PHOTOJOURNALISM

Photojournalism is the craft of employing photographic storytelling to document life and is universal and transcends cultural and language bounds. (Irby) Photojournalism is differentiated from other forms of photography because of its goal to photograph the real world as events unroll in a un-manipulated way.

Photojournalists can make a living by taking on various jobs for magazines or newspapers. They are responsible for providing clear, easy-to-read, high quality, truthful images, that communicate a meaningful message to the readers of the publication they work for. (Ford) An example of a professional organization that represents photojournalists is the National Press Photographers Association. This association provides members with access to lists of job opportunities and allows for employers to seek photojournalists that meet their needs. The most expensive membership the NPPA has is the “Professional Membership” and costs $110 annually. (NPPA) Organizations like these allow photojournalists to do what they love. Associations like NPPA have kept the profession alive and work as the middle man between the photographer and the client.

The beginning of photojournalism started in the early years of the 20^th century in Germany. Photo magazines began in the 1920s and revealed a collaboration–instead of isolated photos, laid out like in your photo album, editors and photographers began to work together to produce an actual story told by pictures and words, or cutlines. (Colins) During the “Golden Age” of photojournalism magazines began experiencing and increase in their readership. Magazines, such as London’s Picture Post, Paris’s Paris Match, and Life and Sports Illustrated in the U.S., and newspapers like London’s Daily Mirror and New York’s Daily Graphic, built their reputations largely on their use of photography. (NWE) This era paved the road for future photojournalists. Photographers such as Robert Capa, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, and W. Eugene Smith became well-known names. (NEW)

Today a photojournalist that inspires me is Steve McCurry. McCurry does work for many publications including the National Geographic magazine. His work captures everyday people and places in a way that draws your attention to the simple beauty of the subjects. Thanks to the pioneers of the early 20^th century, people like Steve McCurry are able to inspire masses of people with photojournalism.