Time out Tuesdays: Sad Lamp

Welcome back to Time out Tuesdays, a continuing effort to share the stories that resonate with me and to keep myself constantly spelunking for the very best in photojournalism week after week.

Every week, I'll post up a new photo story, video, picture or multimedia piece that I think gets it right and is worth taking a look at for study, ideas, appreciation and inspiration.

This week I'm very very busy so I've turned to an old favorite, the Sad Lamp.



I love this advertisement from Spike Jones and I go back to every few months to have a laugh and remind myself of the power of good editing.

The music, the harsh lighting and colors outside versus the warm light and colors inside, the slow tracking shots on the lamp outside or as it leaves its' corner in the nice home-- it's all editing done right to personify the lamp and give the commercial an emotional quality, and it's all done without saying a word.

Showing not telling, a cornerstone of good journalism (see, inspiration is everywhere).

There's even a decisive moment, where the women touches the lamp after turning it off, that is the final tug at the heart strings the moment when most viewers go from thinking, "am I feeling bad for a lamp?" to saying "I am feeling bad for a lamp!"

It's mostly a fun piece but I love it and there's more going on then it first looks like.

I can go on and on, but I'm pretty sure you wanna watch it again now... so enjoy.