Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Except for the fact that they are photos of a doctor acting for the camera. That alone weakens the power of the story, not to mention question Gene Smith's ability to shoot on the run. Not that I believe that, but a reasonable person could legitimately ask. The era of photojournalism ethics began with Cliff Edom founding the photo program at the oldest journalism school in the world at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Cliff was actually a newspaper engraver, but he saw the faked, set-up photos, and the line-'em-up-and-shoot-'em-down type of photography dictated by Speed Graphics. There were others who were developing photojournalism ethics, but it was Cliff's influence that shaped the print media in the States more than any other single person. He shaped the photographers who made National Geographic the great magazine it was in its heyday. More than half of their staffers were his students. Many of the illustrations editors were too. I knew Cliff. He was a force to be reckoned with in the photojournalism world. His contest - Pictures of the Year, was very influential in newspaper photojournalism for years, until a pissing match (that went on for years behind the scenes) between the University and the NPPA screwed things up. His workshop, "The Missouri Photo Workshop" was also influential in shaping the professionalism of mid-career photojournalists. The best and brightest photo editors taught photojournalists the art of the photo essay. They didn't call it photojournalism boot camp for nothing. I did it when I was a student. It was a nightmare, and a great growing experience. The Mountain Workshop that Rich Clarkson runs in Wyoming every September is based on the Missouri Photo Workshop. Anyway, I disagree that the idea of unposed photos and unretouched photos is a fallacy or false God. It is, in fact, the only thing that will maintain the credibility of working photojournalists. Of course, people can make it a false god and obsess on the details while missing the "big picture." But every time a photojournalist manipulates a situation he is photographing, or removes a telephone wire from behind George Bush's head just because it makes him look like he wasn't watching his backgrounds, the line is being stepped over that will ruin our profession. I know it happens every day. Hacks take the easy way out. Editors demand cheating from photographers they would never allow to writers. Photography still has to pull more than its own weight. It's one of the reasons I got out. I was sick of dealing with writers and editors who didn't get it. And owners who would not hire enough photographers to do the job right. In the end, again, it's money that undermines the way things should be. It's not just National Geographic. It's every publication that cuts corners and under-values photography that contributes to the dumbing down of the news media. So what's new? Society in general seems to be willing to compromise quality to save a buck. Leica owners know this all too well. Speaking of money, Tim, send me an email at work. (ewelch@gia.edu) I want to send you some more! On Sunday, August 31, 2003, at 09:22 AM, Tim Atherton wrote: > The idea of the "pure" unposed un-retouched photojournalistic image is > a > fairly recent one (and also something of a fallacy and false god in > itself). > > Weegee and Smith were totally in line with their times. Smith > especially was > concerned about the truth of what he photographed, no how closely it > came > with the reality of the situation. As I recall, the famous shot of the > country doctor crossing the field under darkening sky involved him > crossing > the field several times that morning so Smith could get it just right - > which does nothing at all to detract from the power of his essay on the > country doctor. Eric Welch Carlsbad, CA http://www.jphotog.com "If we had time for more meetings, we would have made more mistakes." Leon Trotsky - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html