Joseph Elbert
Assistant Managing Editor, Photography
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
12:00 PM
This Week: Joseph Elbert , assistant managing editor for photography, was online Wednesday, April 12, at noon ET to discuss The Post's photography, use of images and visual journalism.
The transcript follows.
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Washington, D.C.: There was a book written a few years ago that claimed that some news organizations force-feed diversity into the news and photographs, even when it is not justified news. It cited some Gannett newspapers as an example. I think that The Washington Post Metro section is publishing pictures of people of different racial groups together to push diversity, too. Lately, it is difficult to see a group of African Americans or whites by themselves in the Metro news photographs. I think that the photographers and editors are forcing diversity into the paper, even when it is not newsworthy.
Joseph Elbert: When I was a cub photographer at The Miami Herald, over 30 years ago, I would get a photo request -- There would be a roll of color taped to the request and it would ask for my photo to have a white, Latino and black in the photo. I've been here for 18 years and we've never done anything like that. It's hard enough making nice moments.
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Fairfax, Va.: Hi Joseph,
With the availability of digital technology and photo altering software, photo evidence for law enforcement purposes and court proceedings has been rendered useless due to the ability to "doctor" a photo. Has this technology helped or hurt photo journalism and if so, how?
Joseph Elbert: We're lucky that only a few situations continue to be mentioned when it comes to manipulation. Folks will believe what they want and we can only try to maintain our credibility and accountability.
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Washington, D.C.: Joseph, thank you for taking our questions today! My fiance and I will be getting married soon and then moving overseas. We would like to use money from the wedding to buy a higher quality camera. We can't even argue we are amateur photographers, but I would like to take a class. We currently have a Nikon digital camera. Can you recommend some places to start for our investigation as to what kind of camera would be best for us? Thank you!
Joseph Elbert: Digital cameras are like computers, the day you buy the camera it's nearly obsolete. Seriously, the major changes have taken place and we're seeing fewer changes. The biggest change is having a hybrid camera that shoots both digital and stills, I'd go this direction. My favorite site for comparing equipment is dpreview.com
Good luck.
P.S. there are some good online photo seminars
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Bethesda, Md.: I have three questions, today. How does one become a professional photographer? What are some ways a talented amateur can have her work seen by those who make hiring decisions? Finally, on average, do professional photographers mentor younger, more inexperienced ones, or is it just every photog for himself?
Joseph Elbert: My degree is in music but I fell in love with photography. The craft is evolving and I see more of a still/video environment developing. The lucky photographers have mentors. I had a military photographer of the year, Air Force, kick my butt all over Southern Indiana when I was starting out. I'm doing the same for some of my folks here. When photographers don't have a camera up to their eye they're very sharing.
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Burke, Va.: Hi Joseph,
I was disappointed in the photo in today's sports page of the supposed 'many empty seats' at RFK yesterday. I was there and though there were a few upper deck pockets of empty seats, the stadium was, overall, quite full (40,500). It seems to me The Post wanted to 'spin' the empty seat angle in their coverage and used a cleverly angled camera shot to provide proof. Had your photographer moved his camera around a few degrees, he would have come up with a very different picture - a very full stadium.
Joseph Elbert: I agree with you, I went through 1,000 pictures from the game and it was a good crowd. I should've shared the 1,000 pics with the sports editor.
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Washington, D.C.: In the past several months I've noticed an increasing tendency of pics for pics' sake, especially in the A-section. It used to be that The Post shied away from the kind of stand-alone pretty pictures that lesser papers like to run unless they had some news value. Is this deliberate? Part of a trend? Are more puppies and daisies and sunsets and frisbees in our future?
Joseph Elbert: I'm guilty of liking panda pics. Seriously, if you have an opportunity to look at a rack of newspapers you'll notice a sameness between papers. Our goal is to mix this up and our local coverage is the place to start. Most folks already know their international and national news by the time they pick up our paper but they don't know as much about what's taking place locally. I was quite proud of the display package on page 1 this morning. The staff works hard at covering an area of 100 miles from D.C.
Check out this Web site, it has every front page of every paper every day,
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/default.asp?page=2
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New York, N.Y.: Joseph: Thank you for all the excellent photo galleries you put together. That's my favourite part of The Post online. Your staff is most talented in the business. I also enjoy the videos you have on your site. How has the transition been to video and do you see your staff doing more video and less still pictures in the future? I would miss all the photo galleries if so.
Joseph Elbert: There's a convergence taking place, I'm testing a camera that shoots 16/9 hi-res video and hi-res stills at the same time. The key is maintaining high quality storytelling. Great film/video is really a collection of still frames with movement taking place inside.
I wonder about using video as a transition between wonderful still images, who knows, let's experiment and find out.
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Missing your work: Joseph, could you pass on to the web folks at washingtonpost.com that the animated slide shows are hurting you? I work at a facility that has disabled Flash and other active content, so I can't look at the photo sections during my lunch hour. A little LESS technology would be good for you!
Joseph Elbert: Let's hope they're reading this. I like to click through images myself and resent being a hostage to technology.
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Springfield, Va.: I've noticed over the past year or so that the photos in The Post have gotten really really beautiful. Of course the photos were always excellent quality, relevant, etc., but recently there's more atmosphere, color, etc., that move the photos into the realm of art.
Is this a conscious decision to change the image of the paper or attract more readers/buyers/subscribers, or do you think it a simple reflection of the cultural shift toward reliance on and demand for visual stimulation?
Either way, it's gorgeous. Keep up the good work!
Joseph Elbert: I mentioned earlier that we're trying to do a better job of using local pictures on section fronts. You may be seeing images that aren't available anywhere else. thank you for the compliment, I'll pass along to the shooters.
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Alexandria, Va.: Hi, under what circumstances do you seek written permission to use a person's image. How about from the age angle...for example, a young child in a parade? How about a school play? I'm assuming here that this not for commercial sales, but news work (unless one would consider the business of news a commercial use).
Joseph Elbert: I prefer having names on every photo published, we aren't' always so lucky. We must have permission when publishing photos of children. We draw a line between editorial use and commercial use. It really comes down to a respect thing and you should ask folks permission.
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Bowie, Md.: The Post focuses a great deal on winning contests. Do you believe that contests are more important than covering day to day news?
Joseph Elbert: No way, contests are a way for professionals to be validated by their peers. Take a look at recent award winning photos at this Web site and you'll see plenty of good local coverage.
http://www.nppa.org/competitions/
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Washington, D.C.: With The Post being known as a leader in covering politics, last Wednesday's paper had a photo of the Lady Terps victory as the main photo while the big political story was Tom DeLay's resignation. The New York Times ran a DeLay picture on the front page. While the Lady Terps win was certainly a big story, what was the decision process in selecting it for the front page photo over Tom DeLay's resignation?
Joseph Elbert: I bet folks know what Tom DeLay looks like but they got a chance to share a special moment with the Lady Terps. I mentioned earlier that int'l and nat'l news are pushed down our throats hourly. The Lady Terps was original reporting.
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Washington, D.C.: I noticed that when the home section did a spread about bathtubs, it used a photo provided by the manufacturer. Of course, the photo made the tub look great. Being in the market for tubs, I went looking. It looked better in the picture. My question: when does The Post insist on using it's own photos (or newswire photos) and when does it use photos supplied by the manufacturer, publicity stills etc.? Thanks.
Joseph Elbert: There are 30 staff photographers. The average byline count is around 600 photos published per photographer per year. If we can use canned photos it gives our photographers a chance to spend a little more time on a Nat's game or Metro feature. The challenge is deciding on priorities. The wires are invaluable when it comes to out of town news, sports and features.
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New York, N.Y.: Hey Joseph, I was wondering if you could elaborate on one of your previous answers, in which you said that you see more of a still/video environment developing. The video aspect would obviously involve your Web site, and I'm just wondering how you see video playing a role in the future of The Washington Post. I watch your videos very often and am wondering if they are something that you see expanding in the future, perhaps even replacing or at least matching the importance of a still photography department?
Joseph Elbert: I wish I could be more helpful, no secrets or holding back, we're really two separate operations and we haven't sorted out what to do down the road, stay tuned,
Thanx.
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Washington, D.C.: You've been in charge of the photography department for a lengthy time. You've won every award and done a great job. Any plans to give someone else a shot at the position?
Joseph Elbert: I'm not quite ready to step down but there's some incredible leadership on the staff. The tough part is keeping everyone challenged.
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Bethesda, Md.: The Post's photographers can't be everywhere all the time. Sometimes an amateur photographer will capture a moment that is really worthy of sharing. Is there any way the public could submit photos and captions, on a regular basis, that you would consider running in the main sections of the newspaper? Either as a stand alone or to illustrate a story written by Post staff? The compensation could just be a photo credit with the photographer keeping the rights. If you're not already doing this, and think it's a good idea, is it something you would consider? Sort of like reality TV, but it could be "Reality Publishing"? I don't want to compete with the professional photographers, but this experiment could result in some unique perspectives.
Joseph Elbert: Have you been around long enough to remember the beavers and cherry trees. I had three photographers hiding behind bushes to take a picture of the beaver family. A tourist form the midwest saved TWP. Yes, we take interesting photos with a news hook.
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Fairfax, Va.: Saw Post photographer McDonnell making an effort at RFK stadium to photograph empty seats. The stadium was mostly full. What's up with that?
Joseph Elbert: I'm going to find out if that was an assignment. The picture was pretty boring and nothing compared to John/s lead photo on the front of sports. I thought the stadium was full when I edited, you're right, what's up?
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Odenton, Md.: Hi Joseph. I'm really enjoying the discussion. What's your view on the term "photo-journalist?" I'm interested in knowing whether it refers to a person who is a writer and also a photographer, or does it refer to a photographers ability to relay a story in the pictures.
Also, are there any folks at The Washington Post who work in both capacities? How would you suggest a person get started in the business?
Joseph Elbert: My first job was being a cop reporter and a photographer, I was really bad at both. It's best to focus and master one one at a time. I'm getting tired of the word photojournalist. Editorial photographer is probably more accurate.
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Dunn Loring, Va.: When covering a story with political implications, how does The Post decide which pictures to print? For example, in the mass of stories yesterday on the immigration march, all of the pictures shared one common theme, happy Latinos waving US flags, but from what I saw observing the march, there were plenty of Salvadorian, Mexican and other flags, as well as signs for amnesty and denouncing U.S. policies. Why weren't both sides of the march shown? Is it an editorial decision or do your photographers just not take pictures of actions that do not conform to The Post's positions?
Joseph Elbert: My personal favorite photo was the lead of Style by Lucian Perkins. It went beyond a political agenda and captured a moment. I checked out quite a few left and right blogs and saw a few boring sign pictures but nothing that did anything more than advance someone's personal agenda. To be honest the part I hate most about being in Washington is the demonstrations. Everyone comes here to get their 15 minutes of fame.
I don't think I did a very good job of answering your question.
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Washington, D.C.: Your answers during this chat have been candid. What a surprise. Thanks.
Joseph Elbert: About the only thing we have left is our honesty and it seems to be a disease of most Hoosiers.
Thank you.
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Burke, Va.: How has the web changed photojournalism?
Joseph Elbert: A whole lotta folks are sharing their work. You better have solid ethics. There's a Web site for everyone. It puts more pressure on the main stream media. How's that for a short list?
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McLean, Va.: The Post has long been at the very top of news publications photography-wise. If you trace that history, where does it begin?
Joseph Elbert: Mentoring, If everyone shares their skills and works together everyone gets better. Also, it's critical to have an environment of honest criticism. I came here 18 years ago and there was a great crew already doing the right things. I'm sure the puppies will continue the tradition.
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New York, N.Y.: Joe, Thanks for taking questions. How has the current economic climate that newspapers are facing affected they usage of images in The Post. Also, with all the economic pressures that papers face, can great photography and great photo staffs still thrive today?
Joseph Elbert: It's interesting. Newspapers in smaller markets are thriving. I'm talking about towns with limited media. The larger markets are in transition and we'll see what happens. Remember, books didn't disappear because of radio and movies didn't disappear because of TV -- the jury's out.
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Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. : I noticed The Post uses a lot of photographs from other sources, even if it's local coverage of a story. I read a lot of Post articles during the last two Olympics and didn't see any credits for The Post photographers. How large of a staff photographers does The Post have?
Joseph Elbert: Here we go, we send one photographer to the Olympics and he/she is assigned to cover the 100 meters. You must be in position at least 7 hours early and can't move. There are another 100 photographers shooting the same assignment. If we use the best photo and it isn't a staffer's we have two problems -- A demoralized staffer and a waste of money. I've decided to focus on stories the wires don't cover, howabout prep sports in Loudoun?
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Falls Church, Va.: Hi Joe, Do photographers at The Post just shoot what they see, or are they always on assignment?
Joseph Elbert: I'm running out of steam, mostly assignments but good shooters know to stay off the interstates. There may be picture when taking the long/slow way to an assignment.
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Hyattsville, Md.: Hi Joseph. Who determines which Post photographer gets an international assignment? Is it on a voluntary basis, on rotation or at the direction of the editor? (Especially where there is military conflict such as Iraq).
Joseph Elbert: Really depends on the assignment. Different photographers have different levels of expertise and we try to play to their interests. Iraq's been tough and we're lucky no one's been hurt. We don't have anyone in harm's way at this time but folks volunteer.
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Washington, D.C.: There used to be a time when one could look at a journalist photo and "feel" the subject matter. I no longer get that "feeling" when looking at today's photographs. What's happening to the industry? Where has the passion gone? Gordon Parks and a lot of the other greats have passed on or aged...What are your thoughts on today's photojournalists and the "age" of the digital camera verses film? Has it made a difference?
Joseph Elbert: Here's the Web site of the National Press Photographers Association and their contest entries/winners. There are some wonderful photographs
http://www.nppa.org/competitions/
I had a wonderful mentor from Tennessee and he referred to 'having the fire in the belly' to be a good newspaper photographer. There are folks out there with the fire but there are a lot folks without fire. Guess we get to sift through it all.
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Rockville, Md.: Hi Joe-
Thanks for taking time to answer questions. I was wondering why the Post ran so many photographs from Getty Images for the NBA. Does their deal with the NBA where they are paying for coverage cause a conflict of interest? Take care.
Joseph Elbert: All of our wires and staff photos feed into a single environment and it's possible to do a search and see how everyone competes. If Getty had more images they probably had better pictures on that particular event. As for their side deal, let's sit back and keep an eye on them.
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Washington, D.C.: I've noticed over the past several years the Washington Post's increasing reliance on freelance photographers. Will there come a day when Post photography will be 100% freelance?
Joseph Elbert: We're using fewer freelancers than ever before. We have a small group of freelancers and we have a scale based on ability.
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Arlington, Va.: Photos in the Post of the last Monday's march showed vast numbers of American flags being carried. Video footage from various news outlets and C-SPAN also showed large numbers of Mexican and other foreign flags being carried, although these were outnumbered by U.S. flags. How did you choose which photos to print, and did you deliberately avoid choosing photos showing foreign flags?
Joseph Elbert: Wow, if you watch C-SPAN long enough you'll see everyone at the march. Seriously, no agenda, limited space, editing for photos that communicate. I really hate sign pictures and that means we can kill 80% of what shows up in D.C.
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Philadelphia, Pa.: You stated:
"To be honest the part I hate most about being in Washington is the demonstrations. Everyone comes here to get their 15 minutes of fame."
Yikes! Maybe you were a bit too glib on that one. I wonder what would constitute a "15 minutes of fame" march? 1963 Civil Rights March? 1970 Vietnam War March on Washington? If you don't like the Constitution, get elected to Congress and change the 1st Amendment, so that you're not bothered anymore.
Joseph Elbert: Point taken and appreciated. There's an environment of shrillness (is that a word) and it's getting harder to tell stories. If I do my job right, I'm sharing information and folks can make their own decisions. The noise level of everyone talking over everyone else is a lose/lose and this hits us on the visual side.
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Joseph Elbert: Folks I appreciate your questions and maybe they'll invite me back. Next time I'll try to type faster.
Thank you,
Joe
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