The intended format of the photograph allows the viewer to further his assumptions. The viewer is able to understand the little girl's anguish more fully. Although it is still necessary to make assumptions, these assumptions are made with a bit of evidence. The viewer can now see that the girl is distressed because she has seen death. Perhaps her brother or her father has died before her eyes. Although these assumptions are more convincing, the viewer still lacks the ability to truly know the context of the situation. We can never truly know what took place when the photograph was taken. Only those who were eyewitnesses to the event are truly knowledgable of the situation.
Although photography is a revolutionary force in that it allows someone to capture a specific moment in history, the truth behind photographs is more often than not based on the perceptions and assumptions of the viewer.
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