The camera is a killing chamber, which speeds up the time it claims to be conserving. Like coffins exhumed and priced open, the photographs put on show what we were and what we will be again.

Summary

This quote suggests that photographs captured by a camera have a dual nature. On one hand, they are seen as a way to preserve moments in time, supposedly conserving them. However, the quote metaphorically compares the camera to a "killing chamber," implying that the act of taking a photograph actually hastens the passage of time it intends to preserve. It further compares photographs to opened coffins, revealing the past (what we were) and foreshadowing the future (what we will be again). In essence, the quote highlights the paradoxical nature of photography, simultaneously freezing moments while reminding us of their fleeting nature.

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