"This Light is Ours: Activist Photographers

of the Civil Rights Movement"

Maria Varela says, "I never considered myself an artist... I had a job to do, and I couldn't affford the luxury of being an artist... But there was a reason I was shooting in the first place... And basically the theory behind my shooting was these are strong beautiful people that are not seen in this country.  They are not paid attention to.  They are not icon material, you know, but here they are."  Not exactly what you learn in the photojournalism class where the pursuit of the icon, the completely self-referential image, is defined as the goal that protects the photographer's "objectivity." Varela says, "I knew you not only had to use the words of local people about how they did something, you had to also use pictures showing them taking leadership roles in their own communities."

Article: Getting Past the Icon - Should Photographers Depict Reality, or Try to Change It?

by David Bacon | Full Article: click here