In today’s society the media is the most powerful weapon of
all kind. But the press is nothing without the photography. Photographs have
the major impact on people’s minds, especially if those photos have meanings.
In David Griffin’s lecture on TED I have discovered that photographs can also
show the visual narrative, how to tell a story and capture a significant moment
which can have an impact on the society.
The
biggest connection occurs when the photographer himself appears in the story.
The more personal response to issue or the occurrence, the more engaging story
is delivered to the viewer. I personally enjoyed one of the photo shoots
mentioned on the David Griffin’s lecture. Series of photos by Paul Nicklen of
leopard seal which considered the most dangerous predator in the ocean. In his
photos we can see a real human and animal connection, showing the other side of
these predators. Especially in the photo above we can see how close he
approaches to the photographer. I believe this creates an unforgettable
experience not just to the artist, but to the viewer as well.
However, different types of photos have differentially
spectacular. But the main point always stays the same, to discover and
communicate the essence of the story. For instance simple photo can be
effective because of its simplicity or it can be powerful because it’s complex.
(‘’Power of Photojournalism’’, Maria Popova).
Other photojournalist I
got inspired by was Jakob Carlsen, the award winning artist at Pictures of The Year International. His
series of photos called ‘’The
Untouchebles of Asia’’ shows us a story of the lower class society of
India. We discover how people of India live and deal with everyday’s problems, which
is a little bit unusual for our part of the world. As the artist describes ‘’
they are considered lesser human beings and are
prevented from participating in political, economic, social and cultural life
on an equal footing with other citizens.’’ Most of the pictures taken from
their daily life is shocking, but in the true sense, reveals real social issues
in the world. The picture above shows the little girl, who is probably starving
and crying at night. Her eye contact with the camera reveals how difficult her
life is. Backing it up with the background reflects the poor condition she
lives in.
I would define photojournalism as an artistic way of
delivering the news. We could be inspired and touched by the captured events. Photos
like this are the most powerful of showing the
world what are the real issues, but the main point is not only spread the news,
but also look for the solutions with the purpose to solve them. As a result,
the most efficient way to do so is to communicate and reach for people’s hearts
through the photos. ‘’The bottom line is heart. And the only thing
photojournalists have always had is heart’’ (Rick Shaw, the director of Pictures of the Year International).
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David Griffin's lecture ->
