Chapter Four: Working in the Digital Age

Personally, I am very familiar with the concept of online newspapers. I am currently completing my Communications Internship downtown at The Springfield Republican. As a result, I have experienced firsthand the vast decline in circulation and job cuts, as well as the transition to online mediums and multimedia convergence. It really was not what I was expecting. When I walked into the news room, perhaps only a fifth of the desks were filled and the atmosphere was quiet and downhearted. While print copies still circulate daily from the Republican, they are declining rapidly. I was informed that many other local newspapers in Western Massachusetts could no longer afford to run their presses and so now have them printed by the Republican to save money.

The growth and expansion of the Internet caused a huge shift to a multimedia online world. While some individuals gained jobs writing blogs and columns for instance, many photojournalists were laid off due to economic pressures. For those that were able to maintain their jobs as photojournalists, it was an entirely different job description. It is now an expectation that every photojournalist is multimedia proficient and can write, take pictures, shoot audio and video footage, and transmit content digitally using Wi-Fi hot spots and even cellphones. It is crucial to get the images out first and get an edge over other photographers covering the same event. In today’s digital age it is a tremendously competitive market for photojournalists as they are working on even tighter deadlines. As a result of this digital revolution, the primary focus at the Republican is their Mass Live website which utilizes multimedia content: images, videos, blogs, live updates, and also provides readers with the opportunity to have their say on particular issues in the media. Typically, with online news, the goal is to expose readers to the information using a number of different methods. The key to a successful online newspaper is using a variety of distribution channels. By doing this, information will be distributed to a mass audience in several different forms.

Online newspapers were introduced shortly after the launch of the World Wide Web in the 1990’s. However, prior to this online shift, in the early nineteenth century, Rotogravure printing was an extremely efficient and favorable process for printing images in newspapers. This process involved an etched cylinder and utilized “intaglio printing, in which metal is etched with recessed "cells" to hold the ink.” Rotogravure is renowned for its “high quality gradation and color depth.” In addition to this, Rotogravure enabled high speed printing on a huge scale and was extremely cost effective. Printing consistency and anti-smear were other key advantages associated with this printing process. “Newly equipped newspapers were able to print large pictorial sections that increased readership and advertising revenue."

While the Rotogravure Process may seem relatively extensive and incredibly old fashioned in comparison to simply uploading images and photos to a gallery or blog at the click of a button, it is still utilized in printing today. This suggests that without the birth of the Internet and online newspapers, this process may have still been one of the most prominent. One could argue that images posted in online newspapers share similar advantages and some overlap with those produced by this process, for instance, the image quality and color are always consistent and obviously images never smear online. Moreover, according to the results of a study conducted in 1932, “rotogravures were the most widely read sections of the paper and advertisements were three times more likely to be seen by readers than in any other section.” Similarly, online galleries are among the most viewed items on online newspaper sites hence why these photos are updated on a daily basis (one of my tasks at the Republican). In contrast, uploading images is definitely more convenient, it can be done from the comfort of your own home and pretty much anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection or hot spot. All you need is a lap top and the camera or even just a cell phone. Despite this, photojournalists that actually want hard copies of their images must see something special in Rotogravure printing, otherwise it would not have survived throughout the digital revolution.

 

The image (below) shows rolls of packaging printed using the Rotogravure Process:

No photographer included, image used by the company DCM Group

Image Source: http://www.dcm.fr/rotogravure-printing.html


This image shows the demise of print circulation:

Photo by Tony Rogers

Image Source: http://journalism.about.com/b/2009/03/25/five-things-that-are-lost-when-newspapers-close.htm

 

 

 

Works Cited:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/rotogravures/rotoprocess.html

Chapter Three: The Art of Photojournalism

Photographic, Artistic and Compositional Principles to use when Assessing Photographs

 

 

Photo by: Matthew Brady
Image Source: http://www.environmentalhistory.org/revcomm/photography/photography-1/
Year Created: September 1862

Principle 1: Contrast Appropriate

Although this image is black and white, there is a contrast between the color of the dead bodies below, the background color, and the two individuals that are alive and looking down on the aftermath. Other than this stark contrast, the remainder of the image is relatively low contrast. However, at first glance, I thought the two blurry individuals were the perpetrators of the killings, especially with their dark shadows.

Principle 2: Exposure Time

After listening to French photographer Henri Cartuer-Bresson's commentary, I believe that this image was created using a very slow shutter speed as this can produce a blurry result.

Principle 3: Black and White

During the Civil War, Matthew Brady had no choice but to photograph in black and white. Color Photography was not invented until March 24, 1914.

Photo by: Dorothea Lang
Image Source: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/316062.html
Year Created: February 1936

Principle 1: Obvious Main Subject

In Dorothea Lang's image of the 'Migrant Mother' it is clear to see that she is the main subject, she is centered and is significantly larger than the other subjects. This principle is reinforced further by having her three children all turned away from the camera. If the children were removed from this image, in my opinion this would reduce the dramatic impact.

Principle 2: What feelings does the image create?

When I look at Lang's photograph I feel as though the main subject has given up and lost all hope. For me, it is a very pessimistic image and illustrates a life full of constant struggles. Her children appear to be the only things that she has left to live for.

Principle 3: Subject Expression

The subject in Lang's image looks far from relaxed. She is staring right at the camera, she is not posing or showing off. In my opinion her expression is genuine and portrays the suffering at the pea pickers' camp. Furthermore, the position of her hand on her chin is very appropriate for her gloomy facial expression.

 

Photo by: Horst Faas

Image Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/world/asia/horst-faas-vietnam-war-photographer-dies-at-79.html
Year Created: 1966

Principle 1: Texture

In the above image taken in Bao Trai, Vietnam, the use of texture is incredible. The muddy and murky water of the canal enhances the struggle the four subjects are enduring. In addition to this, the roughness of the twigs and branches and pieces of floating wood present further obstacles. The texture of the photo helps to create feelings of sorrow and helplessness as the viewer.

Principle 2: Rule of Thirds

Horst Faas effectively uses the rule of thirds in this photograph. The subjects are not placed in the middle of the frame. The chief subject is placed at the front to the left hand side of the frame and therefore this adheres to the rule. Moreover, it makes the image more aesthetically pleasing.

Principle 3: Subject's Expression

Two of the four expressions in this image are extremely powerful and striking, however, all four look natural considering the circumstances in VietNam during this time. The main subject looks beyond exhausted trudging through the muddy canal with her family clinging on to her for survival. The child clinging on looks terrified. Their body language definitely matches the facial expressions in this image. 

 

Chapter Two: Pre-Digital Photographic Technology

Wet Plate Collodion was invented in 1851 by Frederick Scott Arthur and this process was utilized throughout Europe and North America until approximately 1880. The use of wet plates had several key advantages that were not previously available at this time. It enabled photographers to develop images in greater detail, produce limitless copies ,as well as negative photographs. Wet Plate Collodion was a significant development in pre-digital photographic technology. Overall, the process was much more efficient than the processes that came before it, for instance, daguerreotype and calotype. The Wet Plate Collodion process involves many key components: cleaning and preparing the plate, flowing the plate, sensitizing the plate, exposing the plate, developing the plate, printing and fixing the plate. Although this process had benefits at the time, it was very extensive, precise, and even has the potential to be dangerous for the photographer. It required a significant amount of portable equipment and was tremendously time sensitive. As a result, Wet Plate Collodion was eventually replaced by dry plates, a much more convenient process. However, surprisingly, even with the digital technological advancements in today’s society, the Wet Plate Collodion process seems to have been rediscovered and is used by some individuals. It is still utilized today because the end product is usually a glossy albumen print: red/brown/purple in color.

It is beyond astonishing to me just how much digital photographic technology has evolved since the conclusion of this Wet Plate process. I cannot comprehend the vast transformation to using a cell phone to take a picture. I took the image of my friends at the Big E (below) using my iPhone 4 camera and although I do not have a hard printed copy, the end product was instantly viewable on the screen for everyone to look at. If I wanted to, this could easily have been printed out too. The entire process from start to finish took less than one minute total. Timeliness is one of the many benefits of digital technology, it is not time sensitive and if I was not satisfied with the image, I could simply retake it without investing a great deal of time and effort. Additionally, the only equipment I needed to take the photograph was the phone itself, if I did then go on to print it out, I could simply plug in the USB lead to my computer and hit print. Whereas, the wet plate process relied predominantly on portable dark rooms to develop images and these required a lot of equipment. Furthermore, a cell phone camera does not require the use of any chemicals, for instance, silver nitrate to sensitize the plate and potassium cyanide to fix the plate. Lightning and exposure are two other fundamental differences, if lighting is inadequate, you simply turn the iPhone flash on, however, you do not have this luxury with the wet plates. Moreover, the Wet Plate process must be exposed to sun light for a certain amount of time. It is crucial that the photographer carefully pays attention to this as over-exposure has the potential to ruin an image. This step is not necessary when taking a digital photograph.

Overall, the digital revolution has changed the face of photography and photojournalism forever, I do not think we will ever go back. In my opinion technology will just continue to expand and grow and become more and more efficient. Today, taking photographs is quick, easy, and convenient and can be achieved using any cell phone camera. Obviously, the quality of the image does depend on the quality of the lens and camera being used. Yet, it is no longer a hassle that requires an abundance of equipment that has to be transported in a special trailer each time you want to take a photograph. With the media in today’s society, photojournalists have to act quickly and sometimes think on their feet to get “the” shot before emailing it to their editor to publish. There is no time to prepare the plate, sensitize, exposure and develop it. The key to being a successful photojournalist is spontaneity. You should always keep your eye out for a potential photograph no matter where you are, even if you are just carrying your cell phone. Ultimately, images help to sell the newspapers and magazines and sometimes you have to act quickly in order to get your image published before someone else does.

 
This is the digital photograph that I took:

This image demonstrates a step in the Wet Plate Collodion Process:

Photo by France Scully Osterman

Image Source: http://www.f295.org/symposium2008/?page_id=68