Multimedia Story Telling

Brian Storm, Vice President, Corbis, United States

The still photograph isn’t just something that sits on the page anymore.

And a caption isn’t just words on a page.

When you put photographs on-line, you have new ways to tell stories, says Mr Storm. For example, post it on your website with an audio clip of the subject speaking, or with a journalist’s report (much like radio) reporting as if on radio, or the sound of actualities taken from traditional broadcast media, and the story telling gets richer.

"There is nothing like giving the picture a voice," he says. "The picture can tell so much, the caption adds to it, but there is nothing like a voice."

Using those capabilities might very well keep the in-depth photo essay alive, says Mr Storm.

"It’s a big issue going forward -- how are we going to monetize journalism? The funding part is important so we can do more in-depth coverage." His presentation included examples of the multi-media photo essay, and how they might be used to create revenue.

Challenge for the Agencies: Demand for More Photos Faster

Jean-François Le Mounier, Head of Photo Department, Agence France Presse

Faster, better and a lot more quantity describes the life of a photo agency in the digital era, says Mr Le Mounier.

Digital photography and transmission has created a demand for more photos than every before, at a faster speed. At the same time, the demand for quality has never diminished.

"I have never heard anyone say they have too many pictures," says Mr Le Mounier. "Our clients say, give us a choice, so we decided to open up the gates and to transmit more and more pictures and to tell the stories in more detail."

At the same time, digital cameras and mobile transmission technology allows pictures from anywhere to be sent almost as soon as the event occurs.

"When a plane crashes in some far-off country, they no longer ask, ’do you have the picture’ but ’when can we get it?’"

A Philosophy of Photography

Per Folkver, Picture Editor, Politiken, Denmark

The Danish newspaper Politiken takes a very philosophical approach to photography and Mr Folkver’s presentation demonstrated the thoughtful process that occurs in the newsroom. Here are some of his thoughts:

"News photography is dead. News Photography only exists on television as living pictures. Because still photography is slow, and no longer first with the new, it is a powerful medium. Photographers must adapt and understand their new role."

"How difficult can you make a picture to understand? I believe sometimes readers want to work while reading the newspaper."

"There are no ugly pictures."

"We have to show the reader what is under the surface. Our responsibility is to show the readers what they don’t see on TV.

"Words go directly to the brain. Pictures go directly to the stomach."

The Digital Death of Photojournalism?

Stanley Greene, Photoreporter, Agence VU, France and USA

"The photojournalist is becoming a dying breed," says Mr Greene, because photos are too often treated as commodities and technology is interfering with the photojournalist’s real work.

"The problem is, the media and agencies are more aware of the technology than of the photojournalism," he says. "Editors seem to give priority to immediateness, and less to the time-consuming work."

As an example, he described his recent work in Iraq, where he was engaged in shooting a photo essay on the impact of the war on the local population. Although it was an important story, his photos were often rejected, or used as a minor illustration.

"For me this was not a spot-news story but something more important that had to be explained in a longer way," he says. "I was shipping film as fast as I could but my agency said the pictures lacked tension. Everyone from the top on down, including my agency, just wanted the violence."

The Amateurs vs the Professionals

Fred Richin, Director, PixelPress, USA

A photo of US President George Bush offering a Thanksgiving turkey to troops in Iraq (and a fake turkey at that) or standing on an aircraft carrier before a giant "Mission Accomplished" sign.

"These are staged images, but it is the picture we are used to seeing," says Mr Richin.

On the other hand, there are the photos of torture and abuse in an Iraqi prison, taken by soldiers, of the photos of soldiers’ coffins taken by a defense contractor.

"How many of the strongest images of the year are taken by amateurs - this is also part of the digital revolution," says Mr Richin. "In the US, we were not allowed to see American war dead. It was a worker who was proud of her work, they did it so well, who took the photo."

He pointed to the now notorious photo of a female soldier holding a prisoner on a leash. "If you have to have a picture of the year, my vote would be for this."

"What’s wrong with the profession we are in when the professionals take pictures of staged events and the amateurs are the ones that get under the skin?" he asks.

See http://www.pixelpress.org for antidotes to staged photos and examples of how multimedia photo stories can add background and context.