2024 02 26

A High Life bottle sits atop a bar table at Reed’s Local, Chicago, Illinois. January, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

Video gets most of the attention these days, however, a well done project using still photography and words is way more impactful in my humble opinion. Video allows the viewer to become passive, while static words and imagery sets the scene and forces the viewer to stay engaged — allowing their own brain, filled with memories and emotions, to fill in gaps and build a more dense narrative.

Again, in my humble opinion. It takes more effort, though, and distractions are a dime a dozen these days, so we mostly want our content served up to us in video format.

This ProPublica story which popped into my inbox this morning had me floored by its brilliance and tragedy. Such a masterfully done example of the power photojournalism still has when time and energy is dedicated to it. Photographer Stacy Kranitz is forever a favorite of mine and this story is why. Powerful images paired with unvarnished truth, moving us to better understand the world we live in and are a part of.

Please take a moment to take in this project! https://projects.propublica.org/the-year-after-a-denied-abortion/

From the Editor’s Note: Mayron said she let journalists document her life in intimate detail because she wanted people to “see for themselves and feel it in their own lives” her family’s struggles in raising two babies after a traumatic pregnancy and while recovering from a history of addiction.

-Clayton