I attended, in part at least, the launch of the Degree South: War exhibition in Brisbane, Wednesday May 19, at which there were some interesting comments made about the future of photojournalism.

On the panel presenting their work were photojournalists Tim Page, Stephen Dupont and Ben Bohane. Other members of the group (Jack Piccone, David Dare Parker, Michael Coyne and Ashley Gilbertson) were absent due to work commitments. And Sean Flynn was killed during the Vietnam War.

I blogged about Tim Page recently and his comments on war photography so it was interesting to hear what else he had to say about the future of photojournalism which he claimed was “not dead”.

He described the advent of citizen journalism in places like Iran and Bangkok, where anyone with a camera can record what is going on and how the same images are bandied around the world in seconds and used over and over again. But he said there was still a niche there for the true photojournalist to take really important photographs and how more than ever, a single frame has such impact in a world over saturated with images and information that are often so fleeting.

You can read more about Degree South at their website. This is an excerpt:
°SOUTH is a new collective of Australian photographers based throughout the Asia Pacific region…
The decision to form °SOUTH came from an ‘ideal’, that as photographers who have spent their working careers recording what they see in a fair, truthful and informative way – their stories of struggle, hope, aspirations and traditions are about ‘gathering evidence’ and hopefully ‘making a difference’. Creating images that will influence public opinion and go on to have historical significance.

Images in the current exhibition are focused on the effect war has on its victims, both military and civilian. With images from major conflicts around the world such as Vietnam, East Timor, Papua, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, these may change your view on the nature of war.

Go before it’s too late – it closes this Sunday, May 30 in Brisbane at the Powerhouse, New Farm. There are two images from the exhibition below.

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Feel free to email Jo at [email protected] with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations.  See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com