Reporting With Images
Photojournalism is a difficult skill to master, but a very
necessary one, which has evolved along with technology and journalism itself
since its conception. Matthew Brady was one of the first well-known photo
journalists, who is famous for his work during the Civil War. He went to
different battlefields and camps and took pictures of the men and their
environment. This meant a lot to their family members to know what their loved
ones were going through.
Every journalist should understand the concept of
photojournalism, and it really should be incorporated into all of their
stories. This means that “All journalists should carry a camera and be familiar
with its technical aspects; journalists should understand the software for
editing photographs…and uploading photos to the web; …journalists must
integrate photography into their thinking about every story they cover.
An important aspect of photojournalism is composition, which
refers to “the arrangement of elements in a picture. The basic concepts of
photojournalism include drama, action, expression, and unusualness. The
audience needs to be captivated by what they see in your picture. It is also
important to keep in mind the “threes of photojournalism.” First, there are the
three types of shots: long range, midrange and close-up. Depending on what you
are trying to convey, you would vary they type. Secondly, there is the “Rule of
Thirds.” This helps with the compositional focus (emphasis) of the picture.
Photography in and of itself is not enough for successful
photojournalism. All pictures need cutlines, or captions. They are needed
because “a picture cannot explain itself.” Also, the photographer may be trying
to imply something that he wants the reader to infer, but without a cutline the
reader could miss the point entirely. Ethics are also important in
photojournalism. The number one rule is “Take the picture.”
(Word Count: 300)
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