Photographer Study- Lynsey Addario 

Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist who has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, the Congo and Iraq. I am studying four of her photojournalist projects, War and Revolution in the Middle East, Africa- Democratic Republic of Congo, Women at war and Miss India Beauty Pageant 2001. Addario’s work primarily focuses on the position and role of women in traditional societies, however, also explores human right issues and conflicts. Addario began photographing professionally in 1996 and began freelancing with Cuba being her focus point. During 2000 Addario photographed in Afghanistan, she has also visisted Chad at least once a month since August 2004. She has photographed for for The New York Times, National Geographic and Time. Addario has a publication ‘It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War.’

Documentary photography follows a single topic or story in-depth over a long period of time. This is different to photojournalism which documents real-time coverage of breaking news and events. Documentary photography hold the main purpose of educating the public about a subject.Documentary photography allows the viewers knowledge of the subject to expand and be more in depth. By deepening our understanding and emotional connection to stories of injustice, documentary photography can capture and sustain public attention, allowing the public to be more educated about issues such as human rights.

Mary Ellen Mark

A example of a documentary photography is Mary Ellen Mark. she was an American photographer that photographed people who were away from the normal main stream of life. For example people who were more troubled. Mark had 18 publishes of work, however her most famous ones were ward 81 and streetwise.

Streetwise

Mary Ellen Mark traveled to the city of Seattle with Cheryl McCall in 1983 to do an article for LIFE Magazine on runaway children. Mark and McCall spent a lot of time with the children who lived around Seattle and photographed them in their every day lives. Here are some of the photos from the Streetwise project.

Mary Ellen Mark was inspired by lots of photographs before starting this project such as, Robert Frank , Cartier-Bresson, Kertesz and plenty more. Mark appreciated these photographers because they took powerful images that sent a message to the viewers. I really like the  ‘streetwise’ collection of work because it gives a true representation of life in Seattle in the 80’s. I also really like that she has put all of the photographs into a black and white filter as it foreshadows that she is photographing the truth and isn’t editing the photographs in anyway to make them more aesthetically pleasing.

Tableau Photography

Tableau photography is a form of a ‘living picture’, it is part of the genre of documentary photography however is staged therefore uses models in order to create the desired image. The picture produced it normally theatrical and has a meaningful message. Tableau photography allows photographers to experiment and develop their own individual style whilst style documenting truth concerning difficult topics. There is a level of freedom which I think can’t be accessed in documentary photography. This genre of photography explores the minds of individuals, artists are able to reflect a society which is honest and real. Photographers are able to be creative and push the boundaries in tableau photography.

David Hilliard

David Hilliard is an American photographer, he mainly produces  work focused on panoramic photographs. Most of his images have been staged, however, uses the environment and personal life as his focus. Therefore, a middle ground between fact and fiction. I think Hilliard’s work is fascinating to research, it is a perfect example of tableau photography as it’s a combination of styles. Hilliard’s are very different from other tableau photographers I have looked at as he uses this distinctive panoramic style where he splits the photograph into three sections. Although his layout out is important to mention, I think Hilliard explores a deeper meaning in his images particularly the image I have chosen to focus on.

Recently the world renowned World Photo Press Contest was placed at the center of great controversy after it awarded then subsequently disqualified the competition winner Giovanni Troilo, It had transpired that he had deliberately staged some of the photographs in his ten photo series, “The Dark Heart of Europe,” , including an especially controversial photograph whereby it was revealed he stage a photograph of his cousin having sex in a car, a photograph that the mayor of the town strongly condemned. This controversy has drawn photojournalism to the center of the art world an raised many questions concerning its ethics and reliability.

Question 1 – Who sets the boundaries of what defines  photojournalism?

Photojournalism is an extremely diverse and open-ended topic. Such a diverse mixture of photography can be considered photojournalism,  ranging from photographing everyday on goings of human life, to covering live wars, famine and death. As the New York Times Article discusses, the separation between art photography and photojournalism is near impossible to distinguish due to the many features that constantly overlap.

The National Press Photographers Association is an organisation considered to be one of the most prominent and respected organisations in the world related to the art of photojournalism. This organisation have a long-standing code of ethics which is seen to represent the large proportion of photojournalists throughout the world, stressing the need for photojournalists to be honest, reliable and fair in their interpretations, resisting any temptation to stage or manipulate images. These ethical boundaries, although largely accepted by the world of photojournalism often as the World Press Photograph competition highlight, are very hard to monitor and control. Photography is all about interpretation so I would argue that although these boundaries are seen as universal, it is still nevertheless impossible to actually set boundaries for what photojournalism really is. The conservative attitude concerning photojournalism is that the photographer must always be totally honest with his or her interpretations, never attempting in any way to manipulate images or stage the environment. Some contemporary photographers would instead argue however that photojournalism is all about telling a story, and therefore staging images is to some degree acceptable.

Question 2 – What technology makes it so easy to manipulate images, how much manipulation is acceptable?

The rise of digital technology in photography has changed the face of photo manipulation dramatically. Photoshop and Lightroom, both programmed by Adobe, are seen as the best and most widely used image manipulation systems throughout the photography world. Other photo manipulation techniques other than digital manipulation include flash guns, slow-shutter speeds to create motion blur and image rendering. The range of possibilities that modern photo editing features and techniques allow, can however be over-used to make the image extremely deceptive and over emphasized.

The question of how much image manipulation is acceptable depends entirely on the intention of the photographer. A photojournalist for example would be excepted refrain from any complicated manipulation techniques and keep their photographs as realistic as possible. On the other hand, some photographers such as the photographer previously mentioned, Giovanni Tripoli, often is considered as a photographers who treads a fine line between photojournalism and art photography, because although he attempts to document the world, he does however rely sometimes on stages images in order to make his initial point more emphasized and effective. I would argue that the most important consideration when photographers manipulate images is to be honest. As long as the viewer is not deceived than truth can be extracted. Personally, staging images is fine as long as it helps to portray a realistic viewpoint. Doing so as a lie I would considered wrong,

Question 3 – With viewers more sophisticated and skeptical than ever before, how can photojournalists preserve their integrity and maintain trust?

It all comes down to a matter of honesty. As long as the photographer is completely honest with the viewer about the context of the photograph, then it is up to the viewer themselves to accept or dismiss the information. Therefore, if a photographer was to manipulate or stage an image, then it is important that they are open about this.

It is critical that photojournalists try their best to report on the truth and take photographs that reflect real life.  Sometimes if a photographer produces a powerful, dramatic image it is perhaps difficult to trust the photographs integrity, because it is very difficult to prove it is genuine. This sense of doubt does unfairly make people eager to totally trust photojournalists to tell the complete truth 100% of the time.

An example of this is a famous photograph by war photographer Robert Capa. Capa was photographing the Spanish Civil War and produced an image which he said was taken capturing of a young Spanish soldier Frederico Borrell Garcia, fighting for the Spanish Republicans, at the exact point of his death after he was fatally shot. Capa, despite being considered as an extremely credible and well respected photographer, faced considerable scrutiny for this image, and was accused many times of staging it. Capa always denied this, but the accusations never went away because he could never prove completely that the image was genuine

In addition, the political beliefs of the particular photographer or magazine/newspaper they are working for may sway the viewer to make further assumptions concerning bias.

A history of documentary photography

Early documentary photography focused primarily on urban settings and industry, photographers often used photography as a tool in order to change society’s norm. For example Walker Evans photographed famers during the time of depression in America in order to demonstrate how the depression had effected the farmer’s lives, furthermore, Lewis Hine’s images aided in passing the child labour law in America. During the 1930s the idea of a message or story being translated through a single or set of images began. The Magnum Photography Agency formed in 1947, Henri Cartier-Bresson was one of the main photographers in the group at the time. A great deal of war photography came from Magnum photographers.

The definition of documentary is ‘an actual event e.g. life story, that purports to be factually accurate and contains no fictional elements.’ Although this sums up the meaning of documentary the part which translates to the artistic side is concerned with the morality and ethos of the subject. Documentary photography has proven to be a powerful tool used and sometimes manipulated in order to change real life situations for example the most current image which has caused uproar concerning the situation is of the migrant crisis. 

Sub-genres of documentary photography

As mentioned in my first post, documentary photography has lots of various sub-genres such as photojournalism, editorial, street photography, portraiture and landscape. However, the main aspects I am focusing on researching at this stage are social documentary photography, photojournalism and street photography.

What is photojournalism?

Photojournalism is a specific form of journalism which is news material for publication. The genre uses photographs in order to relay a news story. Still image are normally the main style of image employed. Photojournalism is differentiated from documentary photography and other sub-genres as it conforms to a fixed ethos. The genre requires the images to be accurate, truthful and unbiased whilst remaining to tell the story. The images should be a representation of the event’s content, nature and manner.

What is street photography?

Street photography requires no specific subject matter and certainly does not need the presence of a street or an urban environment in the image. Street photography is about reacting to the surroundings or atmosphere the photographer finds oneself in. It aims to show ‘a pure vision of something, like holding up a mirror to society.’ Street photography tends to focus on a single human moment, providing a literal and personal image the audience may or may not relate to. Street photography and documentary photography are very similar however have distinct differences which must be made clear. Documentary photography has an objective to record an event or capture a piece of history, whereas, street photography is more subtle with un-manipulated scenes and normally unaware subjects.

International Festival of Photojournalism, Visa Pour L’Image, Article, New York Times

The highly respected World Press Photo Contest triggered outrage in March when it awarded then withdrew the top honour to Giovanni Troilo an Italian photographer who falsified the locality of a photograph. The photojournalism festival, Visa Pour L’Image, announced it would not exhibit the World Press Photo winners’ photography in protest to the controversy. The dispute continued on at a panel discussion with the director of Visa Pour L’Image Jean-Francois Leroy who supported his choice whereas, Lars Boering, the managing director of the World Press Photo Foundation attempted to re-establish the contest by ensuring a review of the rules and a written code of ethics. ‘Who sets the boundaries of what defines photojournalism?’ ‘When technology makes it so easy to manipulate images, how much manipulation is acceptable?’ The issue became even more prominent when a photograph was released revealing the true extent of the migrant crisis, the image of a dead Syrian child clearly depicts the influential control photojournalism has to expose the truth and demand the attention of the public. Mr. Boering announced that he would be reaching out to other leading award groups to discuss standards and ethics. ‘Witnessing the world’. article

Questions to consider after reading the article:

• Who sets the boundaries of what defines photojournalism?

• What technology makes it so easy to manipulate images, how much manipulation is acceptable?

• With viewers more sophisticated and sceptical than ever before, how can photojournalists preserve their integrity and maintain trust?

Standard and Ethics 

The National Press Photographers Association is a society that promotes the highest standards in visual journalism. Photographic images can inspire, expose truths, connect people and give hope to many. However, photographs have the potential to cause great harm if manipulated. A code was formed in order to attain the highest quality in forms of visual journalism as well as strengthening the public’s perception of the profession. 

http://www.worldpressphoto.org/people/donald-weber

World Press Photo Revokes Prize

Giovanni Troilo

CODE OF ETHICS

Visual journalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in their daily work:

1. Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
2. Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
3. Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.
4. Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.
5. While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
6. Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
7. Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
8. Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
9. Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.

Ideally, visual journalists should:

1. Strive to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public. Defend the rights of access for all journalists.
2. Think proactively, as a student of psychology, sociology, politics and art to develop a unique vision and presentation. Work with a voracious appetite for current events and contemporary visual media.
3. Strive for total and unrestricted access to subjects, recommend alternatives to shallow or rushed opportunities, seek a diversity of viewpoints, and work to show unpopular or unnoticed points of view.
4. Avoid political, civic and business involvements or other employment that compromise or give the appearance of compromising one’s own journalistic independence.
5. Strive to be unobtrusive and humble in dealing with subjects.
6. Respect the integrity of the photographic moment.
7. Strive by example and influence to maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code. When confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the highest standards of the profession. Visual journalists should continuously study their craft and the ethics that guide it.