Digital BW, The Print

Hi Tim,

> > Most
> > any reportage
> > is supposed to be an accurate reproduction of a scene, and so
> is most all
> > happy snapping...and I'd say, that comprises MOST of the
> > photography in the
> > world.
>
> I'm so glad you added "supposed to be" Austin,

Knowing the crowd, that was carefully chosen...

> because while most people
> would like to think and believe that it is an accurate
> representation, very
> little of it actually is.

I don't agree with that.  It may only show one aspect of what is going on,
but that captured aspect IS typically accurately reproduced.

> What is brought to the photograph are the photographers point of
> view (both
> in terms of visual composition and world view), the societal view
> they come
> from (a Russian photojournalist will most likely photograph something very
> differently from and American one from AP), the pressure and
> requirements of
> their publication/editor/owner and what the public wants - lots
> of bodies/no
> bodies, enemy bodies/no american bodies... etc. What the political climate
> of the time

Yeah, but so what?  That doesn't make it not an accurate reproduction.

> For example, you will see very little photojournalism in the last
> year which
> overtly shows the results of serious failures of US policy in Arab
> countries, or critical of US involvement US in Afghanistan and various
> failures there and so on. People just chose not to photograph
> such things in
> the current climate.

Again, so what?  That doesn't mean that the photograph, it self, isn't an
accurate representation of "a" moment in time.  You're bringing a lot more
into this than just the photograph it self...

> They will chose what to photograph and what not to photograph, how to
> compose a shot, what impact to go for and so on, all based on
> these and many
> more factors.

And again, so what...that doesn't make it not an accurate representation...

> The best will try and do their work honestly, while saying
> they tired to present images that expressed the truth as they
> perceived it.
> But if you look at photojournalism over the last 70 years or so, you will
> see all sorts of societal and political trends showing up very clearly in
> how and what is photographed, and who was doing the photographing and for
> whom.

I COMPLETELY understand what you're saying, and I agree with it in a larger
sense, but that's really not talking about the realism of the photograph,
but the realism of the overall depiction, which really isn't about one
photograph as it stands alone...it's typically far more.

Regards,

Austin