The Power of a Photograph

Quinn and Filak write about the power of an images as journalism in "Digital Still Photography". If used correctly and in an effective manner, a photograph has the ability to do all (and more) then an article or video can do. In many ways, images/still photographs are a universal language. Everyone can understand a visual image and the emotions and events that image captures, not everyone can read man article or understand the language in a video.

At one point, Quinn and Filak write, "use the power of the still image with its seeming permeance, but also harness sound and the energy of motion." When I read this, one photo immediately came to mind:

This still image shows a man standing in front of three encroaching tanks in Tiananmen Square. At this point, the Chinese military had just forcibly removed many Chinese protesters ( many of them students) from the Square the day before. The image fulfills what Quinn and Filak write about in terms of harnessing sound and energy of motion. The viewer can hear the humming if the tanks, can see the forward motion of the four tanks, and the solidarity and perseverance of the singer man. The viewer can also almost feel the tension of the situation surrounding the earlier happenings in Tiananmen.

When camera and editing technology began to flourish in the 1990s, getting to see these images (like the Tiananmen Square photo) became more frequent and accessible to viewers. Advanced equipment and the digitizing of media really opened up many possibilities and opportunities for photojournalists. As much as I appreciate reading a well-written news article, I would prefer the journalism has a well executed piece of photojournalism to accompany it.