Photography Dilemma - Tough Call

[iwatkins]

Here's a dilemma for you.... With all your honor and dignity what would you do?

This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.


Please don't answer it without giving it some serious thought. By giving an honest answer you will be able to test where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation, where you will have to make a decision one way or the other.

Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous.


Please scroll down slowly and consider each line - this is important for the test to work accurately.



You're in Florida...In Miami, to be exact... There is great chaos going on around you, caused by a hurricane and severe floods. There are huge masses of water all over you. You are a CNN photographer and you are in the middle of this great disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless.

You're trying to shoot very impressive photos. There are houses and people floating around you, disappearing into the water. Nature is showing all its destructive power and is ripping everything away with it.

Suddenly you see a man in the water, he is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken away by the masses of water and mud. You move closer. Somehow the man looks familiar.

Suddenly you know who it is - it's George W. Bush!


At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take him away, forever. You have two options. You can save him or you can take the best photo of your life. So you can save the life of George W. Bush, or you can shoot a Pulitzer prize winning photo, a unique photo displaying the death of one of the world's most powerful men.




And here's the question (please give an honest answer):












Would you select color film, or rather go with the simplicity of classic black and white?




Cheers

Ian :lol:

[Ikinaa]

To maximize chances to get a good photograph, I'd take color film, you can always convert it afterwards to BW :twisted:

[gsmx2]

Since I would be shooting color, I would throw a big orange lifering just out of his reach. It would add the story element of a man in a last-second grasp for life, and add a splash of color to the photograph. If it proved to be a distracting element in the photo, I could crop it out or convert to black and white in processing.

gsm x2

[Ikinaa]

Since I would be shooting color, I would throw a big orange lifering just out of his reach. It would add the story element of a man in a last-second grasp for life, and add a splash of color to the photograph. If it proved to be a distracting element in the photo, I could crop it out or convert to black and white in processing.

gsm x2

That would be cheating. For the Pulitzer, you just can't simply add an element to your photo, that would be immoral.
Ok, you could always state that you wanted to save his life and then take the photograph, but I guess few would believe that... :twisted:

[Longwatcher]

Ignoring for the moment that I would feel obliged by my oath I took as a armed forces service member (now retired) to rescue him, Me I would shoot the Secret Service attempting to rescue him in vain. It would make a much more compelling and dramatic shot; especially since the rest of the photographers would be getting 1000 shots of GW.

Oh almost forgot the answer, B+W if I have the option the overcast from a hurricane is going to cause lack of contrast which I would get back from shooting black and white. Of course since I have a 10D, I am going to get color anyway.

[PacAce]

Well, that was a silly question. Now, come on. What photographer is REALLY going to stop to think about changing the film in the camera in the middle of a severe hurricane with GWB struggling in swelling waters for his dear life? Me, I'd be shooting away with the color film that'd already be loaded in the camera (assuming I'm using a film camera because if I had the choice, I'd be using a digital instead). :)

And, BTW, I would also take the Pulitzer 'cuz I'm a lousy swimmer. :mrgreen:

[stopbath]

I would use whatever film was in the camera with the correct lens for the shot. Assuming a 300mm or similar lens would be needed (so you could get that stunned look of a lost child on his face as he realized you can't bomb yourself out of a 'evil' river) the camera with the longest lens would be used. Film would not be changed.

As I can't swim well, perhaps I could toss him something to hang on to, a boat anchor might work...

[John_T]

...well I guess I would throw him the ring and try to capture that look between hope and dispair as the wind whipped it just out or his grasp again and again, each time prolonging the possiblity of getting the shot just exactly right. Of course I would need a 1DS or film equivalent to get the most frames in.

[neil_r]

Yes there I was, ready to trip the shutter (B&W film btw), hanging on, waiting for the exact moment when the leader of the most powerful nation on the earth was about to breath his last when, out of the blue, Saint Tony Blair swooped out of the sky and rescued him (again) and in the process buggered up what would have been not only an excellent picture but also a perfect day.

Neil

[Tom W]

Bad question. I'd save the President and bust a cap in anybody that tried to prevent me from doing so.

Y'all feel free to take my picture while I do so.

[CyberDyneSystems]

ROFL,. too fnny Ian! :mrgreen:

[IndyJeff]

Tom I am with you on that.

You know, I have boards that I go to for the political stuff. That is one reason I always liked this board, no politics. I guess that just all went down the ****ter tho now didn't it?
It is kind of funny to watch people discuss the demise of a world leader and think it's all funny and would be good. When you can just tell by the things they post they don't have a clue.
I just hope that if anything disasterous happens in your country, where ever that may be, that you will not be counting on the US to come and give you aid, finacially and physically. Of course we all know what happens when a disaster happens, the leader of that country gets on the phone and calls Washington for help.

Oh BTW, your welcome for the help in the past.

[PacAce]

You know, I have boards that I go to for the political stuff. That is one reason I always liked this board, no politics.

Well, I guess that was true up until your post when you brought politics into the picture. So, with that, I'm spitting out of this thread. :)

[John_T]

...losing your sense of humor is just about the worst thing that can happen to you. 90% of humor is laughing 'cause it hurts. GWB has a sense of humor and would laugh just as loud as the perpetrators in this thread. Don't forget that deep down he is really a good 'ol boy and likes to drink beer and shoot the **** like anybody else, just doesn't look to good when you are supposed to be playing Pres.

[Ikinaa]

Right PacAce, this thread was funny until someone brought up Politics.
Ok, some 60 years ago, the US (don't forget all the other countries) come to Normandy and helped save Europe (and the World) from one ideology that hated everything that wasn't like his own, so that means that the liberty of Europe is (partly) committed to the liberators among where the US (in a high percentage, but as said, don't forget the others), but that doesn't mean that the freed need to love to heirs of the liberators.
I'm happy things turned out like they did some 60 years ago, otherwise I don't know if I would be here, or if part of the world would have returned to stoneage ruled by some 'superior' people (they can't have been superior anyway or they would still exist).

So full stop for me here now

Long life to HUMOR !!! :lol:

[iwatkins]

IndyJeff etc.

It is a JOKE. You know, humour.

:roll:

Some people......

[Ikinaa]

IndyJeff etc.

It is a JOKE. You know, humour.

:roll:

Some people......

It's sad but I guess next time one has to put a real big note in front of the thread to tell people about humor :?

But to cheer you up Ian, I really liked it...

[Tom W]

You know, I have boards that I go to for the political stuff. That is one reason I always liked this board, no politics.

Well, I guess that was true up until your post when you brought politics into the picture. So, with that, I'm spitting out of this thread. :)

I'm sorry, but it was political from the first post. I don't mind poking fun and gently ribbing people. As well, there's room for humor based on some of the President's policies, but I found great offense in people making light of his potential demise. We've got a bit of an ideological battle going on here in the US, and I tend to keep myself in the thick of it.

Anyway, if I absolutely had to take the picture, it would be with the color film that's in the camera. Or, I'd just use the S-400. :?

[Laziferous]

Tom I am with you on that.

You know, I have boards that I go to for the political stuff. That is one reason I always liked this board, no politics. I guess that just all went down the ****ter tho now didn't it?
It is kind of funny to watch people discuss the demise of a world leader and think it's all funny and would be good. When you can just tell by the things they post they don't have a clue.
I just hope that if anything disasterous happens in your country, where ever that may be, that you will not be counting on the US to come and give you aid, finacially and physically. Of course we all know what happens when a disaster happens, the leader of that country gets on the phone and calls Washington for help.

Oh BTW, your welcome for the help in the past.

http://damaged.anime.net/archive/dork.gif

[sdommin]

IndyJeff etc.

It is a JOKE. You know, humour.

:roll:

Some people......

In the future, perhaps we should stick with people we ALL hate. I have heard this joke before, and the drowning person was a lawyer.

Now THAT would be funny!

[Tom W]

IndyJeff etc.

It is a JOKE. You know, humour.

:roll:

Some people......

In the future, perhaps we should stick with people we ALL hate. I have heard this joke before, and the drowning person was a lawyer.

Now THAT would be funny!

:twisted:

[Scottes]

I have heard this joke before, and the drowning person was a lawyer.

Now if it was a lawyer, I'd be more interested in taking the picture. However, I'd take a picture of all of you guys taking a picture of him drowning.

To get the best angle of all of you on the shore I'd stand on his shoulders.

[Conk]

Excellent joke Ian. Kinda creeps up on ya.

[Ikinaa]

I have heard this joke before, and the drowning person was a lawyer.

Now if it was a lawyer, I'd be more interested in taking the picture. However, I'd take a picture of all of you guys taking a picture of him drowning.

To get the best angle of all of you on the shore I'd stand on his shoulders.

You really think he has broad enough shoulders so that you can stand on them :wink:
Anyway... if he's drowning, he isn't standing on solid ground, so if you stand on his shoulders, his body wouldn't be able to support you, so you'll both drown.
Now that would be a Pulitzer picture, a photographer drowning while trying to stand on a lawyers shoulder who himself is photographed by a bunch of photographers who shoot him while drowning... :twisted:

[Pekka]

I'll lock this thread now because it's now less than 50% about photography and more about a political joke .... feel free to start another one on lawyers or bass players (or photographer's moral) but please try to stick on topic.