We've all seen those iconic photographs such as the "Tank Man" who stopped four advancing tanks in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. This shot was taken by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press.
I think it's safe to say that this expresses so much more than one could possibly put into words. It just goes to show the true power of a good photograph and how well it can tell a story.
A picture must have some meaning to it if it is going to tell a good story. In order for it to be a great picture it has to make you feel something! That is great photography.
Another point Bruce brings up is the editing process in photo journalism. The part that particularly stands out for me is a commercial from Dove that I first saw a couple of years ago. It shows just how much somebody can be changed and enhanced with the right lighting, styling and editing. It's quite remarkable. But sometimes (especially in the US) it goes over the line and the person hardly even resembles themself anymore - whether it be their chest, hands, face or body that is edited in order to fit the definition of what beauty is seen as in today's society. Watch the video here, it's very intriguing. And check out this gallery on ninemsn.com.au - it's full of before and afters!
Just today, I was on the train sitting near a mother with her two young daughters. The older daughter who was turning seven soon demanded that she wanted lots of makeup for her birthday. And the younger daughter, who is turning six this year, said that she wanted perfume for her birthday because her perfume now was "tinny" (tiny). I mean don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to smell nice or anything but the fact that these girls were so young made it just a tad disturbing.
The ideals we have in today's society are being drilled into us at such a young age, especially the perception of beauty. Take the show Toddlers and Tiaras, for example. I don't know if you've ever watched the show but it is scary stuff. It seriously freaks me out. Shudder. They're like little dolls who have come alive and are taking over the world. But more to the point, we shouldn't be drilling these ideas into children's heads from the moment they are born. I don't think it's healthy. Because if they don't see anything but these Photoshopped and highly edited perfect people in photos, then the standard is set so high for them and they are likely not to acecpt themselves or others as being beautiful because from what they have been taught, that sort of beauty is not real - though they just don't know it yet.
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