Photojournalism is an important field and photographers who are able to capture 'the moment' are widely sought after. However, with the developing arena for photography and photo-shopping, the danger is that the image readers or audiences are shown may have little in common with that taken by the photographer on site. Digital manipulation has evolved from simple 'tweaking' or 'brushing up' to full blown makeovers and distortion of reality. Fashion magazines and celebrity rags are particularly guilty of this as they present an unrealistic beauty ideal to society that has them aiming for a perfection that can never be achieved.
The following youtube video was shown in class which shows the transformation of an already attractive girl into a supermodel of unrealistic proportions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcFlxSlOKNI
The attributes of a good photo in itself were also discussed and the following examples were used during the discussion. The first image left me wondering which one Johnathan Thurston was (you can tell I'm not a rugby fan), as the wrong person is foregrounded. The second image was my favourite, as my artistic self cannot help but love the poetic symbolism of the cross framing and the vulnerability the picture portrayed. I am not a fan of the third photo as it seems invasive, as if the photographer is shamelessly trespassing on private moments of grief. Maybe the zoomed in image from outside seems more intrusive then the others, but the second photograph is definitely the best and most balanced of the three.
Desirable attributes of a good photo are as followed:
- Framing
- Focus
- Angle/P.O.V
- Exposure
- Timing
- Capturing 'THE MOMENT'
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