Visual Variety
Strive to capture three types of shots for each major assignment: the establishing shot (also called the overall shot), the medium shot, and the close-up.
Establishing Shot
If readers themselves were at a news event, they would stand in the crowd and move their eyes side to side to survey the entire panorama. A good establishing shot allows viewers to orient themselves to the scene, whether it be a street, a city block, a hillside on campus, or a room.
Note: Generally requires a high or a wider angle. Climb a ladder or stairs, get on your car roof, or say yes to a helicopter ride.
Medium Shot
Adds drama and tells the story. Shoot close enough to see the participants’ actions, yet far enough way to show their relationship to one another and the environment.
Note: A wide-angle lens such as a 24mm or 28mm works well, although a normal 50mm will do.
Close-Up
Slams the reader eyeball-to-eyeball with the subject. A close-up should isolate and emphasize one element, which is most often a face but can also be the hands of an aging pianist or the child’s doll, mired in the mud of a flash flood.
Note: Longer lenses enable photographers to be less conspicuous. With a 200mm lens, you can stand 10 feet away and still get a tight facial close-up.
The following are the most common photojournalistic genres:
Mugshot
• Head and shoulders.
• Subject looking directly at the camera or slightly off to the side.
• No emphasis on background, little thought to creativity or content.
• Consistency among subjects is key if more than one.
• Eyes are important. Always have subjects removed sunglasses and caps.
Note: Generally with a medium range telephoto lens; around 80 to 100mm. Depth of field F8. Watch the background to see that a tree branch or pole doesn’t appear to stick through the head. Watch for bright sun or too much flash causing a reflection on glasses and for bright sun causing a squint or dark shadows beneath the eyes. The latter can be filled in with flash, or turn the subject’s back to the sun or stand in the shade & shoot with balanced flash, then add a touch of warmth in Photoshop.
Also be aware of the color of the background in relation to the subject. White hair against a white wall will be lost. Likewise, dark hair against a dark wall requires some separation. In such situations, also be careful to meter off the face so the large, single color background does not throw the light meter out.
Environmental Portrait
• Capturing the subject in his or her natural environment.
• Required when one wants to both show a person’s face and say something about what they do or are involved in.
• The background is thus as important as the subject & should say something about the person, or correlate to the article in a direct manner.
Note: Props directly related to the subject or news article may immediately contribute to a good photo. Ask questions – get a good feel for the subject and their activity or profession. Are they linked to a product or activity? If you get a first impression – check or ask that it is accurate, then try to depict that to readers. Secondly, think how you can make good use of light. Use window light, fill in with flash. If an industrial or lab type setting, use a gel on a background light or flash for effect – red & blue always works well here. These shots are generally in the 17 – 35 mm wide angle range. Subjects for the most part look at the camera but not as a rule. Depth of field may vary from F8 to F16.
Story Telling
• Real people doing real things.
• The subject, action or happening is shown as a moment in time in a particular environment. No propping
or posing.
Note: Most generally created with a combination of keen photojournalistic senses, good use of light and a 17 – 35 mm lens. Tele lenses are also used, but less so. The effect is not quite the same – which is to capture a dramatic sense of place and occurrence. The subject may be large and fill three quarters of the frame. Or the subject may be small & fill a tiny fraction of the frame. The emphasis is on story and content. Aperture varies from small to large depending on desired effect.
Paparazzo
• Basic celebrity photography in more demanding situations, perhaps from within a pressing crowd.
• Often the best you can to get the face or pose.
Note: Get there earlier to stake out a position & anticipate movement. (Generally within a 28 – 200 mm range depending on position. Also at F5.6 to F8) Look for expression or unusual antics. Try for inside information on arrival times etc. Can include long hours of waiting with short bursts of action. So take trial light meter readings in various clearly thought out parts of the location. (Open up by a stop from the meter reading if you anticipate a dark skinned person arriving, or two stops if someone might be arriving in light but will step into shade etc.)
Spot News
• Emphasis is on content first.
• This might be described as a cross between paparazzi, sports and storytelling work.
Note: In most cases you get the best you can from the best angle possible. Then when you have the bread & butter shot in the bank, look to improving it with more creative angle or lighting, or give attention to a good story telling shot. Emphasis is on capturing a key moment. (The fired Professor’s fist pumping the air in indifferent light with a cluttered background is more important than a beautifully lit image of the President announcing the dismissal in a garden setting.)
Sports Action
Close-up action photography using a medium- to long-range telephoto lens.
Note: Short to medium range teles are generally used for court sports & medium to long range teles for field or other outdoor sports. Aperture is generally from F2.8 to F8. A good tip for flash use is to dial in a negative 1 to 2 stop exposure on the flash if possible and the action is fairly close. This throws just enough light to freeze the action and add light to the subject, but leaves enough power for a double burst before the flash has to recharge. (You thus get two shots with flash on motor drive.) On full charge or equal to the meter reading, the flash fires only once then has to recharge.
Sports action can also be caught with a wide-angle lens, especially when play moves in to the touchline the photographer is standing on. But this requires a second camera with such a lens fitted for quick use, and although action photography, will show a greater element of ‘story telling.’
Sports Reaction
Watch the bench, the team, the coach and the stands when a match point is about to be played, or a penalty kicked or thrown etc, or the final whistle is about to blow. Reaction tells the story of a game as much as the winning move.
Wild Art
• Standard paper filler from everyday activity.
• This is a slice-of-life moment in the day of a student or teacher on campus.
• Look for the unusual, or look for fresh activity in usual places.
• Emphasis is on people & their habits or quirks.
Cliches to Avoid
Standard posed shot for an event. Might include check hand over, award receipt, sod turning, etc.
Note: You can show some creativity, but not much. Try for fresh angles, perhaps low down, off to one side or higher up, and special lighting, sidelight for contrast or a soft flash blending in with ambient light. Try to avoid harsh shadows beneath the eyes. (Generally within a 28-105 mm range at F5.6 to F8)
Execution at Dawn
Line ‘em up, shoot them down.
Note: There’s no way to make this shot interesting. Instead, find out exactly what these people are being honored for, then pick the most interesting one, go to the scene of the action and do an environmental or storytelling shot.
Bored Meeting
Not a typo.
Again, go beyond the lazy shot and find out why these people are in the news. Then head out to where the news or human interest is, and capture that image.
A Guy at His Desk
Same as above, but add mug shot to the list of options. Everybody does something more interesting and action-oriented than sitting at a desk. Find out what that is, and shoot it.