LA Times column

To clarify it’s mistake listed in the link above, the New York Times has issued a correction:

A picture caption with an audio slide show on July 27 about an Israeli attack on a building in Tyre, Lebanon, imprecisely described the situation in the picture. The man pictured, who had been seen in previous images appearing to assist with the rescue effort, was injured during that rescue effort, not during the initial attack, and was not killed.

The correct description was this one, which appeared with that picture in the printed edition of The Times: After an Israeli airstrike destroyed a building in Tyre, Lebanon, yesterday, one man helped another who had fallen and was hurt.

As this goes on, we’ll see what Reuters has to say for itself.  

I love being a photographer. I doubt that I could possibly love it more. When I’m trying to compose an artful image out of the tattered remains of someone’s son, however, I start to wonder if maybe my job is a little strange.

Read Scout Tufankjian’s tale on Slate.com

Two photographs were stitched together to make it look as though police were just standing around as several prostitutes in Cuba were flaunting their goods on an inside page of Miami’s El Nuevo Herald newspaper, the spanish-speaking child of the Miami Herald. Photographer Roberto Koltun objected to his two photos being used in this way, but apparently his concerns were disregarded. 

UPDATE: El Nuevo admits wrongdoing (Google translated page) 

In a clarification from C-O editor Rick Thames printed on July 28, Thames states:

The photo, taken by Observer photographer Patrick Schneider, appeared on the front of the Local & State section. It depicted a Charlotte firefighter on a ladder, silhouetted by the light of the early morning sun.

In the original photo, the sky in the photo was brownish-gray. Enhanced with photo-editing software, the sky became a deep red and the sun took on a more distinct halo.

And later he continues:

Because of the most recent violation of our photo policy, Schneider no longer works at the Observer.

We apologize for this misstep. Your trust is important to us. We will do all we can to ensure the integrity of all of our photos going forward.

Editor & Publisher story 

Link to the photo in question

Poynter link for past Schneider incident

C-O editorial (subscription may be required) 

A new Xbox360 video game called ‘Dead Rising’ features a freelance photojournalist as the main character. This is funny:

Dead Rising follows the harrowing tale of Frank West, an overly zealous freelance photojournalist on a hunt for the scoop of a lifetime. In pursuit of a juicy lead, he makes his way to a small suburban town only to find that it has become overrun by zombies.

I wonder if he shoots Nikon or Canon… 

Game synopsis 

Dead Rising screenshots

Reporters Without Borders story

Be patient - the podcast is an hour long, but Craig makes some great points and brings up issues that every photographer is faced with.

The Radiant Vista podcast - Episode 12

As read about here, the group project to create the world’s largest photograph has succeeded. They had originally thought the exposure would taken 10-14 days, but the exposure time ended up only being an hour.

OC Register story

CNN.com story

The AP didn’t like this too much, so they said they will not be sending any print journalists (writers too) to cover the tour unless Fox allows photogs. 

WP story

Known as a daring war photographer, French-born photojournalist Catherine Leroy died of cancer at the age of 60 in California. Leroy worked for LIFE magazine, the Gamma and Sipa agencies, and the AP and UPI. Her famous photo "Corpsman In Anguish" was taken in 1967 while documenting the Vietnam War.   

LA Times story

Vietnam war image gallery 

Jim Lewis at Slate.com posted his review of Greenberg’s End Times exhibit and gave this wonderful description on the meaning of photography: 

I don’t mean this as a condemnation of photography. On the contrary, I love the medium, and it fascinates me endlessly, precisely because it’s so freighted with the problem of power and responsibility. It is born in a bed of plunder and abuse; but in the right hands it can end in beauty, and how we get from one to the other is as profound a grace as any art can manifest.

Slate.com article 

I don’t like it, but apparently it’s finally here, and Mindy McAdams sure is convinced. The new generation of HD video cameras can produce screen grabs worthy of being printed in a newspaper. Looks like we’re going to need a lot more editors now that we’re shooting at 60 fps for minutes at a time.  

PDN story

IndyStar.com

Mpozi memories 

Digital camera drive 

Benefit announced

Great Photographers on the Internet

IPA home

2005 winners, 2004 winners, 2003 winners 

On a side note, I do think the choice of sponsorship is peculiar. I would have thought that while alcohol does play a big part in the creativity for many photographers, a company with a more direct link to photography, like Canon or Fuji, would have sponsored an event like this. From the IPA website:

Tremendous synergy exists between the brand characteristics of Pilsner Urquell and the medium of photography and both are appreciated by discerning individuals who believe in self-expression and the right to their own opinions.

And it continues:

We are confident that Pilsner Urquell’s support for the IPA will benefit the organisation and its objectives as we have common goals of raising awareness of our respective brands, building on their prestige and making them truly international properties.

Weird. 

PhotoAttorney

“We’ve always had the concept that reporters having video cameras out in the field would be useful,” says James Brady, executive editor of Washingtonpost.com. “We would buy the cameras and give them to reporters to shoot still pictures, record voice, or shoot video. It’s a triple-threat device. It adds a whole different dimension than you can get on the print side.”

WASHINGTONIAN story

Reuters: South Africa story

African News Dimension story

UPDATE: CPJ condemns arrest

Reuters story

This is a fun, behing-the-scenes take on what it’s like to photograph the World Cup. There is plenty of insight about shooting the actual matches balanced by some funny off-the-pitch moments. Stuart Franklin jokes about being "embedded" with the Brazilian team, and Ross Kinnaird experiments with a blurring effect to keep himself awake at one of many press conferences.

Getty Images - Sports Blog

Also World Cup related, but not having anything to do with photography…

Check out the World Development Movement’s team chooser that lets you pick who you think should win based on the economical and political situations of the various teams in the tournament. Maybe all the extra support from this website is what led Ghana to defeat Czech Republic yesterday.

Surfer magazine

David Pu’u’s website 

"Why choose between still and video; why not both? While you’re at it, throw in 3-D data, wireless networking and Internet access."

IHT article 

Not really sure what to think of this new online magazine from Trent Nelson and Grayson West called NoTxt. After going through the site, it isn’t hard to figure out how they got their name.

Photos and art can have the ability to speak for themselves, but sometimes I’d like a little background info to go with the story. Even a little statement about the inspiration for each month’s work would suffice.

It almost seems a bit elitist for a photographer to think that his/her photos can stand up alone without any words to explain the situation. Am I missing something here?

On a positive note, I do really love many of the photos in the magazine. Those by Matt Eich and Ashley Francell really stand out.  

We’ll wait to see if things stay the same for issue #2. The deadline to submit images is June 24. 

NoTxt issue #1

WP article 

PDN article

Banos and Clemente had a very close relationship, something that I think is rare for photographers and their subjects these days. That relationship gave Banos the access to make some great photographs. Beginning this weekend, many of those photos are being displayed at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum in Pittsburgh.

Beaver County Times article

History Center website 

Wired story 

Contest details or here 

Imaging Resource

Also via Pocket-lint 

PDN article

Shock website 

Here is Sia’s new "Breathe Me" video. It’s a pretty cool concept worth checking out. It has the flipbook style similar to this short movie made with a Canon 20D.

YouTube link 

QT version 

When most people think of a road trip to the Grand Canyon, they conjure up an image of packing the family station wagon and hitting the road on a laborious multi-day journey. Photographer Scott Edwards had a different vision on his 50th birthday. He decided to walk from his home in Eureka, Wisconsin to the most glorious of American natural landmarks. He isn’t packing light either. Edwards doesn’t shoot digital or with travel-friendly Leicas. Instead, he is hauling a large-format view camera to capture his back-roads American journey. I’m expecting an awesome book to come from this - sometime after August when he finally gets there.

Scott’s blog

News article 

World’s Largest Camera

Geez, New Jersey. Paranoid? 

Gloucester County Times story

UPDATE:
NPPA sends letter opposing bill 
Bill shelved in committee

“Provocative and endlessly innovative, the arresting photography in W shatters the conventional boundaries of fashion imagery. It succeeds in bridging the gap between photography and contemporary art with a variety of visual styles that add up to maximum impact.”  

Rolling Stone took the photo essay category for a piece about global warming shot by Sebastião Salgado in the November 17 issue.

“As part of an ambitious special report on global warming, Rolling Stone published a 14-page photo essay by Sabastião Salgado. “The Edge of the World,” takes readers on a journey to the solitary reaches of Antarctica and Patagonia where his passionate plea for the environment resulted in black and white images of startling drama.”

Full winners list

They’re mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore!

Here is a group of forward-thinking PJs who have embraced technology and have their eye on the future. They call themselves "Gonzo Photojournalists," and according to their manifesto, they definitely have that ‘buck the system’ attitude. Screw AP style. Forget printing pictures on paper - they believe pictures look better illuminated on a computer screen anyway.

Their first product, a piece on the Nashville burlesque scene, incorporates audio, video and stills. It’s a good two and a half minute story that anyone in the world can enjoy.

Gonzo Photojournalism   

IDEA Photographic | After Modernism [via Lens Culture]

2006 Photobloggies

2005 winners 

Here’s an amazing contest from Microsoft awarding one college photographer the $20,000 grand prize for his or her photographic talent. Deadline is May 31.

Link via Rob Galbraith

UPDATE: Microsoft revises terms, students maintain ownership [via Galbraith] 

SportsShooter.com has announced the winners of its annual contest. There was a tie between Juan Villa and Donald Miralle for the top prize. Looks like students did well this year, winning in several of the professional categories.

Complete list of winners 
Commentary from the judges

As a technical note, there isn’t a pause button, so if you click "stop audio," you’ll have to start from the beginning to resume play. 

RNW: What makes a good photograph?

Toronto Star 

IHT

UPDATE: Here are a couple hundred more related articles from Google News 

Here’s a spectacular example of creative journalistic storytelling. How many times have we read about the president making a stop at Someplace, USA and been bored out of our minds before we finish the third paragraph. Las Vegas has a bit different style than most places, and their newspaper has embraced it here. I guarantee you read this one to the end. Tiffany Brown did a great job of getting unique photos to illustrate the story.

*Note that multiple photos are linked from the top of the story.  

Las Vegas Sun: Inside the bubble

This story from MSNBC.com purports that when the 1906 San Fran earthquake hit, droves of citizens took to the streets with their Brownie cameras documenting the destruction. I will not dispute that claim. I’ve seen lots of photos from lots of different angles. It was a well-documented event.

What I dispute is the moniker of "photojournalist" being applied to these folks. The article repeatedly calls them citizen photojournalists. Did they all have formal journalism training? Doubtful. Did they all work for a news publication? Probably not. So, MSNBC, what makes these curious citizens photojournalists? 

It seems to me they’re just people taking pictures. Plain and simple.

This whole buzz of citizen journalism frequently fails to recognize the fact that there is more to journalism than being at a news event. Calling these citizens "photojournalists" or even "journalists" dilutes the journalism profession.

I’m not arguing the importance of citizens in the media. I am very interested in publications like Backfence or YourHub, but I think there needs to be a distinction between working journalists and observant citizens.  

NBC: Quake spurred citizen photojournalism

nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

Magnum In Motion editor Martin Fuchs has moved his New York Photoblog. The new blog looks similar, but adds a bit more content and more news. It’s also a good behind-the-scenes look at Magnum operations. Go ahead, give it a look.

Journal of a Photographer 

The photo staff at the Dallas Morning News was awarded a Pulitzer in breaking news photography for its "vivid photographs depicting the chaos and pain after Hurricane Katrina engulfed New Orleans."

And the Rocky Mountain News’ Todd Heisler won yet another award, claiming the Pulitzer for feature photography for his coverage of Colorado marines returning home from battle in caskets.

Both winners aren’t the least bit surprising and are very, very well deserved.  

Complete winners list 
DMN article  (subscription required) and the Pulitzer entry (no subscription required)
RMN article 

Lightstalkers :: Eugene Richards joins VII
VII Agency 

Here’s a good photo/audio slideshow from the New York Times’ Fred Conrad. The story shows how baseball isn’t just the national past time of the US. It amazes me every time I see pictures from Havana how old fashioned everything looks. Part of me feels sad for the residents who don’t have the opportunities for advancement, but part of me still thinks it is refreshing to see such a simple, untechnological way of life. As Conrad states, Cubans are passionate and proud people, especially when it comes to baseball.

Cuban baseball

NPPA obit
Washington Post obit 

“I love the raw emotion of children, because it comes close to the anger and helplessness I feel about our current political and social situation,” says commercial photographer Jill Greenberg about her new exhibition running April 22 to May 27 at the Paul Kopeikin Gallery in Los Angeles.

I feel the same way sometimes.

Exhibit site
Greenberg’s studio

Here is a great group of photos and audio from the LA Times photographer Rick Loomis. Some of the images are fairly graphic, but it’s good to see such great access.

From the LA Times site: 

Reporter David Zucchino and photographer Rick Loomis spent several weeks in October and November embedded with Army and Air Force medical units in Baghdad and Balad, Iraq, and with two Army air ambulance medical companies at the Balad military air base north of Baghdad. This series, The Lifeline, is the result of those assignments.

The Lifeline 

In another political photo controversy today, California congressional candidate Howard Kaloogian was exposed by a group of bloggers to have used a photo of an Istanbul street on his Web site claiming it was taken in Baghdad. Even worse, Kaloogian used the photo as an example of how things were returning to normal in the war-torn city. Kaloogian blames his webmaster for mixing up the photos.

San Diego Union Tribune article

The blog exposing the photo and here

Wiki entry on Kaloogian and the incident 

UPDATE: The church has apparently fired the photographer, who had freelanced for the church’s newspaper for a decade, for releasing the photo to the Herald.

The church newspaper editor explains the firing:
“It’s nothing personal,” added Pilot editor Antonio Enrique. “I need to try and find people I can trust.” 

Herald update story here

Popular Photography article

UPDATE: And it’s articles and headlines like this that irk me a bit. No, having a camera phone does not in fact make you a photojournalist.

I found this image on Michael Fuchs’ Dispatch from the Razor’s Edge blog and it intrigued me. It was shot in London at the March for Free Expression. What is this contraption the policemen are carrying? It looks like a Nikon digital SLR with a side-mounted video camera and a flash all mounted on one device. They have something in their pockets too. Batteries? Hard drives?

I’ve tried shooting video and still at the same event, and it wasn’t easy. Anytime I picked up one camera, I wished I had the other. It was a mess. I guess this is one way of getting around it. Anyone know how this rig is set up? Anyone?

Original image 

"It makes people feel comfortable and familiar and they feel at home in a situation that can be very anxiety producing here," says Peggy Weiss, Harborview’s Art Program Manager.

Students Take On Challenge To Photograph Hope

I love this photo taken by Josh Meltzer. Apparently the BOP judges did too. They named the Roanoke Times photographer the Photojournalist of the Year for the under 115k circulation. There must be something in that Roanoke water because fellow Times staffer Kyle Green won third place. AP photographer David Guttenfelder was the PJoTY for the above 115k circulation category.  

NPPA story

Full still photo winners list

UPDATE: I have to say congrats to my co-worker Eric Albrecht for winning an honorable mention in the Enterprise category for this photo. 

When Gerard Van der Leun came across Ansel Adams’ name on some photos in the Los Angeles Public Library, he wasn’t doing a search for landscape photography.

I don’t normally associate Ansel Adams with parking lots or small format images at all. Like you, Adams means the classic evocation of the great American wilderness in photography to me. It never crossed my mind that he had photographed any of the cities of men, much less Los Angeles. But there it was.

Ansel Adams’ Lost Los Angeles Found

Los Angeles Public Library 

AIC - The Concerned Photographer 

Sun-Times review

Albom’s column

The photographer hopes you do.

Claim your reward here 

Via SportsShooter 

NYT story here 

Following in the footsteps of POYi, the Association of Photographers has announced their yearly awards. Interesting choices. Everything seems very European, if that helps with the description and isn’t too offensive.

About the contest:

The AOP Photographers’ Awards were launched in 1983 and over the years have grown to become one of the highest accolades within the professional photographic industry.  Over 3,500 images are submitted annually by AOP members and the work is judged purely as photographs by a panel of highly respected professionals, including photographers and commissioners from advertising agencies, design groups and magazines.  Competition is tough and the high esteem in which the judges hold the awards, and the high standards they have maintained over the years, make the Gold, Silver and – from this year - Bronze awards extremely precious to the photographers who receive them. 

Awards here 

Independent Online story 

Forbes has compiled a list with photos of the most dangerous countries in the world. As expected Iraq and Afghanistan made the cut. Several African nations - Sudan, Liberia, Ivory Coast, etc. - also made the list. Forbes gives some rather obvious tips about what to pack if planning a trip to one of these countries:

We cross-referenced the resulting 14 countries with the Travel Warnings published by the State Department as part of its Consular Information Program. If you plan to visit any of them, we hope you get plenty of danger pay, are equipped with the latest body armor and have an excellent life insurance policy.

Full story here 

PDN’s list of the top up-and-comers for 2006 is out.

See it here 

British filmmaker and producer Jerome Olivier has a seven minute clip of his movie "Missing Pages" on his site speaking-pictures.com.

Speaking-pictures.com hosts the first seven minutes of “Missing Pages (amended version),” a 24-minute short shot entirely with a digital still camera and manipulated using a method dubbed “fotomation.” Jerome’s technique brings new perspective and depth to the mediums of photography and film, compelling viewers to perceive a narrative in a new way while enthralling with flashes of astonishing three-dimensional visuals, artful camera movement and incredible images. All of this takes the fascinating time-travel thriller at its center to the next level.

It’s a pretty cool movie. I’d like to see the full 24-minute version. Some of you may have seen another movie made entirely with a Canon 20D. This is similar, but more effects are used with each still photo to give it the impression of movement.

View "Missing Pages" here

Eager to optimize his chances for getting the story in Turin, Laforet decided to create a new digital workflow that would keep him behind the camera as much as possible. It was very much an attempt to restore in his cover strategy the primary shooting responsibility of the traditional analog news photographer, whose job was generally finished when he handed off a roll of film.

Is it just me, or was hiring the assistant a bigger factor in saving time than using Apple Aperture? Who cares what software the assistant was using? Laforet certainly didn’t. He was too busy shooting. As long as the best photos got transferred back to the newspaper, what does it matter if the editor is using Photo Mechanic or Aperture? I think we’d all be able to increase our shooting time if we had a personal editor to do all the tedious work while we shoot pictures.

Story from Apple

Laforet’s personal homepage 

Story from MSNBC 

PDN Legends Online 

A photographer who said he "shot up smack" to get closer to the street people he made portraits of has been found dead in his Woolloomooloo home. Peter Darren Moyle, 41, was found dead in his Bourke Street Housing Department unit at 5.30pm on Sunday.

In 2002 he was the subject of an award-winning documentary, Painting With Light In A Dark World.

Story from SMH

Moyle’s photos 

Scott’s Web site 

Story from Make:blog

New York Times photographer Doug Mills talks about shooting the Olympics and shares some of his favorite images and moments from the games.

Through His Eyes

The Birmingham News has published work of its photographers from the civil rights movement. Wow. Definitely worth checking out.

The section is the result of research by Alexander Cohn, a 30-year-old former photo intern at The News. In November 2004, Cohn went through an equipment closet at the newspaper in search of a lens and saw a cardboard box full of negatives marked, “Keep. Do Not Sell.”

ASMP Call For Action

I’ve always wanted to do something meaningful in life. In my 37 years, I’ve hit many mile-stones. I served my country. Went to college and obtained a degree. Started a career in a field that I love. Married the best woman I’ve ever met and started a family that has become my universe. However, I was still searching for a purpose that would lead to greater individual achievement and personal fulfillment.

Full story here.

Dallas Morning News photographer Barbara Davidson was named POYi photographer of the year. Rocky Mountain News’ Todd Heisler was second. San Fran Chron’s Michael Macor was third. Winning portfolios found here. 

UPDATE: Dallas Morning News article here with quotes and more pictures. 

Winners List 

The goal is to spotlight good photojournalism and keep photojournalists informed of news and trends currently affecting the profession. The blog will be updated daily with photos and links to news articles about photojournalism around the world. Please feel free to comment and link back!