History of Photojournalism

Photo By Ed Clark           In this image, I see a crying man of color playing the accordion in front of a crowd of white people.  The man is clearly incredibly upset.  Some people in the back also appear to be distraught.  They also seem to have an intense focus on the man.  After looking into the history of the photo, I interpret this man as being heartbroken over the death of progressive president, FDR.  I believe that everybody in this photo is participating in mourning the loss.  To me, it appears the man playing the instrument is the most upset because FDR was a strong advocate for civil rights. This image is very powerful for me.  It is touching to see the kind of impact FDR had on the lives of  his supporters.  I am also moved by the attention the white audience gave this man of color during such a polarizing time.    In his video Photojournalism and Bias- Part 1 , Professor Nordell says, "go back...to the late 1800's and touch on some of the origins of truth or lack o

     Photo By Michele Crameri       Photo By Michele Crameri      A controversial time in photojournalism involves Swiss/ Italian photojournalist Michele Crameri.  The article Photojournalist Admits Faking Award-Winning Photos of Honduran Violence by Peta Pixel describes the ethical issue as, "the photographer was joking with the hit men and asking them to demonstrate their execution techniques when the photos were shot." Crameri then published these false photos with the caption deceitfully saying it was actual violence.  Crameri also photographed dramatized scenes of gang members posing to please the camera.  Crameri played all his images off as real, traumatic violence faced by citizens in Honduran cities.        Crameri's deceit came out when people working with him exposed the truth.  Both local journalists and the correspondent that brought Crameri to these areas, explained the truth behind the photos.  Orlin Castro was a subject in one of the staged photos pretend

Charlotte Brooks Photo By UAL Research      Charlotte Brooks was a female photographer for LOOK magazine. According to the American Photography Archives Group (APCA) in the article Charlotte Brooks ,  she "was a photojournalist who worked for LOOK magazine from 1951 until 1971 and was the only long-term woman staff photographer during LOOK’s 35 year history."  She is best know for being a "sociologist with a camera" and her important role in capturing the lives of Americans during the 50's and 60's.     Brook had many triumphs through out her career. Charlotte Brooks by APCA explains Brooks as "[breaking] ground and [changing] the workplace for future women photojournalists."  She began as the one of three female members in the American Society for Magazine Photographers.  Eventually she became secretary, then vice-president while advocating for equal pay between male and female photographers.  Unfortunately, this is an issue that has not been ent

Photojournalism and Natural Disasters    California Forest Fires                                      Photo By  California Department of Conservation                    Photo By  Nature Conservancy         Taking photos of these forest fires are an incredibly dangerous challenge for photojournalists. The intensity  of the situation can be seen in the difference of these two photos.  The serene nature of this tree-line in Sacramento is completely engulfed in flames by the 2020 California wild fires.  There are many dangers when photographing natural disasters, especially wildfires.  To capture a moment like this, the article  Tips for Photographing Safely near Natural Disasters by Noisecast obviously advises from getting to close by stating, "a good photo is worth a lot, but it's never worth your life."  There is a very extreme level of dedication that is required to put your own life on the line.  Scenarios like this are a true testament to the courage it takes to be a n