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Mammoth Springs

Friday, April 24, 2020

Moral compass

Jonathan Hill sent me this query. It is intriguing and certainly worth considering. As a photographer I find it especially challenging. I sent it out to my email mates and got some interesting answers. Try to be honest.

This takes less than one minute and is incredibly accurate... well worth the little bit of effort.

This test has only one question, but it's a very important one. By giving an honest answer you will discover where you stand morally.

THE SITUATION:

You are in Miami with chaos all around you caused by a hurricane. There is a flood of biblical proportions.

You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper and you're caught in the middle of this epic disaster.

You're trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water.

THE TEST:

Suddenly you see a man in the water. He is fighting for his life trying not to be taken down with the debris.

Your move closer. Somehow the man looks like... Good Heavens, it's President Trump.

At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him under forever.

YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS:

You can save the life of President Trump OR you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the last minutes of one of the world's most powerful men.

THE QUESTION:

Would you:

A) select high contrast color film?

or...

B) go with the classic simplicity of black and white?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I’d probably opt to walk away and save the space on my card for something more worthwhile.

ss

Anonymous said...

Black and white, no question.

LN

Anonymous said...


Wonderful! Go with High contrast color, after all we wouldn’t want to lose that orange straw !!!

MF

Anonymous said...

Yep. I’ve been playing this on my friends and loving it

Got any disinfectant I can inject?

JJ

Anonymous said...

Either one would be effective in this case...

PR

Anonymous said...

I’ll go with A….the orange one doesn’t deserve the dignity that a black and white shot can bring.

TF

Anonymous said...

I'm gonna go with color ,I feel the contrast of his hair and the muddy waters would look great and well worth an award.

CW

Blue Heron said...

If we were shooting film it would be even easier to make a decision. Ektachrome had a pink, cyan color cast that would probably interfere with an honest rendition of the orange color of his skin.

Jon Harwood said...

Id use Portra negative film.

Anonymous said...

L goes with the color (it can always be changed to black and white)😎

BJ

Anonymous said...

C) Throw him a cinderblock

RH

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha! “A”

RA

Anonymous said...

Wide angle

bs

Anonymous said...

I think you need a garish, neonesque look, so I would go for color with heavy processing

Anonymous said...

Har! ~ Diane O

Kent said...

Living color, lol.

Anonymous said...

Good morning! FYI the overwhelming answer to the moral question previously proposed is color film. The hope is the orange would really contrast against the blue water! WW