FAVE PHOTOG JONAS BENDIKSEN
Photojournalism can be defined as photography taken to tell a story that usually affects a specific group of people. These pictures are seen on tv, articles, and social media. I like to define photojournalism as a way to record history. Sometimes we forget that the pictures we see on history books and magazines were taken by a photojournalist. Photojournalists have impacted our world immensely by giving us evidence of important events throughout the years, which helps us grow as a society. I believe that being involved in this field is more important than ever now that today’s society is so focused on photography. Pictures are seen and shared all over the internet within seconds especially using social media. Social media has become the new source to find news for a lot of young people. People don’t focus on the article or even the facts, but a picture is what defines the news story.
Photojournalism first began back in Germany 1925 where the 35mm camera was invented and changed the game of photography for the better. The Leica camera gave photojournalists the freedom they needed to take pictures anywhere without carrying a lot of heavy equipment everywhere they went. This invention led to creating the first photojournalism magazine. This magazine didn’t just have pictures, but words as well. Editors and photographers began to work together to present not only visuals, but well rounded news stories to people. Life was one of the first magazines to experiment with the concept of photojournalism and became one of the most influential photojournalism magazines in the world. One of my favorite photojournalists is Robert Capa and I believe his work should be recognized. Alongside photographer and journalist Gerda Taro, they created ‘Robert Capa.’ His real name was Andre Friedmann, but began selling his work under the name Robert Capa, the greatest american war photographer. Later on, Capa co founded one of the biggest photography companies in the world known as Magnum.
Photojournalists have certain routes they can take when it comes to their career. They can work for television, magazines, books, and even in the aerospace business. I think that the ultimate goal for most photojournalists is probably being part of a well known photographic agency. Magnum is actually considered one of the most prestigious agencies in the world, with editorial offices in New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo. Photojournalists that get to work in this agency are responsible for capturing different events, people’s lives, different cultures, issues, and personalities through their vision on photography. They travel all over the world capturing these moments and writing small stories about the subjects in the picture. A decided to explore the work of a photojournalist for Magnum. His photography usually revolves around isolated communities and enclaves. I was attracted to his work now that I find it to be very raw and the color used in his pictures is really fantastic. He’s also worked on other projects where he used still photography, projections and voice recordings. Bendiksen has also written a book and runs a photo blog on the Magnum website. His editorial clients include National Geographic, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Sunday Time Magazine.
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