In the modern world, photographs are especially important for a numerous reasons.
For one, photographs provide history documentation. In other words, it provides a visual record of history's important events.
Another reason is storytelling. Photographs are an excellent tool for visual storytelling and can be used to narrate events or experiences, as well as conveying emotions beyond words. Two examples include photo essays (collections of images that work together to tell a story) and photojournalism (a form of journalism that conveys a news story through photographs).
Finally, photographs are excellent for memory preservation. They keep cherished moments alive and allow us to connect with family and friends.
Here is a selection of some of the most iconic photographs that have made an influence on the world.
"Guerrillero Heroico," Alberto Korda (1960)
This is an iconic portrait of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentinian doctor who led the 1959 Cuban revolution alongside Fidel Castro.
It was taken by Cuban photographer Alberto Korda in 1960 while working for the newspaper Revolución. A day before this iconic photograph was taken, a ship exploded in Havana Harbor, killing the crew and injuring many more. Korda was assigned to cover the funerals the following day at Colon Cemetery.
Korda shot two frames of Castro's young ally rather quickly, but they went unpublished by the newspaper. However, after Guerra's death seven years later, the image of the beret-clad revolutionary would become an enduring symbol for the Cuban regime.
The original shot was horizontal, but Korda cropped it into a vertical portrait because there was another man on Guevara's shoulder and palm branches hung over him on the left side.
Korda described the photograph, in his words, as a "human being who was encabronado y doliente (pissed and pained), with impressive force in his expression, given the anger concentrated in his gaze after so many deaths."
"Guerrillero Heroico" became shorthand for rebellion and is one of the most reproduced photographs of all time.
"Betty Grable," Frank Powolny (1943)
Frank Powolny photographed this iconic portrait of actress and pin-up model Betty Grable in 1943, during World War II.
According to Merriam-Webster, a pin-up girl was "a girl or woman whose glamorous qualities make her a suitable object for a pinup." They appeared in mass-produced photographs that were often hung on walls.
At the time, Powolny was the chief portrait and still photographer for 20th Century Fox from 1923 to 1966. He captured the portraits of thousands of stars and starlets, among them Shirley Temple, Betty Grable, Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe.
Powolny was taking publicity pictures of Grable for the 1943 film "Sweet Rose O'Grady" when she agreed to a back shot.
The iconic portrait depicted Grable coyly glancing over her shoulder and dressed in a swimsuit and pumps.
During World War II, troops requested over 50,000 copies of Grable's pin-up portrait every month. They took the portrait wherever they went, such as pinning the poster on barrack walls.
"Tank Man," Jeff Widener (1989)
The iconic "Tank Man" photograph was taken by Jeff Widener on June 5, 1989, a day after the Tiananmen Square massacre. At the time, Widener was a photojournalist with the Associated Press.
Chinese troops cracked down violently on pro-democracy demonstrators who had congregated at the square for over a month.
While perched on the sixth floor balcony of the Beijing Hotel, Widener was focusing his camera on a column of tanks rolling on the plaza. Out of the blue, a Chinese man in a white shirt and black pants stepped directly in front of the tanks.
Widener assumed the man would be killed, but the tanks held their fire. The tanks stopped and tried to go around the man. The man moved with the tanks, blocking its path yet again. Eventually, the man was pulled away by onlookers.
At first, Widener seemed annoyed by the man entering his shot. But little did he know that he was about to create one of the most iconic photographs in history.
While several media outlets took a photo of "Tank Man," Widener's shot was the most used. In fact, this image was transmitted over the AP and appeared on front pages all over the world.
The identity and fate of the Chinese protestor (nicknamed "Tank Man") remains unknown. However, the anonymity makes the photograph a universal symbol of resistance and defiance to unjust regimes worldwide.
Here is a 2019 video featuring Widener's reflection on Tiananmen Square. Here is an archival video of the man confronting the tanks taken by CNN.
"Milk Drop Coronet," Harold Edgerton (1957)
Harold "Doc" Edgerton became widely known as a pioneer in stroboscopic photography, a technique that utilizes rapid flashes of light to capture kinetic energy in sequential steps.
At the time, Edgerton was a professor in Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his words, he often claimed that his photographic work was only an "incidental result of scientific experimentation."
While Edgerton captured several blink-and-you-missed-it moments, such as balloons bursting and a bullet piercing a card, "Milk Drop Coronet" is considered his revolutionary photograph.
It is the result of years of perfection, starting as early as 1932. Edgerton took an almost identical image in 1937, except it was in black and white. He continued to experiment with the milk drop until he finally attained visual clarity with "Milk Drop Coronet" in vivid color.
Here is a short video on Dr. Edgerton and his strobe light.
"The Situation Room," Pete Souza (2011)
On May 1, 2011, Pete Souza photographed the most iconic photograph of Barack Obama's presidency, "The Situation Room."
At the time, he was the Chief White House Photographer for all eight years of the Obama administration. His duties included documenting Obama both during leisure and professional activities, including making phone calls with world leaders and presiding over Oval Office meetings.
Souza was in the Situation Room as Obama and other officials were closely monitoring the deadly raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan. No pictures of bin Laden or the actual raid were taken. Instead, he photographed those watching the secret operation in real time.
Hillary Clinton's expression stands out prominently in this photograph, with her hand over her mouth. In fact, many photo editors cite her expression as the most powerful element.
Later that evening, Obama delivered a national address from the White House announcing that bin Laden had been killed.
Seated, from left, are: Brigadier General Marshall B. “Brad” Webb, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason, Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
"Lunch Atop a Skyscraper," unknown photographer (1932)
This iconic photograph consists of 11 ironworkers nonchalantly having lunch while sitting on a steel beam 850 feet in the air. In other words, there was no support other than the thin beam to keep them aloft.
While it is commonly referred as "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper," it has been called different names, such as "Men on a Beam" and "Lunch on a Beam."
Many people were unaware that this seemingly candid moment was, in fact, staged for publicity purposes. Specifically, this photograph was taken as part of a promotional campaign for the construction of the 69th floor of the RCA Building (now known as 30 Rockefeller Plaza).
Three photographers were present on the day the photograph was taken: Charles C. Ebbets, Thomas Kelley and William Leftwich. However, the identities of the photographer and the subjects remain a mystery.
Taken during the Great Depression in 1932, "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper" came to symbolize resilience and ambition, which were both critically needed at the time.
"Migrant Mother," Dorothea Lange (1936)
Photographer Dorothea Lange took this iconic photograph in 1936 while working for the U.S. government's Farm Security Administration program. It was seven years since the Wall Street Crash and well into the Dust Bowl years when "Migrant Mother" was photographed.
This was part of six photographs that Lange captured with her 4x5 Graflex camera at an encampment in Nipomo, California.
The subject was identified as Florence Owens Thompson with her children underneath a makeshift tent.
This particular photograph is what humanized the cost of the Great Depression. In addition, it gave face to a suffering nation and brought the conditions of the rural poor to the public's attention.
"Earthrise," William Anders (1968)
On Dec. 24, 1968, NASA astronaut William Anders photographed this iconic picture while aboard the Apollo 8 spacecraft. It depicts Earth peeking out from the lunar surface.
Anders, along with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell were among the first humans to orbit the Moon. In addition, they were the first ones to catch a glimpse of the Earth as pictured.
Overall, "Earthrise" reflects on our planet's beauty, as well as fragility. In addition, this photograph was credited for igniting the environmental movement.
"Earthrise" was the first full-color view of Earth from the Moon.
Here is a video of how Anders captured the iconic "Earthrise" photograph.
"Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima," Joe Rosenthal (1945)
On Feb. 23, 1945, Joe Rosenthal photographed "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima," five days after the Marines landed on the island. Iwo Jima is a speck of an island 760 miles south of Tokyo.
At the time, Rosenthal was working as a photographer for the Associated Press as a Pacific war correspondent.
Rosenthal missed the moment when Marines raised the American flag over Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima because he was still climbing up the mountain at the time. Fortunately, when Marines raised a second (and even larger) flag, he was there to capture the pivotal photograph.
Within two days, Rosenthal's photo was featured on front pages across the United States, where it quickly became a symbol of unity during World War II.
This photograph was awarded the 1945 Pulitzer Prize, a little over two months after it was taken.
This event was memorialized at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, which is located in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to depicting one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is also dedicated to all Marines who have sacrificed their lives to their country in the U.S.
"The Afghan Girl," Steve McCurry (1984)
Steve McCurry photographed this iconic portrait of a 12-year old Afghan refugee in the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan in December 1984. At the time, McCurry did photography for National Geographic and other major publications.
The "Afghan Girl" portrait was featured in the June 1985 cover of National Geographic.
Perhaps the most distinct feature of this portrait is the young girl's bright sea green eyes. The girl wore a loose red scarf draped over her head and her eyes stared directly into the camera. Overall, the girl's eyes caught the essence of the suffering and strength of the Afghan refugees.
Known to world as simply the "Afghan Girl," no one knew her true name. Eventually, she was identified as Sharbat Gula after McCurry found her in the mountains of Afghanistan.
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