The Role of the Photojournalist

In the age where anyone can be a photographer – with an iPhone, computer, or simply a personal camera – it seems like the role of a professional photographer is decreased.  I think, contrary to that belief, that the role of one becomes even more important.

When anyone can take a picture, the significance of one becomes lessened.  Photos are used more as a way of keeping a permanent visual memory than marking an important moment in time or people/places/things that you find important.

I have a lot of pictures taken on iPhones that are fun to look back on, but they are definitely not high quality, both in the actual camera and the design of the photograph.  An off-centered picture of a parade I saw is fun to have, but could never be considered art or anything similar.

A professional photographer brings a sense of just that – professionalism – to pictures.  Because of study, experience, or both, they know what angles, poses, and positions work best to make a picture as lovely as possible.  A professional photographer tends to take a much better picture of your family than your neighbor can because 1) they know what works to make each member look good, and 2) the camera they use has a much better quality lens than the average camera.

The role of a professional photographer is being able to make just a simple picture look better through quality and experience of what works.  They also have artistic experience, tending to pull out the true beauty of what they’re photographing.

Photojournalists bring a lot to photography that the average person just can’t do.  Simply, their job is to take pictures.  They have the time, equipment, and experience necessary to put a lot more focus on creating photographs.  That focus and emphasis is what the average person just doesn’t bring to the table.

The real importance of a photojournalist is their ability to capture subjects that the average person isn’t in contact with, like foreign countries, wild animals, or important societal figures.  With the title of ‘photojournalist’ these people are able to get in contact with a lot of subjects you and I wouldn’t be able to see.  Because they can be in contact with them, the average person is able to experience the world in a very visual way through the experiences of the photojournalist.

Facebook, the Legitimizer

My camera – my proof that I actually do cool stuff – left me this summer to stay in Duluth on a camping trip.  Only after quite a few tears and the realization that I can no longer edit the perfect pictures to frame anymore, I got over my loss.  Coming back to school, though, brought back the phenomenon of pretty much every college girl’s focus: Facebook pics.

All of last year, I looked at pictures that my friends were posting to see all the fun they seemed to be having.  A part of me would get slightly jealous… but then I would console myself by posting pictures of my own friends and experiences.  This battle-of-the-girls is seen everywhere on Facebook: who can seem the most popular and fun through FB photo albums.  This trend basically makes the more pics tagged of you equivalent to the more friends you have and the more popular you are.

Being sans camera this year has left me with zero posts on Facebook but also with a realization: I am having a great time this year.  I’ve met a lot of new people, danced at parties, caught up with classmates, and eaten out for dinners.  None of it is recorded in film, but that doesn’t make any of it less real or exciting!

Note: he has no friends helping him.

This constant need to be taking pictures of our experiences instead of actually living them out is, what I think, a flaw of the digital age.  Having a picture of something does not make it any more legitimate, no matter what our digital culture tells us.

However, many people buy into this culture.  With the increased pictures on social media, a distance has grown between people – even those sharing the same experiences.  Instead of talking to someone, we have to “like, totally get a pic together!!”.  And instead of discussing the highs and lows of our day with a close friend, we feel the need to shorten them down to 140 characters for no one in particular to see.

This loss of real person-to-person interaction is creating a distance between people.  Being friends on Facebook seems more real than being friends outside of it.  “Proof” of having fun via pictures on social media seems to legitimize experiences and increase popularity.

Living camera-less this year, I’ve come to learn that Facebook is just another place where girls enjoy one-upping each other.  Just because I don’t have photographic evidence of my year does not mean I’m not having a good one.  I prefer memories of real interactions with my friends over online, text-filled ones any day.