Maybe because it is Fall or just maybe because it global warming but somehow a lot of water has appeared in numerous of this weeks images. Far from the legal turmoils of a half naked princess sun bathing in the South of France, the world news seems to have taken a special attachment to our most common liquid. It has, in a week that has seen more of its share of how images can influence world politics, taken upon itself to show us how in photography, the butterfly effect is more powerful then ever. An event in one place of the world can trigger violent reactions in a completely different part, dramatically changing peoples' destinies. The vehicle ? Images. The responsibility of the photographer becomes even more important as there is not ethic committee in charge of editing the internet. Can photojournalist or any type of photo professional can now carry this additional burden of thinking ahead of the consequences of his images halfway across the globe ? Is it reasonable to assume that with everything they have to think about, they also have to be aware of the potential weaponisation of their photographs ? That, unfortunately, what they tried to communicate is ripped away from their control and turn into a weapon of hate and destruction. Will we see, in the near future, a photographer put on trial for instigating violence, even if his intention was perfectly journalistic ? Those are questions that will need to be answered soon since , at the speed of which cultures clashes on the internet, it is impossible to avoid . And with that, the foundation of what makes photography so exceptional as a means of communication might enter its dark ages.

Paul Melcher