Chapter 9: What Motivates Photojournalists

Jo-Anne McArthur's motivation behind her photojournalism seems to be animals and their environment. She is a powerful woman who has used her skills, creativity, and passion to create a brilliant organization called We Animals.As Jasmine Singer explained, "Her startling images of animals, both enslaved and no longer oppressed, carry inside of them a deep dark truth, but also a glimpse of hope into what is possible when warriors. Both Jo-Anne as well as many of her human subjects refuse to be complacent about the suffering of other beings." He organization is now in it's 13th year, since the beginning she has photographed animals in about 40 countries. Jasmine Singer states, "My objective has been to photograph our interactions with animals in such a way that the viewer finds new significance in these ordinary, often unnoticed situations of use, abuse and sharing of spaces." I think it's beautiful that she has taken her passion of animals and photography and brilliantly put them together. Her organizations website describes, "We Animals has become an internationally celebrated archive, and over one hundred animal organizations have benefited from her photography, many of which continue to work closely with Jo-Anne on stories, investigations, campaigns and humane education." Jo-Anne continues to exceed expectations and share her passions with the world. Stacy Pearsall was injured in combat photography but her passions gave her drive to continue, "If I can't be a combat photographer maybe at least I can share their stories because they are so extraordinary." Stacy was a combat photographer and Jo-Anne photographs mainly animals but what the two have in common is their drive for exposure and education related to their publishings. Their work brings awareness, it may be on different subjects but in the end they both do what they love.

Photo by:Unknown
Photo source:http://www.weanimals.org/about

Photo by: Jo-Anne McArthur
Photo source: http://www.weanimals.org/gallery.php?id=27#ph1

Camille Lepage was motivated to capture “the story”, she was described as a fearless young woman by Nicholas Kulish. He stated, “Optimistic, generous, hard-working and relentless are all qualities I would come to associate with Camille.” Camille was a rising photography in just the beginnings of her career when she was killed while working in the Central African republic. Jeroma Delay called her, "a journalist who really went the extra mile and took the extra time to really tell a story the way it should be told. And now where many people get the news from Twitter and Facebook, she decided that no, that was not the right way, and that she had to spend time to understand." A lot of brave photojournalists like Camille Lepage have passed away or been injured in the field. Gad Gross was killed in Iraq, "Peering over the edge of our ditch, Alain and I saw a group of Iraqi soldiers walking away from the scene, one soldier holding Gad's blue camera bag over his shoulder. We continued to hide until about an hour later, when a soldier saw Alain, who jumped up and surrendered. The Iraqis seemed ready to shoot us, too, until an officer, evidently newly arrived at the scene, intervened." There motivations and goals were a part of what they loved, unfortunately the dangers of the field end in many lives lost to soon, but there photographs remain. Another photojournalist, Lynn Johnson stated, "I think its important for young women who are coming into the profession, it matters its and issue but you cant allow it to intrude on your growth, what you decide to cover, or your process...your gender is a factor you can't ignore it." I feel like Camille Lepage was doing just that not letting her gender get in the way of what she wanted to accomplish.

Photo by: Unknown

Photo source: http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/remembering-camille-lepage/15018#.WCuwrGQrLR0

Photo by: Camille Lepage

Photo Source: http://camille-lepage.photoshelter.com/index

Maggie herself has stated, "I could die tomorrow, and I would have had the grandest life I could have imagined". According to National Geographic, "Maggie Steber’s commitment to her work stems from her desire to connect with people and celebrate life. Steber’s work has taken her to 63 countries and she considers each photograph a gift." She is a photojournalist I have really enjoyed researching, I believe our motivations are the same yet we use them in different ways, down different paths. I love life, I enjoy people, and most of my motivations stem from helping others, and making people happy. I feel as though many photojournalists desires come from their empathy towards other humans, animals, and the list continues. Xyza Cruz Bacani's journey started with a canera and borrowed money and her motivators align quite well with Maggie Steber's. Bacani stated, "That's what I want my photography to do, to be able to help people...to me photography is a very powerful tool to change someone's perspective toward an issue." Maggie's celebration of life attitude reminds me of another photojournalist named Ruth Prieto, what they have covered during their work is different but the motivations are very similar. Ruth Prieto once stated, "Furthermore I want to communicate in a level that is common to all: the bittersweet journey of life in which moments of struggle and joy take place." The reference of the journey of life reminds me a lot of Maggie's works in her Rite of Passage book as she focused on her mother with dementia as a subject.


Photo by: Unknown
Photo Source: http://mediastorm.com/contributor/maggie-steber/1119

Photo by: Maggie Steber

Photo source:http://www.maggiesteber.com/main.html

When comparing my motivational piece with these photojournalists I feel like there are many similarities. I feel like all of these women were motivated to make a difference. They were not motivated for just success but to help the other people around them and spread awareness through what they love. That is what my poem essentially means, my motivation is generally stimulated by helping other people. My motivation through nursing school has stemmed from eventually being able to help people who are ill. Camille Lepage was spreading awareness through her work, Maggie Steber loved to connect with others, and Jo-Anna McArthur loves animals as well as humane education. I feel like I share a very empathetic quality with these women, they are very inspirational.

Chapter 8: Photojournalism and Bias

Photo By: Ed Clark
Image Source: http://www.thegreatleapsideways.com/?p=209 

I see devastation among all the faces in this photograph. I interpret the man playing the accordion as the central focus of this image. This image  means despair and gathering together during a hard time to me. I see true sadness in this image as president Franklin D. Roosevelt is mourned. As Donald Webber explained, "These days, the most in-demand news photo is that of happenstance — typically dodged, burned, cropped, dramatized and with “extraneous” details within the frame excised." I don't feel like this photo is exaggerated or un-truthful. But I might have trouble spotting a fake or non truthful image because I tend to see on the "sunny side of the street". 

Rule of thirds: The main subject is off center, he is towards the left side of the image. He is partially in the outer left third of the photo. The subjects position allows the eye to focus on the subject but to also view and appreciate those in the background. 

Obvious main subject: The main subject is 2/3 of the photograph. If certain people in the background were left out it wouldn't have the same effect of a group coming together to mourn. The size of the main subject is appropriate without again taking away from the emotions and feelings of those behind him. 

Black and White: The black and white if this image makes the emotions even stronger, this was not a colorful day. Color photography was present during this time period. I don't think this image in color would be as powerful.
Image A-
 
Photo by: Ramon Espinosa  October 5th 2016
Photo source: http://www.nbcnews.com/slideshow/week-pictures-sept-30-oct-7-n662101

With this image my emotions and intuitions kick in and that is why I find this image truthful. This image is of a women crying on her home that was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba. As Oliver Kim stated, "You know certain things because you feel them emotionally". Without even reading the caption, I could sense the sadness of all those around the subject as well as the subject herself. This image's sadness reminds me of what an article about Betty Lane spoke on, "Lane’s dramatic photos of of thousands of women marching through Manhattan were dramatic proof of feminism’s rising influence and potential to change society." The picture of the women marching was also a wide view like this one to try and show more people involved. The main connection I see between the two photo's is that they are both very dramatic, but truthful. They are not dramatized purposely in my opinion. It also related to Professor Nordell's Image of nurses striking in front of Franklin Medical Center he stated, "I brought a ladder with  me so I can get this higher angle looking down, but the effect is from this angle it looks like there is more people, Im also using that telephoto lens that compresses the scene and makes it look more crowded." I believe that Ramon Espinosa was looking to do the same effect with this photo maybe with a certain lens to make the scene look more crowded. But the emotion in that women's face speaks very truthful to me.
Feelings & emotions: This photograph like I stated above shows great sadness.The image mainly captured my attention because of the truth represented throughout it. The devastation is clear and I don't believe it's over dramatized or edited. The image grows on me the more I look at it because its so cluttered I keep finding more and more within it.
Depth of Field: I think the right amount of area is in focus. I believe the photo uses maximum depth of field to get the other residents of the destroyed area in the image as well. It still directs your attention to the subject sitting, I feel like because she's huddled over the background doesn't distract from her emotions, it adds to them.
Keep it simple: The composition of the image above is very cluttered. If it wasn't including all of the destructive clutter it wouldn't represent the hurricane damage as well. It is cluttered due to all of the houses pieces being scattered and all the people moving and cleaning up in the background.

Image B- non- truthful

    Photo by: Dina Litovsky  November 9th 2016

    Photo source:http://time.com/4564067/donald-trump-barack-obama-2/

According to an article based on the ways of knowing by Oliver Kim,"You know certain thing because you can apply logic and reasoning". In the Time's this photograph was described in the article as, "Scenes at an election night party for Republican President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 in New York's Manhattan borough." I believe the setting when I look at this photo the  mother holding her child with the soccer blanket is very truthful, and showing the hat over the child's head is pretty realistic. But the photo seems enhanced and edited, and it was an action placed for a photograph not a action photograph of people during the event. This photograph could have been taken outside of the event even because it's not showing much. There is no sense of the crowd at the election night party in this photograph. According to Donald Weber, "A technically proficient image that looks like those of past photojournalism will catch the eye. A technically proficient image may trick the viewer into thinking he or she is seeing something of substance, of what is commonly referred to as truthful." I feel as though this image is "too slick to trust". This image just look fake and enhanced its trying to hard to represent our new president's motto, "Make America Great Again". When Professor Nordell takes about Yellow Journalism he states, "There was definite bias the publishers of the newspapers were trying to get across a certain point, a certain attitude." I feel like Dina might be trying to portray a really positive enhanced image here, relating to families and children because of all the controversy surrounding the debate. 

Contrast: I feel like the contrast is very high in this photograph and like I stated above it looks enhanced to me. The contrast is very high and lot's of very bright and dark areas are shown. I feel like its appropriate because it's meant to be dramatic. 

Shadows: The shadows are almost to perfectly placed, this image looks fake to me. The shadow is most likely purposely covering the identity of the child photographed at the election party. The shadow along with the contrast make this image look enhanced or fake to me. 

Abstract: This photograph is very abstract, I feel like its trying to represent families and their support at his election party. You cannot distinguish who these supporters are, but again I feel like the image is very posed and placed. Meaning most definitely emerge from this photo, showing hope and promise and power; but I don't see the truth behind it.  

Chapter 7: The Ethics of Photojournalism

When a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI made up of condoms was published by The New York Times, the basis of controversy was based on how they did not publish cartoons depicting Muhammad. Therefore possibly some people of the Catholic faith, were disgusted with this story and how the ”Eggs Benedict” portrait of the Pope was published. The Times editor Phil Corbett responded with, “the newspaper’s staff “really don’t want to gratuitously offend anyone’s deeply held beliefs,” but admitted “it’s probably impossible to avoid ever offending anyone” and that anyone could “disagree” with the Times‘ decisions.” I agree that it’s possible to offend someone usually with any coverage of any story because we as humans are very diverse and unique, but outside of my religion I believe the coverage of this story was somewhat unethical. Corbett did not see the comparison of the two, “I don’t think these situations — the Milwaukee artwork and the various Muhammad caricatures — are really equivalent.” Basically the artwork of the Pope was created based on his statement, “that condoms could sometimes be used for disease prevention, saying that the pope in no way justified their use to prevent pregnancy.” So the artwork was based off his statement, which was of course also taken offensively to some. Religion is always very controversial so coverage on these topics has to be difficult.

From the Artist’s point of view, the work was created mostly for awareness. Before The Pope had stated that condoms can be used for disease prevention Tom Kington stated, “ The pope's comments follow his controversial assertion in 2009 that the rising tide of HIV in Africa could be made worse, not better, by the distribution of condoms. He was speaking to journalists as he visited Africa, where the majority of HIV fatalities occur.” So Niki Johnson the creator of the artwork was not on the Pope’s side of this ethical debate, that does mean her art was meant to be cruel but is easily conveyed to certain people that way. Niki Johnson stated, “The portrait… is not hate-based, but rather a way to critique Benedict’s views while raising awareness about public health.” I get both sides of this ethical argument to the creation of this artwork. But what I do not agree with is the times publishing a controversial image that could offend the Catholic religion but not exposing the cartoons of Muhammad.

Not only did the Times not cover this story, but all the other top papers did, according to Michael Calderone, “Butnearly all top U.S. newspaper editors reached a different decision onthe matter of publishing the latest cover. The Washington Post, Wall StreetJournal, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Daily News, and the NewYork Post all published it in recent days.” Thus that is why I disagree with Times and see the ethical dilemma as picking and choosing what controversial stories is fair, I can understand how differing religions would be upset with this choice. If publishing the article of the condom artwork was known to be controversial but it was deemed as okay, “The Times argued it wasn’t right to publish the Muhammad images after the attack at French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo because it was offensive.” It doesn’t make sense to defend the Pope article yet not publish another controversial religious based form of artwork. Both of this items were artwork, and art usually values the freedom of expression.

My Ethics map focused on commitment, honesty, strength, proud, responsible, focused, and empathy. If I was involved in this situation, I would commit myself to either covering both the Pope focused and Mohammed focused stories or neither of them. Yes they are controversial but that doesn’t mean they should not be published. If I was part of the Times, I would be honest on why I didn’t cover the Mohammed story; I would not try to make up reasoning for why one was published. Strength and pride are already conveyed in this comparison just not guided in the write direction, the beliefs covered are strong and conveyed decently. Responsibility was not taken from the Times magazine when they covered one risky religious based topic, and then didn’t cover another that a lot of other papers did. The stories published were focused, but the controversy took over the materials. The times could have been more empathetic with both religions and publishing both stories for what they are explaining that these are not there beliefs but what the artists were trying to portray.

 

This is Niki Johnson with her piece "Pope Benedict XVI"

Photo By: Unknown

Photo Source:https://twogirlsandalittlelady.com/2013/03/22/an-artist-used-condoms-for-pope-emeritus-benedict-xvi-portrait/

Photo By: Unknown

Photo Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2910126/Muslims-stage-angry-protests-Charlie-Hebdo-s-Mohammed-cartoon-Boko-Haram-terror-leader-hails-Paris-massacre.html