AOL Photo Talk: All Things Photographic: Magnum in Motion

Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David "Chim" Seymour founded the photographic agency Magnum in 1947 to aggregate a new wave of photojournalists. Because of the invention of smaller, lightweight cameras, WWII became the first major conflict allowing in-depth photographic coverage, and audiences throughout the world were hungry for Magnum’s hard-news images. The agency’s formidable reputation for shooting compelling stories -- initiated by WWII reporting -- became globally appreciated. Yet almost clairvoyantly, a precocious George Rodger commented decades ago that one could "take pictures of just about anything and magazines were clamoring for it; the mistake was in thinking that it would continue."

Fast-forward 50 years, and the demand for compelling images still exists, but the ease of acquisition and the variety of available resources have changed the industry. The once definitive photographic agency began competing with wire services and freelancing specialists. Although everyone recognized Magnum’s quintessential images -- Cartier-Bresson’s idiosyncratic masterpieces, Steve McCurry’s Afghan girl, Robert Capa's Battle of Normandy on Omaha Beach -- the agency’s name was being stored away in boxes, much like the precious prints and negatives that remain in the Magnum office today.

Magnum in Motion, a new digital venture bringing Magnum images and photographers to the Internet, has catalyzed a stagnating yet brilliant agency. Combining multimedia elements of video, audio and flash presentations, Magnum in Motion is creating a new conduit for storytelling. This novel format has generated a buzz from bloggers, podcasters and many other Web sites, bringing in fresh attention.

I interviewed one of the co-founders of Magnum in Motion, Bjarke (BJ) Myrthu, and asked about the changing tide of digital photography and the world's reaction to Magnum reinventing itself. By creatively using the Internet, the company has gone from being viewed as static to inventive. BJ stressed the point that within traditional media (such as magazines or other periodicals) editors and space limitations sculpt the project. Because the Internet is spatially infinite, photographers have a significant say in terms of final outcome, allowing a push for more images, audio and attention to presentation.

BJ remarked that at first, the photographers didn't grasp the concept of the site until they saw the capabilities of presentation. The younger photographers were willing to embrace the technology and altered their past approaches to photojournalism. Chris Anderson, Magnum Nominee, began emphasizing the audio elements of photojournalism by recording ambient sounds and interviews during a shoot. This new cognizance of multimedia capabilities while shooting is a departure from the purely illustrative focus while making pictures. A new way of working is becoming even more apparent as video enters into Magnum's arsenal. BJ remarked that the new facility of making videos is allowing experimentation with the medium, and the Magnum photographers are jumping onboard.

Just like the arrival of lightweight cameras decades earlier, new devices are changing the toolbox of photojournalists … and Magnum will continue to be at forefront of advancing new gear to create compelling stories.