Photojournalism

Photojournalism

• "In traditional journalism words are produced first and the picture is used to illustrate them...In photojournalism there is an exact reversal of that order."

• - Wilson Hicks (former picture editor of 'Life' magazine.)

• "By taking photographs of the people and events that make today's headlines, photo journalists produce dramatic visual records of the age - by freezing these moments in history they make the images which define the century."

» Anon.

The Early Years• in the first decade of its invention,

photography was becoming a tool to record major events.

• It was used to document wars, scientific observations, and surveys of remote areas of the world and the people of other countries as well as the British

• the population became increasingly interested in discovering the people that inhabited these pockets of the Empire

• The images usually depicted a portrait of a native of the country in their normal dress in a pose dictated by the photographer.

• These became embraced by the Victorians and formed the basis for stereotypes and generalisations

• They were considered to be revolutionary because the photographs were thought to be completely objective and a simple record of the event, free from interference and interpretation by the artist.

Illustrated London News

War Photography• The first war that sought the attention of the

camera was the Crimean War in 1855. • the photographer Roger Fenton was sent out

to the war for political aims, to reassure the public about their concern over the war

• Fenton was sent out to take pictures of the battles, but because of the heaviness of the equipment, he had to be content with photographing the battle scenes long after the action had ceased

The Valley of Death

• In contrast to the last photograph this is an illustration from the Illustrated London News 1854

The history of photojournalism

• 1924: The term 'photojournalism' was coined in 1924 by Frank Luther Mott, Dean of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He used it to designate a newly established photography sequence that emphasised photographic reportage.

• 1930s: The Great Depression in America was documented by photographers such as Dorothea Lange The Great Depression in America was documented by photographers such as Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee working for the Farm Security Administration under the direction of Roy Stryker.

• 1949-53: Nigel Henderson documented working-class life in Bethnal Green.

• 1950s: Photo journalism flourished in magazines such as Life, Look, Colliers, and The Saturday Evening Post.

• 1954: Robert Capa was killed by a landmine in French Indochina

"If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." - Robert Capa

• 1956: 'The Family of Man' photography exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall.

• 1958: Don McCullin's first published photograph 'The Guv'nors' taken in Finsbury Park at the time of several highprofile murders in the area.

I have recorded it all as history unfolding, believing that this could never happen again. But it has, and it will again. I am under no illusion now. Humanity will go on suffering until the end of time.

- Don McCullin

• 1960s: The European Magazine Photographers were formed, including the British photographers John Bulmer, Philip Jones, Don McCullin.

• 1972: Nick Ut's photograph 'Napalm Girl' of a young child screaming and running naked down a street galvanised the opposition of the American public to the Vietnam War.

• "I had just discovered the Leica. It became the extension of my eye, and I have never been separated from it since I found it. I prowled the streets all day, feeling very strung up and ready to pounce, determined to 'trap' life - to preserve life in the act of living."

• - Henri Cartier-Bresson

The types of pictures• Assignment• Spot news• General news• Covering the issues• Features• Portraits• Sports• The photo story• Photo illustrations

Assignment• scanner radio signals and accidents.......• by scanning low frequency radio signals

many photographers pick up tips on fires, accidents, emergencies etc. from transmissions to and from the emergency services

• as each service operates on different wavelengths - many photographers carry 3 or 4 scanners with them to pick up information as they travel

• although this practice is deemed to be illegal in the UK (not listening through a scanner but profiting from the information) it is still widely used especially in the US

• an American photojournalist, Sam Costanza (New York Post) spends his nights parked at an intersection of three main New York highways, while monitoring the transmissions of the NY Police department’s special operations

• “I am a listener. Other photographers respond to assignments. By the time they arrive. I’m leaving the scene”

Other sources for news• stay tuned to all news radio, television and

websites• use contacts - fire-fighters, police officers,

air traffic controllers, security guards, other photographers, local news reporters etc.

• beat reporters - new reporters that cover certain areas of major cities

• PR office - timetable of a politicians visit etc.

• schedules of events in print or online• trade magazines and specialised websites

Working with reporters

• there are many more reporters than they are photographers. Reporters generate potential stories and once these are approved by the editor a photographer is assigned to the task.

Spot News

• hostage situations, crimes in progress, rescues, accidents, riots, demonstrations, fires - generally fall into this category

General News

• Politics, politicians and media events • press conferences, photo opportunities • politicians recognise that re-election

depends on good media coverage, therefore try to use the media to there advantage, although this often backfires

Covering the issues

• photojournalism can bring about change• since the beginning of photography, on

every continent on the globe, concerned photographers have brought to public awareness to issues ranging from hunger and poverty to repression and torture

• in the 1880’s, Jacob Riis exposed slum conditions suffered by new immigrants in New York city

Deception

• This lead to Dr. Barnardo who appearing a public hearing charged with deceiving the public by use of ‘before and after’ Barnardo’s Aid photographic images of children.

Features

• provide an alternative to the daily reporting of accidents, fires, death etc.

• for many newspapers feature pictures not only provide a diversion from the news but have became a mainstay in the paper

Portraits• the journalistic portrait of a scientist

shouldn’t look like that of a steelworker• an aggressive personality deserves a

different portrait from the shy and retiring type

• to tell each person’s story, photojournalists shoot both posed and candid portraits

• candid photography can produce honest, believable portraits without a lot of elaborate prompting, staging or lighting

Sports

• Sport as news• many newspapers have dedicated sports

photographers, as action is unusually quick experience and concentration can be an important factor in ‘getting the picture’

The photo story

• for many photographers, telling whole stories with pictures is the ultimate professional experience

• sometimes stories can be built in a matter of minutes, sometimes storytelling can take years

A new breed of photojournalist

Instagram

Links

• Russell Lee collection• Hulton Getty• Life magazine• Magnum Picture agency