Comments on: The truthfulness of photography http://robertowestbrook.com/blog/2008/09/the-truthfulness-of-photography/ Featuring new photographs from Roberto Westbrook Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:26:28 +0000 hourly 1 By: Diego http://robertowestbrook.com/blog/2008/09/the-truthfulness-of-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Diego Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:56:06 +0000 http://robertowestbrook.com/blog/?p=35#comment-10 I have to agree with Roberto: he clearly states when a photograph has been altered, why, and in what way, all throughout this blog. And if he includes advertising work on his website later on, then it is also fine as long as it is classified as advertising, and preferably, as I have seen done in other photographers' sites, he displays the photo within the actual advertisement for more accurate representation. Either way, the audience at large bears some responsibility by now, 2008, in regards to understanding some aspects of media, chiefly, that advertisements are not truthful and are fully manipulated creations. In response to Jennifer Sens' comment, I would like to point out that although it is estimated that by 2040 the last newspaper in America will be chucked in a trash bin, photojournalism isn't going to go with it. Photojournalism will migrate to new media, like the web. In fact, so much more content can be made available online that it may just open up new doors for working photojournalists. News won't disappear, nor will storytelling. I think the issue that Roberto was addressing had to do with the content of his site, not his choice to shoot photojournalism and commercial work. Of course, if Mr. Shafer is implying that supplying photographs to advertising agencies, which will in turn alter the material, is unethical, then I wholly disagree with him. I have to agree with Roberto: he clearly states when a photograph has been altered, why, and in what way, all throughout this blog. And if he includes advertising work on his website later on, then it is also fine as long as it is classified as advertising, and preferably, as I have seen done in other photographers’ sites, he displays the photo within the actual advertisement for more accurate representation. Either way, the audience at large bears some responsibility by now, 2008, in regards to understanding some aspects of media, chiefly, that advertisements are not truthful and are fully manipulated creations.

In response to Jennifer Sens’ comment, I would like to point out that although it is estimated that by 2040 the last newspaper in America will be chucked in a trash bin, photojournalism isn’t going to go with it. Photojournalism will migrate to new media, like the web. In fact, so much more content can be made available online that it may just open up new doors for working photojournalists. News won’t disappear, nor will storytelling. I think the issue that Roberto was addressing had to do with the content of his site, not his choice to shoot photojournalism and commercial work. Of course, if Mr. Shafer is implying that supplying photographs to advertising agencies, which will in turn alter the material, is unethical, then I wholly disagree with him.

]]> By: Jennifer Sens http://robertowestbrook.com/blog/2008/09/the-truthfulness-of-photography/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Jennifer Sens Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:44:05 +0000 http://robertowestbrook.com/blog/?p=35#comment-6 My thoughts on this are as follows. Unfortunately newspaper photojournalism is quickly disappearing. My husband and I now make our living doing portraits for magazines, advertising shoots and weddings. In my opinion there is no reason that a photojournalist who does advertising on the side wouldn't be able to draw the line between an ad shoot and a news assignment. I don't do any major imaging on my own work but if an ad agency does I have no problem with that. Often an ad agency is going to make the call after a shoot to perfect an image according to their purpose. There's nothing unethical about it. Advertisers have no interest in upholding the "truthfullness" of photography; their interest lies in selling products and services. More importantly, I predict that when newspapers are gone and news magazines are few, it will be people like Roberto who are able to support themselves with their advertising work, who will have the equipment and be available to shoot the important photojournalism of the future. My thoughts on this are as follows. Unfortunately newspaper photojournalism is quickly disappearing. My husband and I now make our living doing portraits for magazines, advertising shoots and weddings. In my opinion there is no reason that a photojournalist who does advertising on the side wouldn’t be able to draw the line between an ad shoot and a news assignment. I don’t do any major imaging on my own work but if an ad agency does I have no problem with that. Often an ad agency is going to make the call after a shoot to perfect an image according to their purpose. There’s nothing unethical about it. Advertisers have no interest in upholding the “truthfullness” of photography; their interest lies in selling products and services. More importantly, I predict that when newspapers are gone and news magazines are few, it will be people like Roberto who are able to support themselves with their advertising work, who will have the equipment and be available to shoot the important photojournalism of the future.

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