Photographs are a key concern for communication researchers, and their ubiquity in today's mediatized culture render them even more important. Even though visual communication has only been a formal part of the academy since the latter half of the twentieth century, researchers in political, nonverbal, advertising, and newspaper research have long been concerned with how the audience processes images. Neurobiological research indicates that images are processed differently from words, and this has been borne out through social science. One key finding is that, even when viewers know they are looking at a photograph, the latter is perceived, at least initially, as reality. Images can call attention to information, increase recall, and cause users to spend more time reading a text. Images might also reinforce prejudicial judgments, confuse memory, and interfere with accurate cognition. Increased mediatization and digitization add urgency to the need for more research on photographic effects.