A picture is worth a thousand words......

[shutterman]

but those words sure are different depending on who is speaking.....

http://www.zombietime.com/sf_rally_s..._a_photograph/

Interesting article on perspective and the power of images.

[mmedlyn]

Interesting... I think of Garry Winogrand's quote "The photograph isn’t what was photographed. It’s something else. It’s a new fact."

Ok for art... maybe not so OK for photojournalism?

ETA - Seeing the alternative pictures posted in this guys article didn't change my feelings or impressions about the event or about the picture used for the Chronicle article. The Chronicle obviously used a strong image for a reason. To think that the news media is not without bias is incorrect thinking. News organizations and their employees obviously have a bias; the mistake is in not recognizing this and being blindly lead by them. One must always think critically. Pictures or not...

Wouldn't there be the same problem for film coverage?

[Asylum Steve]

Real good read. Probably eye-opening for some...

But I have said many times on this site that all photography is interpretive. Reportage, which is generally thought to be documentary in nature, is IMO sometimes one of the worst offenders, mainly because many are so trusting in what they see published, and have no clue as to how easily they can be manipulated.

Every one of a shooter's tools, from lens choice and camera settings to angle of view to lighting intensity and direction to subjects' expressions to yes (as we see here) cropping out of a scene's other elements can be used to focus the viewer's attention to one particular aspect of an image and so color their perception...

Long before the advent of digital imaging and the ethical can of worms it created for photojournalism, there have been countless controversies such as this over the way a story was being told through pictures...

[Photo-John]

That's a great article. I think that the Chronicle photographer's image is much, much stronger than any of the photos taken by the writer. As a photographer, I like it a lot better. I'm not sure what that says about the news and truth in photography issue. Probably just makes it muddier.

I'm with Steve on the bias of photography. As soon as you pick up the camera and point it at something, you're interjecting your own point of view. Figure in lens choice, exposure, and any subconscios biases you might be working with, and we can't expect any photo to tell the whole truth.

Next up - a discussion about whether "truth" even exists.

[walterick]

I agree with the bias of photography, and I also agree that the Chronicle photo is the best one in the whole article, biased or not.

But what I really wanted to talk about was whether or not truth exists

I say yes, truth exists. It must, because to say it does not is a statement of "truth."

Let the games begin.

Rick

[Asylum Steve]

Next up - a discussion about whether "truth" even exists...

I think it does. But I also think if it's captured by photography, it's usually by accident...

[Photo-John]

I say yes, truth exists. It must, because to say it does not is a statement of "truth."

Proof by paradox. You are good, my friend.