[Dean's World] Dean: Crash-Course In Photo-Journalism

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Posted by Dean:
Crash-Course In Photo-Journalism
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1155177734.shtml


   Via [1]John Burgess, I recently discovered a wonderful essay on how
   photo-journalism really works. It should be required reading by anyone
   who is truly interested in photography-as-news. And it's not about how
   to set up a good shot, or how cameras work. No, it's much simpler than
   that. It's a course that teaches you this:

   You see a photograph in the news. But what exactly are you looking at?

   Now anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows that I am
   very much a father's-rights advocate. Some "feminists" hate me for
   this, but I am. I am also an avowed Castro-hater. Again, ask anyone
   who reads me regularly, or who has searched though my archives.
   Indeed, I'll admit to my own bias in the Elián Gonzales case: as much
   as I believe in the right of fathers to control their reproductive
   rights, and of children to have access to their fathers, in the Elián
   case I was mostly sympathetic to Elián's Miami relatives: Elián's
   mother died bringing her son to freedom, and that is where I came down
   on that particular case. Agree with me or disagree with me, that is
   where I stand.

   All that said, [2]here is one of the best dissections of a news photo
   I have ever read. I think it is very fair, and very illuminating.

   After reading the entire thing, I hope you will agree. But I'd like to
   ead you thoughts.

   I would be very disappointed if the ensuing discussions get into "who
   was right and who was wrong" in Elián's case. Come on, we aren't
   going to settle this here. Let's discuss Saletan's dissection of what
   makes a news photo. That would be genuinely enlightening. Try to
   restrict yourself to that if you can.

References

   1. http://www.xrdarabia.org/blog
   2. http://www.slate.com/id/81142/