Final Project 1- Photojournalist Profile

Hello, I am Alejandra Ocasio and I am here on behalf of National Geographic to interview Zoriah Miller, often known as Zoriah on his career as a professional photojournalist. He has dedicated many years discovering different parts of the world and documenting on poverty, war, disasters and many issues faced in third world, developing countries. Continue to read to learn more about this fascinating rising American photographer.
 
Alejandra Ocasio: Who have you, or currently worked for?

Zoriah: “I am currently independent and produce all my work freelance. In the past I have worked with Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The BBC, Fortune, the United Nations, and many other organizations”. All of these organizations taught me something different. I got to experience new things at each location. I also had the opportunity to work within different types of assignments which helped me gain more knowledge from different angles.
Alejandra Ocasio: What era do you consider yourself in as a photojournalist?

Zoriah: I would consider myself a 20^th /21^st century photojournalist. “I began photography when I was 15 years old and within the first year of shooting I won a national award and was pretty into the idea of becoming a photojournalist”. “I graduated college, moved to New York, was in the music industry for six years, gave that up to go abroad and study disaster management and humanitarian aid to developing countries, hated that and then picked up a used camera and a plane ticket and have been shooting ever since then”. It wasn’t until I studied abroad that I had the chance to travel and witness the culture shock taking place within me. I was seeing and learning from the people around me. It inspired me to continue to travel and document all of these incredible situations taking place around me.

Alejandra Ocasio: What motivates you as a photojournalist?

Zoriah: “I became a photojournalist because I believe that it is important to show western eyes the way people live in the rest of the world and to motivate them know more and care more about their fellow human beings”. I want to share the stories of these strong human beings and all that they endure. They too deserve our attention. It is important that we bring forward these real life stories. They are the reason we have news to read and stories to tell on the nightly news. They deserve recognition.

Alejandra Ocasio: What type of photographic equipment do you use? What affect did this technology impact your images?

Zoriah: “I shoot on Canon 1ds MKIII’s because I want the highest image quality along with the most rugged body”. When I use this camera my photos are crisp and close to perfection. I also have a few techniques like “RAW images, shot up close on a 16-35mm or a 50mm 1.2 lens”. All these different ways of shooting is what makes the best picture. There are so many types of images that can be produced just by changing a lens, or using a specific camera. It’s what adds the creativity side to it all in my opinion.

Alejandra Ocasio: What ethical dilemmas have you encountered?

Zoriah: I have found myself to be in a few scandalous situations in my career. I was reading a news article once about me that went into detail about a certain issue that occurred back when I worked for the U.S. Army; it stated: “he was kicked out of his embed with the United States Forces when he was accused of having violated his terms of agreement that governed his embedding by taking pictures of dead and injured US soldiers and allegedly for having provided the enemy with a report of the after-action status, on the effectiveness of their attack and the response procedures of the US and Iraqi forces”. This was a very tough situation. It took some time to clear up but once it did I was able to return back to my assignments and continue working in the field.
Alejandra Ocasio: Do you have any biases?

Zoriah: I believe I do in a certain weird way. I love concentrating around the same type of topics, which include humanitarian issues, but I’ll occasionally branch off into a new direction to change things up a bit. “I focus on critical social issues. I like to photograph things that can change…things that can actually be affected by my pictures. Whether that be showing the reality of war or the desperation of poverty and illness”. This is what I have been doing since I graduated college. It’s where my heart is, and that is what lead me to work independently so I can focus of the subjects of my choice.

Alejandra Ocasio: How did your images impact society?

Zoriah: “I think its important to realize these situations exist”. Society needs to know that these things are occurring in the world we live in. whether they are directly linked to us or not, they still impact everything around us. These are stories that need to be read and watched. They contribute to all the important things that are continently being ignored.

IMAGES BY ZORIAH MILLER & PHOTOGRAPH PRINCIPLE ASSESSMENTS

Image source: http://alchetron.com/Zoriah-Miller-255721-W

 

This image taken by Zoriah in black and white is so crisp. It enhances the facial expressions by this young child. The tear falling is vibrant and you can really grasp the emotions that are being portrayed. The photo also shares similarities of a photo I’ve seen by photographer Felix Masi who also focuses his work around poverty in the slums of Kenya.

 

Image source: http://paradigmmagazine.com/2012/07/30/paradigm-magazine-zoriah-miller-interview/

 

The subject's expression is clear and visibly shows the pain, the suffering this woman has experienced. She is dying, possibly of malnutrition and this photo tells the story of a woman who is living in poverty. The pictures lighting is on the dull, dark side. There is small amounts of light that allows for the viewer to see clearly every angle of the photo. It brings forward the colors and the shadows of the woman’s face.

 

Image source: http://petapixel.com/2010/06/03/interview-with-zoriah-miller/

 

This photo was taken specifically of this main, and he was the main subject for this image. The image is also simple, and not crowded.  Zoriah focused on this man I would say because of the powerful expression on his face. This image is a story in every way of a man suffering, crying and sad. The red background adds a contrast to the image, but the plain background also allows for the man to stand out. It makes him the center of this image.

 

Image source: http://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/Interview-with-Zoriah-Miller.php

The image is an abstraction that represents the life taken of the American soldiers that have fought for our country. The image represents the hardship these soldiers faced across seas in third world countries. Zoriah shines light on the ones who are really a part of history. The background also compliments the image because is adds character. It also adds to the type of photos Zoriah likes to photograph. The background appears to be of a deserted area, probably somewhere in the Middle East. This demonstrates that our soldiers witnessed the life the people of these countries lived. They witnessed history.

 

My Major at AIC: Photojournalism is quite similar to nursing in an odd but interesting way. We learn about the ethics that us nurses must follow in order to best care for our patients. We also tell the stories of our patients, in a sense that we learn so much from them, and those situations stay with us forever. We learn from them and grow as individual nurses. The time, and experience is what leads us to great, long but rewarding careers.

 

Viewpoint: This photojournalist has been viewed different by different audiences. His work does not appeal the eye of everyone because of how raw and pure it is. He is not afraid to show the real stories and people are not used to that. They are used to the edited, “safe” displays of work the media has controlled. His work is real and some people might find it too graphic. That is was lead him to work on his own. And he continues for find himself successful and happy with what he does.