December 2, 2021
Chatting the Pictures

Chatting the Pictures: Stacy Kranitz’s Spotlight Image from Mississippi’s Last Abortion Clinic

Welcome to Chatting the Pictures. Every two weeks, we present a short, lively video discussion between Michael Shaw, publisher of Reading the Pictures, and writer, professor, and historian, Cara Finnegan, examining a significant picture in the news. Chatting the Pictures is produced by Liliana Michelena.

By Staff
About the Video
This photo was taken by Stacy Kranitz for Time. She documented the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the last abortion clinic operating in Mississippi. On Dec. 1st, 2021, the Supreme Court is hearing a case involving the clinic that could effectively eliminate most abortions in Mississippi as well as a much of the country.
In the video, which also features images from clinic photo stories by Evelyn Hockstein and Maisie Crow, we concentrate on the unique quality of Kranitz’s photo including the symbolic power of the spotlight and the empty room. We also highlight its clinical emphasis and the way the documentary quality of the image amplifies this historic and particularly fateful moment.
You can find all the Chatting the Pictures replays here. 
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Michael Shaw

An analyst of news photos and visual journalism, and a frequent lecturer and writer on visual politics, photojournalism and media literacy, Michael is the founder and publisher of Reading the Pictures.

Cara Finnegan

Cara Finnegan is a writer, photo historian, and professor of Communication at the University of Illinois. She has been affiliated with Reading The Pictures for nearly 15 years, most recently as co-host of Chatting The Pictures. Her most recent book is Photographic Presidents: Making History from Daguerreotype to Digital.

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