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.