More Than A Day
Certainly, the election photos from Iraq are euphoric. And, who could not share the pride of this rare exercise of popular will? (This shot, captioned "The streets of Baghdad were full of children playing soccer" was featured in the NYTimes election slideshow.) At the same time, these pictures point...
Continue Reading
Iraq Election Final: What's Up A Sleeve
(for a larger version, click here) While hunting around this afternoon, it was nice to accidentally come upon a piece of photo analysis by someone else who is covering some of the same territory. In an in depth analysis, Omar Khan took a look at this image which appeared...
Continue Reading
Our Gang
Yesterday, I saw an image from Iraq that really struck me. It was a stencil — almost like a gang insignia — on the wall of a petrol station that had just been raided by U.S. soldiers. The symbol was a skull with the the number “24” inscribed in...
Continue Reading
The Best Laid Plans Of Mice As Men
So, I was wondering how’s the promised miracle of Fallujah was progressing. I saved this from about a month ago. (image: Max Becherer/Polaris for the NYTimes)
Continue Reading
It's All A Little Sketchy
In the NYTimes last weekend, Frank Rich vented frustrated over how the press and public had lost interest in the prisoner abuse scandal. (“On Television, Torture Takes a Holiday'”– link.) What set him off, I believe, was the fact that the Prince Harry story got so many people up...
Continue Reading
Bush At The Barber
(click for larger version) There are a number of things I find interesting about this photo (from a NYTimes Inauguration slide show). I find it interesting that the people in the shop (who, in reality, are in the foreground), have been displaced to the background by the president. I...
Continue Reading
Poster Boy for the West?
Since a number of interesting questions came up from yesterday’s electioneering post, I was wondering what other information the newswire photos might suggest about the Iraqi vote. One question is whether Iyad Allawi might be getting some campaign help from the west. I ask because the news photos show...
Continue Reading
Let's See That Glue Stick, Soldier!
So, the neocons have regained their ascendency and George Bush is pledging to bring freedom and democracy to practically every corner of the world. If that’s so, we had better hope that the next couple campaigns are more successful that the one we’re now attempting to wash our hands...
Continue Reading
The Larger Picture
I’ll be back Sunday or Monday. In the meantime, I’m still catching up on shots from the inauguration, and thought I might put something together on the (mostly overlooked) protests. I’m also following the Iraqi election. I’ve been looking at campaign posters (as well as wanted posters) for a...
Continue Reading
Inauguration Coverage: The "Really, Really Wonderful" Laura Bush
If you’ve been following the BAG, you know that my main beat is analyzing images. Words, however, form pictures too (which is where my main training comes from). When we read the news, we mostly attend to content. As such, a lot of the more nuanced stuff flies right...
Continue Reading
Inauguration Coverage: Washington Fireworks
Whether it’s Washington in ’05 or Baghdad in ’03, this administration sure has a penchant for explosives. (image 1: REUTERS/Molly Riley (1/20/05); image 2: CNN via http://www.11alive.com (1/24/2003); image 3: REUTERS/Jason Reed (1/20/05);...
Continue Reading
More Washington Non Scents
send this cartoon to a friend! In watching Condi’s confirmation hearings, I kept wondering: When did “contempt of congress” switch from being a governmental offense to part of a job description?
Continue Reading
A Charge To Keep
I wouldn’t say the Cheney story on the front page of yesterday’s NYTimes was that heavy handed, but the accompanying photo (on page A16) sure was. The article (“Cheney Exercising Muscle on Domestic Policies”) details the powerful behind-the-scenes role the Veep plays in, well, just about everything. And, in...
Continue Reading
Someone's Been Sitting in my Chair …and They've Broken it all to Pieces!
I have to admit, I’m still confused about the criticism I received during the Fallujah invasion for showcasing American troops storming into houses and messing up the furniture (See “Your House is My House” and “Fort Knocks“). I really do think I appreciate that couches and coffee tables don’t...
Continue Reading
Watch Your Back(drop)
In my last post, I was talking about how politicians — taking a cue from the sports and entertainment industries — have begun turning photo ops into personal and policy product placements. Among other techniques, the President has made broad and increasing use of labeled backdrops, particularly to market...
Continue Reading
It's Unavoidable
In December, after the Iraq situation had taken another turn for the worse, George Bush gave a speech to troops at Camp Pendleton to boost morale. The main photo that came out of it — of Bush speaking in front o a sea of soldiers — was all over...
Continue Reading
Your Turn: Seeing and Buying
Since I’ve been looking into Arnold recently, I thought some of you might want to get in on the action. This shot ran on Yahoo News the same day they ran photos of his helicopter ride to survey storm damage near Los Angeles. This picture was taken in Tokyo...
Continue Reading