After reading Professor Bergman's comment suggesting that I compare photojournalistic photography to the kind of photography done by artists like Thomas Neff, I decided it would make a perfect blog topic! Walking down the streets in the city everyday we see photographs on newspapers and magazines, and at home we see images on TV and the internet. Every image we see impacts us in a different way. I found two similar images of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one by Thomas Neff and the other by David J. Phillip of the New York Times in order to help explain what I see as the differences between photojournalism and the more "artistic" style of photography.

The first photograph was one of the first images by Thomas Neff shown at the Macaulay seminar, and the second is from an article in the New York Times by David J. Phillip. I suppose in order to compare these photographs it would be easiest to first list the differnces between the two. First, Neff's photograph is in black and white while Phillip's photograph is in color. Second, Neff's photograph focuses on one person while Phillip's photograph focuses on six people. Finally, Neff's photograph is taken at a closer angle while Phillip's photograph is taken from a distance. The three factors listed above are all aesthetic qualities of the photograph, but what is important to consider is how the aesthetic differences in each phtograph cause changes in the message that comes across to the viewers.

The first very obvious difference between the two photographs is that one is in black and white while the other is in color. This is a common difference one will see between photojournalistic photography and "artistic" photography. I remember viewing Neff's images and considering how they might be different in color, and I came to realize that he used this absence of color to portray the images he captured the way he thought would best draw the viewer to the photograph and the meaning behind it. The goal of the photojournalist is to capture devastation and the dramatics of a situation as they are with little creative spin, whereas the goal of a photographer coming from a more artistic angle is to capture what they see as significant in order to send a message. Although a color photograph is more "realistic," the black and white photograph draws the viewer in, and forces them to put themselves in the situation in order to recognize the reality and magnitude of what they are viewing. A color photograph, like the one above, hands the viewer all the information and doesn't really provoke much thought, but, in my opinion, a black and white photo has a quality about it that is surreal that forces deeper thought about the reality of the image. Ultimately, Neff's photograph keeps the viewer's attention on a more intense level, while Phillip's photograph intially shocks the viewer then allows them to very easily look away without much consideration.

The ability to draw lasting attention is important to consider when examining the subjects of each photograph. Because Neff's photograph is focused on one woman and her statement, the viewer feels personally involved with the victims, or in this case a victim of Hurricane Katrina. Phillip's photograph is of six people, and the combination of the distance between photographer and subject and the lack of background information about each person creates a void between viewer and subject. Again, Phillip is using shock value, "look how many people are suffering," and Neff is using a personal perspective, "look at how this woman is taking a stand in the face of suffering." It seems almost like the photojournalist wants to magnify the situation so much that viewers cannot really comprehend the destruction. It's sort of a way to protect the viewers from becoming too upset. Even though Neff's responsibility or goal is not necessarily to capture a strictly informative picture, his images have more power to impact the viewer emotionally. Phillip wants to capture the destruction, and Neff wants to capture the people whose lives have changed because of the destruction.

The obvious differences in approach show through in the way the photographs were shot. Once again, Neff is going for a personal perspective to really capture the fact that this is a real person who is really suffering. Phillip is consistent in capturing a shocking picture  that really doesn't stick with the viewer. When you look at the first photograph you see a woman standing proudly displaying what she thinks and taking a stand. It allows you to feel something real. When you look at the second photograph you see a group of people, you realize they are suffering, but for some reason it's not as striking, it's not as powerful. The way each photograph affects the viewer seems opposite of what one would expect.The more large-scale image seems to have a shorter staying period in the mind, while the intimate photograph stays engrained as something to think about for a long time after seeing it.

Photojournalism is not more or less respectable than "artistic" photography, and it's not to say that because photojournalistic photos have more "shock value" and serve a more informative purpose that they are a lesser art form. It's just important to recognize the differences in order to appreciate the images coming from each of these approaches. Perhaps in order for us to get over the shock value of the photojournalistic image and view it as something powerful and real, we need to tweak the way we think about things. It's not the photographer who is causing us to dismiss that these are real images, it's our mind. Maybe it's our responsibility to move past the overwhleming emotions that can go along with seeing images of large-scale destruction and give just as much consideration to these images as we do to the striking images of photographers like Neff. Photojournalistic photography is clearly intended to serve a different purpose than the photography done by Neff, but I think it's important to have both styles in order to allow us to see what's happening in the world from a number of perspectives. We need to push ourselves to view what is happening in the world in a real way, and photographers of any sort allow us to see the world through their eyes, which, if we are open to it, can help us to understand and appreciate the world around us.