Download - Nature of photojournalism
Nature of PhotojournalismWhat is Photojournalism?
What do you know of the world because of
photography?
How many of us have been to the Egyptian
pyramids, the Antarctic, or the surface of the
moon?
What is photojournalism?
• “Medium of communication that uses a universal language to convey facts and information”
• Compound word coined by Frank Luther Mott. – The creation of this word meant change in
importance and respectability of news photography.
Journalistic Photo• Informs and motivates• Image that is created in reality, keeps a strong
connection with it, and reveals facts and information on the first look
Strong story-telling features• Main object and focal point• Show something we couldn’t ordinarily
see for ourselves• Reveal new information at first look• Reveals more information at second look• Answers the classic questions of journalism: who,
what, where, when, why, and how• Pictures of people doing things
What makes a photo interesting to others?• Apply the classic news values that are used to
describe the qualities of a newsworthy event:– Consequence– Conflict– Prominence– Proximity– Timeliness– The bizarre, the unusual, curious, or amusing
Definition• Words and pictures, intended for publication,
that try to produce an honest visual report of what happened, in a form understandable to other.
Uses of Photojournalism• Newspapers• Magazines• Books• Video• Newsletters• PR publications
Typical Day for a Staff Photographer
• Shoots four assignments• Processes film/Downloads camera• Selects the shot that best tells the story• Makes a ‘print’ and delivers it to the newsroom for a
caption and use in page design– ‘Printing’ means preparing the photo digitally as well as
making an actual paper print in the darkroom.– Newspapers rely on the photojournalists for caption info
and sometimes to write the caption.
Terms:• Wild art/evergreen material:
– ‘slice of life’ shots that provide a chuckle or an interesting look at something; not connected with a specific story and could be used at any time
• News photos:– anything that is of immediate interest
• Feature photos: – anything that isn’t a news or sports photo; evergreen material
• Illustrations: – highly controlled photos in which every element is selected, placed and lit to
convey a specific idea or concept
What is expected of a photojournalist?• You must be both a photographer and a
journalist.• You must be a master of technical and visual
means of communicating with a camera.• You must also have the instincts of a reporter
for news value, emphasis, and significance.• You should be able to use both communicative
tools: words and pictures.