An understanding of basic Photojournalism for beginners could help many an amateur photographer considering a career in photojournalism. Photojournalism is a unique field of photography that requires more than just the ability to take pictures.
Photojournalism vs. Photography
Basic photojournalism differs from regular photography on a number of levels. Essentially, the difference is one of intent. While a photograph represents an image of a subject or an object, photojournalism attempts to make that image tell a story.
Whether a photojournalism piece displays a sports event, a fire or an award ceremony, the photo must tell a story to the viewer before he reads the news article.
Photography for Beginners: Analyzing News Photos
Analyzing photojournalism images is an excellent learning tool for beginners interested in photojournalism.
One fairly recent piece of photojournalism is a famous picture of a fireman cradling a dead baby in the immediate aftermath of the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
The photo, taken by Charles Porter, captures not only the horror of the bombing, but also the compassion and caring of the emergency crew that responded to the explosion. In short, the picture tells a complicated and painful story. Through this picture, people were moved to tears, outrage and grief far beyond what they’d felt by reading dramatic news stories of the event.
Another valuable lesson of this picture was the fact that Charles Porter himself is not a professional photojournalist, proving that amateur photographers can also master basic photojournalism.
The majority of photojournalism projects deal with much less tragic events than the Oklahoma bombing. However, the principles of basic photojournalism, for beginners and professionals, are always the same: the picture must tell a story.
Basic Photojournalism: Faces
If photojournalism for beginners could be condensed into one word, it might be “faces.” Photo editors want to see people’s faces in pictures. People’s facial expressions help tell a photo’s story and convey emotion. A rule of basic photojournalism is to never shoot pictures of people without showing some of their faces.
The Ethics of Photojournalism
An amateur photographer taking artistic or glamour shots can create the ideal photo of his subject either by moving objects in the scene or by cropping items out of the picture with computer programs.
However, a photojournalist cannot play so fast and loose with events. He is bound by ethics to photograph events exactly as they happen and as they present themselves in reality. To move an item or re-stage an event after the fact is a violation of the viewers’ trust in the photographer.
A doctored photograph damages the reputation of both the photojournalist and any publications that run the picture.
Basic Photojournalism Responsibilities
Basic photojournalism job duties cover much more ground than merely taking photos. In addition to taking news photos, a photojournalist may be responsible for:
Breaking into Wedding Photojournalism
Although amateurs can break into photojournalism by taking compelling news pictures, formal training in the field is the best choice. Many colleges now offer four-year photojournalism courses that teach journalism ethics and legal issues alongside basic photojournalism technique.
Internships with newspapers and magazines offer experience in photojournalism for beginners. Competition for such positions is often fierce, with first consideration going to photojournalism students who have mastered basic photojournalism techniques. However, photo editors occasionally offer positions to promising amateurs looking to break into photojournalism.
Photojournalism for beginners requires an understanding of how to truthfully tell a story in a visual medium.
Halifax Wedding Photographer
Photojournalism vs. Photography
Basic photojournalism differs from regular photography on a number of levels. Essentially, the difference is one of intent. While a photograph represents an image of a subject or an object, photojournalism attempts to make that image tell a story.
Whether a photojournalism piece displays a sports event, a fire or an award ceremony, the photo must tell a story to the viewer before he reads the news article.
Photography for Beginners: Analyzing News Photos
Analyzing photojournalism images is an excellent learning tool for beginners interested in photojournalism.
One fairly recent piece of photojournalism is a famous picture of a fireman cradling a dead baby in the immediate aftermath of the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
The photo, taken by Charles Porter, captures not only the horror of the bombing, but also the compassion and caring of the emergency crew that responded to the explosion. In short, the picture tells a complicated and painful story. Through this picture, people were moved to tears, outrage and grief far beyond what they’d felt by reading dramatic news stories of the event.
Another valuable lesson of this picture was the fact that Charles Porter himself is not a professional photojournalist, proving that amateur photographers can also master basic photojournalism.
The majority of photojournalism projects deal with much less tragic events than the Oklahoma bombing. However, the principles of basic photojournalism, for beginners and professionals, are always the same: the picture must tell a story.
Basic Photojournalism: Faces
If photojournalism for beginners could be condensed into one word, it might be “faces.” Photo editors want to see people’s faces in pictures. People’s facial expressions help tell a photo’s story and convey emotion. A rule of basic photojournalism is to never shoot pictures of people without showing some of their faces.
The Ethics of Photojournalism
An amateur photographer taking artistic or glamour shots can create the ideal photo of his subject either by moving objects in the scene or by cropping items out of the picture with computer programs.
However, a photojournalist cannot play so fast and loose with events. He is bound by ethics to photograph events exactly as they happen and as they present themselves in reality. To move an item or re-stage an event after the fact is a violation of the viewers’ trust in the photographer.
A doctored photograph damages the reputation of both the photojournalist and any publications that run the picture.
Basic Photojournalism Responsibilities
Basic photojournalism job duties cover much more ground than merely taking photos. In addition to taking news photos, a photojournalist may be responsible for:
- brainstorming news ideas with journalists
- consulting with photo editors
- developing film
- editing photos
- scheduling photo sessions
- writing the photo caption.
Breaking into Wedding Photojournalism
Although amateurs can break into photojournalism by taking compelling news pictures, formal training in the field is the best choice. Many colleges now offer four-year photojournalism courses that teach journalism ethics and legal issues alongside basic photojournalism technique.
Internships with newspapers and magazines offer experience in photojournalism for beginners. Competition for such positions is often fierce, with first consideration going to photojournalism students who have mastered basic photojournalism techniques. However, photo editors occasionally offer positions to promising amateurs looking to break into photojournalism.
Photojournalism for beginners requires an understanding of how to truthfully tell a story in a visual medium.
Halifax Wedding Photographer
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