Photojournalist in areas of conflict–featured in reality tv show

Not one to watch too much tv, I recently came across this “Reality tv” show called “In Harm’s Way.” I’m not sure what the premise of the show is but this segment caught my attention.

I wondered to myself how could you concentrate on your task at hand–photography when you have a camera crew following you?

I’ve never heard of Zoriah but then again who’s ever heard of me, either? I just think to effectively do your work, you can’t have a camera crew around you.

The moment you become the story especially when you’re supposed to be “working,” then it’s kind of an act, isn’t it?

One of the comments written about the video that I found hysterical was something to the effect, “this was like one of the game shows where the contestants were vying for new SUV.”

No, I don’t think the action is staged, but I do think it’s calculated and that the danger is not as real as we’re led to believe.

Oh…those ads they have in between the video, were so excruciating, I never finished watching the whole video.

3 thoughts on “Photojournalist in areas of conflict–featured in reality tv show”

  1. Rigo,
    Thanks for sharing that bit about the tv crew doing a piece on you. I’d love to see that one of these days. Upload it to youTube and send me the URL.

    Yes, I have a feeling those reality shows are quite scripted.

    I had a similar feeling when KVCR taped me when I was photographing Eddie Dee Smith. It took me a bit to get over them being there. But how could I? They were messing up my picture by being in the background!!

    Actually it was a hoot for the kids to see their dad on tv as I’m sure it was for yours too.

  2. I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but I thought it would be neat to have a crew follow me around doing my job. In fact, about 12 years ago, while I was working at my first newspaper, I was the subject of a local news camera crew. The project was called “Inside the Media” and it followed several media people showing behind the scenes on the job. The crew told me to be myself, but that was hard to do. I’m pretty boring after all. After a few assignments, the film crew left. I was hoping to get a cool fire or spot news event, but the crew had to settle for an environmental portrait of one of my subjects. Yawn. Funny, I remember well, that I had attended an NPPA Flying Short Course event where the internet was a glimmer of light for newspapers. The television crew asked me if I thought the newspaper industry was dying. I told them that the internet would probably be the next medium for newspapers. I told them that the newspaper, as we know it today, may not always be in the paper and ink format, but there will always be a newspaper. The transition took longer than I thought. Twelve years ago I would have predicted the transformation to start in just a few years, what took us so long?

    Anyway, getting back to the T.V. show, I remember feeling like I had to do something while the camera was on me. Otherwise, why waste their time? I wonder if the photographers on these shows feel the same way? As Peter mentioned, will there be a certain amount of “acting” involved?

    On another reality show, I had a friend who was a mixed martial arts fighter. He joined a reality based show and told me that he was “encouraged” to do certain things. One of the things he did through the encouragement of the producers of the show, was to jump into a hot tub without any clothes. Not all reality shows are as unethical, but I still wonder….

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