Among many other mediums, it is of particular interest to note that the practice of photography is not simply tied to one side of the spectrum of creative expression. As much as it can be perceived as an emotional work of art, a photo can also very well be seen as a showcase of the current social world through an objective lens. However, what truly defines a photo as an artistic endeavor or as a means of documentation is the context in which it is intended to be seen by a particular audience. After all, a single image might look drastically different next to a newspaper article than if it were framed and hung next to other photos on a museum wall. This idea is particularly prevalent in the pieces displayed in the Freedom Now! exhibition. Forgotten Photographs of the Civil Rights Struggle, in which several photos are viewed either as a standalone piece, or as they appeared in magazines or newspapers about the civil rights movement. By comparing and contrasting different series of these images, each showing two very different ways in which they can be viewed, the importance of context regarding photography becomes fully visible, offering a broader perspective on what gives a specific piece a certain meaning. Given the subject matter of the aforementioned exhibition, it is best to first analyze one of the more provocative pieces among those included, since, interestingly enough, it is used as a means to garner sympathy for both sides of the civil rights movement depending on the type of context that surrounds him. The photograph itself, taken by Charles Moore and later titled Firefighters Use High-Pressure Hoses Against Protesters, depicts a powerful scene amidst... middle of paper... conceived as it is, without any outside influence . making the viewer observe something they otherwise would not have considered. Therefore, the application of context from sources other than the photographer often confuses the original meaning intended from the beginning. Of course, it is the way in which context is applied that makes the difference, since on the one hand it can be used in a way that completely distorts the meaning of a photograph through the use of text and captions that are intended to give the viewer and inaccurate perception of the image. However, it can also be used simply to better understand what the photo depicts, thus providing a meaning that is not different, but clearer. In any case, it is the context that ultimately tells the viewer how to interpret a specific photograph, regardless of how it was actually intended to be perceived..