Intro to Photography & Photo Essays

Design for JournalistsSummer 2013

What is a photo essay?

• A set or series of photographs that tell a story or evoke a series of emotions in the viewer

• Typically accompanied by written text and published as a book or special feature in a newspaper, magazine, or online.

• When printed, typically arranged in a one- to two-page spread.

Choosing a good story idea

• There is activity and/or people doing something observable (e.g., not a meeting story).

• It is visually rich (e.g., lots of color, decoration, contrast, rhythm, motion, scenery, etc.).

• There are lots of different situations taking place and/or a variety of interesting moments (i.e., not a bunch of different people repeating the same thing).

• The idea is emotional and/or humorous.• It features rich character or personality.

Photography 101: General

• Great photographers always consider the following when taking pictures:– Composition– Viewpoint/angles– Lighting– Motion– Direction

• There are a variety of ways to approach each

Photography 101: Composition

*How each object is arranged in the frame*• Rule of thirds• Layering• Balancing elements• Repetition• Framing

Composition: Rule of Thirds

Composition: Layering

Composition: Balancing elements

Composition: Repetition

Composition: Framing

Photography 101: Viewpoint/Angles

*The position from which you take thephotograph*• Eye level: Shows subject(s) straight on• High angle: Shows subject(s) from above• Low angle: Shows subject(s) from below• Bird’s eye: Shows subject(s) from directly

above• Slanted: Shows the horizon on an angle

Viewpoint/Angles: Eye level

Viewpoint/Angles: High angle

Viewpoint/Angles: Low angle

Viewpoint/Angles: Bird’s eye

Viewpoint/Angles: Slanted

Photography 101: Lighting

*The way in which light is used in aphotograph*• Natural/available lighting• Artificial lighting• Fill lighting• Back lighting• Side lighting

Lighting: Natural light

Lighting: Artificial light

Lighting: Fill light (combo)

Lighting: Side lighting

Lighting: Back lighting

Photography 101: Motion

*The way in which movement in a photograph isshown to the viewer… adjusting the shutter

speedallows photographers to capture motion**• Frozen field of vision• Blurred field of vision• Blurred background, subject in focus• Blurred subject, background in focus

Motion: Frozen field of vision

Motion: Blurred field of vision

Motion: Panning to blur background

Motion: Motion blur to blur subject

Photography 101: Direction

• Every photo moves in a certain direction– Reft to right– Right to left– Forward– Backward, etc.

Direction: Moving right (left to right)

Direction: Moving left (right to left)

Direction: Moving forward/toward viewer

Direction: Moving backward/away from viewer

But how do you create a great photo story?

• Not every sequence or collection of pictures make a good story

• There are specific formulas you can follow when you start shooting to make sure your pictures tell a good story– Life Magazine’s photo story formula– Poynter’s 5-shot sequence

Life Magazine: Photo story formula

• Photographers were required to bring back the following eight key photo types from every photo story shoot:

– An introductory shot or overall shot, such as a wide angle or an aerial.– A middle-distance or “moving in” shot, such as a sign, street, or

building– A close-up, usually hands, face or detail.– A sequence, or how-to shot.– A portrait, usually environmental.– An interaction shot of persons conversing or action portrayed.– The signature picture- the decisive moment, the one picture that

conveys the essence of the story.– The clincher or goodbye shot, signifying the end of the story.

Life’s Eugene Smith: “Country Doctor”

• Life Magazine photographer Eugene Smith is credited for creating the magazine’s photo story formula

• In his photo essay “Country Doctor,” where he profiles a small-town practitioner in the 1940s, each of the shot types described in the photo story formula can be found

• Click here to view the essay in its entirety

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

“Country Doctor”

Poynter: 5-shot sequence

• Shot one: Scene setter• Shot two: Medium shot• Shot three: Portrait• Detail• Action(source: Poynter.org)

Shot one: Scene setter

Where is your story takingplace, and what does itlook like? Is it a building, atown, an oldsouthwestern graveyard?Place your audience in theaction by taking a photothat shows it all.

Shot two: Medium shot

Let’s start to hone in onthe spot of your action;the area of the building ortown or graveyard whereyour subjects are. Thisshot narrows your story’sfield of view and shouldbring you closer in.

Shot three: Portrait

Who is your main subjectand what does he or shelook like? This can be atraditional head andshoulders shot or a widershot that shows theperson’s surroundings.

Shot four: DetailDetail shots work especially well for transitions, but canhave great storytellingpotential all their own. Whatare the pictures on someone’sdesk? What books are theyreading? What’s that post cardthey have tacked to the wall?All of these things tell us alittle bit about our subject andare great elements to have in aphoto essay or multimediapresentation.

Shot five: Action

Action shots show yoursubject doing something.This is the shot somephotographers spend anentire shoot trying toperfect, often amounting tothe same shot being taken30 times. Photos of yoursubject in action areessential in audio/visualpieces.

Preparing for a shoot: Shooting script

• Life magazine was best known for nailing down the photo story first. Life staffers, from editorial to art departments, would collaborate on story ideas, select a topic, and research it to the fullest, thinking ahead to what images they thought the story might bring.

• The script encouraged a photographer to prepare for what content they might come across while shooting, so that they could better find the unusual or unique pictures.

• Don’t force anything you script to happen. This is simply meant to prepare you for what might happen.

Preparing for a shoot: Storyboarding

• Storyboarding forces the photographer to visualize what each frame of their photo story will look like.

• Once you have your shooting script/shot list developed, you can then take the content you plan to gather for each photo and decide how you are going to visually place that content.

With that said, you should…

• Brainstorm what content you might get by writing out a shooting script/shot list.

• Visualize what the photographs might look like by creating a storyboard.

• Apply a variety of the photo techniques discussed (different compositions, lighting, angles, motion, directions, etc.)

• Try to collect the 8 key photo types used in Life’s photo story formula.

• Also try shooting using Poynter’s 5-shot sequence as a guide.