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ANALYZING MEDIA: Photo Essays
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Cameras have allowed us to witness for ourselves important, emotional, tragic, and timeless moments in history. The most effective photographs help us experience these moments as if we were right there.
Photojournalists understand the powerful effects that images can have on people. Throughout history, they have documented everything from the triumph and tragedy of war to the problem of homelessness to life in other countries. While print journalists rely on words to tell the facts of a story, photojournalists tell stories in what are known as photo essays—stories primarily told through pictures, with captions and text to supplement the visuals.
"We See a Great Deal of the World"
Margaret Bourke-White, a photographer famous for taking pictures of ordinary people during the Great Depression, said the following about the role of photojournalists: "We see a great deal of the world. Our obligation is to pass it on to others." You can learn a great deal about the world through these "passed on" stories, but it's important to view them with a critical eye. Although cameras can be objective, the photographers using them bring their own biases, viewpoints, and opinions to their work. Sometimes photojournalists choose images that are intended to sway your emotions, or may cause you to feel a certain way about an issue or event. Essentially, when you are looking at a photo, you are seeing what the photographer wants you to see: the world through his or her eyes.
Staging Reality
Alexander Gardner was a photojournalist who documented the Civil War. Gardner took some very dramatic photos showing dead Confederate soldiers. Since then, a researcher has concluded that Gardner staged some of his photos to make them more dramatic and to appeal to his audience. To learn more about this, visit the Library of Congress exhibit "The Case of the Moved Body" below.
Activity
Using what you've learned, analyze a photo essay from one of the online galleries below. You may search for a story that focuses on an important moment or event in history, or you may choose one that focuses on a more timely issue or event. Use the Questions to Consider below to guide you as you write.
Questions to Consider
- What is the subject and angle of the photo essay? What is the essay's message?
- Describe the photos in the essay. Which images are particularly memorable to you? Explain your reason.
- Do the photos appeal to your emotions? Are they intended to make you feel a certain way?
- Is the photo essay objective? If not, in what ways is it biased?
- Do captions or text accompany the photos? What do they say? Do the words and images effectively tell the story?
- In your opinion, does the photo essay do a good job of telling you about an important event or issue? Is there anything you think the photographer could have done differently?
Angle
One specific aspect of a story that a photojournalist or reporter chooses to cover.
Objective
Fair; balanced; not biased.
Photo Essays
Stories that are told through a series of photographs and accompanying text.
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