a call to arms – photojournalism is not dead
It’s not just stuff.
I drive by this house everyday. Every day. They lived a a few blocks over from me. Until they got notice of foreclosure and the locks were being changed. Donald and Teresa Beardsley have lived in this home with the decaying Virgin Mary statue out front for 30 years.
And like that, it’s gone.
It’s not a new story, really. Foreclosures are everywhere. This family is caught up in what is being investigated at a fraudulent foreclosure, but the damage is done. They have to leave. They’re selling off everything because their new apartment is half the size of their home and they can’t bring anything else. They’re leaving behind a crumpled and boxed-up history of their life with yellow post-it notes of 25 cents dotting everything – from their children’s drawings and to diplomas and dolls. This stuff that isn’t just stuff. It’s their life.
What I’m having a hard time understanding is why the trend in photojournalism seems to be the drive-by shooting. It is often forced – a story that is running tomorrow needs art now. I shot this in 20 minutes. That’s less than an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants. That’s the time it took to meet people on the worst possible day of their life, see them cry as they enter the house, photograph the remnants of their ripped-apart life, and leave feeling like I could have spent hours there. It’s hard to gain that trust in 20 minutes. It’s hard. But it has to be done. That’s the way it is to keep calling myself a photojournalist.
It’s not just a newspaper issue, really, as much as I think it is a photography as a whole issue. The rush of cell phone cameras and Flickr feeds have flooded the web with imagery. It has cheapened our collective vision. It has squeezed storytelling into a much tighter schedule with results lacking most of the time. Don’t get me wrong there is quality work out there. Scott Strazzante would be one that doesn’t cave to this notion of immediacy in photojournalism. He has proven without any argument that photojournalism is alive and well – and can be done. His work is beautiful. His work is compassionate. His work is the bar.
A call to arms, not only for myself, but for everyone out there. Ignore the rants preaching photojournalism is dead. It isn’t. It’s changed. It’s what we make of it. Yes, photos need to be shot in 20 minutes sometimes. Make it the best 20 minutes you can. In the end, we’re there to tell a story and even if our little 3-column photo is the only thing that gets a reader to read the eight-inch block of text underneath, our job is done. Onto the next one. In your free time, get off Facebook, find your project, your own path, and make your vision known.
To be honest, these photos below aren’t good. They’re not. I saw something walking around the Beardsley home. I saw remnants of a life they’re grasping to hold onto. Something they’re trying to save. I saw a bit of our profession and what I feel like doing right now. Scraping and salvaging what I love. I’m boxing up what is important and taking it with me.
It’s not just stuff.
August 13th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
That’s the most profound couple blocks of text I have ever seen you write. Uhhhh, well said.
August 14th, 2010 at 3:17 am
Amen
August 14th, 2010 at 7:33 am
The quality of your blog posts always impresses me.
August 14th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Very well said. Your statement of “photojournalism is not dead. It’s changed. It’s what we make of it.” is exactly what people need to hear. Thanks for that.
August 14th, 2010 at 10:56 am
It’s quite a pickle we’ve got ourselves in.
You’re one of the luckier ones. You’ve been able to work steadily at a newspaper long enough to establish as yourself as a well-respected photographer. Now you can transition into a freelance career. Hopefully smoothly.
What sort of things are you going to make pictures of now? There certainly aren’t many outlets for long-form stories. And the pay is ridiculously sub-par. For the amount of time and effort, the money we get? It’s not OK.
I hate caring that much about money. In an idyllic world, we would make photographs that moved people, had depth and meaning and made a difference. Something that makes us feel good inside. Unfortunately, money matters. And to make an income, photojournalism isn’t the way to go.
And that’s terribly frustrating. In my last semester of school I worked on a project for three months. It really was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to know someone on an incredibly intimate level. I photographed as he worked toward building a new life. It was incredible. And that’s what I thought I wanted to do.
But now I’m in the real world.
I thought I knew what I wanted to do. Now I’m lost over which way to go. I don’t want to succumb to the superficialities of other kinds of photography (retouching kills my soul a little). But I also want to pay rent.
How do we manage? It’s weird.
No, photojournalism isn’t dead. But it doesn’t really foster a sustainable income. It’s kind of spinning its wheels. A hamster running endlessly.
It’s times like this that Fiona Apple’s words ring too true: “I don’t know what I’m doing, don’t know should I change my mind, I can’t decide there’s too many variations to consider.”
August 15th, 2010 at 9:08 am
[...] a call to arms – photojournalism is not dead | Redlights and Redeyes This entry was posted in Photojournalism. Bookmark the permalink. ← Questions Grow About [...]
August 16th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Thoughtfully-stated, thoughtfully-presented. You’re a good communicator, Chip.
August 16th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Chip, it is the technology that enables people to massively access imagery and it is the same technology that allows me to enjoy your work. On the other side of the planet I’m waiting for you to post something. That is the value of your work. That is what makes you do what you do. If you wanna earn money, you go the Trey Ratcliff way, but if you want to leave something, you’re going right.
People will always want beautiful images with a content or a message. Just more images doesn’t make that easier. The only truth is that you have to work more and harder in a more competitive world. But that is for all of us. At least you’re doing something you love, expressing yourself. At least you’re not all day going through 100′s of emails about stuff you couldn’t care less about, looking forward to shooting pictures of your kids this weekend.
Photojournalism is not dead, it’s just more competitive, but someone with your combination of talent and skills shouldn’t be worried about that. Some people would do anything to be you, so chin up, you got some shooting to do.
August 17th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
well said chip