Categories
MY PHOTO JOURNEY Sophistication (Mastery)

What is the “Urban Photography Movement”?

The urban photography movement is an approach in photography. It captures city life, culture, and landscapes. This movement is a branch of street photography. But it goes beyond people on streets. It includes buildings, spaces, signs, and moods. Urban photography explores cities as living systems. Photographers use it to study change, social issues, and identity.

The roots of this movement go back to early street photographers. Artists like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank set the stage. They captured candid moments of daily life. But urban photography grew wider. It also captures the shapes, shadows, and textures of cities. It can show the warmth or coldness of urban spaces. Sometimes it can feel abstract. Other times it shows a city’s soul.

Urban photography often shows contrasts. Wealth and poverty, old and new, life and decay appear side by side. It questions urban change. Photographers like Edward Hopper, although a painter, inspired this style. His work showed loneliness in cities. Similarly, photographers such as Saul Leiter captured quiet moments, colours, and reflections. Their photos highlight what we miss when we rush.

Today, urban photography includes many styles. It can be gritty and raw, showing social issues like homelessness or inequality (Sontag, 1977). It can also be bright, graphic, and clean, showing city design and modern life. Mobile phones and social media made this movement popular. Now, millions of people share images of their urban lives. This movement tells many stories. It makes us think about how cities shape us, and how we shape them.

Urban photography helps us notice the world differently. It teaches us to see beauty in places we might ignore. It also helps us understand complex social issues. By capturing moments, urban photographers help cities speak.

Contemporary examples

Here are some notable photographers who excel in this genre:

Anastasia Samoylova

Based in Miami, Samoylova explores themes of environmentalism and urbanisation. Her series FloodZone portrays Miami’s surreal landscapes, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to climate change. Her work has been exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and London’s Saatchi Gallery.

vogue.com

Adam Magyar

A Hungarian photographer, Magyar is known for his innovative techniques that blend technology and art. His series Stainless uses high-speed cameras to capture urban life in mesmerising detail, offering a unique perspective on the rhythm of city environments.

en.wikipedia.org

Rana El Nemr

An Egyptian visual artist, El Nemr’s work delves into the layered dynamics of urban spaces in Cairo. Her project Giza Threads examines the interplay between dominant structures and fleeting disruptions, revealing the city’s evolving character.

en.wikipedia.org

Siegfried Hansen

A German street photographer, Hansen focuses on the graphic elements of urban settings. His keen eye for lines, shapes, and patterns transforms everyday scenes into abstract compositions, highlighting the unnoticed aesthetics of cityscapes.

en.wikipedia.org

Marc Vallée

Based in London, Vallée’s photography examines the tension between public and private spaces. His zines document subcultures such as graffiti artists and skateboarders, shedding light on urban youth movements and their interactions with the city environment.

en.wikipedia.org

Jason Langer

An American photographer, Langer is renowned for his noir-style images of urban life. His black-and-white photographs capture the moodiness and mystery of cities, often focusing on solitary figures and nighttime scenes.

en.wikipedia.org

Dolorès Marat

A French photographer, Marat’s work offers dreamlike interpretations of urban scenes. Using deep blacks and vibrant colours through the Fresson process, her images infuse everyday city moments with a sense of intrigue and timelessness.

theguardian.com

References

Sontag, S. (1977). On Photography. Penguin Books.

Categories
My Major Personal Project MY PHOTO JOURNEY PURE BLOG Sophistication (Mastery)

The Threat to Press Freedom in the 21st Century

What is Press Freedom?

Press freedom refers to the ability of journalists, media organisations, and individuals to report, investigate, and publish information without undue interference, censorship, or retaliation from the state, corporations, or other powerful entities. It is a fundamental pillar of democracy, ensuring transparency, accountability, and an informed public.

True press freedom includes:

  • Legal protection from state interference or legal threats.
  • Pluralism, ensuring a diversity of media voices.
  • Editorial independence, allowing journalists to report without corporate or political influence.
  • Freedom from violence, meaning journalists can work without fear of intimidation, imprisonment, or assassination.

Why is Press Freedom Important?

A free press holds power to account. It investigates corruption, challenges abuses, and ensures that the public has access to accurate and diverse information. When the press is strong, democracy is strong. Without it, misinformation thrives, power becomes unchecked, and authoritarian tendencies grow.

The decline of press freedom is not just an issue of censorship—it affects human rights, social justice, and the very fabric of democratic governance.

Why is Press Freedom Under Threat?

There are several factors contributing to the erosion of press freedom globally:

  1. Authoritarianism and the Rise of the Far Right
    Far-right movements, often linked to nationalism, populism, and reactionary politics, tend to view the press as an enemy. Figures like Donald Trump in the US, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, and Narendra Modi in India have openly attacked the media, branding journalists as “fake news” peddlers or “enemies of the people.” This delegitimises journalism and justifies restrictions on press freedom.
  2. State Control and Legal Suppression
    Many governments now use legal mechanisms to suppress critical journalism. Laws on national security, defamation, or so-called “fake news” have been weaponised to arrest journalists or shut down independent outlets. For example, Orbán’s Hungary has brought much of the media under state control, while Russia and China imprison dissident journalists.
  3. Corporate Influence and Media Consolidation
    A handful of powerful corporations own vast sections of the global media. Rupert Murdoch’s empire, for instance, has helped shift political discourse to the right in multiple countries. When media ownership is concentrated, editorial independence weakens, and news becomes shaped by corporate and political interests.
  4. Surveillance and Digital Censorship
    Governments are increasingly using digital tools to track, intimidate, and silence journalists. Some regimes exploit spyware (e.g., Pegasus) to monitor dissenters. Social media algorithms, influenced by state pressure or corporate interests, also limit the reach of independent journalism.
  5. Physical Attacks on Journalists
    Violence against journalists is rising. From the murder of Jamal Khashoggi to the repression of investigative journalists in the Philippines and Mexico, those who expose corruption and state abuse are at risk. Impunity for such crimes emboldens further attacks.
  6. Disinformation and the Undermining of Trust
    The spread of disinformation, often amplified by far-right movements, weakens faith in journalism. When people distrust the press, they turn to conspiracy theories, state propaganda, or hyper-partisan sources that confirm their biases. This benefits authoritarian leaders, who thrive on controlling public perception.

The Far-Right and the Attack on Journalism

Far-right movements, in particular, see the press as a threat because it exposes their tactics—racism, xenophobia, corruption, and attacks on democracy. They rely on:

  • Discrediting journalists by calling them biased or untrustworthy.
  • Promoting alternative, hyper-partisan media that reinforce their worldview.
  • Using state power to restrict press freedom, such as closing media outlets or arresting critics.
  • Normalising misinformation so that truth itself becomes contested.

This has dangerous consequences. When the press is weakened, authoritarianism flourishes. When journalists are silenced, corruption grows. When information is controlled, democracy erodes.

The decline of press freedom, then, is a crisis for democracy. The rise of the far-right has played a central role in this trend, using legal, digital, and violent means to control information. Defending press freedom is not just about protecting journalists—it is about preserving truth, accountability, and democratic governance.

If you are interested in supporting press freedom in a number of imaginative ways, then visit https://rsf.org – Reporters Without Borders.