If we're plunging headfirst into a crass visual meme, I think it's instructive.
Continue ReadingWhile the “he said/she said” label casts both Allen and Farrow as objects, Farrow’s photo asserts her status as a subject. Someone with agency. Someone with power. An accuser rather than a victim.
Continue ReadingIt was a disaster, all right: thousands of vehicles stranded; major highways closed; entire cities shut down in eerie silence. Reminds you of the Congress, doesn’t it?
Continue ReadingCould all these puppy ads speak to a desire in the culture for a kinder and and more genial atmosphere?
Continue ReadingWhat I'm not able to tell is if Nachtwey is being ironic or he's serious about placing this modern ritual on such a spiritual plane.
Continue ReadingI’ve argued before that conflict photography is accumulating evidence of a of disturbing change in the political and cultural dimensions of modern violence: that it is becoming less modern.
Continue ReadingWe can break down the lines of attack into three categories: Olympic ring modification; the mocking of Putin's macho preoccupation with his own bod, the typology also setting homo-erotic bells ringing; and finally, Putin's outright gay-ification.
Continue ReadingIf people are debating whether the new rainbow uniforms are based on the gay flag or not, that's not really the question.
Continue ReadingReady as I was to do the usual -- to riff on my own screenshots from the television broadcast, along with published news photos -- something curiously different happened watching the SOTU last night.
Continue ReadingCall it insult to injury as the White House press secretary takes over the official Instagram site the day before the State of the Union address.
Continue ReadingWhat makes the attack so compelling is how thoroughly ripe it is for symbolization.
Continue ReadingRather then the media universe feasting on this fluff as fluff (or fluff as social media demise), what does it mean that the police force, too, enabled that smiley face?
Continue ReadingThe problem I want to raise is that once you’ve been given a literal description of the image, your imagination may shut down too soon.
Continue ReadingCertainly a lot more interesting than the Justin Bieber mug shot.
Continue ReadingIt's ironic because the viewer, particularly in war photography, isn't supposed to be aware that there is a camera.
Continue ReadingDo you know what's so stunning about this file image editors chose to illustrate Syria's latest butchery?
Continue ReadingWatch video highlights of the salon as an esteemed panel, mostly current or former White House photojournalists, discuss the ins-and-outs of presidential photo coverage.
Continue ReadingSomedays, I wonder if celebrity and fame has become the plasma driving public culture.
Continue ReadingOn this MLK day, I'm thinking about how much America likes to airbrush its historic figures.
Continue Reading