In any photograph the image that is presented captures a moment in time. A few photographs of a setting could tell a story. The difference between a photograph and a subject is the memory it leaves behind, the statement it is trying to enforce.
Such as the images from hurricane Katrina. I wasn’t there in person yet the images taken felt so real….. i felt the struggle the loss, confusion and just pure anger
When a photograph can make something come to life, is when you know that the photo captured the subject in its ideal state.
Photographs of Katrina can serve as a great example of what Szarkowski is trying to get at. Photos of the aftermath could be empathetic and show the misery of the people whose lives were upended as they waited for days without help. Or the photos could show that chaos broke out and the victims were undeserving.