Cover photo by 田中ハル
In today's world, taking photos with a smartphone has become second nature. But what if photography never existed? What would change?
Our way of preserving memories, expressing emotions, and viewing the world would all be subtly, yet undeniably, different. There might be countless things we can only see because photography exists.
Photo by Yuya
A World Where Memories Blur
In a world without photography, memories would rely entirely on words and sensations. The summer scenes spent with someone, the colors of the sky during a trip—these would gradually fade, making it harder to share them with others.
Photography gives shape to the vagueness of memory. Without it, reaching back into our past would become much more difficult.
Photo by Keyphoto
The Loneliness of Unseen Emotions
When we want to "express" something to someone, we often use photos. Joy, sadness, beauty—photos offer a way to convey these emotions more tangibly than words ever could.
Photo by KITA
Without photos, people might have felt lonelier. Emotions would fail to reach others, be misunderstood, or pass by unshared.
The Act of "Seeing" Would Change
Because of photography, we remain sensitive to the small beauties and peculiarities in our daily lives: the play of light, the layering of colors, the expressions on people's faces. Taking photos is not just about recording moments; it is also a way of questioning the act of "seeing."
Photo by 好 | Kodai Yamashita
Without photography, we might view the world in a rougher, less detailed way. Photography allows us to quietly reassess our relationship with the landscapes we see.
