What We're Reading: Pandemic, Photography, and Psychological Distance
Decisions made by photojournalists and their editors define traumatic events in the cultural consciousness. Throughout coverage of COVID-19, notes the Columbia Journalism Review, many news outlets have published photographs that reiterate racist tropes, suggest a false gap between “East” and “West,” and fail to engage a fuller range of human efforts to respond to a pandemic. Read the full Story >>
Trending,1: How Royal Photography Has Changed
“Much like anyone in the public eye, photography is a key part in managing one’s public image and in this sense.” So says Getty Images Hulton Archive VP Matt Butson at the Tatler, where he talks about how photography of royals has changed over the past 100 years. One breakthrough: the invention of half-tone printing. “Since the explosion in digital media and the internet — and thus instant access and global distribution of imagery — the photograph increasingly shapes how we, the viewing audience, perceive the Royal family,” he says. Read the full Story >>
Books: Lives Forever Changed By the Holocaust
While there have been many books about the Holocaust, Max Hirshfeld’s book, Sweet Noise: Love in Wartime, is a uniquely intimate and personal one, declares The Washington Post: The first part of the book introduces us to Hirshfeld’s mother and father, both Holocaust survivors, through letters they wrote to each other. In the second part of the book, Hirshfeld takes us with him on a journey made with his mother back to Poland as she attempted to find some closure to the traumatic events she endured. Read the full Story >>
Trending, 2: The Story Behind That Photo of Meghan and Harry
During their last week of official appearances in the London, hundreds—if not thousands—of photographs were taken of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before they stepped down from royal life. But one photograph stood out in particular, notes Vogue: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Endeavor Awards, under an umbrella as rain poured down around them. Royal and entertainment photographer Samir Hussein tells the magazine about how he made the photo. HuffPost was also impressed. British GQ has more. Read the full Story >>