Recent Photojournalistic Articles

An Interview With Pete Souza: Behind the Images

American renowned former White House photographer and photojournalist, Pete Souza, for his first ever audio interview hosted by Ohio University, speaks of his time documenting the professional and personal life of former President Barack Obama.

The Story Behind 'Migrant Mother' One Of The Most Famous Photographs Of All Time

Perhaps no single photo is more symbolic of America’s troubles during the Great Depression than Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother.” Depicting an itinerant farm worker, Florence Owens Thompson, and five of her children apparently in the grips of despair on the side of the road, this single image came to surmise an entire era.

Photojournalism Is for White Men, as Revealed by a Stunning New York Times Photograph

There’s no question that the New York Times photo of James Comey during his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, where he detailed his uncomfortable and suspect dealings with President Donald Trump, is going to be one of the iconic ones of our time. There’s also no question about who overwhelmingly seems to dominate the photojournalism field based on this photo: white men.

Just What Is 'Travel Photography'?

This year’s Travel Photographer Society (TPS) competition culminated in a beautiful exhibition of interesting and unique work from travel photographers all over the world in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Surrounding the exhibition, TPS also held a series of talks by prominent travel photographers. In his standout presentation and follow-up blog post, Pics of Asia’s Etienne Bossot questions us deeply about the ethics surrounding travel photography and just what constitutes the genre.

Go Behind the Scenes Photographing U.S. President Donald J. Trump

When President Trump announced he would be skipping the White House Correspondents' Dinner to speak in Harrisburg, Pa., right in my backyard and on day 100 of his presidency, it was like the stars aligned. Among many avenues, I’m a stringer for a Harrisburg news journal, photographing politics and business news. Immediately after hearing the news at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night I applied for credentials and the wait began. A week later, on day 99 of the Trump Presidency, it was starting to look like I would be watching from my couch. With just 24 hours to spare, I got the green light. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to photograph President Trump from a local photojournalist’s perspective.

Pete Souza Announces New Book 'Obama: An Intimate Portrait'

Former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza announced a new book chronicling his second presidential assignment. The book, titled, "Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs," will have more than 300 pages and as many photographs according to Souza's Instagram feed. The book is due out November 7, 2017, and is currently available for preorder on Amazon as well as at Barnes & Noble for $40 as a hardcover.

2017 Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced

The 2017 Pulitzer Prize Winners were announced today at Columbia University in New York, N.Y. Pulitzer Prize Administrator Mike Pride made the announcement, and the following are a few of the many standouts.

Father and Son Project 'Small Steps Are Giant Leaps' Photo Series

Almost every photographer has created some sort of personal project in their time. In fact, many photographers’ work is comprised entirely of personal projects. Rarely though do I see projects that are truly personal. I mean that in the sense of their projects having a real emotional connection to the photographer that easily shows through in their images. Small Steps Are Giant Leaps, a father/son project started by photographer Aaron Sheldon and his son Harrison, is one of those projects.

Can Photography Be A Calling? Lauren Greenfield Spends 25 Years Documenting Wealth

Can photography be more than just work? Can it be a calling? How do you know? And what if that calling coincides with a transformational period in world history and you are called upon to document every move? Lauren Greenfield’s new exhibition and book, “Generation Wealth” is a time capsule a quarter century in the making.

Chase Guttman: The Traveling Drone Kid on Steroids

When I first heard about Chase Guttman’s book on drone photography, I was intrigued. Not so much at the subject, or the photos, but in the person behind them. As a person who loves to travel and photograph while doing it, I’m always curious as to how people get their foot in the door in this very competitive industry, especially at a young age. The answer is: he didn’t do it alone, as none of us do.

Three Secrets You Need to Know to Tell a Story With a Picture

One of the differences between a great image and a snapshot is story telling. If your picture doesn’t narrate anything, it won’t serve any purpose. It’s crucial that your viewers understand what you tried to say with your work, but it's not always an easy task! Thanks to Joe McNally, we now have three tips to keep in mind for stronger journalistic images.

Joe McNally's Experience on How To Be A World-Class Creative Pro

Joe McNally is one of those photographers that almost everyone in our industry knows. Perhaps you’ve seen his name in a Nat Geo, Life Magazine, or Sports Illustrated, or you’ve learned from his educational content, or maybe you simply have discovered him through his role as Nikon Ambassador. McNally is really everywhere. He’s one of those versatile photographers who can do everything from commercial to journalistic work! He’s the proof that specialization is great but not always required to be successful. Recently, he sat down with Chase Jarvis and shared his experience as a professional photographer.

Former White House Photographer Pete Souza Is Still Working for the American Public

Pete Souza has been extremely active on his new Instagram account to the extent that even CNN has taken notice. The former White House photographer for President Barack Obama, Souza's visual political and social commentary are arguably as relevant as ever. His activity and media recognition underscores the power of social media, especially when there’s a tremendous following and story to go with it. His most recent posts make note of current events including refugee camps, specifically of ethnic Albanians displaced from Kosovo, and Supreme Court Associate Justice Nominee Merrick Garland.

Making Visuals Great Again: TV Hires Adventure Photographers to Capture Younger Audience

YLE, a Finnish Broadcasting company, were on a mission to attract a younger audience. They needed to make a change to their strategy and get some new programs produced. They knew these shows had to tell stories that were going to speak to a younger audience. Stories that would captivate the senses - and get people excited about the outdoors, to travel and explore.

Continuing the Legacy of the U.S. President's Photographer

The tradition of the White House photographers, now officially known as the Chief Official White House Photographer, was started by John F. Kennedy in January of 1961. A free press is responsible for accurate reportage and is essential to a democracy, though access can provide certain limitations. Having unprecedented access, where the press are typically held at a greater distance, the President’s photographer adds a level of transparency for the American public to engage and see the President working for the country within the context of current events.

"What Democracy Looks Like" Is a Fascinating Snapshot of Trump Inauguration Weekend

Inauguration weekend was an absolute whirlwind for Washington D.C. as well as the nation at large. Opposing forces converged on the nation's capital, and this short film from NPR is a striking encapsulation of the events and people of varying personalities, gender, beliefs, race, and walks of life that made their voices heard as Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States.

Time Releases Short Documentary About Robert Capa's Iconic D-Day Photographs

Hungarian photographer, Robert Capa is regarded as being one the greatest combat and adventure photographers in history. That’s no small remark, considering the immense amount of danger involved and the technological limitations that were present during the time he created his body of work.

Fstoppers Teams Up with Getty to Discuss Image Trends for 2017

Every year Getty Images releases their forecast for visual trends in the coming year as chosen by "visual anthropologists" who have analyzed vast quantities of data. This forecast not only predicts trends that will influence every facet of the creative industry, but the forecast itself has immeasurable impact on design, advertising, and myriad other formats of visual media. On behalf of Fstoppers, I spoke with Pam Grossman, Director of Visual Trends at Getty Images about trends and the coming year.

Street Photographers Recognized in Harvey Milk Photo Center

Work of many talented street photographers in San Francisco is being recognized at The Harvey Milk Photo Center. The exhibition includes 52 works of 28 street photographers, with all images captured within San Francisco, California. The exhibition was the brainchild of David Christensen, the Director of the Harvey Milk Photo Center. A group member, CJ Lucero, brought the group to David’s attention and, after having reviewed the images from the SF Facebook page, he became determined to present the work to the public. The groups' administrators then labored over several months to put together this amazing show: that team included Michael Kirschner, RE Casper, Denis Englander, and James Watkins.

Safe and Sound? Photographers, Videographers, and the Question of Encryption

If you are a professional filmmaker or photographer working with a regular camera from any of the large makers, there is no simple and reliable way to encrypt your files in camera. To put pressure on camera makers to provide such an option, the Freedom of the Press Foundation released open letters to Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Fuji, and Sony requesting that the manufacturers add encryption. The identical letters to five major camera makers were signed each by over 150 journalists, photographers, and filmmakers and sent out on December 14.

NSFW: A Student's Hard-Hitting Trump Quote Photo Series Goes Viral

Ad hominem is often the type of fallacy rolled out when Trump has come under-fire for his misogynistic quotes in the past. The problem is, Trump's words about women and his political acumen are not easily separated out. This wide-spread difficulty has lead to backlash manifesting itself in a number of ways. One of the recent and most powerful ways has been Student Aria Watson's photo series.

National Geographic's Best 52 Photos of 2016

Tis the season. Around the time of December, photography websites worldwide recap last year with their selection of the cream of the crop. To many photographers, National Geographic is a well-respected media platform to get your work selected and exposed. And now they have made their selection curated from 91 photographers, 107 stories, and 2,290,225 photographs.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Louis Le Prince, Father of Cinematography

The race to conquer new frontiers of innovation is not a new event, but it is well known. What can be learnt from history about these types of competitions, however, is that it is not always to the winner go the spoils; the lightbulb and telephone are infamous examples, but the moving picture can be added to that list.