even disdain. However, in many cases, the photos were not staged at all. The only thing that was staged, or added to, was something that we could see. The making of the photos adds a level of realism that we were not there to witness and they add an element of mystery. It’s impossible to tell if the photographer was in the right place at the right time and there is no way of knowing if he passed on useful information ahead of time.

Source: Regarding The Pain Of Others

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  1. The truth is always something that is told, not something that is known. If there were no speaking or writing, there would be no truth about anything. There would only be what is.
  2. That's the source of the meditation on death I've carried in my heart all my life.
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