can images be more powerful than words?

The power of images cannot be described. "A picture is worth 1,000 words" is the cliched saying about the power of words, but it holds an immense truth. Images of extreme  conditions, whether tragic or brilliant, are often indescribable by words alone. Emotions and expressions speak louder than words. Tears tell their own story. I think of an image of a starving African boy, too frail to move, with a single tear drop on his face. A twenty page paper could not successfully describe the young boys struggles and battle to survive. The opposite also proves true. Laughter and joy can be indescribable. Words cannot compete with an image of an elderly couple laughing together, beaming with happiness. Their story of love and laughter cannot be summed up in a paragraph, paper, or even a novel. Even the most descriptive writer will miss details that one can observe looking at an image. There is this indescribable beauty that comes from combining the perfect combination of words and images. Words can help focus on a specific aspect of an image that may be overlooked without guidance, yet images provide the opportunity for the reader to find interest in an aspect that the writer may have not noticed.