Chapter Four- Working In the Digital Age

Today, everything is a race against time. Everyone is always rushing and wanting things done faster and faster. When you think of all the advances in technology they all seem to have improved one thing, speed. With wireless transmission you use a wireless file transmitter that plugs into most cameras like a DSLR. This allows the journalist to use wireless internet connection to send the images instantly from your camera to another source. This allows images to be sent within seconds. As stated by John Nordell, “If you have that wireless transmitter you can just take the pictures you know, there’s the runners going by, click, click, and the images are heading right back to your editor”. Talk about speed!

Photo by: Barton Silvermen

Image source: http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/16/the-bat-broke-but-the-photographer-did-not/

Wireless transmission has allowed photojournalists to provide us with their photo-journalistic images almost as their happening. They are no longer spending time in dark rooms processing photos, they have more time out in the field. The ability for a photojournalist to literally send a photo instantly to their editors virtually through the air, has not only made their jobs easier but have also made us more satisfied. There is nothing humans hate more than waiting. As stated in the article by Mario Aguilar, “The second a photographer fires the shutter on a camera, the resulting image—a high quality JPEG, not an uncompressed RAW file—is transported by Ethernet to Getty's central editing office in about 1.5 seconds…Once the last editor is done, the image is blasted to the world. It takes about 90 seconds for the images to travel over redundant 100 Mbit/s dedicated lines to Getty's data servers in The United States”. Wireless transmission has also given photojournalists the freedom to shoot anywhere without having USB cables hanging around.

When seeing the process involved in transmitting a photo using wireless capabilities versus how a photo taken with 35 mm color film, the most obvious difference is time. When transmitting photos to another source through wireless means, the image is sent within seconds whereas transmitting via a telephone line could take minutes, and if sending internationally up to an hour.  As Chris Wilkins states, “A fourth case contained a manual typewriter and adhesive-backed paper to affix captions to the transmission prints, and a fifth case housed an analog photo transmitter for sending the photos”. “…transmission times were painfully long using an analog drum transmitter, such as UPI’s 16-S transmitter, shown above. The photo spun on a drum while a laser moved slowly across the print producing an audible analog signal consisting of beeps. If you were lucky enough to get a perfect telephone line for sending the picture, one color photo took a minimum of 26 minutes to transmit. Sending internationally took twice as long, sometimes up to an hour per photo”.   Not only are there differences in how long a photo could be sent, the amount of equipment needed to transmit the photo also differs. In the digital era, everything needed from capturing a photo-journalistic image to sending it could all fit in a back pack. Before, when using 35 mm color film a lot of equipment was needed and could be very tiresome to the journalist. 

Photo by: Vivian Maier

Image source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10973340/Finding-Vivian-Maier-review-fascinating.html

One of the issues using film versus digital devices was getting the photos to their destination in time to be published. Before digital cameras and wireless transmission, couriers were needed to collect the films from the photojournalist and carry them to their destination wherever it may be, and many years ago that could take days. As stated by John Morris, “Our only hope to meet the deadline was to send original prints and negatives, as many as possible, in a pouch that would leave Grosvenor Square by motorcycle courier The courier would take it to a twin-engine plane standing by at an airdrome near London. At Prestwick, Scotland, the base for transatlantic flights, the pouch would be transferred to a larger plane. After one or two fuel stops, it would arrive in Washington, D.C., and our pictures would be hand-carried to New York on Saturday”. The use of wireless transmission and digital photos has eliminated that timely process completely.

Chapter Three- The Art of Photojournalism

Photo by: Henry Peach Robinson
Year created: 1858

What feelings did the image create? 

This photo brought me feelings of sadness. But it also brought me some happiness to see that what looks like her family is still surrounding her even though during this era, Tuberculosis was probably an unknown to them. They did not know of any treatment or if it was contagious, yet they stay by her side to care for her. Made me feel some relief for the dying girl to know she was not alone.

Is the Image Black and White or Color?

The image is in black and white. The photographer did not have choice. Even if this photo could be in color, I would still leave it black and white, so color would not distract the viewer from feeling the emotions this family is enduring from the girl’s sickness.
Subject’s Expression

The subject looks sad. She looks hopeless and depressed. Her emotional expressions seem appropriate for what she is going through.

Why did I choose the image?

I chose this photo because it was related to the medical field. I love seeing how medicine has evolved throughout history. It is very interesting to see a photo from a time that shows people suffering from diseases that would inevitably kill them but now could be cured or treated.

Image by: Arthur Rothstein

Year created: 1936

What feelings did the image create?

This photo gave me a feel of loneliness. The three people in this photograph seem to be far from any other human contact. Especially during a time of tragedy, it must have brought them fear to know they are alone

Texture

The texture of the ground seems grainy. They are surrounded by a sand storm and can imagine their skin feeling dirty and rough. The only solid texture is the house which I feel is being used to represent their safe place during this storm.

Quality of Light

The light is very uninteresting. It may represent that there is only sand in the air surrounding them. Maybe symbolizing there is not much sight for these individuals.

Why did I choose the image?

I chose this photo because it represents the time during The Great Depression. I felt that the photo itself was able to describe the hardships these people had to endure during this time. I also found it interesting that the photo shows that children, even though very young still endured the same effects from this time.

   

Image by: Lee Goldsmith

Year created: 2013

Rule of Thirds

The main subject, the road, continue far out enough that in this photo it can be cut into thirds horizontally. I feel like the bottom represents where you are in life. The middle represents where you are going, and the top represents where you could go.

What Feelings Does This Image Create?

This image gave me feelings of home. I felt like it can represent someone going through a rough time in their life or has made mistakes. It can show you that you can stay where you are or you can move forward and make a change.

Is the Image Black and White or Color?

This image is in color. The colors in this photo really make it look positive. It allows you to see how perfect the weather of that day was bringing positive energy.


Why Did I Choose the Image?

I chose this image because when I saw it I instantly wanted to go there. It looks like a place of peace, where no one is around but you don’t feel lonely.

Chapter Two: Pre-Digital Photographic Technology

Photojournalism has not only come a long way over the years, but the way a photograph is taken has also evolved. In 1851 Frederick Scott Archer created the first photographic process, the Collodion Process, during the Civil War. The process to capture an image at this time was very difficult and time consuming for photographers and required a lot of commitment not only from them but to the person being photographed. Britannica Encyclopedia details the process: “The process involved adding a soluble iodide to a solution of collodion (cellulose nitrate) and coating a glass plate with the mixture. In the darkroom the plate was immersed in a solution of silver nitrate to form silver iodide. The plate, still wet, was exposed in the camera. It was then developed by pouring a solution of pyrogallic acid over it and was fixed with a strong solution of sodium thiosulfate, for which potassium cyanide was later substituted. Immediate developing and fixing were necessary because, after the collodion film had dried, it became waterproof and the reagent solutions could not penetrate it”.

Photo by: Robert Fenton

Image source: http://www.allworldwars.com/Crimean-War-Photographs-by-Roger-Fenton-1855.html

Roger Fenton, an Englishman covered the Crimean war with the use of the wet plate collodion process. All his equipment including the chemicals needed, the trays, cameras and tents all had to be carried by a buggy. As mentioned in the tutorial video by Quinn Jacobson, "Collodion photography is both difficult and somewhat dangerous to do".  Not only was it difficult to travel from place to place, he was also limited to what he could photograph. During this time, using the wet plate collodion process meant only having the capability of capturing objects that were still due to the long exposure time needed to produce the image. That meant if he wanted to capture soldiers or an event he had to choose still objects or people who were willing to remain still for a period of time. As John Nordell mentions in his lecture “Not until the 1880’s…there was first ability to freeze motion”. As you can see in the photo taken by Robert Fenton below, the faces of the people and even the horses are blurred due to movement. Being a photographer during this time was very difficult and really required hard work, and even after setting up, and preparing they had to wait for the image to be processed which also took time.

Today, the process to capture an image is so much simpler that it can be done by anyone in the blink of an eye. We now have the freedom to take a picture of anything we desire whether its stationary or flying through the sky. After learning the difficulty to photograph using the wet plate collodion process you learn to appreciate photography and how far it has come. As mentioned in the article about photography during the civil war written by Eric Niller, " ’Each time they moved, they had to secure bottles of chemicals and plate,’ Zeller said. ‘Each time they stopped, it had to be level.’ Photographers also battled flies that were attracted to photo chemicals, ether that made them woozy, and the stench of death”. Today, photojournalists don’t travel with chemicals that need to be secured during each movement, or that make them woozy, they simply have their cameras and are able to capture anything in front of them.

Not only is the process to take a photo simpler, the devices used are more detailed and mobile. There are hundreds of different types of cameras today, you have digital cameras, phone cameras, even cameras that can go underwater. We now have the ability to zoom in, focus, and take multiple photos in an instant. This has made it a lot easier for photojournalist today when in an environment that is chaotic like in a war zone. It allows them to have options to choose from, because there are no do overs, once something memorable has happened it’s over. Just as Arthur Feligg aka "Weegee" stated “News photography teaches you to think fast, be sure of yourself, self- confidence. When you go out on a story, you don’t go back for another sitting, you have to get it”. That is still true now for photojournalists but they have the capability of viewing what they captured immediately after to assure them they got what they needed, that was not an option for Weegee in his time. 

 Photo by: Kelsy Prats

The above photo I captured of the sunset while driving on I 90. I know it is cliché but it proves how easily, although not safely (while driving), a photo can be taken. Now I do believe this photo is absolutely beautiful but not just skyline, but all the cars. Photographs allow us to use our imagination, create stories. As I look at all the cars I wonder, where is everyone going? We all are driving to reach a destination, but where? And then “freeze” you take a photo and everything has stopped, it’s such a beautiful thing. Although it is great that we have amazing technology today that makes it easier to capture an image, it also can be misleading. When you look back at images from the late 1800’s and 1900’s you are seeing that object or person in the purest and rawest form. There was no editing or photo shopping photos then. Which photograph would you appreciate more? The old, black and white, not very clear portrait or the crystal clear, colorful but possibly edited one? Yes, the process and technology was difficult back then the photos were not only made with a lot of commitment and hard work they were left untouched by the human hand.

Photo by: Kishore Sawh
Image source: https://www.slrlounge.com/photoshopped-images-ethical-dilemma/

Chapter One - Can Photographs Change the World?

Can photographs change the world? To say that they change the world would be like saying everyone in the world has all the same interests. That would be a false statement for anyone including myself as we all know everyone has their own likes and dislikes. What can be said is photographs can cause reactions within people, either negative or positive. As stated by Jonathan Klein of Getty Images, .“The images themselves don’t change the world, but we are also aware that since the beginning of photography images provoked have reactions in people, and those reactions have caused change to happen”. These reactions whether negative or positive can cause one to take action that may lead to a change. These actions I believe are what can change the world. Photographs can be so powerful that they may cause the viewer to want to take an action but what needs to come first? An emotion. A photograph must be powerful enough to rise an emotion in an individual to want to make a change. Photos have more power to impact our thoughts and actions on current events than any written story. The photo gives you the real image of the story that is far easier to remember then the written text. The photo stays with you forever, and can psychologically change you emotionally forever

On August 22, 2004 a day that will forever haunt my family, is the day my uncle Cpl. Christopher Belchik was KIA in Iraq. The day his body was brought home to St. Louis was the most emotional day of my life. The streets were flooded with people holding signs in his memory as we drove by. The day of his funeral as we drove through Godfrey Illinois to the cemetery, following the hearse we passed under two fire trucks whose ladders came together like a bridge hanging an American flag. It was very difficult for me to choose one photo of this moment that has personally effected my life. Instead I have posted the tribute video that was created that captures many photos of the service. Viewing these photos brings back all the emotions I felt that day, and without them I feel it would have been difficult for me to remember the day in much detail. Photographs make memories real, especially memories that have caused much emotional pain.


Video created by: Darrell Boeck
Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIpbZ9qXvX4

As John Nordell states “If a tree falls in the woods and there is a photojournalist there to take a picture of it, but then that image can’t be published or is not allowed to be published” can it be part of history? The images taken by photojournalists for news media purposes make what’s happening in the world far more real. Some images though are way too graphic to be released to the public. Why? These events are things happening in the world and I feel we all have the right to see. Some may not want to see, but that should be at their discretion. As mentioned previously these images make it real, not the words. Ted Rall stated “Iraq and Afghanistan remain "real" wars in the traditional sense. Thousands of American soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been severely wounded. But images from these "real" wars have been studiously sanitised to the point that a well-informed news consumer could be excused for thinking that their country's latest wars are virtually bloodless”. How can we as people create an emotion big enough to cause a change without an image so raw it makes people want to react. There is that positive reaction. Some may argue that seeing such graphic images may entice the wrong people to want to repeat those horrible events, for example the tragedy of Sandy Hook. There is the negative reaction.

Photo by: Jose Jimenez/ Getty Images
Photo source: http://www.rsvlts.com/2012/09/11/70-powerful-images-from-september-11-2001/#12

The photo above captures the tragic moment in history of the terrorist attacks on the Twin towers on 9/11/01. This moment has forever changed the world. Yes, it happened on US soil but it has effected the entire world. Terrorism has inclined all over. Countries are always fearing an attack. With terrorism on the rise in the world, this has caused governments to put harder grips on the control of information especially in our media of what information can be released and by whom. But, the internet has made it impossible for the government to control what is released and has increased citizen journalism. This type of censorship has caused societies to believe that those in charge (the government) are hiding things from us and that those we should trust for protection are abusing their power. Dan Gillmor states in his article, “But law enforcement today too often violates the civil liberties of those they are sworn to protect, and the increasing militarization of American law enforcement (an offshoot of the Wars on (Some) Drugs and Terror) is poisoning the trust of many citizens”. The world has become a scary place, and the images captured and “approved” for our viewing of these horrible current events has made it all too real. We need not forget what is happening, and open our eyes to these images, reflect on them so we can make a change.

Photojournalism, What is it?

What is photojournalism? What would our world be without it? These are very powerful questions I had to ask myself in order to grasp how sacred and important a single photo can be. One photo can tell a story of a single event that gives you more of an understanding than a written description at any length. When you read an article in the newspaper, which story are you more inclined to read? The long story or the story with a big photograph that captures the core of what is going on? The photo is what attracts the viewers not the written language. People need to feel and see to believe and understand. Just as the popular phrase says, “I need to see it to believe it”. Without photojournalism news would be just written descriptions of what is apparently happening for example during a war, but the photo capturing the event is making it true. Its physical evidence.

Photo by: Lee Teter 1988

Image source: http://leeteter.com/reflections/

So what is it? Photojournalism is the capturing of a moment in time using visual mediums to tell a story. Anyone can write a story but not everyone can capture a photo so perfectly that it can tell the whole story. Time is of the essence. Photojournalists need to possess an important skill of having the capacity to capture an image in the blink of an eye. As said by Antonin Kratochvil and Michael Persson in the Nieman Report “Time in photography isn’t only about its passage, whether measured in hours, days or months. It’s about its captured moments, be it in a second, or five hundredths of a second”. We can all capture a photo but what the untrained capture are merely just objects. As John Nordell states in his video “Photojournalists photograph verbs, people doing things”.  I never thought of it in that aspect and after pondering that statement it gave me a new aspect of photojournalism and photojournalists. We can take a picture of our dog or ourselves and if we don’t like it we can simply take it again, but a photojournalist does not have the opportunity to redo an event or action that has already happened, they need to be ready and capture it right the first time.

In order to capture an understanding of a current event in the world you need to know the history. You can’t identify progress if you don’t know the previous state. Every one of us is part of history and everything we do and use in our daily lives is part of history. As I type this paper with ease, it makes me appreciate how back in time there were no computers everything was hand written. Someone invented such a complex device at that time to enhance our ability to communicate. It could not have been done without some previous knowledge (history) that gave them the progressing steps to create it successfully. That right there is history! As stated in the you tube video Why Study History? “It helps us to appreciate multiple perspectives and interpretations”.

In order for you to see the importance of an image captured by a photojournalist of a major event, they need to know the importance of history. For example, when a photojournalist captured the image of President Barack Obama being sworn into office, they were not only capturing a photo of just another new president, they were capturing a huge milestone in history. Many years ago blacks were fighting to be equal in society, and when President Obama was sworn in, any photo captured of that moment was providing you with the major progress for equality of blacks, as he was to become our first black president. That moment will forever be a huge part of history. That is why photojournalism is so important in documenting progress. As mentioned in the you tube video History is, “History is righting wrongs”.  For example, knowing the history of racism is what would allow a photojournalist to want to capture any current event of what would seem to be any form of racism, whether it be the events that happened recently in Ferguson, or a story on a cop shooting an unarmed black kid. As stated by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.  And how would we know the past and if were repeating it without the documenting images published in journals from beautiful photojournalism.

Photo by: Doug Mills 2009

Photo by: Doug Mills 2009

Image source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/20web-inaug2.html

Florence Nightingale "The Lady With the Lamp"

Photo by: MAKERS Team
Image Source: http://www.makers.com/blog/facts-nurse-florence-nightingale