Response to Deshpande

Shekhar Deshpande wrote an article on The National Geographic magazine called “the Confident Gaze.” In this article Deshpande talks about how the magazine uses photography to help sell the magazine but also help support the articles in the magazine. Also the photography, along with the articles, misrepresents the meaning or facts of articles. In Deshpande’s article on the magazine he uses the example of other countries but more specifically he uses National Geographic’s article and photography on India and how westerners can just look at the magazine, have a few thoughts and go back to their lives. In Deshpande’s article he claims “The Poverty in India…is transformed in the pages of the magazine into an observable commodity, polished with gleaming light and perfection of the position of the objects.” The magazine sets the photograph in the stance that would best represent what they are trying to say and not taking the photograph of the culture in its natural positions. Another claim by Deshpande is “[T]he bloody conflicts…can be looked at one’s coffee table without being troubled by the conditions[.]” People can pick up the magazine and look at the pictures or read the article but they don’t fully understand because they don’t have to live in the harsh conditions the images or words are describing.