Chapter 7- Ethics

A specific photo that resulted in heated reactions was one from Kevin Carter. The photograph was of a vulture and a young girl from Sudan. Carter had made a trip to Sudan in March of 1993. Carter stumbled upon a young girl that was taking a rest during her struggle of a walk to a United Nations feeding center where a vulture had landed near the young girl as well. Carter was cautious not to make too much noise because he did not want to disturb the bird. Carter waited a little while in hopes that the vulture would reposition itself close enough to the girl so that he could capture an image. Once the bird moved within the range of the image frame, Carter captured his photograph and then chased the bird away. At that point Carter was probably not yet aware that he had shot one of the most controversial photographs in the history of photojournalism.

The story of the young girl was that her parents were busy collecting food from the food center and had left their children alone only for a brief moment.  That brief moment was enough time for Carter to capture an image that would never be forgotten. Soon after the photo was sold to the New York Times where is was published for the first time on March 26, 1993. People were in an uproar. Hundreds of people contacted the newspaper out of concern for the child. People were concerned for the child's well being and if that young girl had survived or not. The other big question was why did Carter photograph her but not help her. This is a common conflict among photojournalists. They are stuck between acting as a dispassionate observer or a good samaritan.  People described Carter as being a predator and just another vulture on the scene. In Carter's defense, he was working in a time where photojournalists were instructed not to touch famines people in hopes to prevent the spread of disease.

After the backlash, Carter has mentioned regret of not doing anything but he does not know what he could have done to help the child. Soon the judgment became to much as described by the author of the article "The vulture and the little girl." In 1994, Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer prize for the disturbing photograph of a Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture. That same year, Kevin Carter committed suicide. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 33. He left a suicide note that read,“I’m really, really sorry. The pain of life overrides the joy to the point that joy does not exist… I am depressed… without phone… money for rent … money for child support… money for debts… money!!!… I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain… of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners… I have gone to join Ken [recently deceased colleague Ken Oosterbroek] if I am that lucky” Ethical dilemmas are hard on both sides of the party. They send the people viewing the media into an uproar but who is on the receiving end of that? In this case, the receiving end never expected the amount of backlash his photograph resulted in.

Ethics can be described as moral values. Moral values that I base my daily life off of are honesty, integrity, kindness, trustworthy and helpfulness. I believe that the photo Carter captured was raw honesty. Is is the reality of the young Sudanese girl. In my opinion it would have been unethical for him to alter this image and sugar coat it in any way. Carter shows integrity by adhering to moral and ethical principles of visual journalists. The NPPA put in place a code of ethics for photojournalists and I believe this photo follows them. This photo I also believes makes him a trustworthy photojournalist. This photo encompasses a lot of emotion and I can image the internal struggle he must have gone through when deciding whether or not to sell the photo to a major publication. Obviously in choosing to do so, he never expected to amount of back lash he received.  I suppose the action of photographing this struggling child does not fall under the tarp of kindness and helpfulness because he did nothing to help the child. In reality, what could he have done to help the child? No amount of food that he could have given her would have cured her malnourishment or the famine of Sudan. Photojournalists of that time were also instructed not to touch any of their subjects to prevent to spread of disease. I do not believe that he took this photo to be cruel or mean. I just think that the photo covers a sensitive topic and some viewers are not as open minded as others.

Photo by: Kevin Carter 1993

Image Source: http://www.truth-code.com/2015/03/the-vulture-and-little-girl.html

Photo by: Charles Porter 1995

Image Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/twenty-years-later-people-oklahoma-city-bombing-n342821

My Ethics Map 

Photo by: Courtney Patridge 2016

Trials and Triumphs

Myra Albert Wiggins was born December 14, 1869. Myra oozed independence even at a very early age. She grew up in Salem Oregon. Myra explains her childhood as, "the wild, free,‘tomboy’ life of a Western Oregon small town girl.” Myra never had a specific interest in photography and says her entry into the field was purely accidental. When Myra received her first camera, women were becoming a larger part of the artistic world. Myra attended the Art Students League from 1891-1894. At the time Myra completed her schooling, photography was thought to be a scientific mechanical process that recorded information.  Myra wanted to change the way people viewed photography and photojournalism. "To counter this assumption, some photographers, including Wiggins, used the camera for aesthetic purposes by creating images intended to evoke emotional expression."

Myra continued her work as a photographer as she traveled the world. She describes some of the difficulties she experienced while traveling aboard ship. "I hurriedto my room to develop films so that I could finish by 2:30 when I have choir practice. I developed two rolls of film and was just five minutes late to practice. Then afterwards I went back and tended to the negatives which were soaking. My films did not turnout very well today; as I expected, it was too dark in the narrow streets and the focus on my new camera bothers me.” Throughout Myra's life, she continued to broaden her knowledge on art. She expanded her career into painting, both water color and oils. In 1948, Myra received the highest honors for Achievement in Art at the PEN Women of America Biennium. She passed away in her studio of a stroke in 1956 at the age of 86. She left behind a vast, creative legacy that continues to enrich our lives.

Photo by: Unknown

Image source: http://www.oregonlive.com/art/index.ssf/2015/02/salem_pioneer_of_photography_s.html

Year Taken: 1948

Myra Wiggins is the obvious main subject of the photograph. She takes up about two thirds of the image area. If she was any smaller, the focus on her would be lost to the camera and the bare background. 

The composition is very simple. The image consists of a photographer and her camera. The background is plain walls, which I believe is perfect for the image. Anything else in the background would take away from Myra.

The subject of the image looks very natural. She is not over posed and has a look of peace and happiness on her face. If anything, the shot looks more candid than posed. 

I chose this photograph because of how pleasant and happy Myra looks. All of the other photographs of her are from early on with photographic technology. I liked how the picture looked natural and shows her true self. 

Women have not had it easy throughout American history. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get our country where it is today regarding the rights of women. There are still inequalities present today but considering the way things used to be, it is like night and day. Many of the inequalities present today are seen within the workforce in various professions. Professor Cordell briefly touches upon barriers that women have to overcome. "I believe that women photojournalists, along with women in many different professions have encountered barriers unlike any that their male counterparts have endured."  Women photojournalists are consistently reminded of the gender inequalities and stereotypes surrounding gender. Comments are made to women photojournalists when they are carrying a lot of equipment or even when they are documenting a sports event. People will question the strength of a female and their knowledge of the sport. A TV photographer was overheard saying, "They let you carry that big lens?", to a female photojournalist at the scene of an accident. The judgement does not always come from someone working within the same field either. Sometimes, if at a sports event, the judgement comes from a bystander. A father at a high school baseball game was overheard saying to a female photojournalist, "Are you sure you know the game well enough to keep score?". Lastly I believe the war scene is a very difficult place for a female photojournalist. When I image a war scene, I don't necessarily think of women. The first thing that comes to mind is G.I Joe. Catherine Leroy was a young photographer that threw herself right into the middle of the Vietnam war. "She arrived in Vietnam with little more than a Leica and $100 to her name. She went on to take some of the conflict’s most striking photographs." She was a woman on a mission. 

A profession today that I believe women face a lot of discrimination is within the medical field. A woman seen, in scrubs, within an inpatient office setting or a hospital setting is automatically assumed to be a nurse. Back in the day, this was very true. Men were doctors while women were nurses. This does not remain true today. There has been a significant increase over the years of the amount of female medical doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. According to Megan Lemay, the first woman to receive a medical degree was over 100 years ago.  "In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S." I see it first hand when I work at Baystate. Whenever a female walks into a patient's room, they are assumed to be a nurse. It can be a doctor in the patient's room or someone from occupational therapy, but in the end the patient assumes they are nurses. Lemay discusses how it can be frustrating constantly defending your profession. "I hate being called “nurse,” because I feel like it undoes the work of thousands of female physicians before me. I hate being called “nurse,” because nurses have reason to hate it, too. If you’ve ever seen a doctor struggle to administer a medication, boost a patient in a bed, or try to organize the minute-to-minute care of a hospitalized patient, you can probably understand why. I hate being called “nurse,” because it further separates me from my male colleagues. I hate being called “nurse,” because it sets up expectations for my relationship with a patient that I will not be able to fill." 

Photo by: Robbie Mcintosh

Image Source:https://www.flickr.com/photos/72064726@N08/9854630546

Year Taken: 2013

The background of this photograph helps to put the focus on the nurse in the photo. The people within the background are not focused enough to make you want to look at them. Ultimately, the background people exert your attention to the nurse. The background is somewhat out of focus which again helps put the focus on the nurse.

The depth of the field draws your attention to the deepest part of the photograph for a second then reverts your attention back to the main subject. The photo is deep, looking down a side street or alley. The depth gives the image more of a personality because it allows you to visualize the environment in which the image was taken. 

The texture of the photo is smooth and uniform. The pattern of the bricks on the ground gives the image a feeling of organization. It allows for the viewer to focus on the main subject rather than being distracted. 

I chose this photograph because of the compositional variations. I like how there was so much going on in the photo yet none of it was distracting. Your eyes briefly ponder through the image and resort right back to the main subject. I also liked how to depth of the photo allows for insight of the environment of the photo. 

Photo By: Robert Doisneau

Image Source:http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/examination-of-a-new-born-by-a-doctor-news-photo/121510279?#examination-of-a-new-born-by-a-doctor-picture-id121510279

Year Taken: 1950

The focus of this photo is dull. I do not find the focus of this picture very sharp. As a result of the entire picture being slightly out of focus, the image is viewed as a whole rather than just focusing on one part of it. Instead of just focusing on the doctor or just focusing on the nurses, they are viewed together.

The image is in black and white. I feel as though the black and white coloring of the photo creates a feeling of both seriousness along with serenity. It is a special moment, a mother bonding with her new born child. I feel as though color would take away from the emotions this photo creates. 

The photographer avoided placing the subject within the middle of the photo. I feel as though the subjects are spread throughout the photograph. My eyes do not focus on just one aspect of the photo, but the photo as a whole. The subjects are placed in more than just one third of the photograph. I would say the subjects take up about two thirds of the photo. 

I chose this photo because it shows the nurses and doctor working together as a team. Working in healthcare, it truly is a rarity to see a moment like this. Healthcare has become so task oriented rather than patient oriented and this photo reminds me of what healthcare should really be like.

Technological Timeline

I have embedded my technological timeline in the form of a power point presentation with audio. I started in the year 1870, traveled throughout the history of photojournalism and ended in to year 2007. It is fascinating how far photography as a whole has come. If it has come this far, I am very excited to see what the future of photojournalism has in store for us. I hope you enjoy my presentation. I look forward to seeing everyones!

Chapter 4: Working within the Digital Age

The digital age has benefitted not only photojournalism and photojournalists but every day picture takes as well. It makes the whole process easier. The taking of the picture is easier, deciding whether to keep or delete the picture is easier and uploading it to a computer or online social media site is much easier as well. Transmitting photos from a cell phone has become much easier. Not only has the process as a whole become easier, but there are many resources online to help with the process. According to WikiHow there are multiple ways to transmit photos from your phone. "There are a variety of ways to do this, from using MMS, a USB cable, a memory card, and more. Depending on your phone and your resources, certain methods may be simpler than others. In any case, you'll be enjoying all of your camera phone pictures on a much larger screen in no time at all."

Photos also do not need to be transmitted from your phone to your computer. They can be transmitted from your phone to across the world. A photo can be taken in Europe and within minutes be posted on an online newspaper in the United States. It is truly mind blowing. Another example of phenomenon is the presidential debates currently going on. Photos are taken throughout the debate and are either posted online or published in online articles before the debate has come to an end. Transmitting from cell phones and laptops has increased the speed in which news is covered. Michael Zhang briefly mentions this topic and how this process was not always this quick in an article posted online. "In our world of digital photography and high speed Internet, photojournalists can quickly and easily send large numbers of high-res photos to the other side of the globe. Things weren’t always so convenient."

Photojournalists have even began using popular social media outlets to get their photos out there faster. Social media outlets that are very popular among young people and high school students. Time
Magazine's director of photography is a prime example of this. She used a popular cell phone app, Instagram, to get photos of Hurricane Sandy out to the public. Some may think this is frowned upon using an unprofessional portal to display such a horrific tragedy. When Kim was asked why she chose this method she responded, "We just thought this is going to be the fastest way we can cover this and it’s the most direct route." Taking a good, meaningful photo, for a photojournalist is like winning the lottery. Taking an awesome photo, being able to immediately have it posted and viewed by millions of people is like hitting the jackpot. Marie McGregory quotes a female photojournalist's feelings about taking a good photograph. "When I shoot a good photo, that's a beautiful day."


Transmission of photos from cell phones and computers is barely even comparable to the color film I wrote about in a previous post. Color film had 24 to 36 exposures and the film could not be developed until all exposures had been used. After the exposures had been used, the film had to be processed and developed. If a photo wanted to be sent somewhere after it was developed, it would have had to been scanned into a computer or it was not possible. Back then, the need for photos to be sent and transmitted was not as necessary as it is now. Newspaper writers and owners were skeptical when adding photos to their papers, therefore the need to send pictures was limited. As Professor Nordell touches upon, "Even when photographs first came out, there was some controversy of whether ... some newspaper owners felt like my paper's not solid anymore, I'm using photographs."

A cellphone fits in a purse or a pocket. A laptop can fit into a backpack or a tote bag. The transmitters from back in the day were back breaking and would not fit into a small vehicle. Having that much equipment again made the process longer. All of the equipment had to be set up, turned on, made sure it was function properly before being used and then packed back up. Chris Wilkins describes what was needed of a photojournalists back in the day. "However, one of the most important job requirements 16 years ago was a strong back. The ability to lift and travel with case after case of equipment, often weighing around 80 pounds each, was a necessity. Thanks to changing technology, those days are a distant memory for veteran wire service shooters." These days all we have to do is make sure our phone or laptop is charged, turned on and we are all set to go. We don't have to carry around eighty plus pounds of equipment. The average cell phone weighs less than a pound while the average laptop these days weighs less than five pounds.

The photo below is of a old wireless, spark, photo transmitter.

Photo by George Dodwell

Year Taken: Unknown

Image source: http://www.setterfield.org/Dodwell/Photographs.html

 

The photo below shows a cell phone taking a video that was then transmitted to an online resource.

Photo by Charlie Neibergall

Photo Taken: 2015

Image Source: http://www.poynter.org/2015/the-periscope-election-new-app-instantly-brings-clintons-rare-responses-to-questions/345617/