Photojournalists Covering Traumatic Events

The article, The difficulty of documenting a tragedy, discusses the challenges photojournalists face when covering tragedies and disasters. The author, Thulasi Kakkat, notes that most journalists have no training in saving lives or rescuing people during emergencies. Yet they are compelled to rush to the scene of accidents and calamities to document the events unfolding.

At the site of a disaster, a photojournalist is expected to remain objective and convey the reality of the situation through images, even though they may be confronted with disturbing and emotional scenes. The article cites the example of a photojournalist who covered a building collapse in Kerala, India, where several construction workers were trapped and injured. The journalist wanted to get an image of the workers caught under the debris, but felt conflicted about his responsibility to simply document versus intervene to help.

Kevin Carter lived this conflict. His photograph of a dying child, The Vulture and the Little Girl, won the Pulitzer Prize while at the same time he was vilified for not helping the child. Soon after receiving his Pulitzer, and suffering from depression, he committed suicide. The ongoing debate is: Should he help? Some questioned why he didn't put down the camera and help the child. Or, should he remain objective? Others argued that he should remain an objective observer.

The article delves into the psychological impact on journalists who cover traumatic events. It notes that the sense of detachment photojournalists may acquire over time is a complex issue - it is unclear whether this detachment is real or simply a coping mechanism. The author reflects on their own experiences covering floods and landslides in Kerala, where the scale of the tragedy was overwhelming. They grappled with the question of whether the journalist's role is merely to record the events or to also intervene and provide assistance.

The difficulty of documenting a tragedy, by Thulasi Kakkat. In: The Hindu, 13 December 2024

The article also discusses a specific incident in June 2024, where more than 45 people were killed in a fire in a building in Kuwait. The author vividly describes the harrowing scene, including the grief of the victims' families and the lingering sense of shock. The article emphasizes that while photojournalists may go back home after covering a tragedy, the images they capture serve as an "irrefutable truth" of what occurred, and they must consider the ethics and responsibilities involved in their work.

Comments

Visual Culture

Visual culture is a multifaceted field that examines the pervasive role of visuals in shaping human understanding, beliefs, and behaviours. It posits that visuals are not merely reflections of reality but rather " constructed realities " that actively influence our perception of the world. At its heart, visual culture positions visuals as the reference and data for knowledge, beliefs, thinking, creations, behaviour, etc.; which in turn further shapes current beliefs, thinking, creations, behaviour, etc. Visuals are images/collection of images that are made to be seen. Framed (made) and put out. This highlights that visuals are not spontaneous occurrences but deliberate constructions, detached from the place and time in which it first made its appearance, says, John Berger . Examples like the contrasting Newsweek and TIME magazine covers of O.J. Simpson illustrate how different framings of the same event can convey distinct messages and narratives, underscoring the idea ...

Visual Analysis: SEMIOTICS

Visual analysis is a systematic and scientific approach to examining visual materials that goes far beyond casual observation. In our visually saturated world, images have become a inescapable universal language that shapes our perceptions, attitudes, and experiences. From the artworks adorning gallery walls to the advertisements lining city streets, visuals communicate narratives, evoke emotions, and reflect sociocultural ideologies . However, the process of seeing and interpreting visuals is not as spontaneous or natural as we often assume. As John Berger notably stated, " seeing is an active decision ," suggesting that the process of interpreting visuals is neither spontaneous nor natural, but rather requires conscious effort and critical thinking. The way we perceive and interpret visual content is heavily influenced by habits, conventions, and our individual perspectives. Serious visual analyses requires conscious effort and critical analysis to unravel the ...

The Brown Sisters: A Four-Decade Portrait of Time and Sisterhood

Nicholas Nixon's "The Brown Sisters" stands as one of photography's most compelling longitudinal portrait studies, documenting four decades of sisterhood through annual black-and-white photographs taken from 1975 to 2014. Using an 8×10 inch view camera, Nixon captured his wife Bebe and her three sisters—Heather, Mimi, and Laurie Brown—in the same order each year, creating a remarkable visual meditation on time, aging, and familial bonds. For the full set of images see the PDF below (for academic use only) Forty Portraits in Forty Years PDF What began as a spontaneous family photograph in 1975 evolved into a profound artistic documentation of human transformation. The project's strength lies in its methodological consistency: the sisters maintain their positions, with the sequence remaining unchanged throughout the series. This rigid framework paradoxically highlights the subtle changes that occur year by year, creating a powerful commentary on the passage of time...

The Male Gaze and the Construction of Gender in Visual Culture

Visual culture encompasses the totality of images, visuals, and visual practices that shape our lived experience. It manifests through art, photography, cinema, design, and countless other forms, representing the ideas, customs, and social behaviours that revolve around visual materials. Visual culture is not merely decorative or informational; it is a powerful force that produces, circulates, and interprets visual forms to construct meanings, shape beliefs, and convey power within specific cultural contexts. From traditional artworks such as paintings and sculptures to mass media like film, television, and advertising, from digital platforms including websites, apps, and video games to everyday objects like fashion, logos, and packaging—all these elements communicate meaning and fundamentally shape our understanding of the world. The quality and impact of visual culture depend on two critical factors: the quality of the visual content created and the nature of the act of see...

PHOTOGRAPHY Composition

Photography composition or framing is the process of Selection of a subject, placement of the subject, and choice of background. Photography composition Study the PDF below (to be used for educational purposes only) Photography Composition PDF Composition is the result of a series of aesthetic decisions that a photographer makes 1. Selection of subject What is the Focal point? Where do you want the eyes of the viewers to repeatedly come back to? Where do you want the eyes of the viewers to rest? What is the element you don’t want your viewers to miss? What do you want the viewers to call your image? 2. Choice of background Background enhances the subject. Background simplifies the frame. Background minimalises the frame. Background qualifies the subject. 3. Placement of subject There are ample guidelines to make the placement magical. Rule of Thirds/One Third line Middle li...

Mass Media: Platforms and Content

Mass Media today is interplay between technological infrastructure and creative expressions. Mass media, defined as channels of communication designed to reach large audiences, has undergone profound transformation in recent decades. What began as predominantly print-based communication has expanded into a multifaceted ecosystem encompassing visual, audio, and interactive modes of engagement. This essay explores the dialectical relationship between media platforms and content, arguing that the two elements exist in dynamic tension—with platforms shaping content possibilities while content innovations drive platform evolution. As Marshall McLuhan famously observed, "the medium is the message," suggesting that the vehicle of communication fundamentally alters how we perceive and process information. This principle remains relevant as we navigate an increasingly fragmented media landscape characterised by both institutional and user-generated content. The Architecture of Mass M...

In Pursuit Of Creativity and Becoming One’s Best Version

A study by Way Walker conducted across painters, poets, musicians, and filmmakers—spanning many outstanding artistic creations and pursuits, domains, genres, and movements—reveal five key discoveries. 1. Don't Go Wide but Go Deep Don't try hard to create something that everyone will like, though that sounds reasonable. The greatest creators did not go wide; they went deeper. They created art for one person, one group, or a younger or future emotional avatar of themselves. It is made for one feeling, one version of self that needed the message the most. The goal of art need not be to make something universal or make something big. Van Gogh did not paint for the world; he painted for his brother. Maya Angelou wrote poetry to address her wounded self. This is the paradox: the more personal it is, the more universal it becomes. You start trying to impress everyone, you end up impressing no one. Go out and touch one person deeply, and you will end up moving thousands. Once you k...

photo.graph.art.design

Search This Blog