EElizabeth’s English Blog #17
By:
Elizabeth Crotts
“What do you want to do
with your life? What do you want to study in college? What is your dream job?” these
are all questions I have been asked lately. I want to do something important
and that I love with a fierce passion. I haven’t completely figured it out but,
right now, I think I want to have a career in photojournalism. Here’s a brief
history of the career and how it was started. I hope you learn something.
The
History of Photojournalism
Using images to communicate the news, photojournalism has
shaped the way we view the world since the mid-19th century. What began as war
photography has slowly spread to other newsworthy events, including sports,
fashion, exploration, nature, and even long-form storytelling through photo
essays. Photojournalism has its roots in war
photography, with Roger Fenton pioneering the field during the Crimean War.
Fenton was the first official war photographer, shooting images that
demonstrated the effects of war. His work was published in the Illustrated London News, bringing
these images to a mass audience for the first time.
Later in the 19th century, another war
photographer Matthew Brady captured scenes of
camp life and the battlefields. Brady began by photographing troops prior to
their departure, playing on the idea that they might not return and would want
a portrait for their relatives. In 1861, he began his
journey photographing the American Civil War, at
times placing himself in danger during battle. Brady employed over 20
assistants, each equipped with a mobile darkroom to produce the photos. In the second half of the 19th century, the field
would expand beyond war and disaster photos. Photographer John Thomson paired
with journalist Adolphe Smith for a monthly magazine that depicted the lives of
people on the streets of London. From 1876 to 1877, Street Life in
London revolutionized the field by using images as the dominant means
of storytelling.
From the 1930s through the 1970s,
photojournalism saw its “golden age,” where technology and public interest
aligned to push the field to new heights. Innovations like the flash bulb and
compact Leica 35mm camera made photography more portable than ever. Women also became leading figures
in the field, with Margaret Bourke-White being the first American female war
photojournalist and the first woman photographer allowed to accompany a combat
mission. Another female photographer of the era was Dorothea Lange. She was one
of many photographers employed by the Farm Security Administration to document
the Great Depression. A pioneer in documentary photography, her Migrant Mother image became an iconic representation of the era. I hope to have
an impact as big or maybe even bigger than some of the founders and legends in
this field.
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