WHAT IS PHOTOJOURNALISM?
Saigon's motorbike craze is one of the heralds of the Vietnam's cultural and economic rejuvenation. The morning commute finds young schoolgirls dressed in the traditional Ao Dai. Pre-communist fashions have made a big comeback since the late 1980s when the government began to loosen restrictions.
According to Ed Kashi, “photojournalism is a unique and powerful form of visual storytelling.” He goes on to speak about how the medium for photojournalism has changed as well. It has come from something that was created for print only and now is merging into a dynamic multimedia explosion of audiences that could never be reached.
Photojournalism deals with who, what, where, when, why, and how. Photojournalism is designed for newspapers, magazines and social media. Photojournalism is more thought out than street photography for example. A photojournalist has a certain motivation for shooting and will sometimes tell a story that is not necessarily newsworthy yet still of interest.
Photojournalists make money by selling their writing and images to publications.
Aside from selling his stories and photos to various publications Ed Kashi also leads workshops, teaches and mentors.
Noor Photo Agency, NPPA and PPA are some organizations dedicated to to representing photojournalists. Joining an organization can offer many benefits such as workshops and seminars led by other professionals. Networking is a major reason to join an organization. Subscriptions to magazines and other veins of inspiration are a benefit too. Costs for joining can range from free to over one hundred dollars.
The beginning of modern photojournalism took place in Germany in 1925
The “Golden Age” of photojournalism is considered to be sometime between the 1930’s and 1950’s. This was made possible by the development of the compact 35mm lens and camera in 1925 and the first flash bulbs between 1927 and 1930. These allowed journalists to have more flexibility in capturing their subjects.
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