In the future, documentary photography will enjoy a higher viewing audience.
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter
THE REALITY
In advertising sales, the people doing the pitching are constantly reminded to know and understand "the audience". Conversely, to most freelance documentary photographers, "the story" trumps the audience. Provided the photographs are passable, today's editors determine whether a photo story is "editorially relevant" enough to be published. In this light, they share the same playbook as the advertising pitchmen.
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE ?
In an interview with American photographer Chris Jordan that appeared on Jörg Colberg's weblog Conscientious, Jordan told Mr. Colberg, "I think Americans in the first decade of the 21st century will be looked back upon by more evolved societies of the future as some of the most spiritually lost people in the history of humankind."
If Jordan is correct, it makes GAIA Photos member Alex Masi's question, "Are journalism and visual communication still effective tools that can achieve a constructive change in society?" quite impenetrable. The India based freelance photojournalist wonders further, "Have they lost their power to mobilize the people altogether?"
Masi answers his own questions by saying, “Well, it depends”. Some people will be moved by a report. Others might be led into action by it. Even more will not take notice."
Masi points out with realistic resignation, "This is the deal you have to sign to when choosing to be a reporter, whichever tools you use, a pen, a video/photo camera or even just your voice, by telling others what you have witnessed or learned." Nevertheless, "the deal" one signs up for today may look different in the future.
WHAT DOES TODAY'S AUDIENCE WANT TO SEE ?
Addressing readers’ priorities, Santo Domingo photographer and writer Jon Anderson has said, "I don't care if some teen idol gets more hits than a serious piece of reportage - that is a meaningless statistic that is always offered up as if it were somehow a revelation about our priorities. Bull."
He continues, "Of course inflated tits are going to get more attention - it is all about pleasure, as I have argued in the past. But there is pleasure and there is pleasure. Mature, adult pleasures have their place too. Aesthetic pleasure. Intellectual pleasure. People crave these too and will seek them out. Perhaps in fewer numbers, but so what?"
Anderson may be correct regarding the point of pleasure but "fewer numbers" translate to "editorial irrelevance" in the minds of ad pitch people and editors. One only needs to watch a few moments of American TV "news" programming to gain insight about the audience Jordan describes.
In that regard, I concur with New York photographer Preston Merchant when he says, "It is harder and harder for photography to be taken seriously as a mode of intellectual discourse as it proliferates cheaply and unremarkably through digital media. Photography is a niche concern. No one except photographers care." That's the state of affairs today.
WHAT DO PHOTOGRAPHERS DO ABOUT THIS ?
Without a doubt, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Masi and Mr. Merchant are all passionate about the work they do and the stories they tell. That each man perceives difficulty in crowd-sourcing an audience that shares their concerns about the world around them doesn't mean their stories aren't important.
Masi for example has filed reports regarding child labor in India and Anderson has profiled the lives of sugar industry workers in Haiti. India is a country where 460 million people live below the global poverty line of $1.25 USD per day while Haiti is almost totally reliant upon foreign aid as a failed state with severe poverty, endemic corruption, high unemployment, pervasive hunger and little access to health care. Life is a constant struggle for most Haitians, who face the most significant challenges of any country in the Western Hemisphere.
The current audience will keep running for the exits despite these circumstances but documentary photographers will continue to dance on stage with the assurance that the community Jordan describes will slowly be replaced by forward looking people who'll take the theater's marquee to heart.
"More evolved societies of the future" are the audiences who will share the passion of men and women documenting the world today. Future societies will voraciously consume our present day work as if it were the buttered popcorn in the show of life.
The sad part is, neither we nor the people we document will be around for the curtain call.
Follow Me On Twitter
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter
THE REALITY
In advertising sales, the people doing the pitching are constantly reminded to know and understand "the audience". Conversely, to most freelance documentary photographers, "the story" trumps the audience. Provided the photographs are passable, today's editors determine whether a photo story is "editorially relevant" enough to be published. In this light, they share the same playbook as the advertising pitchmen.
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE ?
In an interview with American photographer Chris Jordan that appeared on Jörg Colberg's weblog Conscientious, Jordan told Mr. Colberg, "I think Americans in the first decade of the 21st century will be looked back upon by more evolved societies of the future as some of the most spiritually lost people in the history of humankind."
If Jordan is correct, it makes GAIA Photos member Alex Masi's question, "Are journalism and visual communication still effective tools that can achieve a constructive change in society?" quite impenetrable. The India based freelance photojournalist wonders further, "Have they lost their power to mobilize the people altogether?"
Masi answers his own questions by saying, “Well, it depends”. Some people will be moved by a report. Others might be led into action by it. Even more will not take notice."
Masi points out with realistic resignation, "This is the deal you have to sign to when choosing to be a reporter, whichever tools you use, a pen, a video/photo camera or even just your voice, by telling others what you have witnessed or learned." Nevertheless, "the deal" one signs up for today may look different in the future.
WHAT DOES TODAY'S AUDIENCE WANT TO SEE ?
Addressing readers’ priorities, Santo Domingo photographer and writer Jon Anderson has said, "I don't care if some teen idol gets more hits than a serious piece of reportage - that is a meaningless statistic that is always offered up as if it were somehow a revelation about our priorities. Bull."
He continues, "Of course inflated tits are going to get more attention - it is all about pleasure, as I have argued in the past. But there is pleasure and there is pleasure. Mature, adult pleasures have their place too. Aesthetic pleasure. Intellectual pleasure. People crave these too and will seek them out. Perhaps in fewer numbers, but so what?"
Anderson may be correct regarding the point of pleasure but "fewer numbers" translate to "editorial irrelevance" in the minds of ad pitch people and editors. One only needs to watch a few moments of American TV "news" programming to gain insight about the audience Jordan describes.
In that regard, I concur with New York photographer Preston Merchant when he says, "It is harder and harder for photography to be taken seriously as a mode of intellectual discourse as it proliferates cheaply and unremarkably through digital media. Photography is a niche concern. No one except photographers care." That's the state of affairs today.
WHAT DO PHOTOGRAPHERS DO ABOUT THIS ?
Without a doubt, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Masi and Mr. Merchant are all passionate about the work they do and the stories they tell. That each man perceives difficulty in crowd-sourcing an audience that shares their concerns about the world around them doesn't mean their stories aren't important.
Masi for example has filed reports regarding child labor in India and Anderson has profiled the lives of sugar industry workers in Haiti. India is a country where 460 million people live below the global poverty line of $1.25 USD per day while Haiti is almost totally reliant upon foreign aid as a failed state with severe poverty, endemic corruption, high unemployment, pervasive hunger and little access to health care. Life is a constant struggle for most Haitians, who face the most significant challenges of any country in the Western Hemisphere.
The current audience will keep running for the exits despite these circumstances but documentary photographers will continue to dance on stage with the assurance that the community Jordan describes will slowly be replaced by forward looking people who'll take the theater's marquee to heart.
"More evolved societies of the future" are the audiences who will share the passion of men and women documenting the world today. Future societies will voraciously consume our present day work as if it were the buttered popcorn in the show of life.
The sad part is, neither we nor the people we document will be around for the curtain call.
Follow Me On Twitter
John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
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