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Follow up to Eyes of the Afghan Girl – A critical take on the “Steve McCurry Scandal”

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While a follow up was already planned, after publishing the previous post and the subsequent, staggering response generated in support, appreciation, comments, critique and criticism I felt the need to also address certain things as well as perhaps reiterate and underline certain points. I also want to fill certain spaces left over in the previous post.

Let me begin again by reiterating that the previous opinion piece (and this follow up) is not an attack or attempt to defame Steve McCurry, it is only to throw light on certain aspects as well as bring some attention to the questions that plague visual journalism, especially in the past few years.

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Eyes of the Afghan Girl – A critical take on the “Steve McCurry Scandal”

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I will begin by saying that my intention is not to attack Steve McCurry or defame him in any manner. It is only an attempt to clear certain facts that have come to light regarding his work and to also raise certain questions on aspects that may or may not have been missed, but certainly have not been expressed till now, atleast not publicly. McCurry is an inspiring figure to many, therefore in the light of recent events, a close examination of his photographs and his practice has already been done, I only want to take it a few steps further.

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Japanese Farmer Sick of Photographers Cuts Down Popular Photogenic Tree

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Lone trees in the landscape are a popular photography subject around the world, but it’s not often that what makes such a scene so pleasing also causes the owner of the land on which it resides to cut it down.

This particular tree, nicknamed the “Philosophy Tree”, has become something of an attraction to local photographers, and Instagram users.

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World Press Photo Announces New Ethics Guidelines and Rigorous Review Process After Massive Controversy

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Earlier this year it was revealed that 22% of entries into the 58th annual World Press Photo competition had been immediately disqualified due to ‘careless’ post-processing.

Two weeks after that announcement, an entirely new controversy arose when the mayor of Charleroi, Belgium claimed a series of winning photographs were staged and sensationalized. It was later revealed that the photos would not be disqualified, as the World Press Photo Association (WPPA) said there were ’no grounds for doubting the photographer’s integrity in carrying out his work.’

In hopes of preventing a repeat of the controversies of the past few years, WPPA has announced a new set of ethic guidelines for the 2016 competition.[Read More…]

Clinton Campaign Walks Reporters With Rope, Media Calls It ‘Humiliating’

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The Clintons have a history of secrecy that goes back long before they ever made it to the White House the first time around.  So it’s of little surprise when Hillary gets a little testy with the media on the campaign trail.  But, this isn’t a political rant written by a libertarian-anarchist who loathes all politicians equally.  This is about photography.

While stomping the ground in Gorman, New Hampshire over the holiday weekend, Clinton campaign staffers decided that if words were not enough to corral the media that more assertive measures would have to be taken.  This resulted in members of the media who were staying ahead of Clinton in the Independence Day parade to be literally roped off, with aides allowing the media to only go where campaign members wanted them to.

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Photographer Receives Death Threats After Sharing a Gay Pride Re-creation of Historic Photo

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For those just now crawling out from under a rock, the United States has been an open battleground since last week’s Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.  The Right is attacking the left and saying our doom is upon us; the Left is rubbing it in the faces of the Right.

Ten years ago, Los Angeles photographer Ed Freeman took a photo symbolizing gay pride.  The photo recreated the pose of the iconic Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima taken by Joe Rosenthal during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, replacing embattled Marines with shirtless men and swapping the American flag for a rainbow flag.

After the Supreme Court decision, Freeman shared the image on his Facebook page, a move which sparked great controversy, including death threats.

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New EU Proposal Could Make It Impossible To Take Photos In Public

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Will public photography soon be impossible in Europe?  A new proposal being submitted in the European Union parliament may mean almost that.

“Freedom of Panorama” is a a term we don’t hear frequently, but its importance is vital to the photography community.  In short, Freedom of Panorama is a part of copyright law that gives individuals the freedom to create works of art (whether they be paintings, family snapshots, professional images, videos, etc.) in public.  The specifics vary from country to country, but, in many places around the world, this is allowed for both personal and commercial use.

However, opponents within the EU want to pass legislation removing this freedom in all European countries.  This would mean that, when taking any photograph or creating a video in public, you must obtain the permission of the copyright holder for any copyrighted work that may appear in it, including buildings, landmarks, and works of art.

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World Press Photo Says It Will Not Disqualify Questionable Winning Photos; NPPA Scorns The Decision

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The 58th running of World Press Photo competition has been shrouded by controversy to say the least. Along with the announcement of the winning photos, which we reported on in early February, organizers of the event also made it clear that a whopping 20% of the total entries were disqualified due to excessive post processing.

As Lars Boering, WPP Managing Director said in an official statement: “Our contest rules clearly state that the content of the image should not be altered. This year’s jury was very disappointed to discover how careless some photographers had been in post-processing their files for the contest. ” He continued by adding that the WPP plans to the work with the international photojournalistic community in efforts to better understand the reasoning behind the heavy handed editing trend so they can help to establish a new set of standards and guidelines for the photojournalism industry as a whole.[Read More…]

Tour Manager for Three Days Grace Speaks Out On Concert Photography

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Two days ago, controversy was bred after a clash over social media between photographer Rohan Anderson and the pop-punk band Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; the band began a crusade of defamation against Rohan after being called out for posting his picture up without permission or credit. In return, Rohan sparked a wave of protest from the online community by posting the entire story online, and publicity for The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus expectedly took a plunge.

Now that the story’s been gaining widespread coverage over the online photography and music community, the tour manager for the band Three Days Grace decided to weigh in on the topic.

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