Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Eric Welch wrote: > > At 04:34 PM 7/20/98 -0500, you wrote: > > >Photographers, used to thinking in terms of bold action photos captured at > >crucial moments, are enjoying the luxury of of taking the time to create / > >or stage attractive photo illustrations for feature sections. They are also > >being called upon to capture scenes as visual backgrounds for > >informational graphics. > > Though I see this as something that can be useful to providing information > to the readers, it's also a trend away from real journalism with impact > (writing and photography). > And most photojournalists I know would prefer never to have to stage a > photo for illustration. Let alone know they'd be fired for staging a news > photo. It's not a luxury, it's laziness on editor's parts for not giving > photographers the time to find a good documentary photo of the subject. Eric, Absolutely right. I remember an issue of Time magazine last year--a special edition on the future of journalism--and there wasn't in the whole magazine a photo of merit that significantly contributed to understanding anything--they were simple graphic elements to break up type. And this a special edition. Shameful. Like most everything else in America (and maybe the world), commercialism rules, and newspapers, magazines and electronic media are tied closer and closer to advertising and information control. The world may have defeated National Socialism in WWII, but frankly the corporate control of the world economy shows it has risen like a Phoenix and is alive and well. Is this a long way from comments on photojournalism? Not really. Increasingly the media's job, it seems, to is deaden the senses using M-TV style sensory overload so we don't ask questions, other than directions to the mall. The popularity of topics such as Princess Diana and Bill Clinton scandals are the meaningless drivel we are offered (that requires little thought or action) instead of insiteful reporting (that might cause citizens to actually question leaders and consider wrestling power back into their own hands). Leica Ms are great tools to tell the truth, plain and simple and direct. The fancy whirligigs of Nikons and Canons are for creating fantasies that may have little to do with reality. donal (standing in for Oddmund!) : ) - -- Donal Philby San Diego http://www.donalphilby.com