Photography is a powerful tool that allows people to tell stories of what they are passionate about and depict their ideas. For some individuals, photography becomes an integral part of their lives and helps them overcome the difficulties they face or insecurities they have. The essay Photography Changes Who We Think We Might Be by Candice Bergen describes the author’s journey over the years and how it helped her become more confident with acting.
In summary, Photography Changes Who We Think We Might Be describes the life story of Candice Bergen. The author states that because her parents were famous, she became accustomed to being photographed, one example of which is the chronicle of her turtle’s funeral published by Saturday Evening Post. When she grew up, Bergen worked as a model and later as an actress. But because she was passionate about photography and admired figures such as Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa, she bought a camera and routinely took photos of people or events she thought were interesting. This led to magazines asking her to work for them, which continued until she decided to pursue acting seriously.
This essay is interesting and was chosen because Bergen is famous for her acting and not for photography, yet she clearly has a passion for this trade. The experience in working for magazines and photographing celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger or Richard Nixon is also remarkable. Hence, her passion allowed her to express herself through her photos while also showing others what she thought was important, as Bergen mentions that she covered a range of stories from presidential elections to endangered chimpanzees. Perhaps, photography allowed her to escape from acting when she did not feel that she could be a professional and allowed her to build her confidence. Regardless of the implications, the text highlights how photography can accompany a person throughout his or her life and help them develop their personalities.
The connection that the author has with this art form is remarkable, and I would argue that photography helped her become more confident over the years. It would be interesting to find out more about this question. As she mentions in the final paragraph, she wanted to be a professional actress, which forced her to stop working as a photographer. This choice raises some questions since Bergen was successfully working for a variety of famous magazines. Hence, it is interesting to find out if she no longer wanted to work on assigned stories and chose a different career to be able to use photography as an escape, as she did when filming in China.
My personal experience with photography is alike since I enjoy this art form as it helps me express myself. Similarly to Bergen, photography accompanied me throughout my life as my family enjoys taking photos. I can relate to the title Photography Changes Who We Think We Might Be because I know that art can help people share their ideas and develop beyond what they think is possible. I think that like Bergen, we can use photography to explore what we want to do and what we enjoy even if we do not master it completely. Overall, the essay Photography Changes Who We Think We Might Be depicts the life journey of Candice Bergen and the impact that photography had on her.