Photography means many things to many people, but I watched a speech recently from war photographer James Nachtwey that really put it into perspective. Seeing his images on paper is powerful enough, but hearing James' stories behind the images was another thing entirely.
Here's a man who puts his fear aside, oftentimes risking his life, to tell a story. As he puts it, these images are sometimes the only voices these people have.
If you have time, and would like to see his speech, you can see it here: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/james_nachtwey_s_searing_pictures_of_war.html