|
| Author | Thread |
|
|
08/15/2006 09:32:37 AM · #1 |
I'm wanting to get more into photojournalism. I've tried shooting people on the street and in festivals but I always feel self-conscious like I'm invading on their lives and they are going to notice me and ask what I'm doing and I'll have no good explanation. I'm not shooting for an assignment or a paper and have no credentials. I'm just a weirdo with a camera. I realise this is the same issues that candid photographers have, but photojournalism seems to be much closer and more involved than the far away shots that most candid photography has.
I make an effort to 'study' the PJ shots on the various news sites and magazines. They all seem so dynamic and involved. Maybe it's location and opportunity but I dont even seem to witness half of anything so exciting let alone record it on camera. I'm noticing it seems to be mostly wide angle, even with some distortion, instead of close-up shots.
I know there are people out there who do a lot of PJ work and I guess I'm looking for some advice on how you approach the shots. Is it different than other type of shots? Are there things you particularly look out for? And does anyone have any recommendations on books to learn about PJ from the standpoint of knowing nothing like a 'dummies guide to photojournalism' or something :P
Trin
|
|
|
|
08/15/2006 09:54:56 AM · #2 |
Just remember that the good stuff you see in Magazines are done by people who have been around for years. Probably at 45.
If you want to get a start into PJ, you need study newspapers. The reason I say this is because, yeah pulling a baby out of a burning fire is a great photograph, but there is a lot more to PJ than just that. If you go to an event (carnival, car show, fest, etc.) and find a nice local paper, they might be willing to post your picture for you. That's what I would be shooting for right now.
Plus, since you are so young, if someone asks you what you are doing just say a school assignment.
|
|
|
|
08/15/2006 10:00:40 AM · #3 |
Photojournalism is more than candid shots or street photography. Look in your daily newspaper, there's spot news for sure, but there's also sports, fashion, food, features (weather, animals, human interest, etc.) Most shots in the newspaper and magazines are shot on assignment. In other words, the photographer pretty much knows what is going on before he/she gets there.
I recommend that you pick a topic or "assignment" for yourself and go shot it. That is what I like about DPC, they give you the assignment and a deadline, just like the newspapers.
DPC isn't exactly like photojournalism in that with DPC you can"set up" the shot a lot more. There are photojournalistic ethics that must be maintained in the realm of reporting for news papaers and magazines. Plus, the post processing rules are a lot more restrictive in true photojournalism.
Good luck!
|
|
|
|
08/15/2006 10:05:51 AM · #4 |
| "Oh Hi. I'm a freelance photographer. I'm working on a project called X (Daily Life, Candid, Street Life, Routine...). I liked the expression on your face. If you give me your email I can send you a copy." Have release form ready. |
|
|
|
08/15/2006 10:31:03 AM · #5 |
|
|
|
08/15/2006 11:04:58 AM · #6 |
Dang Skip! When's the book coming out? Seriously!
|
|
|
|
08/15/2006 11:17:45 AM · #7 |
Wow Skip that's a lot of info! Thanks for such a comprehensive guide.
I guess I'm just many steps before that. I dont really necessarily want to know how to work freelance for a newspaper and get into the biz of photojournalism but how to construct a good PJ image. Maybe it's like all other photographs and it's an innate thing that you cant teach someone. When I try to do PJ shots they just turn out looking like amateur snapshots. They really lack the dynamic nature of most PJ shots.
I guess a question I have is... what makes a great PJ shot? And how do you recreate that time and time again. Which elements are essential to have? Action? Drama? Story?
|
|
|
|
08/15/2006 11:54:43 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by glad2badad:
Dang Skip! When's the book coming out? Seriously! |
i'm working on it in my 'free' time ;-)
Originally posted by trin:
what makes a great PJ shot? And how do you recreate that time and time again. Which elements are essential to have? Action? Drama? Story? |
first and foremost, pj shots are typically story-telling photos. the goal is to capture enough of a situation to tell a story, quickly, and in a manner interesting enough to motivate the viewer to want to read the article.
here's the distilled version. if you REALLY want to do this, you have to be ready to make a commitment. it takes work and investment of time and money, but, in the long run, i believe a good pj shooter will have more options than someone who decides early on to specialize in a particular niche. the thing about pj is that you are truly a generalist--you have to be able to shoot just about anything, anywhere, at anytime.
first, you HAVE subscribe to a daily paper. maybe not forever, but at least for a couple months. a daily paper is going to be full of the best examples, and that is what you need. every day, religiously, go through and CUT OUT and catalogue all the photos you can.
second, analyze the photos you've cut out. do they work, do they fail? what photographic techniques were used? how was it composed? what is it that makes the image technically different from a snapshot. short dof? motion blur? perspective? can you identify the subject?
next, make a list of 10 projects that you would like to shoot. these will be your assignments. go out and take at least 200 photos (yes, that's TWO HUNDRED!) photos for each assignment. come back and weed them down to your best 30, then best 10, then best 5.
once you have your 50 best, get them printed as 8x10s, and you'll have a nice portfolio to start showing around.
there is nothing automatic about this stuff, and it does take work. you simply CAN NOT get there by shooting 100 photos a week. you have got to shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot. this means exploring all angles and settings that you can, in order to learn what works and what doesn't work. hell, i've still got a lot to learn--and that's why i still shoot about 2000 images a week.
btw, a lot of that stuff i wrote when i was in the same situation as you, just starting out...
good luck! |
|
|
|
Current Server Time: 09/06/2025 03:41:11 PM  |
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/06/2025 03:41:11 PM EDT.
|
