Colin Pantall: The idea of the photographer as activist is an appealing one. It means that photographs really matter, that they can lead to changes in representation, attitudes and policy. Labelling photography as activism elevates the camera from being a functional tool in the service of a publisher to something altogether higher. It transforms the photographer from a shutterbug to a prophet, someone with real vision and moral standing in the world, someone with power.

The.me: In a way, however, all photography is political. Because all photography takes place in a social and cultural context and is, even if unintended, a form of suggestive manipulation. It is important to be aware of the power of a reproduced reality and its intended or unintended effects on us. The power of the image starts with the framing.