captions, cropping

1. 
Photo Editing
“Pre-press” responsibilities you are expected to have as a photographer
Photo editing starts when the photo is taken.
A PJ thinks ahead and tries to provide a variety of
images and options.

2. Before you shoot
 You should be thinking about the needs of the story
and the photos you can make that will tell the story
best
 Cover the story fully – try to find effective images
that include three basic shots of PJ: LS, MS and CU
 A large part of selecting photos is intuitive

3. Photographer as Editor
 Should an photographer edit his own photos?
 You were there and know what image captures the
event
 But, you might be too involved with the photos and
think an image says more than it really does
 So, review the photos together with your editor
 Provide your notes and detailed captions so the editor
can make the best decision.
 Regardless, you should seek feedback on every shoot.

4. Sorting through your photos
 As a staff photographer, the photograph and the words
are partners and should be selected to work together
 Go over your pictures at least twice. The first time, your
eye will stop at any photos that might work. Note this.
 The second time, see if there are any shots that have
small details or subtle messages that might not have
jumped out at first (You might have to look at the large
thumbnails or use a magnifier)
 A photo may look sharp when small but be fuzzy full
screen

5. Judging your photos
 Three main points to look for when judging a photo:
 Message content, composition and technical quality
 Message content: make sure the photo is making a statement
about SOMETHING and not merely a pretty picture. The
message can be subtle. Watch for clichés (people just looking
at camera)
 Be sure the photo accurately portrays the event and is not a
moment out of context.
 Ask: what does this photo say about this event? What does it tell
us about the atmosphere? Does it say enough? (Get a second
opinion)
 Is the photo alive? Does it have impact? Is people are posing, is
there a naturalness or do they look like stuffed turkeys?
 A common mistake is to capture only the backs of people.

6. Judging your photos
 Composition: check for photos that may look weak
at first but can be cropped to turn into a strong
image
 It’s possible to have a beautiful photo that does not
tell a story and another that gets right to the point
yet isn’t as well balanced or composed.
 A really good photo should read from 10 feet. The
photo should have a strong element that can be
readily seen and will grab the reader’s attention.

7. Judging your photos
 Technical quality – sharpness, well-exposed.
 Only once in a while will you have a picture that
isn’t sharp yet the message overrides the
consideration. Rarely.
 Exposure: details, details, details!

8. Sensitive issues
 Watch for things that could needlessly embarrass
the subjects or you. Folds, wrinkles, sags in clothing.
 Sensitive issues also include photos of
grief, tragedy, violence and private moments.
 Sometimes, you might run a photo without a story
because it is so sensitive and you don’t have
names…this is a tough call.

9. Editing
 Check for pairs of photos that can be used together. Be
sure the images complement each other, not duplicate
each other.
 Good uses for pairs include stories involving contrasts,
times when a long shot also needs a close up, or when a
sequence best explains the action.
 Long shots should make a point beyond being a wide-
angle view of the scene, should have an impact and a
dominant element that stops the reader and gives him
or her solid information.

10. Cropping
 Crop intelligently.
 Crop in the camera, and when that fails, crop properly
when publishing.
 Careless cropping can destroy a well-made image.
 Crop out empty or wasted space. Be careful about
destroying balance and emotional feelings created by
space.
 Crop for content – you should straighten out
horizons, most of the time.

11. Cropping
 Avoid cutting off hands and feet.
 Avoid cropping so a major element just touches the
frame. Either leave a little space between the
element and the frame, or crop so the frame runs
through the object.

12. Retouching
 Retouch photos CAREFULLY – the integrity of a
news photo must not be breached.
 We will deal with ethics later, but you should not
tamper with the honestly of the image.
 There’s a fine line between improving an image and
falsifying it.

13. Captions
 Many cutlines are poorly written, so look through
newspapers or magazines for examples. (Even those are
bad, sometimes.)
 The camera can only go so far. Words go the rest of the
way. So, why do photographers put such little effort into
the other half of their job?
 Make a list of what you can’t see in the photo and use
this as a basis for the caption.
 List reasons why the pictured event is happening, time
context, quotes from the subject, names, place, date.

14. Captions
 Don’t repeat what is obvious the photograph.
 Try not to start every caption with a name.
 Include story facts in your cutline.
 Never say “is pictured” or “in the photo above.”
 Never say someone is “looking on.”
 Libel often happens because of the cutline: be sure
names are accurate and the cutlines relates only to the
photo. Don’t guess! If you aren’t positive, leave it out.