john1027
Regular
- Location
- Alexandria, VA
As we near the 10th Anniversary of 9-11, one of the most poignant articles I have read that should resonate with all photographers is the story told by professional photographer Joe McNally in the linked blog post. There is a video embedded in the post that is very moving and well produced.
Joe McNally Presents: A 9/11 Remembrance, In Pictures « Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider Blog » Photoshop & Digital Photography Techniques, Tutorials, Books, Reviews & More
While we all might not be professional photographers that operate on the level that Joe McNally does, I think all serious photographers can benefit from his thoughts in this passage from his blog:
A quote from Photographer Joe McNally in the linked blog:
Here’s the thing about being a photog, which we sometimes forget when we get too involved counting pixels. When someone agrees to have you make their picture, even a quick snap, there’s an exchange, or the beginnings of a relationship, however cursory or fleeting. The subject is out there, in front of a lens, which is a very vulnerable place to be. Effectively, they give you, at the camera, a gift. It’s up to us as photographers to take care of it.
When someone comes to your studio during a time such as 911, everything ratchets upwards. Their vulnerability. The amount of trust they place in you. Your responsibility to them.
The flash of the light speaks a language beyond simple exposure. You trip the shutter (or, as with the Giant Polaroid, you pull the cap off the lens) and you have made a pact with that person out there on the seamless. You are effectively saying, I will do my best to make this a good photo. I will do my best to try to make sure you don’t regret coming here. And, just as importantly, you are promising to be the good shepherd of your image.
Please also visit the following site and view the photographs from 2001 and the updates for 2010. Appropraiately labeled the Faces of Ground Zero.
FACES OF GROUND ZERO
Joe McNally Presents: A 9/11 Remembrance, In Pictures « Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider Blog » Photoshop & Digital Photography Techniques, Tutorials, Books, Reviews & More
While we all might not be professional photographers that operate on the level that Joe McNally does, I think all serious photographers can benefit from his thoughts in this passage from his blog:
A quote from Photographer Joe McNally in the linked blog:
Here’s the thing about being a photog, which we sometimes forget when we get too involved counting pixels. When someone agrees to have you make their picture, even a quick snap, there’s an exchange, or the beginnings of a relationship, however cursory or fleeting. The subject is out there, in front of a lens, which is a very vulnerable place to be. Effectively, they give you, at the camera, a gift. It’s up to us as photographers to take care of it.
When someone comes to your studio during a time such as 911, everything ratchets upwards. Their vulnerability. The amount of trust they place in you. Your responsibility to them.
The flash of the light speaks a language beyond simple exposure. You trip the shutter (or, as with the Giant Polaroid, you pull the cap off the lens) and you have made a pact with that person out there on the seamless. You are effectively saying, I will do my best to make this a good photo. I will do my best to try to make sure you don’t regret coming here. And, just as importantly, you are promising to be the good shepherd of your image.
Please also visit the following site and view the photographs from 2001 and the updates for 2010. Appropraiately labeled the Faces of Ground Zero.
FACES OF GROUND ZERO