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Introduction to Photojournalism

Photojournalism emerged in the late 1920s and can be broadly defined as a spontaneous and topical photographic narrative of human events. Though the best images in this genre blend informative content with emotional impact, journalistic value holds pride of place over aesthetic quality. This is because photojournalism has its roots in news delivery and strives to maintain as objective a record as possible. There are many laws around journalistic integrity, despite the ongoing philosophical debates regarding the possibility of pure objectivity. Despite this key way in which photojournalism differs from other photographic arts, it has gained increasing acceptance as a fine art since the late 1970s, with gallery shows and museum exhibitions. Luc Delahaye and Chien-Chi Chang are just a few examples of celebrated photojournalists. Henri Cartier-Bresson, whose photo Behind the Gare St. Lazare has been called the greatest photograph of the 20th century, is held as the father of modern photojournalism. He is known for his candid shots of powerful moments that seem to suspend time. Having an ever-ready, small, light camera and always being on the look-out for decisive moments has become a hallmark of photojournalists. And as technology offers smaller, faster, lighter, and more memory-packed devices, as well as lap tops, publishing one's photos from remote locations can be almost instantaneous. However, the golden days of big, glossy prints in Time magazine are over. The field is rapidly changing, leaving photojournalists to explore new ways of interpreting events, being published, and making names for themselves.

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