Photography of Peace

It is common to refer to photojournalists as witnesses, especially in war situations, where they collect visual evidence – documentation carrying evidentiary weight – and share this evidence with viewers who can then respond to the conditions depicted in a given image. This is one of the strengths of photojournalism: photography appears to be the main visual medium through which knowledge on war and conflict can be communicated. The focus on war and conflict is problematic because it tends to naturalize violence, giving the impression that war is normal whereas peace is not. Furthermore, as Sontag argues, the photographic act ‘encourag[es] whatever is going on to keep on happening.’ In contrast, this paper asks: What would a photography look like which succeeds in interrupting the naturalization of war in viewers’ perception – a photography of peace? How to visualize peace, especially positive peace?