Concluding Chapter

 

 

Photo by Kelly Reilly

 

This is the image I posted to Clashot. I chose to sign up and upload an image to Clashot. I think this is a neat way to upload my own photos, yet be able to see what other people are taking photos of nearby me and around the world. 

 When I signed up for this class, I had no idea what photojournalism was. I knew the word photo and I love to take photos so I thought it would be a great class to take and learn new things in. And that I did. I learned a lot from this class. I now know what photojournalism is. Photojournalism is a visual representation of a story. I think the article, What is Photojournalism, defines photojournalism well by stating, “Photojournalism is the process of story telling using the medium of photography as your main story telling device. While a journalist will use their pen and paper to tell stories, a photojournalist will use their camera to capture the visual representation of a story.” Photojournalism is also a job where men and women put their lives on the line to get that perfect photo that viewers want to see. They want to show us parts of the world we are unable to see ourselves. It is important to understand the history of photojournalism to understand the point to the images we see, and why people take their images. As John Nordell stated in his video “It started with Mathew Brady’s photograph from the Civil War, to be considered by many to be the beginning of photojournalism.” It started with exhibits where people would stand in line to see the photographs. When technology increased people were able to bring pictures in newspapers. It is important to know how it started and why. This whole course opened my mind. It opened my mind by showing me where photos from newspapers and magazines come from. It opened my mind on how to appreciate photos I see and how they tell a story and to think about the person who took the photos. There is a story to every photo, it’s not just a picture.

I believe photographs can change the world. A photograph can show so much in one image. While looking at a photograph people can see so many emotions, feelings, and also see how other people live or other parts of the world they have not been too. A photograph can change the world by people seeing the hurt and the darkness in the world. Many people do not know what it is really like at war or in third world countries. By seeing photographs of these things can make an impact on how people see the world and may want to help with these issues. As Jonathan Klein said in his speech, “…since the beginning of photography, images have provoked reactions in people, and those reactions have caused change to happen.” Also, a photograph can show the beauty in the world. You do not know how beautiful any place can be until you see it, and many times that is from a photograph. Photographs can also change the world by capturing an image that can change history. The photographer has their own story just as the image they are capturing. 

Signing up to Clashot makes me want to take more photos and upload them, maybe they are good and I will get some money someday for it! By knowing what I know now from taking this class I will be able to enjoy what other people post on Clashot.

Photo by Tim Hetherington

Image Source: https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2008/sports/fei-maohua/undefined

 

Photo by Stephanie Sinclair

Image Source: https://eslkevin.wordpress.com/2016/02/15/how-is-your-family-in-yemen/

 

Photo by

Image Source: http://aylmer2zazzoo.blogspot.com/2015/07/happy-independence-day-2015.html

 

Photo by Ruth Orkin

Image Source: http://www.libreriaipzs.com/Catalogo/Novit%C3%A0/82/

 

These are just a few of images that made an impact to me. In each, there is so much emotion, they are so powerful and tell so much of a story.  They are from different parts of the world, shows different events that are happening in the world, in places I will probably never go.

 

Photo by Mathew Brady

Image Source: http://www.mcmahanphoto.com/bradyphotos.html

 

I learned that Mathew Brady was the first photojournalist. He took photos of the Civil War. He showed a lot of death. Also, he showed people back home what was happening during war, and also took photos before their loved ones left so they had something to remember them by.

 

Photo by Andrea Lucado

Image Source: http://www.webhostingsecretrevealed.net/blog/blogging-tips/graphics-is-not-my-thing-part-1-take-better-photos/

 

I learn what Rule of Third is and how I can spot it on a photo. That the subject is not in the middle of the frame, it is off center. Also if you divide the photo into thirds the main subject will be in one of the thirds.

 

Photo by Tina Modotti

Image Source: http://www.artnet.com/galleries/throckmorton-fine-art/

 

I also learned that women have been compared to men since we were created. I learned it was hard to women to become photojournalist and got criticized by their male co-works and they would mess around with them and their photos. I learned women have been taking photographers ass long as men have, and they will not stop for anyone. If they love to take photos, they will continue doing so and won't let anyone or anything get in their way.

 

 

Winter Weather

Photo by Kelly Reilly

I was lucky enough to take this photo on the 10th. A snowy day right before an extra warm day for January. My dog Chipper loves to play in the snow. He is usually the only thing I take a photo of, or the sky! This photo was taken in my backyard while I was playing with Chipper in the fluffy snow, and the snow kept on coming and it was very cold! So we went inside to get dry and warm!

Photo by Kelly Reilly

I know this photo doesn't show much of winter weather, its just showing us how we stay warm after playing in the snow all day.

 

Photojournalist Profile

Here is my PowerPoint about the Photojournalist Ruth Orkin.

Ruth Orkin from Kelly Reilly

I hope you enjoy and learned something from it.

Photojournalism and Bias

"Going Home"
Photo by Ed Clark
Image Source: http://www.thegreatleapsideways.com/?p=209

When I look at this image, I see a young black male from the Army or Navy, crying while playing the accordion. You see pain on this young man’s face. The young man is the focus of the photo, you also see other people in the background near him, mostly women. You see a woman with her head resting on her hand, as if she is crying. Other women are looking at what appears to be the young man, but they could be looking at something else. You see a man hanging his head low, also showing grief. Before I looked up more information of this photograph, I thought this could be an image of the young man playing at other army men’s funeral. However, this was captured at a part of the funeral train for Franklin Roosevelt. To me, knowing that makes it a little more emotional. The fact that a President was so loved by people that a young army man was cry while continuing to play his instrument, he played through his pain he felt. As John Nordell said in his video, “Perspective and history determines a reaction to particular image.” I believe this photo explains these words.

Obvious main subject: It is obvious the main subject this the young man. If you did not see the people in the background you wouldn’t see all the emotion, it would be as if only that young man was sad. However, it is better that why are not as focused as the young man.

Rule of thirds: The young man is not in the center of the image, you are able to see the other grieving people behind him. You are able to see that there are many people who attended this event.

Black & White: I believe if this photo was in color, you would not get the same emotion. Due to the photo being in black and white, the names face is facing more towards the night, which captures the man’s tears running down his face. You see the detail of the pain and grief he is expressing.

Photo by Bill Franks
Image Source: http://billfrakes.photoshelter.com/image/I0000rhNFFPdEsl0

In or Out of Focus: The women are in focus and the rest of the image around them are buried and not in focus. This helps keep the focus on the two women and the feeling they are going through than what is around them. You can tell they are at a big race with a lot of people around so the photographer focus the women and blurs the rest of the area to keep the attention on them.

Black & White or color?: I believe if this photo was not in color it would be hard to make out the meaning of this photo. With color, it shows their jerseys and that they are on the same team, another teammate helping another. Also, if it was not in color, you wouldn’t be able to make out that the one women is helping her teammate by icing the back of her legs.

Quality of Light: The light is right on the two athletes. It helps bring the focus on them. Also, with the light you see the details on the women’s bodies. You can see they are in shape and are true athletes. The light is hitting both of the women and not just one or the other.

I chose this photo because I used to be an athlete and know what it is like to be able to count on teammates to be there when you need them. This is a true photo because it just shows the women runners most likely after a big race, one has her shoes off and the other is on her knees while the woman with her shoes off is rubbing the others leg with ice. You can tell the women are not set up for a photo, it was taken during the moment.

Photo by Christopher Marr
Image Source: http://mediacentre.visitscotland.org/pressreleases/first-minister-hails-iceland-agreement-1595930

Black & White or color?: If this photo was in Black and White, you would not see the detail of all the different bright colors. This photo in color is breath taking, all the different colors the sky can make.

Rule of Thirds: In this photo you see the sky, and then a reflection on the sky on the water. The same for the mountains, they are in the middle of the photo but also parts reflect off the water.

 Use of Lines: The photo has lines from the color going into the next. There is lines from the mountains and from the water. The lines take your attention towards the subject.

I chose this photo for a false photo because it looks like the photographer could have brightened the lighter or even added color to the photo. As much as I love the Northern Lights and seeing pictures of them, it is hard not to think that they could be false photos due to how bright the stars and colors in the sky can be. Also, the reflection of the green part is brighter than the green is the sky, and you don’t see much of the purple in the water like the green.

The Ethics of Photojournalism

With taking this photo it has made me realize that photojournalism does not show dead bodies like they used to in World War II. If you look up images of WWII you can see photos of many dead bodies, even piles of dead bodies. In today’s war you do not see that being published in newspapers, magazine, etc. You will see caskets with flags over them, but not the body itself.

Photo by  Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

 

Image Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/us/11bodies.html

 In the article Too Graphic? written by Arielle Emmett, talks about images of Haiti when a huge earthquake taking an estimated 230,000 lives, and perhaps 3 million injured or homeless. While American photojournalist ran to capture their images of the event it is nothing like taking photos in Afghanistan or Iraq. Emmett states, “…with countless rules of embedding and the continual threats of bullets and roadside bombs. And editors generally loath to publish graphic and disturbing images saw justification for doing so in the case of the catastrophe in Haiti.” Photographers just wanted to show the world how horrible the event was. Emmett continues with a quote from Michele McNally, assistant managing editor for photography at the New York Times, with, "One of the reasons the pictures were more graphic in Haiti was that the Haitian people wanted the journalists to photograph the dead bodies and tell their stories. They wanted the world to see, to know how horrible it was."

However, some people such as Valerie Payen-Jean Baptiste are upset with all the photos. Valeria lost every possession, her home, school she was a principal of, and nearly her family from the earthquake. A natural disaster, and not by other humans. Valerie says, “I'm tired of it; the photos are too much, I know that [news outlets] took pictures, and that enabled people to raise money. But what I see is that people in Haiti are really upset. Some view the photos as an insult, a disaster, since we have already suffered so much." I know I would feel like same way if I was in their shoes. There is only so many times you want to see the images that changed your whole life, that took everything away from you. I know the photos helped make the world aware of how devastating the earthquake was, and help raise money for the cause, but sometimes images just show too much.


Photo by Shaul Schwarz and Timothy Fadek
Image Source: http://natureandlife24.blogspot.com/2015/04/world-largest-earthquake-history.html#.WHQxrGN-siQ

 Lately with all the shootings going on in the world I have realized they are starting to show more graphic images now. One the news when there was a shooting you might have seen a body with a white sheet covering it. Now you see the blood on the road and streets. Seeing the blood of those victims makes it feel much more real. During the latest shooting at Ft. Lauderdale, I was actually watching the news when the breaking news came on, showing the airport and telling viewers as much as they could. I couldn’t stop watching because I wanted to know more. I wanted to see what the shooter looked like. However, the news showed victims of the shooting coming out of ambulances and going into the hospital. I believe this is wrong. Those people cannot get ahold of their families, nor will other people do it in time so their families would know before seeing it on the news. What if that is how they found out their family member was one who got shot? That isn’t a way I would want to find out, or think that other should find out either. I believe they should wait to show the victims so family members can find out a better way. 

Photo by Kelly Reilly

Women Photojournalists - Trials and Triumphs

 

Charlotte Brooks
                             
                                  Photo by unknown
                                  Image Source: http://www.apag.us/charlotte-brooks/
Charlotte Brooks was born Charlotte Finkelstein, in Brooklyn New York, on September 16, 1918. Charlotte attended Brooklyn College in the 1930’s. This is where she changed her last name to Brooks. According to Paul Vitello, from The New York Times, “Brooks was derived from her grandmother’s maiden name, Eisenbruch — as did many Jews who aspired to enter professions at a time when anti-Semitism remained pervasive.” After Charlotte graduated from Brooklyn College, she attended University of Minnesota, to start graduate work in psychology to become a social worker. However, she changed her mind and went back to New York, and studied photography. Charlotte worked full-time at Look magazine in 1951. Paul Vitello states, “Ms. Brooks was assigned almost exclusively at Look to provide pictures for what were known as women’s features: articles about children, families, education, homes, food and other constituent parts of women’s supposed domain.” The magazine closed in 1971. Over twenty years, Charlotte contributed to around 450 features. After the magazine closing, Charlotte moved upstate with Julie Arden. Charlotte began teaching photography, and both Charlotte and Julie Arden helped fund the White Pond Art Center. Charlotte Brooks passed away at her home in Holmes, New York at the age of 95.

 While Charlotte was a freelance photographer at Look, she was assigned more of the feminine stories, such as articles about children, families, education, home, food, etc. The magazine never sent Charlotte to cover war or even a football game, nothing that people thought was manlier. However, Paul Vitello explains, “…her work became notable for capturing layers of depth in those types of stories that few ever had.” Charlotte did not want to be like the typical women photojournalist who just writes about feminine things, safe things. She went out and found the dangers of the topics she could write about. Charlotte created a photo essay about Minnijean Brown. One of the nine black teenagers who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Vitello states, “Under police escort through white mobs. Ms. Brooks went to see Ms. Brown several months later, after the world’s attention had moved on and Ms. Brown had been expelled for scuffling with white students who had shoved and spat on her in the cafeteria.” Charlotte captured the emotional toll of those historic months during Minnijean, one teenager’s life, and the way her family rallied to help her. Charlotte kept to herself how she did not care that see was assigned to these subjects. She need them her own.

I love the image John Nordell shows in his video Women Photojournalists, of the self-portrait of Frances Benjamin Johnston. John Nordell describes, “This is a self-portrait where she depicted herself smoking, holding a mug of beer with her petticoat showing. This photo was scandalous at this time.” Knowing some history of that time period I know how scandalous this phot is. Women we not allowed to show their petticoat and not like that with her legs crossed over the other one. I love knowing that women have always been somewhat rebellious about the way women have to act to cannot to things men can. Nordell also states, “She [Frances] was part of the new women movement, who left women had the right to control their own economic, social, and personal lives.” A comment left on Paul Melchers article, Why Is a Photojournalist’s Gender Relevant to Their Work? by twocutedogs saysing, “Is there a category for 37 year old male photographers with blonde hair? Completely agree with the article. One thing that I was (naively) surprised at was that some galleries want to feature women photographers over men. Who cares about gender? The photograph is what's important.” I agree with what this person has to say, the photograph is what is important.

Photo By Charlotte Brooks

Image Source: http://www.apag.us/charlotte-brooks/

Year Created: 1956

This Black and White photo shows the detail is the child that is grabbing on to her teacher. You see the teacher but the focus in more on the child. You do not see the teachers face, you do not see much of her in fact. The Black and white brings out the detail in the little girls hand, you can see how it is gently on her teacher and the girls face shows comfort.

I choose this photo because it is a great representation of what Charlotte Brooks was assigned to. She was assign to feminine rolls. But this photo also shows how teachers back then were like a second mother to children. They had to take care of them just like mothers would. Teachers care for their students and the students care for them back.

Photo by Charlotte Brookes
Image Source: https://smcavene.wordpress.com/page/2/
Year Created: 1957
Charlotte Brookes used Rule of Thirds. You can see the soldier on one side, the focus in on Minnijean Brown and on the other side you see white people following behind her, as one women yells at Brown. You also see in the background everyone is looking towards this direction as if they too are staring at Brown and the women yelling.
I choose this photo because I think it shows a lot of emotion. It's a powerful photo. It shows that Brown will not let people get to her. It should how dramatic the event was that there needed to be soldiers there. I also love how you see the women in the back yelling, yet she is not in focus.

Technology Timeline

Here is a link to my PowerPoint of Technology Timeline. I made a collage of different types of photographic technology throughout the years.

Technology timeline collage from Kelly Reilly

I hope you enjoyed my PowerPoint and learned something from it!