Human-Scaled Photos Make Urban Issues Accessible

Chile's most influential newspaper makes urban issues accessible and interesting to millions by using 'human-scaled' and annotated panoramic photos in its local coverage.

1 minute read

February 3, 2013, 5:00 AM PST

By Michael Newton


Aaron Hay writes about El Mercurio, Chile's largest newspaper, and their decision to use panoramic photographs that discard traditional zoomed-out landscapes in favor of info-laden human-scale cityscapes.

"We try to avoid the traditional panoramic picture that shows landscapes or buildings from a large distance. The ideal photo in 'Santiago en 180°' shows places in a human-scale. The series has been a good way to show to our readers how amazing Santiago is, and now we’re doing the same with other Chilean cities that are undergoing rapid development. In fact, we recently launched “Chile en 180°" the El Mercurio City Editor Manuel Fernandez says.

This new approach to covering urban issues has led to an increase in public debate and understanding of different neighborhoods' "history, footfall, traffic," and "the changes happening nearby."

Tuesday, January 29, 2013 in Urban Times

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