Scientific Photojournalist- Felice Frankel

Don't Show Me Your Biases

Psychology Today defines bias as  a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Biases are usually based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. These biases result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions and discrimination. Biases can lead masses of people to mistreat people others. An example of this gender inequality, when the bias thoughts that women are over emotional, only good for pleasing men, and that men are the superior sex caused years of torture that still heavily impacts how people live today. Photojournalist own biases are shown in stories they capture. These photos that can influences masses and spread stereotypes and biases.  

Photo By: WELAYAT SALAHUDDIN
Image Source: https://fossbytes.com/google-will-now-show-wrong-search-results-to-wannabe-terrorists/
- Not The Truth: This photo does not capture a true story, but a bias one. Many people combine Islam and terrorism, in which is a huge stereotype. When people look at this photo, they see Arabic words and men with fabric covering their faces. This immediately depicts Islam and terrorism, and this biases is huge in the United States. Muslims fight everyday to erase this bias. However, America has a hard time getting rid of biases, and would rather see photos that approve of the biases. Therefore, this picture is an example of yellow photojournalism. According to Joseph Campbell in Yellow Photojournalism Puncturing the Myths and Defining the Legacies,  yellow photojournalism  advocated an ethos of activist journalism, yet did so in bursts of unabashed self-adulation. In other words, yellow photojournalism is when  important stories may be captured but at the same time showing people what they want to see. This photo may capture something important but it still keeps a bias, as a photo that does not is harder to view and may not sell as much. This shows that some people do not take the time to get to know other cultures. How can  photojournalists capture a story if they do not understand the story they are telling. Shahidul Alam states in the video 
CAN @ CAB • 2 • "I Want To Live" • with SHAHIDUL ALAM • that the only time you can tell the stories of other people is when you live their lives and you breathe the air that they, and you share their concerns.  Yellow photojournalism and biases does not capture the stories of others, but those stories that need to be told are what makes photojournalism important. One way of knowing that this picture does not show the truth is Emotion/intuition. This for me is personal because I am Muslim and it is very hard to to read articles that are enhanced with these kind of photos because I know the truth that keeps being overshadowed by biases.
- Principal 1: Rule of thirds - The photographer does not place his subject in the middle. Actually, at first glance it may be hard to depict the main subject. The main subject is the fabric with the Arabic written on it. The photographer avoids placing it in the middle by moving or zooming in on it, but the viewers eyes are drawn to it. The photo is placed into thirds, with the background as 1/3 and the people are in another 1/3 and then the subject in the last. I believe this was used to enhance the story the photographer wanted to capture.
- Principal 2: Depth of field - Not everything in the photo is in focus. The signs with writing in the background are somewhat blurred. Since the photographer used the rule of thirds, the background, which takes up alot of the photo is very visible. Therefore, the viewer may naturally look towards those signs. The photographer may have wanted to give a mysterious edge or invite the viewer to think more into the story.
Principal 3: Does the image remind you of any work of art or photograph you have seen? - This image reminds me of a photo I recently used on my post Stereotypical Photojournalist, where a young Muslim boy holds a gun. That photo as well as this one uses biases to tell a story.




Image By: Tiayana Nicole
Image Source: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/african-american-women-stereotypes
The Truth:  This photo captures the truth. For many years Black Women have been viewed as angry and ghetto, and there are various photos that enhance this bias that many people have. Sense perception of the way of knowing this photo is the truth. People can see that Black women are not angry and that this stereotype is not true. Therefore, viewers of this photo knows that Black women are not angry. However, if people can see that Black women are not angry why is this stereotype still creating biases? Betty Lane's photo of the women's movement captures an American Woman holding a sign saying "Full rights for women! We are human too you know!"    Women have fought for many years to have equal rights,  and are still fighting! Bettye Lane's photo was taken back in 1977, people  then and now can see that women deserve rights, just as they can see Black women are not angry. However, both stereotypes are still very much alive.  However, this photo is personal to me as well. As a Black woman I do have a bias on photo's I see. John Nordell, in his video Photojournalism and Bias Part 2 encourages students to keep in mind that we have biases and give an effort to look at our truths and this photo really does that for me.
Principal 1: Is the image black & white or color?  - This photo is captured using black and white color. This enhances the words written on the subjects arms, and her facial expression. The photo's lack of color keeps distractions away and helps get straight to the main point.
Principal 2:  Keep It Simple - Just like using the black and white technique the photographer keeps the photo very simple. This enhances the story being captured by enhancing the subject and the words on the photo. Keeping it simple makes the viewer give all his or her attention to the subject.
Principal 3: Obvious main subject, about ¼ to 2/3 of image area. - The photographer uses the keep it simple technique to enhance the subject. The subject is all you can see in this photo, she takes up all of the space. The keep it simple technique works with this one because there is nothing else the viewer can be look at.


Photo By: Ed Clark
Image Source: https://time.com/3764064/mourning-fdr-in-a-classic-photo-the-face-of-a-nations-loss/
This photo is what I like to call a "raw" photo. This is real, and gives off so many emotions as it tells a story. This photo shows people, no matter the race, have the same emotions as numerous people in the photo cry along with the main subject. The emotion in this story is what connects people around the world, this is what photojournalism is about.  To me this shows how important President Franklin D. Roosevelt was to the people of  that time. John Nordell in his video Photojournalism and Bias 2 he talks about how a photojournalist is trying to capture the peak action of a rally. He ask if one photo is the truth or if another is the truth. He says that the yelling and screaming of the subjects in the photo captures the emotional intensity and passion of the individuals, just as in this photo where the photojournalist also captures the emotional intensity with the tears and heart break in the eyes of the people within the photo.
Principal 1: Subject’s Expression - the subjects expression in this photo is clear.. His expression tells the story of this photograph alone. His tears is what connects viewers to the story that is captured here.
Principal 2: What feelings does the image create? - This image creates sympathy and empathy. The viewers of this photo can feel the heart break that everyone in this photo felt. The emotion in the subjects expression gives the same emotions in the viewers connect them to him and his story.
Principal 3: Background compliments or detracts from composition - the background itself tells a story. There is a range of emotions in the background that ties back to the main subject. The background does not compete with the main subject, but instead joins him.