What Is Storytelling: a Woman’S Perspective on Documentary Photography

What Is Storytelling: A Woman’s Perspective on Documentary Photography

Precious Braswell Spring 2019

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in Graphic Arts with a concentration in Photography in cursu honorum

Reviewed and approved by:

______(Frank Gimpaya, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Fine Arts) Thesis Supervisor

Submitted to the Honors Program, Saint Peter's University

May 1, 2019

Abstract

The overall purpose of my thesis is to explain and highlight the importance of photographic storytelling. We are often influenced by what we see visually. Naturally it shapes us as human beings and our way of thinking. We often connect to things we can relate to as if we see ourselves becoming a part of the scenario or story given to us. By noting the impact photojournalism has had on the past generations, I want to show how important the visual perspective on certain events can shape our society. Lastly, seeing as how photojournalism has become a male-dominated society, I want to highlight the role of the women in photojournalism; how female photojournalists can add more of an emotional factor to photography.

Table of Contents

Chapter I: Introduction...... 4

Chapter II: Photography Storytelling...... 7

Chapter III: Photojournalism...... 9

Chapter IV: The Golden Age...... 11

Chapter V: Conclusion...... 24

Bibliography...... 25

Chapter I: Introduction

I plan to structure of my thesis into three main topics. The first would be to introduce the subject of photography. I want to do more than a cursory review of what people would traditionally regard photography to be. Photographs tell a story and shape our behavior to form our likes, dislikes, interests, and concerns. It can be as simple as buying the newest pair of jeans allured by seeing a top model wearing them in a catalog.

It can also be as grand as starting an environmental movement evoked by an image of a heavily polluted seashore. With research and also presentation, I want to engage my audience and allow them to consider this aspect of my thesis. I want to describe how what we see visually can prompt us toward a certain notion or belief. By having my introduction begin with this topic, I believe I can flow easily into my next main ideas revolving around photojournalism.

Photojournalism is the art of communicating news through photographs. In a way it is a branch of knowledge, which allows us to interpret information without the use of text. With this section of my thesis, I first will define what photojournalism is. What makes a photojournalist stand out or differ from a traditionalist “pen and paper” journalist? Also, do we tend to see more photojournalists in today’s age without even recognizing it? I want to trace the evolution of photojournalism and how this field has become very impactful since the 1850s, when the field was emerging. This will lead into the specialized role of a photojournalist. A photojournalist has to play more of a defined role than the classically trained photographer. It is not just about capturing an aesthetically pleasing image, it is to capture the essence of an event in real-time.

This is important especially when the image corresponds to a specific news article. The photojournalist must be able to visually convey a message in just a few images and if none of those images can resonate with the reader then the artist has not done their job correctly. Social media today has become a great platform for photojournalists today. The digital world moves at a very fast pace where the average user may not have the time to sit down and read an article or the photographer assigned may not have enough time to assess fully what he or she is documenting. It can only take one image to spark a movement and implant a certain perspective on an event that will stay with you for a period of time. Also in this part of my thesis I plan to use an array of visual elements to help convey my argument. I definitely plan to take some photos and information about them from my sources to highlight, photos that are etched in our minds over the 1900s as much as the events themselves.

Being a woman interested in pursuing a career in photography. I knew that I had to take my final point to discuss key women photographers/photojournalists that have contributed their work into this movement of storytelling. Artists I plan on highlighting for the third part of my thesis include Dorothea Lange, Lee Miller, and Diane Arbus seeing as though they have produced images that have been seen and interpreted by many though we may not realize the photographer behind them. It’s been a long journey for women to be recognized this field of work over the past decades and in this part of my thesis I want to note the struggles and experiences women have had to face in the field of photojournalism as well as the photo industry in general. I also want to bring forth the importance of women being in the forefront of such a male-dominated industry. By the end of thesis, I hope to convey to the reader the impact photography has not only on my

6 life but all of us as well. I’ve noticed, especially growing up, that the arts are usually never seen as important as other fields. It is often pushed to the side or considered by most as a hobby. I want to be the one who notes how the arts blend into other fields we might not even recognize on a day-to-day basis. Lastly, I hope to answer the questions that pop up during my thesis. These questions include: “What is photographic storytelling?”, “What is Photojournalism?”, “What is the role of the photojournalist?”, and “How important is the role of the woman in photojournalism and has it been easier or harder for woman to progress in this field?”

Chapter II: Photographic Storytelling

The intentions of this thesis are not to give a broad definition of what photography is. Rather, I would like to construct a new definition through the idea of storytelling. At its core, the definition states that it is the activity of telling or writing stories.1 Storytelling is one of the most important factors in Photography. It is what gives a photograph

“depth,” but what exactly does this depth mean. For example, subjects like flowers, sunsets, and mountain ranges are pleasing to the eye for aesthetic purposes. We see them all the time in catalogs or on social media but besides their beauty, what else speaks to you about these photos?

The difference with a documentary photograph is that it’s goal is to set off a spark in your mind that allows you to be come a part of a specific setting or story. These photographs usually involve stories of people, families, and societies that remain memorable due to how they make an impact on others emotionally.

Sebastian Jacobitz is a street photographer from Berlin. Not only does he capture the every day life in his city but also he has created his own platform share his experiences in hopes to educate and inspire others wishing to follow down his same past.

His focus is on Photojournalism & Documentary Photography and has written his own articles on the history as well as becoming a professional in the field. In his article “The

Art of Storytelling In Photography,”2 he writes:

1 "Storytelling | Definition of Storytelling in English by Oxford Dictionaries." Oxford Dictionaries | English. Accessed March 27, 2019. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/storytelling.

2 Jacobitz, Sebastian. "The Art of Storytelling In Photography." Streetbounty. November 11, 2018. Accessed March 27, 2019. https://streetbounty.com/art- storytelling-photography.

Storytelling in photography should start with an interesting character or detail that instantly catches the attention of the viewer. Then the focus be should lead to a “twist” that creates tension ending with a grand final.

In this way, a photo does not always have to be straight to the point. Again, what you are trying to succeed in as the photographer is being able produce a body of work that gets people engaged and questioning what exactly is the photo showing to us on a more personal level. One person can interpret a photograph entirely different from the next and that’s fine. In order to create a discussion, you never leave the story on a closed ending.

Chapter III: Photojournalism

The main genre of photographic storytelling is what we know today as

Photojournalism. Traditional journalists document their work through pen and paper while a photojournalist’s job is to capture the visual representation of that particular story. What is familiar today in documentary photography is displaying the drama behind the certain setting or gesture of a subject which is why most examples of this art display global instances of social injustices and war. We gain that imagery from that period in time and it has changed the ways we receive the news of today.

Photojournalism has its roots through war photography in 19th century. Because of the advances in technology, visual representation was more accessible to the masses than just words printed on paper. Starting in the 19th century, photographic work that was published in newspapers revolved around the effects of global wars. Roger Fenton, for example, was known as the pioneer in war photography due to his work on the Crimean

War being published in the Illustrated London News, the first weekly publication to make extensive use of this technology.3

Jumping from the American Civil War to what was considered the “Golden Age” from the 1930-70s, this lead to other storytellers dedicating their lives to pursue a field that was not only dangerous but also important in order for the subjects of their work to gain the recognition they deserved. Documentation evolved into an idea that should not be solely focused on war but also the lives of everyday people who weren’t as represented as soldiers out on the field. This mindset flourished in the Golden Age where

3 Stewart, Jessica. "The History of Photojournalism. How Photography Changed the Way We Receive News." My Modern Met. April 23, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://mymodernmet.com/photojournalism-history/.

10 more innovations such as the flash bulb and compact Leica 35mm camera made photography more accessible to anyone willing to practice their work on a day-to-day basis.4

4 Stewart, Jessica. "The History of Photojournalism. How Photography Changed the Way We Receive News." My Modern Met. April 23, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://mymodernmet.com/photojournalism-history/.

Chapter IV: The Golden Age

Through the Golden Age, women have also become leading pioneers in

Photojournalism. Photography-based magazines began hiring staff teams of photographers who conducted photo-essays to relate the news on a timely basis.5 These magazines include Berliner Illustrate Zeitung, The New York Daily News, and LIFE. A prime example is Margaret Bourke-White, known as the first American female war photojournalist. She was the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of

Soviet industry under the Soviet's five-year plan and one of her photographs of

Montana’s Fort Peck Dam graced the cover of LIFE’s first issue. Though photojournalism started and continues to be a male-dominated industry, there have been countless women who have been truly been able to grasp the emotional sense of telling a story. Among these women I have chosen three photographers based on their contribution to three different time periods through the Golden Age: the Great Depression (30s),

World War II (40s), and the Social Revolution of the 60s & 70s. I have researched in depth on the lives of Dorothea Lange, Lee Miller, and Diane Arbus to see how their experiences have impacted their perspective on visual representation and also how their perspectives have impacted others.

American photojournalist and documentary photographer, Dorothea Lange, was well known for her photographic impact during the Depression-era. Her work with the

Farm Security Administration produced photographs that shed light on the humanity and realness of the Great Depression. By aligning her visual work with the mission of the

5 Stewart, Jessica. "The History of Photojournalism. How Photography Changed the Way We Receive News." My Modern Met. April 23, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://mymodernmet.com/photojournalism-history/.

Farm Security Administration, Dorothea became a big influence in the development of documentary photography.

The Farm Security Administration, or FSA, was an agency created to aid poor farmers during the social and economic downfall Dust Bowl and Great Depression.

Lasting from 1929 to 1939, consumer spending and investment took a turn. Because of this, an increase of workers were laid off; by 1933, close to 15 million Americans were unemployed while close to half of American banks came to a close.6

Born May 26, 1895, Dorothea Nutzhorn was a Hoboken native who grew up with immigrant German parents, Heinrich and Johanna Lange and her brother, Martin

Nutzhorn. She contracted polio at the age of seven, which lead to a permanent limp as she grew older due to her weakened right leg and foot. She says, “[It] was the most important thing that happened to me, and formed me, guided me, instructed me, helped me and humiliated me.”7 Polio never stopped her. Through her weakness, she found strength and guidance. When she was twelve, she dropped her last name and instead took on her mother’s maiden name after her parents divorced.

With her education, Lange attended the New York Training School for Teachers in 1913 but showed little interest in it. She skipped school numerous times but during that time she also developed her interest in photography. She left the New York Training

School and attended Columbia University to pursue photography as a profession; at the same time opening a studio of her own and apprenticing for other photographers

6 "Great Depression History." History.com. October 29, 2009. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history.

7 "Dorothea Lange." Biography.com. April 12, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.biography.com/people/dorothea-lange-9372993.

13 including Arnold Genthe, best known for his photographs of San Francisco's Chinatown and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.8

One of the defining moments of her life was deciding to relocate to San

Francisco. Despite it being the start of the Great Depression, Lange continued on photographing the labor strikes and breadlines of San Francisco. Starting in 1933, White

Angel Breadline, San Francisco (1933)9 was one of Lange’s first attempts at street and documentary photography. This photo, gelatin silver print, shows a man facing away from a big crowd outside of a soup kitchen. The demeanor of the subject in the photograph only shows part of the despair that came during the 30s. His back is hunched over as he is leaning against the wooden barrier. The details of his empty container and the hat tipped over his eyes add to the emotion you can feel from the photograph itself.

The “ White Angel” here is not depicted in the image; rather she was the woman behind the soup kitchen. Her name was Lois Jordan, a widow who gave herself the name and started the soup kitchen to feed those who were unemployed. When recalling her photographs decades later, she notes:

8 "Dorothea Lange." Encyclopædia Britannica. April 30, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothea-Lange.

9 Lange, Dorothea. White Angel Breadline, San Francisco (1933). 1933. The Henry Swift Collection, Gift of Florence Alston Swift, San Francisco. © Oakland Museum of California, the City of Oakland, gift of Paul S. Taylor

[White Angel Breadline] is my most famed photograph. I made that on the first

day I ever went out in an area where people said, ‘Oh, don't go there.’ It was the

first day that I ever made a photograph on the street.10

In 1935, she had ended her marriage Maynard Dixon and started a new life with

Paul Shuster Taylor, a labor economist and university professor. Taylor had shared the same passion of documenting the poverty of the migrant laborers and sharecroppers with

Lange and for the next coming years they would work together, with Lange taking the photos while Taylor would conduct studies for economic data.

Soon Lange began photographing under the FSA, which produced some of her most well known photographs.

Starting in 1936, out of five exposures produced one of the most notable images of not only the economic and social effects of the Great Depression but also the Social Realist movement. Migrant

Mother, Nipomo, California (1936)11 depicts Florence Owens Thompson & her children set up at camp they shared with other farm workers who’ve experienced their same plight

10 "White Angel Breadline: The Story Behind the Picture." The Kennedy Center: ARTSEDGE. Accessed May 14, 2019. http://artsedge.kennedy- center.org/students/features/story-behind-the-picture/lange-white-angel-breadline.

11 Lange, Dorothea. Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California (1936). 1936. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Nipomo.

15 of the pea crops. For Popular Photography, once having the largest circulation of an imaging magazine, Lange recalls her final moments leading up to her capturing her series of the migrant mother and her children. In ”The Assignment I’ll Never Forget,” she recalls:

I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I

do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do

remember she asked me no questions. I made five exposures, working closer and

closer from the same direction.12

This image circulated around newspapers and rightfully so. It raised awareness and gained public attention on a national scale. By aligning her talents and efforts with the mission of the FSA, she put a face to the all-around struggle of the farm workers, who were and still are a big percentage to national economic growth, in hopes that history like such would never repeat itself.13

Realism takes on another form with Lee Miller. Of German, Scottish, and Irish descent, Elizabeth Miller was born in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1907. She was first introduced to photography through her father, Theodore. Theodore was an avid amateur photographer himself and took portraits of Lee Miller throughout her early childhood while teaching her the basics of photography with his Kodak brownie camera. She was the middle child of her siblings and together they would enjoy self-learning how

12 Dorothea Lange, ‘The Assignment I’ll Never Forget: Migrant Mother’, Popular Photography, February 1960.

13 Phelan, Ben. "The Story of the "Migrant Mother"." PBS. April 14, 2014. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/stories/articles/2014/4/14/migrant- mother-dorothea-lange/.

16 machines worked; influenced by their mother, Florence, who was a mechanical engineer. It wasn’t always a perfect childhood for Miller. At age of seven, a family friend had raped her and not only did she have to deal with it traumatically but she also suffered gonorrhea. Most would connect her later work to her traumatic experiences

During the late 1920s, she took on drawing and painting studying at the Art Students’

League in New York but also found herself beginning a modeling career as well. The winter of 1926 was when she first met Condé Montrose who was a major magazine publisher. He had save Miller from oncoming traffic and had immediately hired her to model for Vogue after noticing her beauty. She then began modeling for photographers such as fashion photographers Arnold Genthe, Nikolas Muray, and Edward Steichen.

Steichen also encouraged her to take up photography seriously by seeking apprenticeship with Man Ray.14

In 1929, she did just that, traveling to Paris and living with Ray for three years as his student. Together they rediscovered the technique of solarization, reversed the negative and positive parts of a photo and produced halo-like outlines that enhanced the lights and darks. Within those three years they’ve collaboration on many works including Observatory Time—the Lovers (c. 1931),15 which features Miller’s lips.16

14 "Lee Miller Biography, Life & Quotes." The Art Story: Modern Art Insight. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.theartstory.org/artist-miller-lee-life-and-legacy.htm.

15 Ray, Man, and Lee Miller. Observatory Time—the Lovers (c. 1931). 1931. Private Collection.

At the outbreak of World War II, Miller was living in Hampstead in London with

Penrose when the bombing of the city began. Miller photographed during and after the

Blitz as a war photographer for Vogue, creating a series later to be published Grim Glory:

Pictures of Britain Under Fire (1941).17

Despite not returning home to the U.S. as her family wanted, this decision started her career in photojournalism and led her to become an accredited war correspondent in 1942-43.

One notable photograph from the

Blitz was Fire Masks, 1941.18 Other titles of this work include Fire Masks,

Downshire Hill, London, England 1941. This image was taken outside in Miller and

Penrose’s garden on top of an air-raid shelter they created. The women shown here are not only modeling the headwear but also wearing them as protection from incendiary bombs. One woman holds an air-raid warden's whistle. Roland Penrose’s son, Antony, describes the masks seen in the photo in relation to his father being an air-raid warden saying, “…he would’ve been given [a fire mask] as really inadequate protection for

16 Blumberg, Naomi. "Lee Miller." Encyclopædia Britannica. April 19, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lee-Miller.

17 Miller, Lee, and Ernestine Carter. Grim Glory: Pictures of Britain under Fire. London: Lund, Humphries, 1941.

18 Miller, Lee. Fire Masks, Downshire Hill, London, England 1941. 1941. London. Credit: The William Hood Dunwoody Fund © Lee Miller Archives

18 when they went in and tried to put out the incendiary bombs.”19 This photograph was published in American issue of Vogue as a featured story to depict how British women were handling the War.

In 1943, Lee Miller joined the 83rd

Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in the front lines of the Allied advance from

Normandy down to Paris, and eventually into Germany. She teamed up with David E. Scherman, a correspondent for Life, traveling from Paris witnessing the aftermath of D-Day to the Nazi concentration camps of Buchenwald and Dachau.

SS Guard in Canal Dachau, 194520 displays only a small piece of the allied liberation. Of course it wasn’t easy physically and mentally for Miller, as she would write documents of her experiences as well. Her documents heavily reflected her emotions more on paper. That was where she could really express her anger and frustrations. As the war concluded, it was only right for Miller and Scherman continued on to

Luxembourg and into Germany to publish these accounts.

19 Beggs, Alex. "Don't Let History Forget This Incredible Female World War II Photographer." Vanity Fair. October 01, 2015. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/female-wwii-photographer-lee-miller.

Miller and Scherman were an unstoppable duo, producing the most iconic images from WWII. Lee Miller in Hitler’s bathtub, Munich, Germany, 1945 depicts just that, becoming just as controversial and shocking as the visual evidence of the concentrations camps to the public eye. They both, along with other GIs, successfully located Hitler’s apartment in Munich later in the day just after arriving from Dachau on April 29. Alex

Beggs, writer for Vanity Fair wrote a piece on this particular image. Beggs describes the photo to be completely staged and not candid at all. Scherman and Miller seemed to have carefully placed objects around to frame the environment and to bring more power to the bathroom itself. A portrait of Hitler himself is places on the left side of the tub while a

“slightly kitschy” statue is placed on a nightstand to the right. Also, the shower hose is conveniently looped behind Miller’s head, as if representing a noose. The boots tracking dirt on the bath mat proves as the highlight of the photograph. Beggs writes in another account by Antony

Penrose:

I think she was sticking two fingers up at Hitler,” says Antony. “On the floor are her boots, covered with the filth of Dachau, which she has trodden all over Hitler’s bathroom floor. She is saying she is the victor. But what she didn’t know was that a few hours later in Berlin, Hitler and Eva Braun would kill themselves in his bunker.21

21 Beggs, Alex. "Don't Let History Forget This Incredible Female World War II Photographer." Vanity Fair. October 01, 2015. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/female-wwii-photographer-lee-miller.

The 1960s sparked another revolution. The focus moved to how we treat each other not only individually but also collectively. Social protests for change such as the

Civil Rights Movement, the Red Power Movement, the Women’s Movement, and the

Gay Rights Movement called for action to bring awareness to the mistreatment and, unfortunately, the brutalities of the minority. Among those contributing to shining a light on the minority was Diane Arbus. Born in New York in 1923, Arbus was an American photographer best known for her intimate black-and-white portraits. Though she started out as a commercial photographer alongside her husband Allan Arbus for

Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar through the 40s, her focus on documenting the lives of citizens in her community began in the 50s. 22 She touched on personal identity and documented those living on the margins of conventional society: twins, transgender people, and circus performers just to name a few . Due to her subject choice, her work became very controversial and she was heavily criticized negatively for it.

Diane Arbus was regarded as a humanist. The American Humanist Association defines humanism23 as:

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good.

22 "Diane Arbus." Artnet. Accessed May 14, 2019. http://www.artnet.com/artists/diane- arbus/.

23 "Definition of Humanism." American Humanist Association. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/definition-of-humanism/.

Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings. By photographing those feared and seen as outcasts, Arbus gave a voice to communities that deserved to be heard.

Her photograph, A Young Man in Curlers at

Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. (1966)24, reflects her interests of identity within the transgender community. The title is self-explanatory, depicting a portrait of her subject showcasing hair curlers smoking a cigarette. What is interesting about this photograph is how Arbus chose not to photograph her subject in full drag. Instead the setting is more intimate and domestic, a way to view the photograph on a humanistic level and being able to relate to a figure usually feared and perceived as unnatural. This photograph also emphasizes the ambiguity of her subject’s gender: his strong, masculine jawline, large hands and the pitted skin on his cheeks contrast with his groomed, arched eyebrows, curlers and long fingernails.25

Twins and Triplets were another phenomena. Arbus begs the question “What differences can be found between subjects so similar, identical even?”

24 Arbus, Diane. A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966. 1966. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, New York.

25 "Diane Arbus: A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966." National Galleries Scotland. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/92850/young-man-curlers-home-west- 20th-street-nyc-1966.

She depicts the answer greatly in her work, Identical Twins, Roselle, N.J. (1966)26 where both girls, Cathleen and Colleen Wade, express different emotions. The girl on the left remains emotionless, unentertained and smile nonexistent, while her sister on the right has slight grin and is wide-eyed. Opposites collide further when noting their dark dresses contrasting the white background they stand in front of, perhaps a comment on purity.

Matthew Henry, 2017 graduate from the College of the Holy Cross, wrote a formal analysis exploring the photograph further. He notes another contrast between their youthful, physical appearance and their gazes through the lens of Diane Arbus’ camera27:

Both the girls stare directly at the camera, peering straight through the lens as if they were spying into the viewer’s soul. Their dissimilar expressions also serve as a symbol of the right and wrong sides of decisions that are often hard to distinguish between...Dressed as if they were going to Church on Sunday, their innocence and purity acts as a form of bait used to lure people into a mysterious unknown life that may be corrupted by evil and sin.

27 Henry, Matthew. "Formal Analysis - Identical Twins." Google Sites. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://sites.google.com/a/g.holycross.edu/identical-twins/formal-analysis.

Connections can be made to the iconic ‘Come Play With Us’ scene in The

Shining28, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The pair of twins also stood side by side dressed identically, serving to produce a quality disturbing and uncomfortable scene due to their abnormal appearance of sameness. Diane Arbus, who was fascinated by the strange and different, used the image of identical twins to express the message that although some things may appear to be the same there is often much more than what meets the eye.

These three powerful photojournalists of the Golden Age encapsulated the fearlessness that comes with a career in documentary photography. They chose to leave behind their previous, mostly glamorous, opportunities that would have progressed their individual selves and instead focused on the communities and events that, though silenced by the masses, mattered most.

28 The Shining. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Performed by Jack Nicholson. United States: Warner Bros., 1980. Film.

Chapter V: Conclusion

In our current society, photojournalism has rapidly become a popular, somewhat necessary, device to drive home what should be discussed on a global scale. This is the age of social media. Everything is fast-paced and if you cannot get the message across in a matter of seconds, it goes unnoticed. For example, Twitter’s ‘Moments’ is a big provider of what’s trending and most talked about in the world today. All topics are accompanied with images or videos being at the front and center to draw the reader in.

This engages the reader to be ‘in the now,’ right at the heart of the current event.

Though there are positives to accessing an abundance of topics digitally it also comes with some downsides. With the increasing market of cellular phones, any one has the access to capture a ‘trending’ moment and post it online in a matter of seconds without professional review and critique. Everyone is his or her own photojournalist so whom can we trust? Also, unlike information from printed sources such as newspapers and magazines, digital medial allows you to view the opinions of others across the globe.

In this sense, it is hard to construct your own first thoughts about a certain event, especially if the photographer assigned is intentionally trying to skew the viewer to a certain consensus. This poses a greater harm to those not willing to further educate themselves on the highlighted topic or perhaps a certain group being targeted without the proper discussion of their perspective. As a result, it is best to take it all with a grain of salt.

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