Photojournalism has been central to politics for the last century or so, and while that's sometimes a force for good or a mere recording of events, sometimes it ends up being used for a different purpose altogether.
Photo ops don't always go they way they're supposed to, especially if the photograph is taken in dangerous times. In fact, some of the most famous photographs in history are the product of a re-shoot. Sometimes though, the re-shoot still puts lives at risk.
I'm not one to write political articles, and I promise you this one isn't meant to be pro-Trump or anti-Trump. However, as photographers, we've been told that a photo is worth a thousand words. What if the words these photos replace tell a very different story?
Marc Silber, of Advancing Your Photography, sits down with three renowned photojournalists to talk about the stories behind some of their incredible images and how they approach their craft.
Pete Souza needs little introduction. As the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama and an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan, Souza had the crucial duty of documenting innumerably many historical moments, a job he did with an empathetic touch that has made his work the model for many aspiring photographers. I recently had the chance to speak with Souza about his work, his approach, and his new film.
The Royal Saudi Air Force has released incredible footage of a photographer positioned at the edge of the cargo door of a plane, photographing fighter planes flying directly behind and giving them direction as he takes photos.
The various versions of Tank Man are among the most iconic photographs of the 20th century, having a lasting impact on history to the point that the Chinese State banned the use of the word “Leica” on social media last year. In this short video, Magnum photographer Stuart Franklin discusses how his image came about, and the consequences of its publication.
The Black Lives Matter movement is arguably one of the most significant political and social movements in US history. The photographers in this video sit down to share their thoughts on why photographing the BLM movement is important to them, personally, as well as for posterity.
Magnum photographer Alec Soth has issued an apology after the New York Times commissioned and published a series of images that closely resembled a long-term research project by photographer Tonika Johnson.
Esteban Toro’s new episodic short-format travel film, "Aperture: A World of Stories," is a beautiful watch. On top of the eye-candy, Toro’s film also provides some very valuable insights into and tips for filming internationally.
Magnum Photos is continuing its investigation into David Alan Harvey’s body of work, “THAILAND. Bangkok Prostitutes,” but has stated that the subjects featured in the photographs were adult dancers and bar workers.
A girl, perhaps barely in her teens, stands alone in a dimly lit room, her hair obscuring her face. She’s naked from the waist up, the front of her torso is visible, and she wears little more than socks from the waist down. The caption labels her a child prostitute and lists her hometown. Until this week, this photo was available to purchase from Getty Images.
The JPEG file format is one of the most ubiquitous formats on the web, but the actual technology that powers the compression is old. A new method, based on machine learning, might change what photography really looks like.
Robert Capa, founder of Magnum Photos, once famously said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” However, according to the Magnum website right now, these are the words of a street photographer with a reputation for being obnoxiously aggressive.
Telephoto lenses are arguably the most powerful and versatile tool in a photographer's bag. These sophisticated glass instruments make it possible to photograph wildlife, war, and natural disasters from a (relatively) safe distance. But like other powerful technological tools, a zoom lens can be used for questionable or unethical purposes, including voyeurism or other invasions of privacy.
Two recent photographic projects focusing on sex workers stand in stark contrast to one another. One exploits them as a commodity, the other seeks to give them a voice. Why does the art world seem to value one so much more than the other?
In the early hours of Friday morning U.K. time, Magnum took its entire archive offline. Later that day, it released a statement explaining that it was reviewing its practices following revelations about some of its photographs. Difficult questions still need to be answered and the sequence of events shows how, despite Magnum’s crisis management, they’re not going away.
News organizations in Seattle have been ordered by a judge to hand over photographs and videos to the Seattle Police Department to aid investigations into alleged arson of police vehicles and theft of police weapons.
The best photojournalism is usually produced during the worst times. This photographer has chosen to drive across America during COVID-19 to capture its effects on America from his car.
For photographers, inspiration comes in many forms: some from abstract thoughts, some from life experiences. When inspiration isn't as forthcoming, it's helpful to look at those photographers who forged their own creative paths.
I bet you've never heard the top photographers arguing about what settings to use for a particular shot. If you want to know why, look no further than this video.
With the Black Lives Matters protests attempting to trigger a shift in attitudes towards race around the world, the role of black photographers in documenting the demonstrations is crucial, as outlined by this short video from PBS NewsHour. (Warning: This video contains graphic imagery.)
When your income disappears overnight, what do you do? Like many professional photographers during the lockdown, Tristan Poyser found himself suddenly out of work. He took a job at the Amazon warehouse, which led to a fascinating documentary project with unprecedented access to this notoriously secretive company.
As long as the protests are being documented, what does it matter if the people taking the photographs that we see in our newspapers are white?
I’ve covered protests in my time as a photojournalist and photojournalism educator, and there are always a chorus of conspiracy theorists postulating that by posting photos that show protestors’ faces, you’re setting them up to later be hunted down and killed and/or imprisoned. The thing is, a leaked phone call on Monday of President Donald Trump talking to the nation’s governors has all but confirmed that this is happening, or at least that the ostensible leader of the U.S. government wants this to happen.
A photographer and journalist has been blinded after a police bullet “exploded” her eyeball while she documented the riots currently ongoing in Minneapolis.
How do you photograph extremists without giving them the publicity they desperately crave?
Jeff Rhode has the highly unusual role as a full-time hospital photographer. In this interview, he shares his heart-rending photographs of COVID-19 patients and the staff supporting them and talks about the experience of photographing history as it happens.
If there's one thing that seasoned professional photographers love to do, it's to dispel ridiculous misconceptions and myths around the craft. Daniel Milnor is one of these people, and in this video, he crushes a few commonly held false beliefs within the wider photographic community.
Like many photographers during this period of enforced isolation due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, Isaac Alvarez turned to video conferencing to continue creating. His #hearme project goes beyond simple portraiture, though, and creates a commentary both on the human experience, and on what it means to be a photographer.
A California-based astrophotographer has taken what is being called the world’s clearest picture of the moon. The process involved patiently placing together thousands of images of different lunar phases in order to showcase the entirety of the moon’s surface.
Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who is a patron of the Royal Photographic Society, has announced a new project for photographers to take part, which will culminate in a digital exhibition.
Starting a new self-driven project doesn’t typically involve getting on a flight and throwing yourself into documenting a city undergoing violent civil unrest. I spoke to photojournalist David Butow to find out what led to his award-winning work covering protests in Hong Kong and how he operates when the teargas canisters start flying overhead.
Ok, so we can't take photographs in public at the moment. But after lockdown ends, the opportunity to go out and photograph will be overwhelmingly exciting! But what if you find yourself feeling shy taking photographs in public? Pierre T. Lambert has 5 great tips on how to overcome this fear — well worth a watch!
Photojournalism is perhaps the most emotionally rewarding type of photography. But the financial reward can sometimes be more elusive.
Photography has always played an important role in raising awareness of social injustice issues, including poverty, homelessness, and famine. However, media reports from the Indian state of Rajasthan claim that its government has laid out a rule for photographers: no further documenting food distribution to the poor.
Like many photographers in quarantine, I’ve been trying to get creative without the ability to get out. I’ve had a lot of gear sitting around that doesn’t get much use, and so I’ve gone through my boxes to dust them off and see what’s possible. One gem I had forgotten about was the FotodioX Mount Adapter that lets me mount my Nikon F glass to my Micro Four Thirds cameras.
For eight years, photographer Pete Souza had my dream job, photographing the president of the United States and being on the front line of the biggest news stories of our time. In his latest IGTV post, Souza talks about some of the gear he used to capture his iconic images.
A world impacted by the deadly coronavirus is undoubtedly an eerie one. With everyone confined to their homes and only allowed limited trips to "essential businesses," photographers all over the world are venturing out and capturing their neighborhoods at their emptiest, from the busy streets of Times Square to desolate airports and makeshift temporary hospitals.
While we hunker down and practice social distancing, it’s important to remember that there are critical reasons to take the spread of this virus seriously. Call it what you will, Influenza, The Spanish Flu, or H1N1, the 1918 Pandemic killed upwards of 100 million people. Can images from this 100-year-old tragedy help contain the spread of COVID-19 today?
Photojournalism is a contact sport. Or at least it used to be, before the coronavirus rolled into town. Despite the health risks with taking photographs of people in close quarters or crowds, photographers at news organizations around the country are still, more or less, on the job.
The Washington Post's White House photographer, Jabin Botsford, captured a highly contentious photograph of U.S president, Donald Trump, in the midst of the COVID-19 chaos.
The 2019 novel Corona virus has been hitting industries hard, and it is not sparing creative industries.
Recently recognized by the 2020 World Press Photo contest, Fading Flamingoes, a project which documents a lake in northern Iran and its environmental issues, bears a striking resemblance to the work of a photographer from the region itself. Has this photojournalist effectively stolen this project, or is there more to the story?
When the Sony World Photography Awards (WPA) suddenly decided to remove photographs of Hong Kong protests from its website, it destroyed its credibility as a competition. If the decisions of the judges are being edited to avoid upsetting the Chinese government, how is this not censorship?
Gender has become more and more of a prominent subject in contemporary society with the open challenge to gender roles, definitions, biases, and identities.This exhibition aims to embody the difficult and ever-shifting landscape to raise awareness for power and privilege associated with gender.
Besides looking at tutorials and learning how to handle your camera and composition, it’s often helpful to take a look at the life of inspirational photographers. Here, you’ll find out why you should take a look at the life and work of Sebastião Salgado.
The National Archives was found last month to have altered an image of the 2017 Women’s March in Washington D.C. Some of the protestors' signs had been artificially blurred for use in an exhibit. Internal emails now suggest that little debate preceded the alteration.
Through an exhibition that critics have called “devastating,” one photographer has assembled a series of clothing that both women and men were raped in. The presentation is aiming to highlight the rising epidemic of sexual violence.
Whether it's a personal project, long-term project, doing spec work, or on assignment, projects are a great way to expand your photographic abilities.
