City College Times

Photojournalism

Spring 2007

Overview

              Photographers shoot what they want.

              Photojournalists shoot what the editor wants

              Photojournalists shoot for an audience, not for themselves.

              Photojournalists search for the truth, they are searching for the same truth the writer seeks, which is the best understanding of what is happening the split second the photo is taken, the image is being captured.

Tools

              We have two digital cameras that may be checked out for use; checked out for one day, for a particular shoot only.

              The photojournalist is responsible for checking out the camera, and returning it in the same condition it was in when checked out. (Campus policy: the student is responsible for equipment checked out.)

Ownership

              Once you have taken the photo for the Times, the Times owns the print – but you own the negative. (Digital equivalent: the Times can use the photo, but you may keep the photo in your computer, or your disk.

              The Times has the right to reprint the photo anytime – either in print or online.

Assignments

              Are made by the editors; the photos are compiled and the work is overseen by the photo editor and assistant photo editor.

Working with the Photo Editor

              Communicate with the photo editor regarding story assignments:

                            Where to shoot, when to shoot, what the angle or focus of the story is,                                     where the story will play in the paper, the deadline, the reporter you’re                                          working with, where to keep the photos in the file

Information Gathering

              The photojournalist must have a pen and a pad available to get the names of the subjects of photos. There may also be a phone number needed to follow up on a story, either by the photographer or by a reporter. The more you know about who was in the photo and what it means, the easier it will be to get the photo published.

              We encourage all photojournalists to do photo essays and photo essay stories. There are times when the photo will stand by itself in the paper with only a short informational cutline.

Photo Composition

              *Try to compose the photo in the viewfinder

              *Maintain good focus and exposure

              *SIMPLE is better than complex; STARK is better than busy

              *ODD numbers give better balance in the composition than even

              *Leave empty space for strong lines of force to target

              *Break empty space to create tension, dissonance

              *Arranges centers of interest along diagonals

              *Crop tight on unnecessary background, foreground, backs of heads, tops of heads

              *EYES attract EYES

              *Use leading lines to guide viewer to the center of interest (subject looking in to the burning house – basketball coaching pointing at team – air show fans looking into the sky)

              *Look for Visual Irony: Tension, conflict, contradiction

              *Show CONTRAST, ASYMMETRY, PROPORTION, AND BALANCE

              *Natural and Candid yields better results than Formal and Posed

              *Use DEPTH of FIELD for selective focus on the center of interest so that background and foreground details are subordinated

Pointers on Cropping Photos

              *Use cropping to improve composition – and to add emphasis.

              (Please understand the ethical considerations of cropping and editing photos. Do not change the integrity of the photo, do not crop out people in the photo if it changes the dynamic, if it alters the meaning of the photo or if it misrepresents either the story or the TRUTH.)

              *TIGHT CROPPING – is dramatic and exciting

              *LOOSE CROPPING – is cliché, boring, amateur, SAFE

              *Try NOT to cut off hands, feet, whole heads, legs at the knee or mid-thigh or calf, arms at the elbows or mid-forearm

              *Give subjects some empty space to look into

Pointers on Cutlines

              The Cutline is the caption that accompanies the photo.

              *Beware of ambiguity

              (Often there are hidden second meanings, or captions that sneak right past you)

              *Make sure EDITORS see all cutlines before they go to press

              *Watch for STRANGE or INAPPROPRIATE juxtaposition of photos and headlines

              *Fact Check: names, spelling, titles

              *Do NOT editorialize in the photo caption

              (Keep your audience in mind – avoid offending them)

              *Place the cutlines below or beside the photo, NOT above

IMPORTANT NOTE: follow the newspaper style and keep cutlines consistent throughout the edition

Photo Essays

              One Page: 4 to 5 photos

              Two Pages: 6 to 8 photos

              Shoot both VERTICAL and HORIZONTAL

              (Please have an idea in mind of what you want to do with the essay before you shoot it, if you can. There are occasions when the photographer will return to the newspaper with so much good stuff, she wants to put it into an essay.)