Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Nice, Steve....Speaking as a former ink stained retch I would only add the following... "There is no true objectivity; there is only, at best subjective truth." B . D. Colen It applies to photo journalism as well as to print. We all bring our preconceived notions to stories. All we can do is bend over backwards to make sure that we are fair. Period. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Steven L. Alexander Sent: Thursday, September 16, 1999 1:51 PM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Photojournalistic integrity and masking > Don't "you" (photo> journalists) always play with reality based on your prejudices or adjenda? I became a photojournalist in the late 1950's, while a mere child. I have done nothing else to earn a living since then except that around mid 1980's I began to do more self assignments in the stock business and paying less attention to news related areas. The simple act of producing a camera changes the reality. This is more ture today, most people are media wise, than in the past. Add to this action the individual vision and thinking of the image-maker and the dynamics of the situation is altered. A good photograph is not a mere record of a person or event but a visual interpertation. Do you shoot both sides of the street? I would hope not unless your personal vision compelled you to do that. Beside the technical skills needed a good photo journalist needs to employ a personal point of view is required so the audience becomes involved. If there is no audience experiencing the photos they are not meaningful or suscessful. You, as a reveiver of the image, become involved either because you agree or dsiagree, but the point of a sucessful image is that the viewer reacts and discovers events/ information that normally they would not be able to become involved with. My 2 cents. Steven Alexander