photojournalism and documentary photography

PHOTO-JOURNALISM

BY ALEXANDRA COPLEY

WHAT IS PHOTOJOURNALISM?PHOTOJOURNALISM IS A PARTICULAR FORM OF

JOURNALISM (THE COLLECTING, EDITING, AND PRESENTING OF NEWS MATERIAL

FOR PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST)

THAT CREATES IMAGES IN ORDER TO

TELL A STORY..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-3HiLyjUy8

2 WORDS.PHOTO

a representation of a person or scene recorded by a camera on light-sensitive material (digital censor)

JOURNALISMthe timely reporting of

events at the local, provincial, national and international levels. Relevant.

THE PHOTO TELLS A COMPLETE STORY

IN AN IMAGE

PHOTOJOURNALISM IS DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER CLOSE BRANCHES OF PHOTOGRAPHY (SUCH AS

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY,

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY OR

CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHY) BY THE QUALITIES OF:

TIMELINESS the images have meaning in the context of a recently published record of events.

SOLDIERS AFGHANISTAN WAR

OBJECTIVITY the situation implied by the images is a fair and accurate representation of the events they depict in both content and tone

POST-ELECTION PROTEST, IRAN

NARRATIVE the images combine with other news elements to make facts relatable to the viewer or reader on a cultural level.

DHARAVI SLUM, MUMBAI

THE IMAGES IN A PHOTOJOURNALISM PIECE MAY BE ACCOMPANIED WITH EXPLANATORY

TEXT, OR SHOWN INDEPENDENTLY, WITH THE IMAGES THEMSELVES

NARRATING THE

EVENTS THEY DEPICT

GAZA STRIP, JERUSALEM

WHAT IS A PHOTOJOURNALIST?

A photojournalist uses pictures instead

of words to tell a story. They can also accompany their images with some text to elaborate on the details or events.

WHAT MAKES A PHOTOJOURNALIST

DIFFERENT FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER?

PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKE PICTURES OF NOUNS (PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS)

PHOTOJOURNALISTS SHOOT ACTION

VERBS ("KICKS," "EXPLODES," "CRIES,"

ETC.)

PHOTOJOURNALISTS DO SHOOT SOME

NOUNS.

HOWEVER, THE NOUNS WE SEEK STILL MUST TELL A STORY.

WORLD PRESS PHOTO OF THE YEARSHOUTING PROTESTS FROM ROOFTOPS, IRAN

DOCUMENTING THE ANTARTIC

EVENTS, EMOTIONS,

EVERY LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION

AN IMAGE HAS NO AGE,

LANGUAGE OR INTELLIGENCE

LIMITS

1. ANTICIPATION

2. TIMING3.

COMPOSITION

PHOTOJOURNALISTS

Eddie AdamsMathew BradyRobert CapaHenri Cartier-BressonWalker EvansLauren GreenfieldEd KashiAndré Kertész

Danny Lyon

Susan Meiselas

James Nachtwey

Sebastião Salgado

W. Eugene Smith

Peter Turnley

Gordon Parks

Lewis Hines

Jacob Riis

Steve Mccurry

Diane Arbus

THE DECISIVE MOMENT

Henri Cartier-Bresson

PHOTOJOURNALISTS CHANGING

LIVES

LEWIS HINESAMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER

EXPOSED CHILD LABOR PRACTICES

BECAUSE OF HIM, LAWS WERE CHANGED

SEBASTIAO SALGADOBAZILIAN PHOTOJOURNALIST

BOOKS

GORDON PARKSAMERICAN PHOTOJOURNALIST

AMERICAN GOTHIC, HARLEM

FLAVIO DE SILVA, BRAZIL

SERIES FOR LIFE MAGAZINE IN RIO DE JANEIRO, 1961

CHANGING LIVESIn 1961, Parks did a series for LIFE on the slums of Brazil and found himself in what he describes as "dead center in the worst poverty I have ever encountered—in the favela of Catacumba, a desolate mountainside outside of Rio de Janeiro." In true Parks fashion, instead of giving a broad view without much depth, he focused on an individual affected by the larger story, just as he had done with Red Jackson, from the Harlem gang series.At just 12, Flavio da Silva was already dying, from tuberculosis. Flavio lived with his parents, brothers and sisters in a one-room shack. The images Parks created while living with the da Silva family illustrated the family's reliance on their dying son. "What Flavio cared most about," says Parks, "was that his younger brothers and sisters were taken care of. It was very noble of him. . . . I definitely learned more from Flavio about character than Flavio learned from me."After the story ran, LIFE readers contributed money to help with Flavio's medical care. Parks says that people sent in roughly $30,000 to bring Flavio to America. "I went back to Brazil and the doctors told me that Flavio would die on my hands if I took him to America.I took him anyway and after living there for two years, he was cured." When Flavio went back home to Brazil, Parks bought Flavio's father a new truck with the money everyone had sent in, and then LIFE donated $25,000 so that Parks could help the family buy a new home.

BORN INTO BROTHELS

CALCUTTA, INDIA

5 PHOTOGRAPHY ESSAY TIPS

1. FIND A TOPIC

Photo essays are most dynamic when you as the photographer

care about the subject. Make your topic something in which

you find interest.

LOOKING FOR WHAT OTHERS DON’T SEE…

2. DO YOUR RESEARCH

For example, if you document a newborn’s first month, spend time with the family.

Discover who the parents are,

what culture they are from, whether they are upper or lower class. These factors will

help you in planning out the type of shots you set up for your story.

LOOKING FOR STORIES THAT HAVEN’T BEEN TOLD

3. FIND THE “REAL STORY”

After your research, you can

determine the angle you want to take

your story. The main factors of each story create an incredibly

unique story.

NOT AFRAID TO BE WHAT YOU ARE

PHOTOGRAPHING

4. EVERY DYNAMIC STORY IS BUILT ON A SET OF CORE

VALUES AND EMOTIONS THAT TOUCH THE HEART OF ITS

AUDIENCEJoy. Fear. Hurt. Excitement. The best way you can connect your photo essay with its audience is to draw out the emotions within the story and utilize them in your shots. This does not mean that you manipulate your audience’s emotions. You merely use emotion as a connecting point

DOCUMENTARY/ TERU KUWAYAMA

http://silberstudios.tv/videos/conflict-zone-photos-teru-kuwayamaUses semi functional Polaroids and toy camera (its the photographer not the camera that makes the photo)Looks for the counter narrativeHas compassion for his subjects/ topics

5. PLAN YOUR SHOTSVisualize each shot of the story, or simply walk through the venue/place/event in your mind, you

will want to think about the type of shots that will work best to tell your story.

ENVIRONMENTALPORTRAITURE

5 SECOND PORTRAIT

5 MINUTE PORTRAIT

FEELING THE LIGHTSUNARTIFICIAL REFLECTIONGLOW

TIPSTry to avoid posed photos. No Snapshots!Try to capture emotion. Photograph faces not backs.Let your picture tell the story.Use different angles and perspectives.Avoid inanimate objects. Focus on people.Don’t forget the Rule of Thirds.The Decisive Moment

INANIMATE OBJECTS

VS.

DON’T PHOTOGRAPH BACKS

FACES FOR EMOTION

LET YOUR PICTURE TELL A STORY

MORE MAGS In The FrayBlue Eyes MagazineSocial Documentary.netLunaticF-Stop MagazineVewdLens Culture & InterviewsThe Digital Journalist

Media Storm (audio & visual)

File Magazine

Travel Photography Network

Colours Magazine

Deep Sleep

See Saw

Photo Eye Magazine

Aperture.org

Reuters

EVER WANT TO BE A NATIONAL

GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHER

Your Shot—This online contest allows photographers of all skill levels to submit their favorite images for possible publication in National Geographic. Each day a panel of editors selects 12 outstanding photographs to be published as part of the “Daily Dozen.”

OTHER Freelance (blogging)Agency (getty, redux)Gallery (caladangallery.com)Stock Photography (shutterstock.com)

CALL ME FOR INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION: 976 9842 976