May 9, 2019
Chatting the Pictures

Chatting the Pictures: Denver School Shooting, Met Gala, Royal Baby

Welcome to the latest edition of Chatting the Pictures. In each 20-minute webcast, co-hosts Michael Shaw, publisher of Reading the Pictures, and writer and historian, Cara Finnegan, discuss three prominent photos in the news.

By Michael Shaw
About the Video

The program is broken into three segments: “The News,” “The Look,” and “The Pick.” “The News” examine a hard news image for its content value. “The Look” focuses on a news photo for its artistry and style. And “The Pick” asks what made a high profile photo so unique to editors or the public.

“The News” photo this week is by AI researcher and bystander, Shreya Nallapati, which she posted to social media. The photo shows students near STEM School-Highlands  Ranch in Colorado after a shooting there left one dead and eight injured on Tuesday. The snapshot captures the all-too-common aftermath of school shootings, this the third one in two weeks. We discuss various elements, including the vulnerability of the children and the irony of the young girl praying (far left) in light of the gun lobby’s “thoughts and prayers” response to these massacres.

For “The Look,” we discuss an image taken by Mario Anzuoni for Reuters. Heavy on performance, we see actor Ezra Miller’s arrival at the Met Gala Miller inspired by this year’s “Camp” theme.  We discuss the difference between camp and surrealism, and how the photo relates to the current political environment.

“The Pick” this week is by Chris Allerton, via WPA POOL/MEGA. It’s the official portrait of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, along with her mother, Doria Ragland, presenting their new child to the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle. The photo illustrates the media savvy of the royal family. Beyond reinforcing gender norms, It also show how much Ragland has been woven into the family since her daughter married the Prince in 2018.

You can find all the Chatting the Pictures replays here.

The Full Edit

Take a closer look at some of the images from our larger photo edit.

Photo: Shreya Nallapati.

Caption: Students near STEM School Highlands Ranch lined up during a shooting at the Colorado school that left one dead and eight injured on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Caption: Ezra Miller arrives at the Met Gala in New York City, May 6, 2019.

Photo: Chris Allerton/WPA POOL/MEGA

Caption: Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, as they show their new son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, to the Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle on May 8, 2019.

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Michael Shaw
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