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04/10/2004 12:50:02 PM · #1 |
| Some time next week I will be photographing various aspects of the local high school for our regional newspaper. I was wondering if there was anyone here with any experience in photojournalism (or just anyone in general)who has any tips that I should keep in mind during my shooting. Thanks. |
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04/10/2004 02:21:53 PM · #2 |
Check out one of my favorite photojournalists...
//www.pbase.com/vthian/profile
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04/10/2004 02:47:37 PM · #3 |
Take basic wide shots of everything at max resolution, you can crop later if need be - yoy know, shots to orient things. Put people in the pics if you can, and get their names and permissions in writing (makes the pic more interesting and locals love to see thier pics inhte paper)
Once you have the 'establishing' shots you can go closer for whatever details you are trying to get. Unless you are going for some 'artsy cover shot' stay at a standing type height for the pics.
Give the editor more than they need in way of variety of shots - portrait and landscape orientations of every shot as well so they can fit the images to the physical story layout.
let them do the cropping.
Newspapers generally don't pay any attention to conventionl pic sizes / ratios. In the old days (film only) they always wanted 5x7 pics. The real estate magazines (also a newsprint web process) can make do with 100 dpi photos, even a 1mp camera can acheive that.
if you process them, then ask them what they want file type wise. I am used to giving CMYK-type files in TIF format on CD or zip disk. ( it is why i had to get PS - the cheaper editors won't do CMYK files) They will tell you what levels that they want (one place wants ALL pics with color levels mid point jacked up to 1.42 give or take a bit (don't blow things out!) becuse things darken when they print them (ink soaks into the paper i suppose so they go heavy on the ink?)
Ask them if there is something in particular they want to see - then get a few classrooms, the gym or pool, cafeteria (student portion unless there is something special about the kithen), some hallway and locker shots of course, the athletic field(s), main front view, entrance with sign at the road, name of school on building (if stand off letters wathc for shadows that will make the final b&w pic hard to read), perhaps any secutiry type things (metal detectors at entrance, etc)
Check our work before you leave, especially the interior shots. You can always come back for extrior shots or ext shots at a differetn time for lighting reasons, but generally try not to have to make a second trip back to fix OOOps's.
Unless you know they willbe printed in color, think b&w.
congrats and good luck!
chris
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04/10/2004 03:36:58 PM · #4 |
| Thanks a lot for the info. I'll be sure to post the photos that they decide to use. |
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04/10/2004 03:57:03 PM · #5 |
I've been on my highschool yearbook for four years and editor for two. (Meaning in the last two years I've done almost the whole book because argh...I'll not go there....)
Everything bestagents said sounds good, but don't forget to get some 'people interest' shots. Yes, you can crop from a larger shot, but getting a lone student in a classroom can be just a good of a shot as one cropped, not to mention easier for the editor to pick out. Depending on what the article is about, when people think of high schools they think of teenagers, so having some good individual, couple, or group shots could be a great one for the paper.
And, if you are taking pictures of just the building, maybe try to get students in them, not posing, but sitting talking or doing work. That way it's not just a boring edifice but will make a person look at it.
Also, keep in mind that with a 3.1mp camera (what I have) there is only a certain amount to which they can crop. Getting one person from a huge group or landscape shot in the cafeteria very well may end up in a difficult thing. If they need 300dpi (minimum) for printing like we do (unless they need 100dpi like bestagents said), cropping a 3.1mp shot could be hard. Of course it depends on their picture box size and on how much they want to get, but I'm just saying, I've only been able to zoom/crop some of my favorite shots to a certain point, but even then, they can start to show some pixelization.
Good luck and have fun!
(I have some shots in my portfolio of school events. Most recently some from the school play and by clicking the "Next 24" button you can see a couple more, I don't usually post my school shots.)
Message edited by author 2004-04-10 16:00:47.
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04/10/2004 03:58:42 PM · #6 |
I've been working for a newspaper for almost 2 years now. Here are my tips:
- Take the shots you need and then play around. Try to get some extra ordinary shots of something that isn't. If you get some good shots you might make the front or backpage.
- Crop your picture yourself. If you don't crop them they don't look good. So my advice is always crop you work like you want it to published.
- Always have your camera with you and with the lense cap off. Among the first things I learned was to be ready. You might see something great and miss it because you camera was in the trunk of your car.
- For some reason editors love picture of animals. Try to get some good shots of dogs for example.
Here are some preview of picture I've taken:
Took this one at a dog walk down town:
Ass, Dog, Ass
Try to get people in the picture. It makes a different:
Ice on water
This one was published on the backpage. Was taking pictures at some show about iceland. And caught this young lady in a old uniform talking on her cellphone.
Iceland
This picture works well with this crop. Try to get expression on people faces:
Soccer
Shoot and shoot and shoot. You might get a shot of two men kissing :)
Kissing
Get shots that are out of the ordinary:
Two Men
Get the attention of the people you are shooting:
Peace |
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04/10/2004 04:33:39 PM · #7 |
some good shots there arnit.
good examples i would say.
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04/10/2004 08:01:11 PM · #8 |
I think the best thing to keep in mind as a photojournalist is that in most cases you should be documenting things as they happen, rather than "creating" photos.
In other words, try to capture people in their element, or events as they unfold, rather than "setting photos up" ahead of time. Of course there are shots where you'll set up a group shot of people; that's a little different.
What I'm saying is that there are a lot of ethics issues that come into play in journalism, compared to artistic work. For example, if your paper was doing a story about the rising number of instances of people stuffing fellow students into lockers, your photo should not be of a posed student shoving a posing victim into a locker... :) |
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