To truly understand photo essays, this week I immersed myself in the world of photojournalism. I visited various websites, such as the New York Times, lens culture and magnum. The work of Asger Ladefoged and Eduardo Leal caught my attention and I decided to understand their work.

Ladefoged focused on the Paris terror attacks and among his many emotive images, the one below is the most striking to me. The shadow of the man on the French flag and the darkness that surround the rest of the image contains a very strong message. It is a very nationalistic image yet it evokes more than national pride. The photograph shows strength and pride even in the face of fear.

The second photojournalist follows members of the forcados of evola as they prepare for bullfights. In the photoseries he shows how they prepare for the day. In the photograph, we see the men praying one by one to god before the bullfight. There are also many other images showing the religious side to these men and perhaps unmasking how they might perceive these bullfights as a crusade, hence why they risk their lives to do so.

From the two photojournalists, I have learnt that I must find a clear focus/prompt and stick to that. Action shots are a must and giving up my time is also important. I must follow my subjects around to capture them in the most authentic light, as these photojournalists have. These photojournalists don’t just have expensive camera equipment, they are true story tellers and they are able to do so because they know the story they want to tell and in a way, the story they feel responsible for telling.