JC: Sounds like you're really not all that concerned about the future of photojournalism (both as far as the business and the craft are concerned), which I find rather refreshing given all the brouhaha that is currently produced about the end of newspapers and the struggles of photojournalists. Is this correct? Or are you panicking inside, while remaining cool on the outside?
CA: Not cool, just that I have already shed my tears. The death of journalism is bad for society, but we'll be better off with less photojournalism. I won't miss the self-important, self-congratulatory, hypocritical part of photojournalism at all. The industry has been a fraud for some time. We created an industry where photography is like big-game hunting. We created an industry of contests that reinforce a hyper-dramatic view of the world. Hyperbole is what makes the double spread (sells) and is also the picture that wins the contest. We end up with cartoons and concerned photographer myths (disclaimer: yes, there are photographers doing meaningful work)
Of course I am worried about how I will make my living now, and I worry for my friends and colleagues too, but I don't really care about the future of photojournalism. The soul of it has been rotten for a while.
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and it all makes sense ...
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