PHOTOJOURNALISM

LEO IMPROGO TAN IIICAMPUS JOURNALISM INSTRUCTOR

FUNCTIONS OFPICTURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS

To attract attention. It catches the reader’s interest so that he will be enticed to read the texts that go with it.

To beautify the page.To complement, support and give

visual meaning to the news.To illustrate a point in the story.

To tell the story itself through the help of the caption

To tell a story in sequence of photos or illustrations

To give visual relief to the design or make-up of the story

To help the readers know how the person or place mentioned in the story look like

GETTING BETTER PICTURES

Simplicity. The picture is not crowded or cluttered, unless the purpose is to show how big the crowd is. Rarely should have more than five people in a picture. Anything distracting to the picture should be eliminated. Anything that helps a picture tell a story, of course, should be included.

A focal point. Viewers should not have their eyes pulled in three or four directions. Instead, eyes should be drawn to the main subject, and then the viewer may look at lesser figures.

Action. In almost all cases, a picture of people doing something will be much better than one in which a person is staring into the camera.

Subject. A good photojournalist seeks variety in subjects: young and old, the garish and the plain, the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Technical quality. The picture must be in focus, without blur caused by camera movement. The picture needs sharp, clear difference between the various light and dark shades.

A story. The picture may show gloom or ecstasy, pleasure or pain, success or failure, interest or boredom. But the picture usually tells more. It should convey information about an event, a string of events, a person, a building or a lace.

Mood. A picture should capture the mood of an event. A picture of a stage show may place the artist in bright lights, smiling broadly, with the faces of the audience laughing in the darker auditorium.

Truth. A picture should give an honest account of what happened. Certain props are fine, if they don’t distort reality.

Size. Unless a published picture is big enough to see easily, the message probably is lost. The shape of the picture can also help the reader to get the point in a glance. A vertical picture of a four-story school building, for example, would have more impact than a horizontal shot. A vertical picture of a jubilant fans running onto the football field would look out of proportion.

Beauty. Sometimes, the purpose of a picture is not only to convey news or information, but only to show beauty, like in a beauty pageant, the grace of a cheer-dancer, or a field of waving golden rice.

FACTORS AFFECTINGTHE QUALITY OF

PICTURESThe taking of pictures. Be sure to know the workmanship of

your camera, its every part and function.

There is a need for mind-eyes coordination when taking pictures. The photojournalist should make it sure that the angle he is taking is a newsy one.

Pictures to be set for layoutSharp pictures. All the details of

what you wish to bring out in a picture are well-defined and emphasized.

Message-laden. The picture should tell a story.

Pictures to be set for layoutWell-cropped. The important detail

of the story is being emphasized or highlighted by eliminating unnecessary parts of the pictures.

The quality of printing press

THINGS TO REMEMBER IN PHOTOJOURNALISM

An action photo can vividly tell its own story that no need of caption to go with it. Editorial cartoon as an illustration does not have caption, but it tells a story or make a point.

A series of pictures can tell a story with minimum caption. This is known as picture story. This is usually used to illustrates “how to” article.

ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PICTURES

Prominence. Picture of celebrities and those who are in the newsmaker of our society attracts reader’s interest. They are always good subject for photo.

Timelines. The immediacy of the picture can also enhance its value

Action. “Action speaks louder than word” as they say. Photojournalist should make it sure that there is movement or story in his photo.

Human interest. Pictures of persons during their unguarded moments show emotion that readers can relate to. Shots of wailing mother whose child is trapped in their burning house, a triumphant bloody faced boxer raising his fist after he was proclaimed the winner or animal that acts like human are interesting to the reader.

TIPS FOR ASPIRING PHOTOJOURNALIST

Know your camera. A camera needs not be expensive. You just have to be well acquainted of what you have by constant practice.

Try squatting or kneeling down or standing on your toes or on a chair when shooting pictures.

Take portraits of people doing their thing. Candid shots and action pictures are the best.

Do not hesitate to ask the subject to do what you believe will make the best shot.

Concentrate on facial expressions.

Look for focal point of interest.

Take more than one shot of every scene to be assured of the best angle.

In photos of exhibits, it is better to have someone viewing the exhibits than to just picture them.

Be always at the look out to take unusual pictures.

Read manuals of photographer to learn techniques in picture-taking

Prefer action and more interesting scenes that shows:

Struggle ActionEmotion RomanceOddity BeautyHumor and others

Avoid the following:Ribbon cutting pictureHandshaking during awarding celebration

Posed picture (firing squad picture)

Group picture that say nothing

Speaker whose face is hidden by the microphone

PARTS OF A CAPTION

A caption is the text accompanying pictures, artworks or illustrations. It is also called cut line or underline. If it is placed like a title or explanatory matter above the picture or illustrations, it is called an overline.

The following are parts of a caption: Catchline – a brief catchy title of the

caption usually in capital letters and bold face

Body – explains or describes the picture or illustration, in italics with font size bigger than the text of the news story

Credit - attributes the source of the picture

TIPS FOR WRITING CAPTIONS

OR CUT LINESBe brief and to the point, but do not make it too short that it leaves readers wondering about the situation involved.

Use simple, short caption except for a caption story – a series of picture with minimum words like in “how to” articles.

Supplement and explain the pictures, but do not state what is obvious.

Do not repeat lengthy facts from the articles: if the story can be told through the caption, omit the story.

Do not omit words that are important for smooth reading.

Be accurate and careful with the names of the persons concerned.

Identify the people in the pictures. Identify them from the left, followed by their full names. In case of several rows, begin with the front row. If the people are in a circle, have the caption read from left, clockwise.

Check the number of persons against the number in the caption.

As much as possible, say when and where the picture is taken, especially if it is a news picture.

Use present tense to describe action.A half-body picture without any

message at all except for identification should bear his surname as caption.

Vary your caption type from the body type to achieve variety. Use italics, bold face, or a larger size than the body type.

A good caption fills nearly every line. Caption in which the last line is only one-third complete look less attractive because they leave a gap of white space.