[Leica] The Rules of Photojournalism Are Keeping Us From the Truth by Donald Weber

[Richard Man]

PR? Photojournalism? Media?

http://whowhatwhy.org/2011/10/16/media-manipulation-are-conflict-photos-staged/

On Thu, Mar 19, 2015 at 1:53 AM, Matt Kollasch <matt at kollarfoto.com> wrote:

> I think this is interesting, important, and thus worth reading. I do like
> Weber's term "picturesque gluttony".
>
> Here are some excerpts that might lure you to the article.
>
> /matt
>
> "We see on our front pages only facsimiles of 90-year-old Leica versions of
> photos."
>
> "It's a given that a photographer has to make something, bound on using the
> four-sided frame and the small "negative," armed with variations of the
> 35mm rangefinder first perfected by Leica 90 years ago. The conventions
> this technology imposes on story are legion. Look back at documentary
> photography before the rise of the Leica and you have some invincible
> variations, limited by technical capability, but still contributing to an
> evolving, novel language."
>
> "A technically proficient image that looks like those of past
> photojournalism will catch the eye. A technically proficient image may
> trick the viewer into thinking he or she is seeing something of substance,
> of what is commonly referred to as truthful. A technically proficient image
> meets the media business' goal for cost-effective public attention. "
>
> "Commodified imagery threatens photographers' primary role as storytellers.
> Amplified technique threatens to dominate the image, and it will lead to
> picturesque gluttony. We, the news, and our understanding of the news are
> poorer for it."
>
> "I'm caught in a weird loop where we photograph the protestors, the
> protestors see what gets photographed, they dress the part and then we
> photograph them again."
>
> http://bit.ly/1H4OxGz
>
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