A Story of Truth

At this point in my life I am pretty sure I want to incorporate photography to some degree into my professional career, I am just not sure yet in what capacity. Photojournalism covers an array of topics, tailoring to specific audiences. At times it is mind boggling to think of how much power and influence the media has. Photography has become a highly used tool for controlling and manipulating the media. Visual influence has become an integrated part of our everyday society. Nearly all modes of communication, from flat screen television sets and net books to magazines and newspapers, are grazed with images that consume us, both pleasing and horrifying to the eye.

It seems like the most talked about news these days either relate to celebrities and their publicized "private" lives. I think that is an oxymoron. I started to wonder if the paparazzi were considered photojournalist. The suppose the two do have similar characteristics, but when I think of any form of journalism I'd like to think it always tries to obtain the closest version of the truth. Paparazzi i are the polar opposite of this. Knowing the truth is not relevant to getting the job done. Whereas with photojournalism I imagine that uncovering the raw truth through a visual expression is main objective to the profession.

Their seems to be this relentless craving for this need for attention that exists, which is evident through the media's contents I chooses to make public. It is almost as though our personal lives are not fulfilling unless their is some shock value attached to it. Hence, the reason for the popularity of reality shows. Drama continues as long as different media platforms continue to supply and distribute.

Have you heard the latest hollabaloo surrounding Miley Cyrus? Celebrity Gossip Blogger: Perez Hilton apparently posted an inappropriate photo of the 17 year old tween singer, and may possibly be considered child pornography. Besides the fact that the young star seems to be just fine exploiting herself to the public, with racy music videos. Miley Cyrus's recent music videos for song 'Can't Be Tamed' portrays the star as this seductress black bird in a cage, who provocatively plays with the other fellow bird friends of hers. Besides being an odd concept, the contents of the video minimizes the implications connected to this sort of behavior, especially for young females.

In a Huffington Post interview Cyrus is quoted saying, "when you're 11, the word you would use to describe someone is definitely not sexy, and as you get older I think you grow into that. And I think I've done that but that's not my schtick. That's not what I'm trying to do to sell records. I want people to buy my record because of my music." Statements like this, along with her actions is suggestive to young women coming to age that sexual element is correlated--saying it's okay to explore and experiment. It is important to address the potential consequences that all forms of media has on the general public, because people are so easily influenced.

Often the paparazzi are the ones to take these scandalous photos we see in the news. The truth is
these images that once shocked us seem to have only desensitized us even more. So you see it is unnecessary to continue photographing for shock value, because it has no real relevance in a
world where we've become immune to these types of images.

Just as celebrities have a responsibility, so do photographers. The things we choose to photograph tell a story. The question is: is it going to be a photograph that tells a story of truth or one that bends the truth? I think in this day and age-the truth may actually be more shocking.