#kobre

Photo essays, like photojournalism, have gone through its own unique history in development. LIFE and Look helped spur the creation of the modern photo essay - a series of photographs that tell some form of a story or narrative, or aim to document a certain topic or idea. As Chapnick emphasizes, it was the early masters - Margaret Bourke-White, W. Eugene Smith,  Leonard McCombe, etc., were the originators for the art of the photo essay.

In particular, W. Eugene Smith’s work exemplifies the the sheer power and artistic value the photo story could have. County Doctor, and Spanish Village, in particular, were the epitomes of these tropes. The former mixed artistic values with storytelling, portraying the story of the titular country doctor who worked in a remote Colorado country town. Spanish Village, meanwhile, is the ultimate example of the artistic power of photojournalism. Via the simple power of exposure and composition, Smith portrays the power of the photographic image. 

One interesting thread that both Kobre and Chapnick pick up on is the proper and best way of creating a successful photo story. Kobre notably focuses on the importance of selecting and approaching the right topic (e.g, how do you broach this topic with care?). He notes that photojournalists can best think of a photo story in three categories - the photo essay, documentary report, or narrative story. Each brand has their own unique strengths and weaknesses as a means of conveying information in captions and photographs. There is no “best format” - there is only the format that works best for what you are trying to say.

Going to what Kobre and Chapnick said, Smith’s seminal work, Country Doctor, is a great example of the balance between photojournalistic content and artistic content. W. Eugene Smith’s own style of photographic art and his commitment to his work is frankly admirable; the fact that he has been behind multiple famous photo stories (the aforementioned Country Doctor, Spanish Village, Minamata, etc) is a testament to his work.

Country Doctor stands out to me so much as it is the balance between artistic and telling a story. The work of rural healthcare is often ignored, and having a story that highlights them and their own stories is magnificent. Smith allows us to get invested in the story, weaving us into a tale of the doctor who works in the last remaining remnants of the Wild West. It is his depiction of the hardworking man - Dr. Ernest Ceriani - that earns my attention. We get to know Dr. Ceriani as if he we knew him himself; Smith’s relentlessly intimate portraits feel almost disarming at times, as we are thrust into this life that he depicts. Even though this story was published 70+ years ago, this seminal work still remains just as enchanting and effective. I myself am a big fan of this story (and Smith’s work at large) and I imagine there are many others who feel the same way.