Regarding the history of photojournalism, I believe it's always best to understand what had happen before that way history doesn't repeat itself. I found it very important learning the first instruments used to capture images. The progress of technology for photojournalist and how the impact made this profession easier for some. I found through these modules how many photojournalist had dealt with different kinds of dilemmas. Many dealt with ethical dilemmas, bias', gender issues or conflict. Learning about these photojournalist is a part of history. It's a part of history because as a photojournalist you want to know who paved the road for you. What had those photojournalist done to make being a photojournalist something you aspire to be. Typically it's the people in photojournalism who inspire others to get out there and capture images My thoughts from the beginning of the semester to this point hasn't changed much however. I had always found it important to study the history of something. Understanding the history of photojournalism was vital in understanding the definition of photojournalism in the bigger picture.
One of the big "ah-Ha" moments I had in this course was in the ethics of photojournalism module. This module was an "ah-Ha" moment to me because it opened my eyes to the different perspectives someone has when taking a photo. There was the photo of Aline Marie praying outside St. Rose of Lima church in Newtown, CT on the day of the school shooting. This had an ethical issue in photojournalism because the big question was if taking the photo of Marie was wrong or not. Marie had said "I sat there in a moment of devastation with my hands in prayer pose asking for peace and healing in the hearts of men," she recalls. "I was having such a strong moment and my heart was open, and I started to cry." The photo raises ethical issues because when is enough. When do you give someone space. This module was my "ah-Ha" moment because I had realized that no matter what, some may take it to that extra step. But who are we to say that it was wrong of them. Your moral compass may tell you one thing but you do another. Without these photojournalist, would we have only pictures that don't show the truth in some situations or would we just have photos that are only smiles and rainbows?
Photos most certainly change the world. Photos create stories that some may have a difficult time telling. The phrase actions speak louder than words can be said the same for photos. A photo in front of you can tell you more than you would need to know. When thinking of the photos that impacted me the most this semester, the images by Ed Clark, the library of Congress, and Anja Niedringhaus had impacted me the most. The photo of Ed Clark had affected me because it tells the story of someone who has returned from war and is crying. The viewer can have their own interpretation of why he may be crying. He may be crying because he is so happy to finally be back or he could be crying for a peer who had lost their lives in his time with the military. The photo of cloud formed by the atomic bombing in Nagasaki has had a major impact on me since grade school. Somehow, I would find this image in my history classrooms and English classrooms. This had impacted me because it made me realize that actual destruction that occurred in World War II and why it is important to understand the history of our actions. The last photo by Anja had impacted me because it had represented a good versus evil image. This image had shown me that even though their is some evil in this world, a simple act of kindness can come from anyone. When you are young, you have this innocence to you that makes you have a big heart for everyone. Unfortunately, that big heart tends to decrease as you realize the problems of the world around us.
Photo by : Ed Clark
Image Source : http://www.thegreatleapsideways.com/?p=209
Photo by : Courtesy from the Library of Congress
Photo by : Anja Niedringhaus
Image source : http://www.apimages.com/Collection/Landing/Photographer-Anja-Niedringhaus/84a73761dfc64589b31f92f2a1e5738d
Creative Experiential Exercise :
Photos By : Jason Wegiel
Relating these images to that of section 3, these images have an impact in photojournalism. Even though they may only impact me, these photos have a place in photojournalism. Anyone who captures an image has a place in photojournalism. The unique thing about taking a photograph is that anyone can. I was able to take these photos with my iPhone. The camera of the iPhone is a photojournalist's dream as they are able to just take pictures on the fly. I had taken these images because they had stood out to me. The rocks were arranged in a unique way . Although you can't see it, there are two trees in the second photograph. I had taken it because one was dying and one was alive. Lastly, I had taken a picture of my dog because he's a pretty cool little guy. All he does is sleep, and I most certainly can not wait to do that after finals. I chose black and gray for my photograph because I feel as if you get a better sense of lighting and can see the colors that contrast each other the best.
Relating to the knowledge of history of photojournalism, I had learned plenty from my classmates through their photojournalist profiles. Understanding where theses photojournalism came from had helped me have a better understanding of the field of photojournalism they had chosen. In Brittany Burnett's photojournalist profile, I had learned that Nachtwey was a student of the 60's and that the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam War had a powerful influence on him. It's these kinds of historical moments that can really help inspire photojournalist. In Robert Ollari's profile on Neil Leifer, we had learned that his success had came from the success of Mohammed Ali. In history and photojournalism, we learn that the success of someone may lead to the success of someone else. It's capturing the big moments that interest others. Lastly, we can find out the impact a photojournalist can have in society. In Allison Gavin's photojournalist profile, we learn that Lynsey Addario impacted women and others around the world. Her images teach society what some are going through personally, financially, or by where they may live. In the history of photojournalism, we realize that the impact of others may have an impact on the whole. In the end, we rely on one another to inspire each other and keep bettering one another to advance the history of photojournalism.
