The Power of Photography

Photography has the power to change the world. A notion that  has seemingly faded out of existence over the past decade. With the state of business in the journalism world, newspaper businesses are losing faith in photojournalism. Since everyone has access to a camera these days, photojournalists are getting laid off and newspapers are outsourcing photographers from where they are needed. The question of whether or not photojournalism is relevant anymore is tossed around. As a photographer my response is,  if you are asking about the relevancy of photojournalism then you need to ask about the relevancy of journalism itself. The two are symbiotic; one cannot survive without the other.

Photography is a universal language. It has the power to reveal, to prove, to relate, and to witness. Look no further than National Geographic’s Power of Photography. I must confess I have been obsessed with National Geographic for some time and it is my dream to one day work for them. I follow several of their photographers passionately and the one thing I have learned from following their work is; that photography, good photography in particular, has the power to change the course of history. Take the civil rights movement for example. Without the power of photography there would have been no way for the outside world to truly see what was happening. The impact would not have been nearly as extensive without a visual story. I believe that good photography is still applicable in the same way, today. That is why I’m in love with photography; the stunning composition and harmony between storytelling and imagery and the way that a still image can tug on the emotional heartstrings of the audience. Storytelling through imagery force us to look at the harder issues that our planet is facing. Imagery is stronger than words on a page and is more “real”. Once again National Geographic offers insights in the place of photography in our day and age Photographers on Photography.

The times are continually changing and there are those who don’t believe photojournalism will survive. However, I believe that just as the platforms for journalism is changing so is photojournalism. Just because things are changing, it doesn’t mean that it will not survive; it just means that things won’t be as they were 20 years ago. We as journalist must be willing to change with the times and learn how to make it work for us. I’ve learned that it is no longer viable to just be a photographer, you must also be able to traverse other multimedia platforms. You must be comfortable in every position on the field. That is also something I have learned from National Geographic Photographers; they are not only able to create photographs but also write stories, and make documentaries. In this day and age everyone has a camera so they ability to take pictures just like everyone has a keyboard so they have the ability to write. We must be able to go above and beyond to bring stories to the public.