Major forms of photography include single photos, picture groups, sequences, series, and photo essays. Photo essays allow photographers to explore stories in more depth than single photos by depicting concepts or themes over longer periods of time with multiple related photos and a personal viewpoint. Effective picture stories include 4+ photos accompanied by text to tell about a subject, with all photos relating to each other and the broader story. Photographers are advised to thoroughly research and document subjects to effectively capture and sequence photos that clearly and cohesively tell the story.
1. Major forms
Single picture, picture groups, picture
sequences, picture series and photo essays
or picture stories
- give photographers an opportunity to explore in depth the “why”
in a story as well as the “what” and “where”
2. The single picture
Make sure that you have one image that sums things up
– that tells what happened in one picture
The basic unit of U.S. newspapers is STILL the single
storytelling photograph with accompanying captions.
How to get it:
PJ’s are always scan scenes, particularly news
scenes, with a keen and inquiring eye.
Look at what first appears to be the most important
aspect of the scene. Then look elsewhere to make sure
it is what it appears to be.
3. The picture group
Picture groups – two or more pictures about the same
subject published together – can communicate more
information than individual pictures can.
Require less space than a photo essays and picture
stories
The distant view anchors the group and puts it in
geographic perspective, a medium view sums up details
and a close view shows important aspects lots in distant
images.
Sometimes, picture groups convey information to
readers more effectively than if the pictures were
published separately.
4. Picture sequences
A series of pictures about the same subject taken
from the same position within a few seconds of each
other.
Taken in about one second
You can take multiple pictures per second
5. Picture series
Series are taken sequentially over a longer period of
time than picture sequences and without regard to
the photographer’s position.
Tell the broader story than a picture sequence but
more restricted story than a picture group.
6. Photo essays and picture
stories
More in-depth typically than other forms
More than 10 pictures
Usually taken over a longer period of time: weeks,
months, years
Depict concepts of themes: truth, poverty, pollution
Include the photographer’s personal view as an
integral past of the essay
You must develop a keen sense of what is going on, its
importance, and the ability to relate each image to the
others accompanying it.
7. Picture stories
At least 4 photos, used together with text blocks or longer word stories*
One advantage is that you can write the text for the picture story
Tell about a single subject or some aspect of it –usually done in relatively
short period of time: days or hours
Can appear in the newspaper and in special sections
All the photos must relate to each other
Ideas come from:
Personal knowledge
Minor and major stories in newspapers and magazines
Press releases
TV, online and radio
Friends, relatives and acquaintances
8. How to prepare for picture
stories:
Be familiar with the subject before you leave the
house
Set aside a day or half a day to shoot: complete
coverage demands time to do things right
If the subject is inherently visually exciting, you
may only need a short text block of captions
If not, a longer story to accompany the pictures if
best
9. Arriving to your scene:
Your job is to remove the mask by making the
subject feel comfortable.
A laid-back attitude of “you’re important and I am
here to listen to you, find out about you and what
you do” can help.
A rushed photograph stands little chance of making
a subject feel comfortable and getting through to
who they really are
So, genuine interest in people is essential
10. At the scene:
When you first arrive, the walk-around is
essential, so forget about taking pictures for now.
Let people talk about themselves and show you –
you can use your recorder now if you ask
permission.
Walk-around allows the subject to become familiar
with you.
Get your “color” here: what the subject and place
look like, smell, act.. Find specific picture situations
here.
11. After the walk-around
Suggest a break. Don’t ask for anything other than
water.
Talk in-depth with the subject during the break.
Always be alert for little tidbits that will allow you
to tell a story that readers can become involved in.
Readers need to see what you saw, feel what you
felt, learn what you learned.
You’re almost ready to take pictures!
12. Shoot!
Shoot horizontals and verticals of the same scene
Record at least one establishing image
Include long, medium, close up images
Record small details with close ups
Cropping should be done BEFORE you shoot
Do not spend so much time on one situation that you cannot
cover others adequately.
Allow time for caption gathering – complete and in-depth
caption information is a must!
Don’t be afraid to interrupt your shooting if the subject says
something that would make a good quote.
13. How to digest after
shooting picture stories:
Choosing a lede: every picture story needs an “eye
burner” or anchor that brings the reader into the page.
Three different photo story types: news, sports and
feature
News – lede photo is informational and includes strong
dramatic or emotional aspects
Sports – image of a turning point or includes powerful
emotions
Feature – more creative lede photo but usually person is not
recognizable – very few faces are so interesting to tell a
subject’s whole story - so the selection of the lede is
critically important
Go for the most storytelling photo available, which ideally
contains an emotion-provoking element
Portraits work best in picture stories as complementary
photos
14. Selection process
Complementary photos are 3-5 images that are not
the lede but help tell the story.
Picture stories must have a beginning, a middle and
an end, varied depths and content.
The geographical placement of photos on the page
can add to the readers’ perception of “beginning
and end”
The lede most often serves as the middle photo
15. Selection process
The beginning photo is informational and
straightforward. The purpose is to add information not
included in the eye burner lede photo.
The middle photos make up the meat of the story and
can contain any type of image known in PJ. The only rule
is that they must add dimension to the story.
The ender should make the reader feel a sense of
completion or the end of a cycle or event. Try to stay
away from the obvious – sunsets, stop signs, etc. – Go for
thought provoking
16. Selection process
The more detail an image has – the more size it
needs to visually communicate its information
You will have likely end up with a bunch of
photographs that don’t have any more news value
than the other.
So, try to consider the images from the reader’s
POV and try to give them something that they have
not seen before
17. Designing
The reader should be able to follow the story without
interference from the design – it’s impossible to get more than
6 photos attractively on a page
Never have two pictures on the same page that “say” the same
thing
Typically: one main image, played large and toward the
middle of the page, with other pictures played smaller.
A detail shot – tight close up of an object or a body part, such
as face or hands, is required
Captions appear beneath each picture or in one or more
groups near the related images.
White space, which is an area of the page without design
elements, is a design element itself.
19. Photo essays
Eugene W. Smith published a photo book about mercury
pollution in a Japanese fishing village (1975)
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Catalogue/W-Eugene--
Smith/1971/JAPAN-Minamata-Mercury-poisoning-1971-
1975-NN144972.html
Donna Ferratos’ 1991 book about domestic violence against
women
http://emuseum.icp.org/view/objects/aslist/People$0040
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