"All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. In this-as in other ways-they are the opposite of paintings. Paintings record what the painter remembers. Because each one of us forgets different things, a photo more than a painting may change its meaning according to who is looking at it." - John Berger
This is one of my favorite quotes so far. I have different reactions each time I read it. In a factual sense, I agree with Berger. What you forget and remember is linked to the emotions you associate with whatever is going on in the photograph, or whatever was going on the day that the photograph was taken (if you were in it). In a memory you generally focus on your relation to the events, but looking back on a photo allows you to remember things like the bad haircut your aunt had just got, etc. Paintings are emotional artworks, they let you in on the painter, his viewpoint, or just give you a sense of appreciation for a technique used. All elements are reflective of the painter, where photos (especially of events) are not all reflections of the photographer. Photos reflect the people that are in them to a higher extent.
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