The moment we pick up a camera, the image has already been edited and the photojournalist's credibility is already at stake. People's skill and practice in editing what goes into the composition of a photograph begins when they pick up a camera and perhaps even when they decide to photograph something. The job of a photojournalist is to transmit images to the public via news sources in order to provide people with as much information as possible on a topic in the most neutral way possible. While no human being can be entirely objective about any given scenario, it is the photojournalist's prerogative to provide images that evoke the heart of a story without being manipulative to the viewer. This means that the photojournalist is responsible for the images he chooses and must be aware and sensitive to the effects his image might have on those who view it. There are several key elements of this question of photographic ethics and credibility that should be recognized and considered. The first is the consideration and choice of the moment captured, another is the choice of the shot and the emphasis placed on certain elements within the shot and the last concerns the choices made during the editing phase. Starting from the first of the considerations, that of the first way in which a photojournalist modifies an image is to choose what to include and what not to include in the frame. In essence, this is simply the decision that is made about where to point the camera. This is a calculated exclusion and inclusion choice relative to the literal frame and what it contains or what the photojournalist thinks the frame should contain. Only by making this decision, which is really many decisions, ... middle of paper ... providing a version of the truth, it is even more important to offer what is most right in that situation and this is a judgment that must be made by every individual with a camera. Ultimately, our credibility, whether we are photojournalists or not, lies in our ability to evaluate these scenes and present them in a way that provides the greatest good to the people who will see them, as well as the subject matter. Without these considerations, ethics falls by the wayside and everyone's credibility and expectations are lowered or diminished to our detriment. Works Cited Long, John. “Ethics in the era of digital photography”. Seeing and Writing 4 (4th edition). Boston and New York, United States: Bedford/St. Martin (2010) Postrel, VA. “The politics of the retouched headshot”. Seeing and Writing 4 (4th edition). Boston and New York, United States: Bedford/St. Martin (2010)