best shots come from little guy
Jeff Stanton
Sue Jarrett wrote:
<
<I agree w/ Ken Koller that probably 95% of news photogs are on
<small-average dailies and that is where their pix come
<from--local area
<happenings. It's always a big brouhaha when the NPPA photog of
<the yr comes
<out w/ all those Bosnia, war ravaged, far flung pix. I was so
<happy in 1996
<when the winner was from small town America (Indiana, right?)
<Good stuff
<comes from the photographer, not just the location.
<
<
I couldn't agree more with this line of thinking. I actually feel
like becoming ill everytime I see one of these war torn photos where
people are in misery or people in Africa starving. So what? I've argued
many other times (I know this will start a debate) many, many shooters
can photograph this kind of stuff. It's a no brainer.
What separates good shooters from average is one who can make a
nothing or boring assignment into something interesting and creative.
And there are a lot more small dailies whose photographers make more
than a difference in their communities than the few who shoot in far off
places and unfortunately tell stories that matter little to the people
living in a small town worrying about whether the school board is going
to want to add a tax levy to support athletics or if the city council
will get the streets paved this year.
Not to take anything away from those folks who have assignments
overseas, because they do work hard in their own right and face
obstacles and dangers we at home do not.
But I feel far more emphasis are often placed on the work of a few
rather than the many. Just my two pennys.
Jeff Stanton
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Ken Koller
> I couldn't agree more with this line of thinking. I actually feel
>like becoming ill everytime I see one of these war torn photos where
>people are in misery or people in Africa starving. So what? I've argued
>many other times (I know this will start a debate) many, many shooters
>can photograph this kind of stuff. It's a no brainer.
It's easy to go to a foriegn country, find these photos and have your
readers feel for these people.
But, scenes like this are present right here in this country, in your
community. There are areas of this country, in the richest cities, in the
poorest ghettos, that rival those of third world countries. Find those
stories in your community, and people will (hopefully) be appalled at what
is happening and take some action.
I could never understand how when an earthqauke or a natural disaster hits
some forign country, the U.S. is the first to go help. That's nice, but how
about helping *here* first?
People are starving here, people are dying here, people are living in
squalid conditions here, and you don't need a passport or an airline ticket
to find it.
Aryeh Rabinovich
Having played both sides of this street, the attacks against
photographers who shoot in the world's trouble spots are examples of
carping. Yes, they do place themselves in exciting and visually
compelling situations and yes, small-town photographers do cover their
communities will sensitivity.
But to imply that the situation itself creates prize-winning photos is
to denigrate the photographer. For example, during the Haiti fracas of a
few years back many photographers took the opportunity of its proximity
to buy plane tickets and rush off to cover the violence. I had the
ability to see a great deal of this material.
Most of it did not measure up to the work produced by the wire service
photographers who drop into trouble spots or such excellent photogs as
Carol Guzy of the Washington Post.
So please remember, as the bullets fly around you and people are chasing
you with iron bars, you have to be able to distill the situation in your
mind and react fast enough to take the photos.
It is a matter of skill and knowledge.
Jennifer Teeter
Best shots come from little guy? Wait a gosh-darn-minute.If we are talking
about under 5 feet tall, these guys are an absolute nuisance. If they carry a
step ladder, it is always hogging up too much space, and if they climb trees,
it is unseemly. I think the best shooters are at least seven feet tall. This
way they can do surveillance, and save the company of paying for expensive
aerial access. Just my two-cents, Jennifer
Michal Thompson
Bill Luster, are you still on the list or should I field this one?
Michal Thompson
Hillsboro, OR
mic...@zzz.com
Steven Frischling
>So please remember, as the bullets fly around you and people are
chasing
>you with iron bars, you have to be able to distill the situation in
your
>mind and react fast enough to take the photos.
>
>It is a matter of skill and knowledge.
Just a thought, these images happen right here in the U.S. of A., as
well about 10 blocks from my house. Although I have done some work
overseas, the I.R.A. & Skinheads, I do my work here in my backyard and
in other areas of the U.S. , I am not winning awards, and don't really
care to, I am not world known, globe trotting and heavily published
weekly, but I do and have dodged bullets and have been chased by people
with iron bars, I have had my bones broken, stiches requied to heal the
wound, and have had to dispose of pannels on a bullt proof vest because
it was used to protect myself.
I have a number of images of gun play upclose & personal, have a few
photos of guns being aimed at me, photos of riot situations from inside
the riot & so on, I do not need to travel to find the wars, they are
here. I spend a lot of time when I can in the inner cities and in
heavy drug & homocide areas , from parts of NYC to East Palo Alto (the
homocide capitol of the US for 2 years).
I had done a long story on a ravaged project, one with many homocides,
and kidnapings , rapes & anything else you could find, an agency I had
dealt with was totally unable to sell the images because it was from
here in the U.S., so no US, Canadian or UK market was interested, it was
suggested that I take my combat skills, and ideas for showing the story
to somewhere like Israel's Gaza Strip or West Bank or Croatia. The
story is 100% different there, the images are dfferent , I shot this
because it where I live, and I was shot & beaten and chased and no one
cared because it was here. That bothers me, but I still do it because
I believe in the story being at home, I believe in the story being where
you live, because that is where you should make a difference first.
Please do not think dangers on exist overseas, sometimes they happen
just over the highway.
Steven E. Frischling
Freelance Photojournalist
New York City
1(800)662-5306
-No One Gets Out Alive, It's Only Life After All
Greg Locke
>>anyone
>>can photograph this kind of stuff. It's a no brainer.
>
foreign assignments have to learn a lot about the politics, cultures,
historical context of the places and situations they are going.
I would really have to question one's journalistic ability or
knowledge for making a statement like this....not to mention the later
comment about "nobody" in small town america would be interested in world
events.
> > What separates good shooters from average is one who can make a
>>nothing or boring assignment into something interesting and creative.
>
How about, what separates the best from the rest is the ability to
go anywhere, anytime and document a story with knowledge, intelligence and
compassion so that the reader/viewer will have an understanding of a MAJOR
WORLD EVENT or small town culture in a place that most people will never
see, but none the less think is important or interesting.
>> But I feel far more emphasis are often placed on the work of a few
>>rather than the many. Just my two pennys.
>>Jeff Stanton
Maybe its because the few are the best and they ACTUALLY make better
pictures...regardless of the assignment. They get the "glamour" assignments
and the nice contracts because they are better photographers and have proved
themselves. They proved themselves to be the cream of the photographic
crop, not only for their photographic vision (there's that word again) but
also the dedication and passion they bring to the work.
MEGA NEWS CORP. is not going to give their money Joe Average
Photographer without a proven record of success. I once begged a photo
editor to give an assignment to another, less experienced photographer...he
said "NO"...he couldn't afford the risk. ...and there, my friends, is the
crunch. Photo editors at BIG papers and top level magazine don't want
surprises. It's costing them a lot of money and when they hire someone they
want the piece of mind to KNOW, that they will get ABOVE AVERAGE photos,
delivered on time and in a professional manner.
To get to be a "Star" you have to EARN a reputation for producing
"stellar" work with consistency, be it in Rwanda, Chechnya, LA, NYC or East
Cow Patty, Iowa.
To earn that reputation that earns the money and glamour
assignments, requires A LOT of sacrifice and self-generated work. You pay
your dues for years...and in the end, only the best is rewarded. They are
rewarded with the assignments, freedom, decent pay, public recognition and
space in the best of magazines,...even with NPPA awards....and you are
denying their right to win the NPPA contest because their photos were not
shot at a high school football game or state fair? GROW UP AND STOP WHINING!
What is it with this small minded provincialism? I hear this crap
every few months for the past 2 years on this list...and I'm still amazed I
respond to it. I resisted all day...and lost. so there you have it.
Well, I'm off on a 2 week assignment and it's NOT IN MY COMMUNITY!
more then my 2 cents worth,
Greg
Greg Locke 2 Mullocke St
greg....@nf.sympatico.ca St. John's, Newfoundland
greg...@ibm.net Canada A1C 2R5
(I would show you the safety features...but we have none!)