Altering and Staging Photographs
According to the NPPA code of ethics, photojournalists should never alter photographs, but different people have different definition to what exactly altering a photograph is.
Some believe that altering photographs includes toning a photograph and color balancing it. Others believe that altering a photograph is changing the original context of what the photographs displays, included adding or removing objects in the photograph.
For me personally, altering a photograph is adding or removing content. Sometimes in digital photography and in film photography, photographs may be overexposed or underexposed. It happens to even the best photographers of all times. A photographer might then burn or dodge a photograph in the darkroom to make it the best it can be, or a digital photograph may be made lighter or darker. Is that altering a photograph?
My answer is no. People have been burning and dodging photographs since darkroom photography was invented. Lightening or darkening photographs digitally is the same, even though some do not agree.
Another ethical code the NPPA clearly states is no photojournalist may stage a photograph.
Well if that is the case, is portrait photography for photojournalist’s staged? The photojournalist wants the subject to be in a portrait style and sometimes have to tell the subject to change facial expressions. Is that staging then?
My answer is of course no. Telling someone how to hold their face is not staging a photograph. It is simply helping the photograph being the best it can be. If a photographer was to add props or create a background, then of course that is staging.
One magazine that went against the code of ethics was National Geographic with their cover of the pyramids. The pyramids would not fit into a vertical format of the cover, so they moved them closer together through digital manipulation. That is one hundred percent against NPPA code of ethics.
There are only a few exceptions to these rules that I agree with. If a photograph that is being taken is not by a photojournalists but rather a studio photographer, then altering and staging is okay. They are not trying to tell a factual news story through a photograph, but rather expressing their own style of photography.
Joe Rosenthal
The most memorable photograph from World War II was taken by Joe Rosenthal. The image is of five Marines and one Navy corpsman raising the flag at Iwo Jima on top of Mount Suribachi.
The photograph is been called a genius, a fraud, a hero, and a phony, and Rosenthal has had to defend his Pulitzer Prize winning photograph during his whole life. Some people believe that his photograph is so perfect that it has to be staged, while others believe that this photograph is the greatest photograph of all time.
The photograph has served as the symbol for the Seventh War Loan Drive, and is the most widely reproduced photograph of all time. The photograph has is been displayed on stamps, and the cover of many newspapers and magazines.
While some people believe Rosenthal’s photograph is genius, it was not the actual first flag that rose. After Rosenthal was informed of this memorable moment of the American flag being raised, he quickly hurried to the spot but was too late. The first flag was already raised, but a larger replacement was decided to be put in its place.
This is where some people find controversy over the photograph, because Rosenthal did not actual take the first photograph of the flag being raised. Photographer Sgt. Lou Lowery was there to witness the first raising, but Rosenthal did not make it in time. This caused some sour tastes in a few critics mouth because this famous symbol was not the original raising.
Personally I find the photograph very inspiring, but all the controversy surrounding the photograph makes me question it.
Even though controversy surrounds the defining moment, the photograph will forever be a symbol of the valor and sacrifices of the United States Marines.
War Photography
In a time of war, photography is at its up most importance. This was especially true when televisions were not in existence and people did not get daily news about the war.
War photographs imply more than just photographs of combat and soldiers who have died. It can refer to military photographs in general, photographs of civilians caught in the middle of conflicts, or images of the home front.
In World War I, censorship of photography was heavy. Photographers had limited access to the front of the line during the war and there were few actual photographers taking photographs of the actual war.
World War II changed the way photographers took photographs. During this time, a photographer for the first time published photographs of the dead. It appeared in Life magazine and showed three dead American corpses lying on the beach after a landing in the Pacific.
David Douglas Duncan, war photographer in Korea, showed photographs that displayed exhaustion in his photographs, instead of triumph during the Korean War. This caused American discourse during a time of war and less support.
During the Vietnam War, the photographs were very graphic and displaying shocking images. One of the most famous photograph during the Vietnam War was a young girl running down the road after the place she was located got napalmed.
In the current war America is facing, Iraqi War, photography coverage is very apparent but the government tries to censor it. During the Persian Gulf War, the Pentagon put a stop to media coverage of coffins returning to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Tami Silicio, Seattle Times photographer, published flag-draped coffins on the front page of Seattle Times. Before the Pentagon could stop and censor the paper, the photographs were already published a distributed all around. Silicio, her husband and co-worker David Landry were all fired because of the photographs and story that ran on the cover of the Seattle Times.
Photography is very important during a time of war. It can help support the war or not support the war. Either way, documentation of the war through photography is very important for history and up-to-date information about the wars.
Manipulating Photographs
Digital photography has changed the way photographers can manipulate photographs. Software programs such as Photoshop have made manipulation look so real that viewers are unable to tell what fact from fiction is.
The Dove campaign displayed in a video how advertisers manipulate the way woman look in advertisements. In the Dove campaign, a photograph of a woman was taken and then in fast motion they showed how the different features in Photoshop changed the woman’s appearance. They extended the woman’s neck and moved around other facial features, such as her eyes, so they could create “the” perfect woman.
The message advertisers give women when they manipulate their photographs is a negative body image because they will never be that perfect. Advertisers tell women how they should look and what they should wear, but when advertisers manipulate the photograph into the perfect facial features, how are women supposed to fell about themselves?
Dove is exposing these issues and telling women they don’t need to be perfect, and trying to be perfect shouldn’t matter.
But after seeing the Dove campaign, is it okay for regular photographers to manipulate and add to their images? If the photograph is for photojournalistic purposes, is manipulation okay?
In my opinion, photographers who manipulate photographs for their own personal art is okay, but on the other hand photojournalists should never manipulate their photographs because they are telling a story. Regular photographers do not have to tell the truth through their photographs but photojournalists do.
Darkroom Photography
Digital photography is a revolutionary way that allows photographers to immediately see the photographs they create, and be able to take multiple shots of the same scene without worrying about running out of film.
Even with the new revolutionary photography, darkroom photography is just as amazing, but in a different way. Darkroom photography is composed with film, and the photographer is not able to see their photos immediately. The photographer also has to be very careful about their shots because they only have a limited amount of shots in one roll of film.
What is most exciting to me about darkroom photography is the fact that I am the one developing the film and creating the photographs. I am the one that rolls the film onto the reels and add the different developer to makes the negatives appear. What is so nerve racking about rolling the film on the reels, is the person has to be in a completely dark room with no light. If light is exposed to the film before it is developed, then the film is ruined.
Depending on the film, it takes about 45 minutes to develop and a day for the film to dry. What is most exciting is waiting while the film is being developed because for me at least, I am always worried the film has been exposed to light and is ruined.
After the film dries, it is ready to produce photographs. What I like most about the darkroom is it is all hands on. You are not sitting at a computer clicking a mouse, but instead you are physically picking the photograph to expose and then exposing it onto a piece of paper.
The routine I find efficient when creating photographs is the darkroom is first creating a contact sheet, which is an exposed photograph with the entire film photographs on it, and then choosing the photographs that look best. Then I put the negative into the enlarger and decide how large I want the photograph to be. Then I expose the piece of paper and put it into the different developers. The process usually takes about five minutes to expose and develop, but I usually have to create about five of the same photograph to make it perfect.
Even though the process to develop the film and then create the actual photographs takes a long time, it is still fun and sometimes I would rather do that then mess around with Photoshop.
History of Buddhism
The goal of Buddhism is to reach enlightenment, but the way to reach enlightenment is extremely complicated and has many different forms. As the religion grew and spread across India, then East Asia, then China and finally Japan, the religion changed and incorporated new ideas, but the ultimate goal is to reach nirvana though.
Buddhism was first introduced into India. Shaka, Buddhist priest, was born and became a great leader. Maya, queen and mother, had a revelation of a great leader being born and as it happens, the great leader was her son. Shaka’s father wanted him to be a great prince and to be sheltered from the world.
One night, the prince decided to sneak out of the palace and encountered four signs. The first one was a sick man, the second was an old man, the third was a religious man, and the last was a dead man. Shaka was very moved by the four signs and discovered how much suffering there was in the world. He decided that religion was the solution to all of suffering.
Shaka decided to leave the palace and become a religious man. This was known as “The Great Departure.” He studied for many years with different teachers and discovered the great dilemma of human life is suffering.
Shaka left his teachers and decided to sit under a tree until he achieved enlightenment. He discovers there is good and bad karma in the world, and when a person is good they are reborn into a better life and if they are bad, the person is reborn into a worse life. The main goal, according to Shaka, is to break the chain of reincarnation and to reach enlightenment.
Buddhism did not just bring a new religion to the world, but beautiful sculptures. As the years progressed, the Buddha’s changed and different forms were created. Also depending on the region, the Buddha’s were different. In the Middle East, Buddha’s had less clothing than the ones in Asia, but overall they were all beautiful.
Ethics in Photography
The preamble of the NPPA Code of Ethics says that photojournalists operate as trustees of the public. Their primary role is to report visually on the significant events and varied viewpoints on our common world. Their primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. As photojournalists, they have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images. Photographic and video images can reveal truths, expose wrong doings and neglect, inspire hope and understanding, and connect people around the globe through the language of visual understandings. Photographs can also cause great harm if they are callously intrusive or are manipulated.
The code says photojournalists must:
- Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
- Resist being manipulated by stage photo opportunities.
- Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.
- Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.
- When photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
- Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
- Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
- Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
- Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.
Photographers need to keep this code of ethics in mind when they are photographing different subjects, so they can be creditable with their job. Photographers need to be sensitive to the subject matter and keep in mind the individuals when they are photographing.
Images such as Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald, brings up some ethical issues. The photograph displays Oswald’s death, and this photograph was shocking to viewers who saw it and witnessed the crime.
Another problematic image was Senator Henry Jackson campaigning for president. The photographer shot the photograph in a way that it seemed only a few people showed up to his campaign speech. In reality, a lot of people showed up and the camera angle misrepresented the situation. The photojournalist was not acting fair, and obviously did not favor Jackson as the president.
Jackson Campaigning
Same Photo BUT Different Angle
Compositional Elements to Photography
When photographing, the photographer must keep in mind a couple of elements to create exceptional photographs. Some of these elements include lighting situations, rule of thirds, and composition.
There are four properties that deal with lighting. The first one is intensity, which refers to the amount of light hitting the subject matter. The second is the direction of light. Some common directions of light are front, top, side, under, and back lighting. Each produces a different effect, depending of the photographs subject matter. The third is quality of light. There are two types of quality of light which includes diffused light and hard light. Diffused light is multi-directional lighting, while hard light comes from a single light source. The last property is color.
The rule of thirds is a simple rule that photographers use to create better photographs. The rule of thirds is simply imaginary lines that divide a photograph into thirds both horizontally and vertically. A photographer places the most important parts of the photograph where the lines intersect.
The last element that is important to photographers is composition. One important element to composition is filling the frame. Often less experienced photographers perceive objects in the view finder larger than they actually are. This causes a lot of wasted space in the photograph, which could take away from the composition trying to be achieved. Another important element to pay attention to when speaking about composition is ‘slight’ distractions that can appear in a photo. Sometimes things are growing out of a subjects head, or something is crossing the background of the photograph that distracts the view. The photographer has to be mindful and pay close attention to what they are photographing. Always double check what is in the foreground, middle ground, and background of a photograph.
Modern Sculpture Artists
One of the most interesting art history classes I have taken is Topics in Modern Art. The class focuses on modern sculpture, starting around the 19th century with Rodin and working up to the 21st century with Christo and Jean-Claude.
Some of Rodin’s most famous pieces are “Age of Bronze,” “The Gates of Hell,” “The Thinker” and my favorite, “The Kiss.” When the piece was displayed, the critics didn’t understand the pose. They didn’t know why Rodin decided to have the hand of the sculpture resting on top of the head. The critics also created allegations against Rodin, stating that he casted from a live model instead of creating it by hand alone. The accusations were entirely false and Rodin never casted from live models.
It is my favorite piece because it is so intimate. Rodin entangled the two lovers together in such a way that the viewer can feel their love and passion for each other. It is quite an amazing effect that Rodin is able to accomplish. Another artist that had a similar idea to Rodin’s “The Kiss,” is Brancusi’s “Kiss.” This is a much more simplified version of Rodin piece, but has just as much meaning. Some say that Brancusi’s piece is much more intimate than Rodin’s because the sculpture is much closer together. My personal opinion is Rodin’s piece is more intimate than Brancusi’s. The detail is astonishing and makes the viewer feel there are experiencing a very intimate moment that usually is not shown in public.
Two other modern sculpture artists that I am very fond of are Christo and Jean-Claude. They are most famous for their unique technique of wrapping. Wrapping essentially is taking miles of fabric and literally wrapping it around a certain landscape. The reason Christo and Jean-Claude wrap different landscapes is because they want viewers to interpret the landscape they wrapped in a different way. Their most recent wrapping project was in Central Park in New York City called “The Gates.” They came up with the idea in 1979 and finished it in 2005. Another famous wrapping the created was Pont Neuf in Paris. The project was started in 1975 and finished it in 1985. There work is so amazing with the scale of the projects they take on and the idea.
I find Christo and Jean-Claude’s work very inspirational and unique compared to other artists in the 21st century. They have discovered a new medium of art that is very beautiful and fun to experience. There has been some speculation of a new piece of work that will be displayed in the summer of 2013 on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. The piece is called “Over the River” and hopefully I will be able to experience this new fascinating instillation.
Pulitzer Prize Winning Controversal Photo
Many ethical issues are presented when dealing with photojournalism. If a photographer photographs a controversial photo, then they have to decide whether to print the photograph or not to print the photograph. If the photograph displays sensitive subject matter of a particular individual, then as a photographer they must keep in mind how the photograph could potentially hurt them.
One photograph that always comes into my mind when I think of controversial photographs is Kevin Carter’s famous photograph of a small Sudanese child being stalked by a vulture. One must wonder how long the photographer was following this starving Sudanese child before he got the remarkable photograph he did. It has been speculated that he waited a total of 20 minutes before taking the photograph that won him a Pulitzer Prize.
Before deciding the ethical questions displayed in the photograph, some brief background could change a person opinion. The Sudanese child was trying to crawl to a food shelter while the vulture was stalking it. Before Carter arrived in Sub-Saharan Africa, he was told not to have physical contact with the native people because they could carry some deadly diseases. This is where the ethical issues come into play.
Even though Carter was not supposed to help the child, should he have done it anyways? Personally I believe he should have because the food shelter was very close and it was a starving child. Children always make sensitive situations worse because children can’t always fend for themselves all of the time.
The vulture following the child to me symbolizes death. Vultures eat off of already dead carcasses, and they do not kill their prey. The vulture was just waiting for the child to die so it could feed, which as I mentioned earlier, symbolizes death.
In the end, Carter decided to print the photograph. He ended up committing suicide because of all the scrutiny he was receiving from the photograph, but the photograph opened people eyes. Individuals were able to see that this Sub-Saharan part of Africa had these starving Sudanese natives and some were innocent children who could fend for themselves. It brought reality to people who did not even know about these problems, so for that reason he made the right decision to print the photograph. Perhaps he made the wrong decision for not helping the child while he waited for that memorable photograph. All of that depends on the individual.
Art and Photography IUB 
