Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/14

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Subject: [Leica] Restage a news photo?!?! (was:Re: E.Adams & Vietnam Photo)
From: Harrison McClary <harrison@mcclary.net>
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1999 22:01:56 -0500

No, as a news photographer I never did a restage and quite frankly no 
idiot photographer would ever ask people to restage a photo particularly 
a photo where the risk of death is involved.

Not saying it does not happen though.  About 7 years ago some dumb-ass 
working in Anniston Alabama asked a kid to push his bike through a 
flooded drainage ditch...the flood waters were so strong the kid was 
pulled through the ditch and trapped in the culvert.  The STUPID 
photographer hung around and took some photos of the rescue 
effort...thank God the kid lived.  The photog entered the photos in the 
NPPA clip contest...Co-workers reported the event as they truly happened 
to the "Newsphotographer" magazine (the official publication of NPPA) 
...and they did a cover story on how unethical and STUPID this fool was.  
I think the guy actually won a region 6 award for some photos of the 
rescue effort and the co-workers were appalled at this and reported the 
whole story, the award was recalled...may be wrong on the clip 
award...the rest about staging the photo is accurate.

All said every one who works in news photography with any honor for the 
profession knows that to stage photos is wrong.  To restage an event is 
equally wrong.  Period.  

Different rules of course apply for illustrations and certain types of 
editorial work.

On 9/14/99 4:17 PM Mark Rabiner wrote:

>Both true it was done real and then restaged.
>They were still taking some fire but the sun shining. There is no 
>disrespect to
>the marines. They just wanted to make sure they got the shot. 
>Ever do a restage?


Best regards,
Harrison McClary
email: harrison@mcclary.net
http://www.mcclary.net
preview my book: http://www.volmania.com