There is an old cliche that says, "A picture is worth a thousand words." We will be examining photojournalism from various locations around the world. Boston.com/bigpicture is a website that draws more than a million views a month. You will be responsible for visiting this website and examining a set of pictures. After taking the time to examine the amazing photography, please select a set of pictures to study. Your pictures should have an international theme. As you browse the pictures, select one that stands out to you. For that picture, please (1) describe any features or details that stand out to you, (2) describe the events that most likely led up to the picture and what events you imagine will follow (3) brainstorm why the photographer took this picture - what "story" he was trying to capture, (4) how does the photograph help paint a strong picture about the culture that you are examining and do you think the picture is accurate or is it an attempt to tell a false story? Once you are done, please post your response. Then, comment on two responses that have been done by your classmates.
15 comments:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/peru_rocks.html#photo20
My picture is from a set of photos involving Peru and The “Love-Hope-Strength” Foundation’s event called ‘Peru Rocks’. The event brings together sixty-three cancer survivors and their supporters from around the world to raise funds and awareness for cancer. The trekkers traveled from Cuzco, Peru, all the way to Machu Picchu, and then back to Lima, the site where they met patients and doctors of INEN, the main cancer center in the country. The money raised was donated to INEN; the funds will provide for a fully-equipped bus allowing residents to receive cancer screenings throughout Peru.
1. One outstanding aspect in photograph number twenty is the visible ash being thrown by the male with his hands out. Otto Schutt, a cancer patient, lost his battle in May of 2008. Derrick Tabish, David Dexter and Lee Williams all planned on joining Mr. Schutt on the hike as a means to look forward and stay positive; however, Schutt was not able to accompany the gentlemen.
2. The events that led up to this picture include the planning stages of the event, the death of Otto Schutt, and the actual hiking to the peak of Machu Picchu. Following events clearly include the celebration, trek down to Lima, and the donation of funds to INEN.
3. The photographer was obviously trying to capture the story the the sixty-three expeditioners striving for the common good of all cancer patients.
4. The photograph allows for an emotional experience. The viewers of the picture, after learning about the story, become emotionally atached to the experiences and challenges faced by the sixty-three expeditioners. The photo is obviously not false because there is a true and cited story behind it.
I did picture 14.
-Samantha DeBlois
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/conflict_in_congo_refugees_on.html
1. What really stands out in this picture is the little boy, and the features of his face, the way his lips go and how his eyes are down casted.
2. This little boy looks as if he lost his family, Congo was dealing with violenece he he fled with them, but got lost.
3. The story I see here is sadness, and lonliness. The boy doesn't know where to go, and is alone.
4. I see African culture here, I see the traditional clothing on the little boy, and the refuge huts in the background, which are around Africa today.
Jessica Schneider
Picture: Scenes from Antartica, the first picture.
1. The picture is very beautiful, there are big mountians and clouds in the backround to emphaize how much further away they are. The little Adelie penguin looks so small in comparison to the mountians and ice it is standing on. It is weird to see just one penguin as apposed to a group of them, this gives me the impression that there are scarce amounts of Adelie penguins left.
2. The caption at the bottom of the photo states that the penguin has been waiting for its mate for 2weeks and had to make the decission of abandoning its eggs in search for food. Most likely the penquins mate ended up dying because it did not show up and the penguin could not waite any longer without any food so it had to take off from its eggs.
3. The story that i am getting out of the picture that the photgopher was trying to capture is how empty Atartica is becomming. Many animals and species in Antartica are becomming endangered and/or extinct.
4. I feel the photo is very accurate, and the scence and story it is trying to tell is also accurate. The photo helps paint a strong picture about the culture of Antartica, it shows you how empty Atartica is becomming and how the animals are dying out.
I chose picture 16 under Lighting up the sky photograph. The building shows extreme details of artistic skills which gives the original building a different look if viewed at night with certain lighting. Under the certain lighting the building is painted as if it is surrounded by water, and the building painted on the building is very old but valuable. The contrast of the paint is what makes the painting stand out. I believe the photograph was visiting Jerusalem and his eye caught this wonderful artistic skill. The photographer most likely took this photo because he felt as if it’s a part of History because the painting represents the “Tower of David in Jerusalem Old City”. Also, since the city has been through decades of history the photographer wanted to express its purism. The building was once a fortress and a military barrack but now just as tourist attraction. The painting expresses the culture because it shows the old city of David in Jerusalem, which is painted with extreme details. Also the picture is accurate and was not meant to be taken but the photographer most likely did take it because it is a tourist attraction, and definitely expresses what it was meant to show.
This picture is a great image that stood out to me on boston.com/bigpicture. It stood out to me because the airplane almost reflects the beauty of the temple, pointing to the heavens in the same way as the religious icon. The scenery’s beauty astonished me, the photographer did a great job of capturing the horizon at the right moment, the hazy mist in the background with a clear focus on the two upward ascentions.
[img]http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/air_racing.html[/img]
The event that most likely lead to this moment was the race that this plane was involved in, the Red Bull Air Race World Series. The plane was most likely racing towards a high checkpoint to hopefully get a win or a good time. After it, the race probably ended and the planes probably engaged in either another round or a trick round where they would preform acrobatic feats. The photographer might have taken this picture in order to show how daring the pilots of the race are and how skilled they flew. The photographer could have been trying to show a feat of arial beauty and majesty with the plane and the temple. The photographer paints a picture of amazing beauty in his picture showing the religious and fun side of the country that the race is held in. It seems to show that the country is very flexible and the people like to have fun, I think it shows the true side to countries in Europe.
Jess, I think it is intriguing how to noted the fact that there is only one visible penguin in the photograph. I think you chose a great picture that is definitely worth a thousand words! :D
*you noted
My picture is from the set of Obama pictures. All ofr these pictures semmingly portray positive feelings that this photogragher must have for Obama.There is a picture of Obama speaking to an extremely large crowd of people (75,000)at Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon. This was held on Sunday, May 18th, 2008. I beleive that the outstanding message that this photogragher is trying to capturje is that Obama has the support of so many Americans. I think the events that led up to this picture were simply the election of 2008. The photograpgher seems to be an Obama supporter. The photographer
was trying to capture the American view of Obama in this image. When people view this image, i think that they will realize how much support is behind our new president. The events following Obama speaking to this large of a crowd will probably be a positive one. More people will be educated by the words of Obama.
Lauren King
1. The picture that I chose shows a soldier paying his respects to a another solidier that was killed during combat. The aspect of the picture that stands out most to me is that the memorial is small, hand-crafted, and messy, but the significance of it is very large.
2. The events that led up to this picture are that the a soldier was shot and killed during combat and other soldiers that knew him and were friends with him are showing that they care by paying their respects. The events that will follow will probably be that the soldier standing at the memorial will have to go back to work by putting his own life in danger.
3. The photograph was trying to capture that even though war can seem like an every-man-for-himself type atmosphere, people still care about each other and are effected strongly when someone fighting alongside of them is injured or killed.
4. The photograph helps paint a strong picture by showing that even though the soldiers have little recourses and even less time on their hands, they still use that time and those recourses to respect their fallen friend. I believe that the story that the photographer is trying to tell is true because every person has feelings and emotions and even in the dangerous line of work that the soldiers are in, they are still effected by death, no matter how much they see it.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/afghanistans_korengal_valley.html
-Lauren King
I chose picture 15 from the group of pictures about the war in Afghanistan. This picture displays a soldier standing up and one sitting down in a concealed position. This one stood out to me because the wall in front of them has a few open spaces that are letting light shine through and on the soldiers. They are there after searching for weapons and are probably taking a rest. They seem to be discussing something for the one sitting down is looking up at the one standing. They will probably continue looking for the weapons after their rest. I think the photographer took this photo because the light shining through on the soldiers sets a story of how the soldiers are like America’s light. Whether you support the war or not, these soldiers are out their risking their lives and should be respected and thanked over and over again for risking their lives out there. The photographer helps paint a strong picture by showing how the soldiers go through their days in rough areas of Afghanistan and carrying big backpacks and weapons all day and I think it a very accurate picture.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/california_wildfires_yet_again.html
I chose picture 4 in the "California Wildfire" section. It shows a mobile home neighborhood in ruins after the fire. This picture is extremely sad and depressing.
A fire clearly led up to the picture, and what will probably follow will be a clean-up of the area and maybe a rebuilding of the community.
The photographer probably took this to show viewers the devastation people are currently experiencing in California. He/she could be trying to help viewers to feel some of what the people whose neighborhoods the fire ruined felt when they first saw what happened to their homes.
The photograph definitely paints a strong picture of the devastation that is going on in California right now. It is absolutely accurate and tells the sad, but true, story of the currently suffering Californians.
California wildfires # 22
1) The detail in this picture that stands out to me the most is the huge fire and its reflection on the ground. Also, the firefighter walking towards the fire and trees in the distance.
2) The wildfire in California caused this event to happen. The firefighter most likely heard about the fire and knew it was going to be a hard one to put out. After the fire, the firefighter is most likely very tired and disappointed with what the land will end up looking like.
3) The photographer was trying to capture the bravery in this certain firefighter. The man is not walking away from the fire but towards it. The man is about to face something dangerous and the photographer wanted to capture the courage these men and women have.
4) The photographer helps us understand what is going on because he does a good job by capturing the surroundings and a lot of other detail. The picture is accurate and tells an interesting story.
-Kristina Fogg
The picture I have chosen is #25 in the set which depicts a road in the Congo. The main focus of the road is a dead soldier lying dead on the side of the road. Beyond the cadaver there are about six people casually walking along the road, however the people walking is not as in focus as the corpse.
Events leading up to this photo could presumably be an attack or a roadside shooting, in which the soldier was killed and left on the side of the road. A while after the fighting occurred displaced citizens were walking by to try and get home or find a safe place. After this, I imagine that the people will try to find a way home, but will come across multiple more dead bodies because the violence in the Congo will not cease.
In taking this photograph, the photographer was trying to convey the message that death is something these people encounter every day. It is not strange for someone to come across a dead body in this region. The photographer is showing how hard the life is there with constant fighting and people being displaced and moved around because of the violence.
The picture is saying that death is common amongst the culture. It paints the sad picture that when the people of the Congo walk outside their houses and along their roads they are bombarded with dead bodies and violence and war is everywhere they look. The pictures show us what they do not show us on the news; people wandering trying to find shelter and overlooking a dead body, because they are just so used to the site of it and used to death.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/the_next_president_of_the_unit.html
On our trip to the University of Massachusetts Boston for the Media Matters writing conference, I sat in on a Photojournalism lecture. The speaker of this lecture was Alan Taylor, who just so happens to be the creator of The Big Picture. While at this particular lecture, Mr. Taylor showed us a plethora of the pictures on his site. We spent a decent amount of time looking at the photographs of Barack Obama.
One photo in particular caught my eye. This picture is quite simple yet, it says a lot. It is merely a picture of Obama standing to the left, walking, and talking on his cell phone (photo number 3 of the Obama sequence). I predominantly liked this picture because it shows that this man is just like the majority of us.
Actually, when I first viewed the photo I did not think anything of it. Obama was just standing there. But, Alan Taylor spent a good amount of time talking about this image and it finally grew on me. I agreed with everything that he said: that Obama is a genuine person; that he worked hard to get where he is; and that he understands as well as listens. I believe that he means what he says. I very much hope that he will portray my, and many others, expectations of him, and I very much hope that he will prove the non-believers wrong.
WHAT UP MS MIKELS
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