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Intro to Photography & Photo Essays. Design for Journalists Summer 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
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Intro to Photography & Photo Essays Design for Journalists Summer 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
Photography 101: Viewpoint/Angles *The position from which you take the photograph* • 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
Photography 101: Lighting *The way in which light is used in a photograph* • Natural/available lighting • Artificial lighting • Fill lighting • Back lighting • Side lighting
Photography 101: Motion *The way in which movement in a photograph is shown to the viewer… adjusting the shutter speed allows photographers to capture motion** • Frozen field of vision • Blurred field of vision • Blurred background, subject in focus • Blurred subject, background in focus
Photography 101: Direction • Every photo moves in a certain direction • Reft to right • Right to left • Forward • Backward, etc.
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
