Brian Walski
Encyclopedia
Brian Walski is a professional photographer who was accused in 2003 of altering
a news photograph, which he later admitted to. Until the incident, he was a staff photographer at the Los Angeles Times
. Previously, he had won the California Press Photographers Association's 2001 Photographer of the Year.
. He has worked as a photographer since 1980 starting his career at the Albuquerque Journal
, Patriot-Ledger in Quincy, MA
, and the Boston Herald
. He spent 12 years on staff at the Herald until he joined the Los Angeles Times
in September, 1998. During his career he has covered everything from local news to the Gulf War, famine in Africa, Northern Ireland, the conflict in Kashmir and the crisis in the Balkans. In 2005 Walski relocated to Colorado and founded Colorado Visions Photography, a commercial and wedding photography business.
, Iraq
of British soldiers telling Iraqi civilians during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
to take cover. He took a number of pictures and while later viewing them decided to combine a couple of his images to create a superior picture. That day he sent the pictures to LA staff who posted them on the internal photo sharing system for various media outlets owned by the Tribune News Corporation
. Media across the country ran the image including Walski's LA Times and the Tribune Corp owned, Hartford Courant. It was at the Courant that the image was noticed.
McGuire confirmed that the image was altered and contacted Colin Crawford, Los Angeles Times Director of Photography.
It took Crawford four days to get hold of Walski who was still in battle conditions covering the war. When confronted with the image Crawford said, "Give me an excuse. Tell me it was a satellite transmission problem. Say something." to which Walski replied, "No, I did it. I combined the two pictures."
Photo manipulation
Photo manipulation is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception , through analog or digital means.- Types of digital photo manipulation :...
a news photograph, which he later admitted to. Until the incident, he was a staff photographer at the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. Previously, he had won the California Press Photographers Association's 2001 Photographer of the Year.
Bio
Walski was born in Illinois and grew up in Chicago and studied journalism at Northern Illinois UniversityNorthern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
. He has worked as a photographer since 1980 starting his career at the Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque Journal
-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
, Patriot-Ledger in Quincy, MA
Quincy
-People:*Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester, Norman nobleman*Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester, Norman nobleman*Quincy Jones , American record producer and musician-Places:France*Quincy, Cher, a commune in the Cher département in France...
, and the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
. He spent 12 years on staff at the Herald until he joined the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
in September, 1998. During his career he has covered everything from local news to the Gulf War, famine in Africa, Northern Ireland, the conflict in Kashmir and the crisis in the Balkans. In 2005 Walski relocated to Colorado and founded Colorado Visions Photography, a commercial and wedding photography business.
Iraq Scandal
On March 30, 2003 Brian Walski took photographs near BasraBasra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
of British soldiers telling Iraqi civilians during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
to take cover. He took a number of pictures and while later viewing them decided to combine a couple of his images to create a superior picture. That day he sent the pictures to LA staff who posted them on the internal photo sharing system for various media outlets owned by the Tribune News Corporation
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
. Media across the country ran the image including Walski's LA Times and the Tribune Corp owned, Hartford Courant. It was at the Courant that the image was noticed.
McGuire confirmed that the image was altered and contacted Colin Crawford, Los Angeles Times Director of Photography.
It took Crawford four days to get hold of Walski who was still in battle conditions covering the war. When confronted with the image Crawford said, "Give me an excuse. Tell me it was a satellite transmission problem. Say something." to which Walski replied, "No, I did it. I combined the two pictures."
Since the Scandal
Brian Walski has since opened a successful commercial and wedding photography studio called Colorado Visions Photography in the Denver, Colorado area.See also
- Ethical and legal considerations in PhotojournalismPhotojournalismPhotojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
- PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...