Photojournalism

(Hindu worshippers, splattered with colors, pray at the Dauji Temple in Dauji, 113 miles south of New Delhi on March 21–image by KevinFrayer/Associated Press via The Big Picture)

This week in my photography class I discussed photojournalism. I’ve wanted the class to be very broad, and to expose them to all different kinds of photography and photographic concepts, and I was so excited to talk about the way that images can shape our ideas of events in the news.

As you may  (or may not!) know, I’m finishing up a Masters degree in International and Comparative Politics, and I am a total news junkie. I love keeping up with what is going on in the world and reading whatever I can to understand why these events occur. Besides the near-constant stream of NPR news that I keep on,  there are a couple photojournalism blogs that I love to check to for a visual of what I’m hearing and reading about–conveyed through just plain outstanding photography.

The New York Times “Lens” blog is fantastic. It updates several times a day with photos and video from or about particular news topics, as well as featuring a series of “Pictures of the Day” that summarize that day’s events.

Another photojournalism resource I love is the Boston Globe’s “Big Picture” blog It features images on one specific topic culled from many different photographers and news outlets. The series of images encompass many perspectives of the same event or situation, allowing you gain what feels like a more 360-degree view.

There is so much going on in the world right now-so many wars, natural  disasters, and political uprisings–and images, for me at least, allow me to feel like I have a much more on-the-ground perspective. I hope you enjoy those sites, and  would love to hear what sources you look to for news!