#NEWS – It’s all local
What happened in the industry this month?
#ONPA MATTERS
1/ We are still seeking to the fill the Board of Trustees Secretary position. Email me: onpaprez@gmail.com – thanks!
2/ The Board took a hiatus in May, and will return soon to frequent virtual meetings in order to address important matters concerning Ohio photographers. Please stay tuned …
3/ Be sure to give a listen to the newest episode of The Buckeye Visualist, hosted by Lori King, which is “dedicated to NewsGuild-CWA members who fight for the working rights of journalists and staff working in their newsrooms.” Lori interviewed Jenna Watson, Alexandra Wimley, and Kurt Steiss – all visual journalists fighting their own respective battles in different newsrooms.
#OTHER INDUSTRY MATTERS
1/ Winners of the annual Ohio APME contest were announced during the banquet, Sunday, May 7 in Columbus. First place Best Photographer awards went to:
- Bryant Billing, The Sidney Daily News – DI
- Chris Crook, Zanesville Times Recorder – DII
- Andrew Dolph, Times-Reporter – DIII
- Scott Heckel, The Canton Repository – DIV
- Kareem Elgazzar, The Cincinnati Enquirer – DV
You can view the complete list of winners, here.
2/ ZENFOLIO has released its bi-annual industry report
Just like most industries and small businesses, photography over the past year has not been immune to the lingering effects of the pandemic and the challenges of a not-so-healthy economy. The most recent survey of photographers from around the world conducted in February reveals the perseverance and persistence that carried both pros and hobbyists through 2022. This fourth research survey administered by Zenfolio and Format since 2021 investigates several aspects of the industry, including areas of specialization, coping with the ongoing impact of Covid and rising inflation, how photographers package and market their services, and their sentiments about using artificial intelligence (AI) to help expedite specific tasks.
3/ President Biden voiced ringing support of journalism at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. This year’s program can be watched in its entirety, here.
4/ The issue of AI generated imagery continues, with much hand wringing within the industry for what its capabilities portend.
- Amnesty International criticised for using AI-generated images
Group has removed AI images used to promote their reports on social media, including fake photos of Colombia’s 2021 protests
“We are living in a highly polarised era full of fake news, which makes people question the credibility of the media. And as we know, artificial intelligence lies. What sort of credibility do you have when you start publishing images created by artificial intelligence?” said Juancho Torres, a photojournalist based in Bogotá.
- Historical Photo Page is Duped into Posting a Fake Image Made by AI
- Robert Scheer says:
- The big one: Adobe introduces a generative fill tool usable within Photoshop, called “Firefly.”
- AI-Generated Image of Pentagon Explosion Caused Markets to Dip
5/ Gannett is experiencing a mass exodus among top execs. Here’s who has left.
Since December, eight top-ranking editors and executives at Gannett and flagship paper USA Today have left.
6/ NYT: In the Digital Age, Wedding Film Photography Has a Resurgence
Across the country, more couples are seeking out film photographers to shoot their weddings.
7/ Supreme Court Rules Andy Warhol’s Prince Art is Copyright Infringement
What does this mean for photographers? Industry expert and freelance business guru Todd Bigelow says in a recent tweet that, “This is a huge win, especially for freelancers who’ve fought & continue to fight against predatory contracts (Work For Hire) that strip copyright & exclusive control.”
8/ Editor&Publisher: Ballantine enters a Gannett “ghost paper” town, starting a five-day-a-week free, printed tabloid.
9/ The INPA, Indiana News Photographers Association, has announced that it will dissolve.
In an email, James Brosher said:
“As it stands today, INPA has only 24 members, many of whom are no longer daily photojournalists (myself included). For the past several years, Denny [Simmons] along with AJ Mast (Indianapolis freelancer) and Tim Bath (Kokomo Tribune) have been holding the organization together.
Personally, I’m very sad to see this organization end. As a senior at Indiana University I won the INPA student photographer of the year contest which helped launch my career. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without this organization.”
10/ Guild calls on Gannett shareholders to vote against CEO Mike Reed at annual meeting
NEW YORK – The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America today sent a letter to Gannett shareholders urging a vote of no-confidence against CEO Mike Reed at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on June 5. The NewsGuild-CWA represents more than 50 Gannett bargaining units, covering more than 1,000 employees.
11/ On a personal note, the Times-Reporter of Dover/New Philadelphia, no longer has a physical office/newsroom. Parent company Gannett has decided that we are to work remotely; but, 2 out of 3 staff lives 45 minutes or further away, making remote work a little more challenging. My “office” now rotates between, cafés, libraries and my car. While some photographers are quite used to a remote way of work, it’s logistically challenging for other, and perhaps not an effective or appropriate modality of work for community journalists. I’m going to miss face-to-face conversations with my colleagues, access to a refrigerator and microwave, our own restrooms, safety of gear when not in the office, and privacy.
If you have any words of advice, wisdom, or anything to share, please email or call: onpaprez@gmail.com, or 3302896072.
12/ Pulitzer Prize Board Announces Significant Revisions to Photography Eligibility Requirements
“Technological innovations have made it easier to manipulate photographs and Pulitzer wants to ensure that we are honoring original work that has not been significantly altered,” said Marjorie Miller, administrator of the Prizes. “These changes reflect the best practices of photojournalism today, and are consistent with those of other journalism contests.”
#PEOPLE
1/ 2023 ONPA CPOY Akash Pamarthy is featured in The Picture Show, PHOTO STORIES FROM NPR.
Editor’s note: May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which celebrates the histories of Americans hailing from across the Asian continent and from the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. NPR’s Picture Show will be bringing stories from these communities to our audience this month.
2/ Long time Zanesville Times-Recorder staffer, Chris Crook, has left the building. Another devoted news photographer (and writer) has moved on to another sector of the workforce. His colleague Sam Blackburn shared a photo along with the announcement on Facebook yesterday. Thanks Sam, and good luck Chris!
3/ Bob Christy, senior photographer at Kent State University and former Times-Reporter staff photographer, has graduated with an MFA! Bob is a longtime friend of ONPA. Congratulations!
4/ Ryan Grzybowski sent me a nice postcard greeting from a documentary project that he turned into postcards. Thanks Ryan!
If you would like to send me something, I’m at 71 Mayfield Ave., Akron, Oh 44313.
5/ Elise Amendola, formerly an AP staffer for 30 years or more, lost her battle with cancer. Thanks to Amy Sancetta for this post over on Facebook:
(Amy has since posted more visual tributes to Elise, since returning from a trip overseas. See her FB feed for more.)
#INSPIRATIONS and #RESOURCES
Helpful things
1/ This is powerful work from Sarabeth Maney at the Detroit Free Press.
2/ Rhiannon Adam, the only openly queer woman on the crew for a 6-day mission around the moon will be taking (the first, ever) @Polaroid to space. Here’s that story.
3/ The New Yorker: The Making of Jackie Kennedy As a student in Paris and a photographer at the Washington Times-Herald, the future First Lady worked behind the lens to bring her own ideas into focus.
4/ J Kyle Keener recently reposted a Facebook memory of his detailing his very first photo page. The page itself is like a masterclass in the study of feature hunting, sports, and picture usage. I asked him about getting the ‘above the rim’ shot in a comment.
This was his response:
“I called a timeout from the sidelines and asked a fellow hoopster to hold my camera while I shimmied my way up the backboard support, next a player got on the shoulders of another player to hand my camera up to me. I was a slim 175 lbs. back then and still in competition shape. On the morning that the page was published, I took a half a bundle of them down and gave them to my buddies at the playground.”
5/ Magnum: The King’s Coronations, 1937, by HCB
When Henri Cartier-Bresson was sent to London to photograph the coronation of King George VI, he turned his back and photographed the crowds instead. Colin Pantall talks to Clément Chéroux, the curator of a new show featuring his pictures from the 1937 assignment.
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