Stories You Can See

Art by Alex Hamilton: http://www.alex-hamilton.com/drawings/newspaper/index.html

It seemed only fitting that the topic of the lecture following text was images, especially since they go hand in hand when it comes to the media. Lecture 4 explained the absolute necessity of visuals in journalism, both for effectiveness and appeal. An article without an enticing visual to catch the readers’ attention will have considerably less reads than one with a dramatic and eye-catching photograph, usually suggestive of some news value.

When choosing a visual to accompany a story, the key factor to remember, is that it must tell a story, even if you don’t know what the story is. While it is inevitably pre emptive of the article, it must, to some extent tell the story, despite the reader’s ignorance of the story’s content. For example, a story may have many aspects, and at the site of the event, many photos may have been taken, however a single photo incorporating several aspects of the story will be a lot more effective than many photos, each giving one aspect. As we learned in lecture 4, framing, focus, angle and point of view are immediate factors towards an effective photograph. Then there is lighting, exposure, timing, shutter speed, and most importantly, the precise instant you press the button to capture the moment.

It was fascinating hearing of the history of picture stories, which basically began as dust pictures drawn with sticks and mud paintings on cave walls, then progressing to line drawings in the first news papers. Picture stories have certainly evolved and developed over time, but they have always been used for the same purpose. They are just as relevant and useful today as they were in the stone age. 

Aboriginal Cave Art: http://www.cairns-australia.com/tour-aboriginal-rock-art.html

Line Drawing in an Early Newspaper Genius of Universal Emancipation from: 

http://www.theliberatorfiles.com/liberator-photo-gallery/

First Published Photograph in the New York Daily Graphic: 

https://learn-usu.uen.org/courses/23678/wiki/printing-technology/revisions/11560483

This photo, of 17 year old, Jan Rose Kasmir, in the midst of an anti war protest is highly effective. The photo, by freelance photojournalist Marc Ribaud, was taken outside the Pentagon during a demonstration against US involvement in the Vietnam war.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/49927517@N03/4584232849/

Apart from the specifics of ‘which war’ the protest is against and ‘which country’ the photo is taken in, it really tells the whole story. Soldiers and guns versus a girl with a flower. Peaceful protest yet at the same time unwavering courage. Just by glancing at the photograph, you know the majority of the story and concepts surrounding it. I found this interview with Marc Ribaud, in which he gives in depth information about his personal photography techniques and his own beliefs on what makes a good photo. 

Another photo that comes to mind, on the topic of the Vietnam war is the one shown below. This is possibly one of the most famous war photographs, and a perfect example of how photojournalism can tell a story, acting to raise awareness, and to some extent, end a war. The photo shows 9 year old Kim Phuc fleeing her town with third degree burns after a US napalm bombing. 

Photo by Nick Ut on June 8, 1972: http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0008/ng2.htm

Overall, in an age of digital photography, where photos can be shared with the world seconds after they are taken, photography and visual support remain vital aspects of journalism.