Photojournalism has a role in society to portray and relay information to its viewers in ways that are compelling, respectful, and accurate. The job of the photojournalist exudes just that; alongside the skills of photography one must possess, it is important to understand the ethics and set of rules that a person must follow to be successful at this position.
There is also the question of philosophy within this spectrum. Specific mindsets that guide the photojournalist into getting certain shots, alongside developing character traits that back up one’s work, can potentially serve as the “make-or-break” moments for getting photos published, or having future clients and companies wanting to collaborate. I found a few of Chapnick’s points significant to successful photojournalists, ones that stood the test of time as well, considering he wrote this book over twenty years ago.
Perhaps the statement that struck me the most in the chapter was “say three things in one photograph while the next guy says the same three things with three photographs” (Chapnick, 332). As a videographer first, this still troubles me with some of my images when I am shooting. My first instincts are to capture a video of whatever I want to shoot, rather than think about how multiple aspects of a certain person/place can be captured in one shot. He also states that ambiguity in photojournalism hurts more than it helps, as clear and concise is what strengthens a story most.
His intuitions on the topics of confidence versus humility and luck were things I carry with me in my own philosophy of photojournalism. It is important to stay humble not only in this field, but life in general, as not many people will want to work with someone who is self-indulged or conceited. However, there is a difference between conceitedness and confidence. In that same respect, not many will want to be around someone who is constantly degrading their own work before they’ve given a chance for others to judge it for themselves. If nothing else, being confident in what one brings to the table can establish a sense of self-assurance that can potentially uplift the photos in the process. Getting lucky is something that can happen to anyone, but if a photojournalist believes in their craft and puts themselves in the right places, luck can seem to repeat itself. However, this can only happen if one continues to be sure of their abilities to execute a shoot and be well-equipped and prepared.
A photojournalist has an obligation to keep in mind what his/her audience will think once the photos are published. However, I do not think this should dictate how they craft their images. Every person will see an image differently, so it is up to the photographer to establish a story behind each picture and do their best to tell it through what is going on in the image through their eyes. Although public perception will greatly influence how a picture is viewed, photojournalists must stay true to the story they are crafting in, otherwise the images can be used to tell other narratives.
I recently attended the infamous Astroworld Festival in Houston a few weeks ago, one that made headlines for ten people tragically losing their lives due to crowd trampling, out of control moshpits, and suffocation. Without getting into discussion of who’s to blame for the unfortunate incidents, I wanted to share images that I took during the daytime, prior to the incidents. Although I took these only as a spectator and not a photojournalist capturing the event for news purposes, I felt that these images captured the essence of how Travis Scott has engulfed his name into pop culture, big name companies, and the city of Houston overall. It is truly sad about what happened to those who both got injured and lost their lives at the event; however, it is interesting to look at these pictures and think about how or if perceptions on them would change if the tragedies didn’t occur.
Picture 4: A store titled “Screwed Up Records & Tapes”, a shop where concertgoers can find music and merchandise honoring the “chopped and screwed” style of rap music made famous in Houston by the late DJ Screw.