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The Future of Photojournalism
With Travis Fox
2002 White House News Photographers' Association's Camera
Person and Editor of Year
Tuesday, May 21, 2002; 3 p.m. EDT
Digital technology is changing journalism and how the media presents complex issues and information. Photojournalists and videojournalists are creating intimate and innovative ways in telling a visual story -- through images, video presentations or documentaries.
Washingtonpost.com videojournalist Travis Fox is both the White House News Photographers' Association's (WHNPA) 2002 Camera Person of the Year and Editor of the Year. He is the first photojournalist to be awarded both top honors by WHNPA. View Fox's award-winning videos through the Camera Works: Best of the Post section.
He was online Tuesday, May 21, 2002 at 3 p.m. EDT to discuss how digital technology is changing visual storytelling.
Fox started working with washingtonpost.com in 1999 and is currently a staff photographer. His videos have also been featured in the D.C. Independent Film Festival (2002) and Rosebud Film and Video Competition (2002). In 2001, Fox's multimedia production of "Carol Guzy: Bearing Witness" won first place in the prestigious "Pictures of the Year International" competition. He graduated magna cum laude from the Missouri School of Journalism.
The transcript follows below.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Travis Fox: Hello everyone. Thanks for stopping in. Let's get to some questions...
Harrisburg, Pa.:
How did you become interested in digital photography? Did you learn about it in college, on your own, or at work (or some combination thereof)? What advice would you give to others who wish to learn more about it?
Travis Fox: I studied photojounalism at the Univ. of Missouri, though this was almost entirely geared towards still photography, film or digital. I only started working with video since I've been with washingtonpost.com, which has been for the last three years.
In terms of advice, I'd say just go out and do it. There's nothing like practice. My experience with video would certainly indicate this. I've never had any video training, but through practice and (many) mistakes I've learned how to tell stories with video.
North Potomac, Md.:
Mr. Fox,
I have a few questions for you. Do you feel that photojournalists and press photographers receive the same respect as reporters and writers do? It seems that while photographs are admired by the public, some think that the photographers do their job by simply pushing a button.
Next question is do you feel your journalism degree helped you start your career? How else might one get into photojournalism?
Thanks.
Travis Fox: I think that many photographers feel that they don't get the same respect in the newsroom.
In terms of the general public, I think the image of the globe-trotting free-wheeling photographer contributes to an incorrect stereotype. Pushing the button is only part of the process. We shouldn't forget the second part of the word photojournalist because the story (the journalism) is what it's all about.
A degree from Missouri, or another big journalism school, will certainly help you get into the field, but it's not the route everyone takes. As with other crafts, it's the quality of your work that will eventually work.
Vienna, Va.:
Are more traditional news photographers moving towards digital media? Also, how do you feel about the controversies of image cropping or fixing by use of applications such as Photoshop?
Travis Fox: I don't have specific numbers, but I would say that nearly all US newspapers are using digital photography to some extent. Many are fully digital, some only use digital for late events or for transmitting from out of town.
In terms of ethics, photoshop doesn't change anything. No content within a picture should be modified with photoshop or in the darkroom for that matter. We use photoshop the same way we used the enlarger in the darkroom... Photoshop makes it easier to modify an image, but it doesn't make ethically OK to do so.
Washington, D.C.:
Mr. Fox:
Can you give a brief rundown on the digital gear you utilize most often, and offer any guess as to when high-quality, consumer-level gear will become available (I shoot Nikon myself, and can't afford to make the $4K investment to get the D1, D1x level).
Thanks
Travis Fox: We use a variety of equipment, both the Canon and Sony Digital Video cameras and D1s for the stills, and even the Nikon Coolpix for panorama pictures for washingtonpost.com. The Coolpix is a consumer-level camera, and the chip is techinically the same as the D1, so if you have the right light, etc., the picture should be the same quality...in terms of resolution. Look, a lot of people ask me the same question and answer is that it doesn't really matter. Photographers are good not because of the camera but how they use it.
Fairfax, Va.:
What has been your favorite video projects that you have worked on?
Where can I find them on the web?
Travis Fox: There have been a number of videos that I've enjoyed, some of my favorites are on my bio page...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/photo/bestofthepost/foxtravis/index.html
But we are doing video all the time, so check back on the Camera Works page for the lastest...
http://www.cameraworks.com
Washington, D.C.:
Regarding the comment about photojournalists not getting the respect they deserve in the newsroom - I'm really surprised. I work at a large national publication, and our staff photographers are the most popular people in the office! They are talented and dedicated and much appreciated here. It's the photo-editors (im my opinion) that don't get the respect - and they work &-&## hard! Long hours and second-guessing from writers who have no visual experience (and i'm a writer, not photo-editor!)
Travis Fox: To clarify... it's my impression that within the national photojournalism community many feel that they don't get the respect they feel they deserve. I don't mean to say that everyone feels that way or all newsrooms are the same. For example, I certainly feel that I get respect within our newsroom...
N. Chevy Chase, Md.:
What's it like behind the scenes? Do you get to call your own shots or do you get assigned to shoot stories?
Travis Fox: It works both ways. Some story ideas I come up with, some are other people's ideas and some are event-type coverage, which we know we'll cover (such as a protest, press conference, etc.)
Washington, D.C.:
As far as the future of photojournalism -- why not just call yourself a journalist or reporter? It's not that new that reporters take their own camera shots and write their stories. And what about the reporter and cameraperson relationship?
Travis Fox: As we experience more convergence, titles will become trickier and trickier. Perhaps, journalist is the best catch-all.
The reporter/cameraperson relationship is varied at different television stations. At washingtonpost.com, I'll shoot, report, and edit many video pieces, but also at times, I work with reporters in a fashion that is similar to how television does it. It really depends on the story is best covered.
washingtonpost.com :
A note to our readers that Travis will be giving a talk on Changing Technology: New Media & Video Story at the Corcoran Gallery of Art on July 16. At the same time, the Corcoran will feature the WHNPA’s exhibition "The Eyes of History."
New York, N.Y.:
You write that in photojournalism, "the story . . . is what it's all about." As a news-hungry citizen, I agree wholeheartedly. However, since the story is almost universally told by a writer or reporter, do you think that the role of the photographer is best understood as that of a backup or supporting character? If not, then wouldn't a prominent role for a photographer often result in a story that is distorted by an overemphasis on visual images and an underemphasis on explanation and analysis? The reason I ask is that I have noticed (to my dismay) in recent years, especially on TV, an overemphasis on pictures/videos, and a concomitant lack of explanation for whatever story is purportedly being told thru image alone. Is this where photography/videography is going?
Travis Fox: I would take issue about how you say the "story is almost universally told by a writer or reporter." Could you comprehend 9/11 without images, for example? I'm not defending what you see on television. I feel that images can be used to destort reality in much the same way words can. It all boils down to good journalism, how much and when to use what content, whether that's images or text.
Arlington, Va.:
Can you tell us more about WHNPA and the awards you received?
Travis Fox: The White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) awarded me the Camera Person and Editor of the Year. It caused a bit of splash because it's the first time a Web person has won those (traditionally) television awards. The participants are made up of network, local, and cable television photographers and editors.
Vienna, Va.:
The events of Sept. 11 have shown a lot of video covering the tragic event. How do you feel about the media showing amateur video footage?
Travis Fox: I have no problem with the media showing amateur video if that helps in our understanding of the story.
Alexandria, Va.:
Decades ago there was some controversy involving a photographer in Lebanon who had encouraged children to play in a certain ruined area so that he could visually contrast the destruction in that country with the daily life there.
How far should visual storytellers go in posing or arranging scenes to photograph?
Travis Fox: This is a easy question. Photo (or video) journalists shouldn't set up any pictures other than ones that are clearly meant to be such as portraits. Photojournalists shouldn't be in the business of changing reality. This doesn't mean that it doesn't happen, it does, and that's too bad. Professional organizations such as the National Press Photographers Association work to set and keep this high ethical standard.
Kensington, Md.:
Mr. Fox, What was the first video feature you shot for washingtonpost.com, if you remember? What is the biggest thing you learned about shooting good video - - tricks, or do's and don'ts?
Travis Fox: I remember...but I would like to forget! It was the Marine Corps Marathon three years ago.
In terms of do's and don'ts, it's a combination of small things. The basic things you look for as a journalist are the same and that's the most difficult part. Other things such as getting tight shots, shooting in sequences, paying more attention to audio, etc., are things I've since learned through editing and not having the right material to put the story together.
Alexandria, Va.:
Israel recently kept journalists out of battle zones.
On the other hand, the Palestinian Authority banned photographers from some of the Palestinian rallies that celebrated the 9-11 attacks, and even threatened to kill an AP photographer if AP released a video tape of thousands of cheering celebrants. (AP did as it was told.)
Is it ever okay to ban photographers from combat areas or from embarassing scenes?
Travis Fox: Well, if it was up to me... photographers would have more access. This is the case not only in battle zones, but all over the place. Photographers access in official washington (White House, Cap Hill, etc) is tightly controlled, not to mention the US military in Afghanistan. Part of our job as photographers and photo editors is to fight for more access no matter where we are working.
Clarendon, Va.:
Has the transition to digital technology really made the photojournalism business more competitive? I'm thinking in terms of more people with digital cameras, which, with the use of the Internet, facilitates the amount (if not the quality) of free-lance submissions to news outlets.
Travis Fox: Photojournalism has been very competitive long before digital photography. On the majority of situations, amateur photography wouldn't work in most newspapers and magazines. The exeption to this would be in the case of spot news, like all the amateur video from 9/11.
One thing I can say is that digital photography has made life tougher for freelancers because the quality of the cameras increases so often that it means that photographers have to upgrade more often, something you wouldn't have to do with a film camera.
Bethesda, Md.:
What are your future aspirations? What are some of your next long-term projects?
Travis Fox: I'll be a Pew Fellow as part of their International Journalism program this fall working a video piece about human rights abuses against Gypsies in Eastern Europe. For washingtonpost.com, I have a couple things going on, including a story about how a father of Pentagon victim is coping with the loss of his only son. This will probably be for the 9/11 anniversary.
Travis Fox: Thank you everyone for your questions, thanks for stopping in. ---Travis.
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washingtonpost.com :
That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
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