My Take on Photojournalism

Earlier in this Introduction to Photojournalism class, I would have told you, the word  photojournalism directs my thoughts to the various social media platforms or that it  has created a way for people to communicate and express themselves to others around the world.  Photojournalism is more than media platforms and communication. It allows the world to maintain connectedness.  It creates awareness and brings insight to horrible situations or great situations. There are so many types of photojournalism including war, humanitarian issues, social problems, women's rights and more.  The field is not limited to one type of subject, it is extremely versatile. Photojournalists are  witnesses of the truth and contribute to history. They risk their lives in order to share information to the world. Throughout this course, I have learned about photojournalists being kidnapped or even killed on the job. They are just as brave and noble as a ...

James  Nachtwey  - A Biography in a Nutshell Career Path:    James  Nachtwey  went to college for art and political science at Dartmouth College, where he was inspired by images of Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. These images influenced him to become a photojournalist. He began his career as a newspaper photographer in New Mexico and progressed to a freelance photographer in New York. According to the article James  Nachtwey  by National Geographic, “ Nachtwey  has been a contract photographer with  Time  magazine since 1984. In 2001, he became one of the founding members of the photo agency VII .” He documented the Opioid Epidemic, AIDS epidemic, poverty and other humanitarian issues. He is also a war photojournalist and has traveled to foreign countries like South Africa, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka. His images were disseminated nationally as he brought insight to many humanitarian and war issues around t...

Image of my boyfriend putting up the peace sign while sledding down a Hill at Alice B. Beal Elementary School, Springfield, MA on December 3, 2019

Motivation can be defined as the reason or purpose for doing something. James Nachtwey is a photojournalist and a war photographer who said he was motivated by the belief that public awareness is an essential change, and that war photography can interrupt peace. According to the article James Nachtwey by the International Photography Hall of Fame Museum, " Nachtwey has also dedicated his career to photographing social issues, like homelessness, drug addiction, poverty, industrial pollution, and global health issues ." He participated in the previously mentioned, "Opioid Diaries" report in which he photographed and documented the effects opioids on random people. He showed the crisis from active addition, recovery, and death. Photojournalists like Nachtwey bring insight to the unfortunate social issues in America. Its shows people the reality of this epidemic and shows that opioids are killing many people. Xyza Cruz Bacan has similar motivations as Nachtwey. A...

Going Home by Ed Clark In the image "Going Home" I see a man playing the accordion, he looks like he is upset and crying. The people in the background look worried or upset. Most of the people are looking at the man. One women is sitting with her hand covering her face, it looks like she is crying too. Maybe it is a sad event that he is performing at. From another perspective the man is the only African American in the photo, maybe he is being discriminated upon. I feel sympathetic for this man, it looks like he is experiencing a lot of tragedy or loss. I was able to infer this image according to my own biases and personal experiences. According to the definition by The Free Dictionary, bias is " A preference or an inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment ." My biases and assumptions about this image may be incorrect or different from someone else Subject’s Expression:  The subject does not look relaxed, he looks very upset. The photo was...

     Jessie Tarbox Beals was the first female night photographer and American photojournalist. She broke many social norms for women of her time. Her career excelled when she won a camera from a magazine subscription. According to an article by The Library of Congress, Jessie said, " I began when I was a teacher in Massachusetts, with a small camera that cost me $1.75 for the whole outfit. In a week I had discarded it for a larger one and in five weeks that one had earned me $10 ." During this time it was uncommon for women to work and have jobs in fields like photojournalism or to obtain jobs in general. She is known as an urban photographer. She tried capturing the beauty of New York through her photography. In the last in her career she photographed wealthy peoples homes and gardens. Women in photojournalism create and show the opportunities for other women. Jessie Tarbox Beals      As most women in photojournalism did, Jessie faced trials ...

The opio i d cris is  is  the  worst  misuse and  depend e ncy of  a drug  in  h i story and is taking the lives of  thousands of people every year.  According to  an article by the National Institute on  D rug  A buse , “ Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on   opioids.   The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including  prescription pain relievers ,  heroin , and synthetic opioids such as  fentanyl —is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare .”  This epidemic  refers to w idespread  number of deaths and hospitalizations that are caused by opioid drugs.  Some of these are due to post-op prescription use that eventually become s  an addiction.  This highly addictive substance  kills about  47 ,450 people each  year and  will continue to take lives unless the...