Tag Archives: photojournalism

John Moore’s: An Immigrant’s Journey

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One of Moore’s images showing immigrants crossing into Mexico from Guatemala.

Getty Images photographer John Moore took his coverage of immigration stories a step further when he traveled  to the Mexico-Guatemala border, where Central American immigrants cross the Suchiate River, beginning their long and perilous journey north through Mexico. View his images here.

On my way to Tapachula to get a visa renewed, I witnessed people openly crossing the Guatemalan/Mexican border on rafts just below the bridge where immigration officers are checking documents for those who cross legally. They were going both ways.

Those headed north may have been just starting their journey to attempt a border crossing into the USA. Those heading south had loads of products, gasoline, etc. that they were not-so subtly smuggling into Guatemala where untaxed gas is openly sold along the highways at nearly $1.30 (US) cheaper than the going rate at legal gas stations.

Change in the photography industry

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I had a conversation with a wedding photographer friend of mine yesterday. She was shooting a wedding for another friend of mine and we had the chance to catch up.

She told me about how her business is struggling. With the economy and the glut of amateur photographers flooding the market, her gross income has gone from around $70,000 to $17,000. Last year she shot 30 weddings and this year she only has five full-paying wedding shoots.

INDUSTRY SHIFT

It’s not just the economy with people cutting budgets. She said that the amateur photographers out there are presenting a new model that clients are liking and veteran photographers are having to compete with. Continue reading →

Defining a line and when to cross it is a tough call for photographers, journalists

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Journalists are taught to be a “Fly on the wall” observer who records but doesn’t make the news. Well, that’s nice in theory and there are times when journalists should be just that, but there are other times when a journalist overcomes the shyness of the observer and ends up getting involved. Here are two examples…

The Sun Journal newspaper reported that photographer Russ Dillingham was credited with helping police capture 35-year-old Norman Thompson as he tried to flee from local police and federal agents.

via News Photographer Tackles, Apprehends Fugitive on the Loose –

And in the recent coverage of Haiti’s Earthquake recovery…

Several media ethics scholars have criticized the broadcast and cable news networks for allowing their medical correspondents to be shown performing emergency treatment in Haiti. via Contactmusic.com

The way I see it is that it’s more a matter of the purpose of the journalist’s intrusion into the story. If it is to get more viewers or to promote the journalist’s company or commercial interests, then I think it is completely inappropriate. If it is a human responding to a need or reacting to a situation, then I’m really quite accepting of the intrusion. It should still be reported clearly that the journalist was involved, but I don’t see this as a case of unethical behavior. I see it as human behavior kicking in. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see that journalists out there still have humanity’s reactions working in them! Remember Kevin Carter? He became notorious for not getting involved after he left an emaciated Sudanese girl under the watch of a vulture after photographing the pair in Africa. Even after winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1994, the things Carter saw especially in Africa be came too much for him to deal with and he took his own life. While I worked as a journalist/photographer for the Fort Scott Tribune, I found myself feeling like I knew the details but could do little to make a difference. Yet, those times when I did “only” write about things, the encouraging words of a reader or the public official who later told me of the response they received after an article I wrote were excellent reminders that even an unbiased report can stir people to action simply because a journalist did his or her job…informed the people. Thoughts?

PhotoJournalism: Get model releases

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Mark M. Hancock gives the best description and easily understood info about model releases for photojournalists that I’ve seen yet.  This is definitely worth a read.

The biggest benefit of a signed model release is the subjects’ knowledge they signed a release. In other words, once the subject signs the release, they’re aware it exists and aren’t going to try to sue because they know they signed it.

read the whole article at PhotoJournalism: Get model releases.

What’s been your experience with or without model releases?

Ethics in Photojournalism

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I’m reading over a variety of examples of ethics breaches. Check these out:

The LA Times published the following image which turned out to be a composite. Click the image to see how it was made. Read about Brian Walski’s image here.

Here’s how Time and Newsweek handled O.J. Simpson’s mug shot in 1994. Time dodged the edges and his face to make it more striking, but not as accurate.

See more examples of stinky journalism here.

Don’t come back without them.

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Whatever you are covering, there are three shots every photographer should bring back to the newsroom: The overall shot, the medium shot, and the close-up. These are your must haves.

The overall shot

Often a wide angle or expansive shot that provides an overall view establishing the scene. This image let’s the viewer see how the subject(s) is/are oriented in relationship to the whole scene.

Take a street festival for example…the overall shot may show the expanse of the street lined with vendor booths and crowded with people with a perspective from a high vantage point. This image lets the viewer see how big this event really is.

The medium shot

This shot is the basic story teller shot. It lets the viewer see the subject close enough to view their actions but not so tight that they are secluded from their environment or people they are interacting with.

Back to the street festival example…the medium shot may show a street vendor interacting with a customer and leaves enough environment to place the interaction at the festival.

The close up

This shot pulls out details that support the other two shots. By narrowing the field of view, it forces the viewer to come closer and, in effect, enter the scene themselves. A close up gives the viewer that personal view of even small details that make up the whole of the scene.

In the street festival, the close up may be the sticky fist of a child holding an ice cream cone and framed by an equally sticky face or the intricate carving of an artisan’s craft.

By making sure you’ve got these three covered, you’re going to have a much better chance of coming back with not just one image that “works” but getting a story in images that will help you show what you saw and keep your editor happy.

Warm Lenses

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This is the second part of a two-part entry. Part I covers tips for Journalists, while Part II covers tips for Photojournalists.
As a journalist, staying practiced up is something that’s a must. Whether you’re a student, a stringer or a full-time staffer, you’ve got stay on top of your game. I call it keeping your pencil sharp for journalists and your lenses warm for photojournalists. Here are a few tips for doing just that.

Tips for keeping your lenses warm:

  • Shoot. Evaluate. Shoot better. Always evaluate your work. Look through the contact sheets and see what worked and what didn’t. Then figure out what you need to do more of and what you need to avoid so you can do it better next time. Continue reading →