The Bystanders

[Jack Simpson]

From the Guardian Newspaper:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/interactive/2012/jul/28/bystanders-photographers-who-didnt-help?intcmp=239

Comments?  (and apologies if it's already been posted)

Jack

[Ken Gigliotti]

 Photographers are wired to record . Photographing highly charged, emotional , unique , extreme ,circumstances is not natural . Most people , and most photogs will catch themselves  watching . Most people freeze in these situations .You learn control and there is a price for it.  I have found over the years that my instinct is to record comes first  and reacting to intervene in  situations is stunted . Even in family situations , I feel I have been trained to delay reaction to negative  situations . I will not be moved by “the thing”  not today . It seems an appropriate response during the execution of our jobs, but it oozes into everyday life.
  The problem comes when the photographer is thrown into extraordinary circumstances . The situation becomes extreme and the response no matter what the photog  does means damnation . Even though the “thing” may only last 4 second. Most things last no longer than that. This is the situation only a small number will face and they have to live with their choices .

 We record  stories about “heroes” . I have done , hundreds of heros and it is my opinion , media misses the boat on this classification of stories. The first thing a hero will tell you is that "they are not a hero" . We do not listen and will always mis-characterize the response at “being modest” . These heroic people are in fact experiencing the worst day in their lives , they are reluctant to talk about it. They have fought off terrifying shock . They have been thrust into a  surreal circumstance  and they were able to respond in a way they could live with . So many do not.
  This is the root of why so many soldiers do not talk about war . People who go to war torn or disaster areas go there with the intention to help . But , sometimes they find that they are confronted with a situation they simply cannot deal with . The decisions they make effect them to the core in a profound way .Many are damaged by the experience  and need medical help .The companies we work for are not sensitive to these injuries.
  In the case of a fast moving “thing” a picture may capture  the identity of the guilty . This person will likely escape but the picture is recorded .But , co operating with police will put other journalist at risk the next time .( in the case of social unrest , like civil riot).
  If you help ,you miss the picture of the incident and the guilty person , if you photograph you are considered a heartless bastard. A no win situation . If the situation results in death , it is very tough , unlivable .
    Photographers of news are wired to record , it is ingrained over many years. It is a blessing and a curse . Many are injured by the job they do. There is effective medical help available .
  We seek out things everyday ,only a few people experience once in a life time . This is not our hobby , there is no season for it , we accept the challenge ready or not , everyday. This is a calling , it calls us .We hope some good comes from it. Some of us do not survive it. This is important work  .Only God can judge .
   This is a very sensitive area for me ,i think there are many photographers  suffering from these work place  injuries . Medical , non drug help is available through a GP doctor. Going further , i think the operation of the newsroom is damaging and abusive to photographers in general .The idea that a persons daily work can be ignored or discarded in favour of word content creates layers of distrust and resentment in the system .The newsroom as a system was designed over 80 years ago and is no longer viable for the fight we need to put up to stay relevant . We have to compete at the highest print and visual content  in the world , online . Single Canadian newspapers are simply put a grain of sand in the universe of the web . We need to understand scale when we address our daily  content requirements.

[Jack Simpson]

Hi Ken,

Very well stated and, whilst I have not been in, as any near, extreme
situations noted in the Guardian piece and, truth be told, not even
in the same continent,much less ballpark.

If you help ,you miss the picture of the incident and the guilty person , if you photograph you are considered a heartless bastard. A no win situation .

As for the above, the first time I encountered this was whilst on my way to another newspaper in
Wpg located on Church Avenue () .. a little girl had been hit by a car and the ambulance was
taking care of her and, whilst taking pics, somebody came up and started harassing me and asking
how I could be so cold-hearted as to take pictures of this poor little girl.   Once they finished,
I told them that, "yes, the pictures might be published in the newspaper" and I justified that, rightly
or wrongly, by saying that "if some parent/aunt/uncle/grandparent, etc.. read the story and saw
the picture ... that, hopefully, they would inform their kids and show them the picture and that would
reinforce the ideas that kids shouldn't run out into the streets or they might be the kid
in the hospital".

Thanks for looking, Ken, and, more importantly, commenting

Cheers,

Jack

[Warren Toda]

...I justified that, rightly or wrongly, by saying that "if some parent/aunt/uncle/grandparent, etc.. read the story and saw the picture ... that, hopefully, they would inform their kids and show them the picture and that would reinforce the ideas that kids shouldn't run out into the streets or they might be the kid in the hospital".

That's the concept but it may no longer apply. If it were true then all it would take is one or two crash pictures in the paper and from then on, no more crashes. Despite all the news coverage, many people today still drink and drive, don't wear seatbelts or helmets, run red lights, jaywalk, etc. They also still smoke, don't exercise, eat tons of junk food, etc.

The news message has been lost or, to be kind, has become less effective.

The value of traffic accident pictures is that they help keep safe people safer. Everyone else thinks that bad things only happen to other people:

Yesterday, Toronto police were out trying to teach pedestrians how to be, uh, pedestrians. At one intersection, a person stopped was wearing headphones with the music playing so loud, not only could she not hear the traffic around her, she couldn't hear the police officer who was standing next to her, trying to stop her. She was quoted as saying that she's been nearly-hit by cars in the past and, after having been stopped by police, she *might* stop wearing her headphones in the future.

[Jack Simpson]

...I justified that, rightly or wrongly, by saying that "if some parent/aunt/uncle/grandparent, etc.. read the story and saw the picture ... that, hopefully, they would inform their kids and show them the picture and that would reinforce the ideas that kids shouldn't run out into the streets or they might be the kid in the hospital".

That's the concept but it may no longer apply. If it were true then all it would take is one or two crash pictures in the paper and from then on, no more crashes. Despite all the news coverage, many people today still drink and drive, don't wear seatbelts or helmets, run red lights, jaywalk, etc. They also still smoke, don't exercise, eat tons of junk food, etc.

The news message has been lost or, to be kind, has become less effective.

The value of traffic accident pictures is that they help keep safe people safer. Everyone else thinks that bad things only happen to other people:

Yesterday, Toronto police were out trying to teach pedestrians how to be, uh, pedestrians. At one intersection, a person stopped was wearing headphones with the music playing so loud, not only could she not hear the traffic around her, she couldn't hear the police officer who was standing next to her, trying to stop her. She was quoted as saying that she's been nearly-hit by cars in the past and, after having been stopped by police, she *might* stop wearing her headphones in the future.

Exactly, Warren and, like wise, in Vancouver where they have reduced the Speed Limit to 30 kph in the skids
so if the junkies meandering across the street would suffer less damage from the (allegedly) slowed down
vehicles    I say, why not make all the vehicles have to have really big thick soft bumpers so they
wouldn't hurt the junkies as badly when they decide mozy across the street     

As for being an old "idea", still works for me.  Mind you, I haven't been in an area where
kids might be running out between vehicles for years and, as for junkies, if they get
nailed the only people who get emotional are those people who he/she owed money to

Cheers,

Jack

[Ken Gigliotti]

Just one more  aspect .I shot a picture at a fire where the house was well involved .Smoke was  pouring out of every door and window.The only sound I rememeber  was from many sets of bells  ringing from inside as oxygen tanks were emptying  . Firefighters inside the home searched  frantically for a small child .
  The side door flung open , black smoke billowed out , and there stood a firefighter holding the child .He didn't get all the way trough the door when he dropped to his knees and began giving the child air ,mouth to mouth .The screen door came back a hit him but he did not notice or  stop. Still no ambulance , the chief decided to rush the child to hospital in the chief's wagon. (this was many years ago before paramedics , ALS , ambulance service was a scoop and run service , all aspects have moved forward , there is progress ).
  I took the pic of two firefighters  , one holding the child the other doing mouth to mouth resuscitation. The kid didn't make it . The discussion  was , do we use the pic ? We like happy endings. The Managing Editor  in Thunder Bay  ( Mike G) was leaning not to publish because the child died . It was my first year on the job , I said , what about the the firefighters ? What about them ? this was an extra ordinary effort , this is what they train for , and they were “all in” . You don't do CPR on a live person. What about their effort ? Can this picture be about the effort and the professionalism ?The child's face was not showing but the faces of the firefighters were prominent ,worked in favour of an exception to publish .
  The picture ran on the front page  in Thunder Bay and in many papers across Canada .
  Most people who have family injured in fires and MVC's would like to  know that these efforts are  , “all in” , no holding back , and that if the result  is death , it was not because fire and ambulance didn't try hard enough.
  The child started the fire while playing with matches , and typically the child hid , making the search even harder . This story aspect I am  sure promoted many discussions between parents and their children.
 It was a hard picture to take , the father of the child was standing next to me .It is important to know why  we do this work .
Beginging to end ,35 seconds .

  The entire culture strives for safety , car safety has been improved by light years starting with seatbelts and front and side airbags , traffic enforcement technology is foolproof with traffic , redlight and speed cameas. People who might not be inclined ,are being forced to be safe. It just costs too much in fines and points . This is all because incremental , day by day , inch by inch  public awareness . House fires in modern houses are are almost impossible  and so are fatalities . So many buildings are considered incombustible . The poor and unfortunate still die in fires but their are many fewer than 30 years ago . I am proud to say  , Our pictures play a roll. Are we still considered vultures ? yes, but firefighters recognized our photos  for a reason.  They are a cult of safety.
  Many people take the time  and learn CPR and first aid.One more hero , this guy in a hotel hears the screaming of  a hysterical mother , her child has drowned in the pool . The guy grabs the kid and revives the child . He is leaving on a flight later on in the day . The hotel manager opens the lounge  in the morning and they both  spend the rest of the day in the bar , no charge.  The hotel mgr. with   permission of mother call the newspaper , the guy is still in shock when I get there. 
  The guy says to me , he just couldn't get the taste out of his mouth .

[Lyle Aspinall]

I once began photographing a woman being car-jacked just as two police officers showed up and wrestled/tasered the guy to the ground. The whole incident is kind of a blur now, but I still live with the question of whether I could have (or should have) tried intervening in those few seconds before I knew police were in control. As it is, my pictures were used in court and helped put the guy behind bars, so that's a positive, but I do wonder if my reaction to shoot first and assess the humanity second was a bit cold. That was two years ago. I'm still not sure of the answer.

[Ken Gigliotti]

Two news photographers in Winnipeg over the years presented themselves very  well in similarly heroic situations . One jumped into the Red River , not a nice river , to successfully save a drowning child.
  Another  photographer  noticed a woman standing on the  deep side of an over pass rail preparing to jump to her death . The photog on his way to the assignment , stopped his car on the bridge , made the call  and went to the women's side  to try to talk her down . I think he might have climbed over the railing himself , I think that is how the story went . Police and fire arrived and  the lady  was brought back to the safe side of the rail .
   While going to a city hall newser , carrying my gear , and video gear , and a big video tripod I spotted two homeless  guys walking together just across the street from me . One halls off and hits the other , then jumps on top of the guy , pinning him to the ground holding his arms spread eagle . He then starts  heading butting the guy in the face over , and over again. 
   I didn't know what to do , I was literally hog tied in equipment , one still camera  strap falling to my elbow , the tripod held in both hand across my chest wondering what I was going to do with this stuff . By then horns were honking , the beating was still on . Two city workers , young guys ran across the street and stopped the  beating .A young women that was with the  workers , stayed across the street  and was laughing at my predicament . All tied up in straps and stuff , I couldn't react or take a picture . What would  anyone do with the  tens of thousands of dollars in equipment  , just put it down .Not that I am putting a price on anything . It was over in 25 seconds .About an hour later I see these same two guys that were involved in the fight walking with there arms around each other , happy as clams.