Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Photojournalistic integrity and masking
From: "Steven L. Alexander" <alexpix@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 09:50:58 -0400

>  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