Journalism 2300:News Photography

Week FiveFebruary 20, 2013

To be a better photographer…

…you need to take a lot of photos!

The week in pictures

• MSNBC:– http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/

• San Francisco Chronicle Web site at:– http://www.sfgate.com/

Let’s look at yourMajor Assignment I: Feature

photo• Overall good variety of shots• Impressed with your growth as

photographers!• Remember: Constructive criticism• Need a “news hook” for photos• Put name at end of caption• Put photograph want graded first in album• Bracket, bracket, bracket!• Need to answer 5Ws and H in caption• Get familiar with Associated Press

Stylebook!

Need to share ALL of your photos in your Picasa album

• Contact sheet of photos• Shows me that you have taken a

variety of photographs from different angles, with different exposures

https://picasaweb.google.com/115943674943334661819/Feb112013DiningCenterOCA?noredirect=1

Photo-selection strategies

• Tough to be own photo editor– Too close to subject

• Washington Post Hierarchy: P. 130– Informational– Graphic– Emotional– Intimate

• Combine categories for strong images

Let’s critique each others’ work

• In-class assignment

Upcoming major assignments

I. Major Assignment II: Portraits/Personality* Due 6 pm on Monday, March 4

II. Major Assignment III: Winter Events* Due 6 pm on Monday, March 25

III. Major Assignment IV: Sports* Due 6 pm on Monday, April 1

IV. Major Assignment V: Weather* Due 6 pm on Monday, April 8

V. Major Assignment VI: Spot News* Due 6 pm on Monday, April 15

VI. Major Assignment VII: Photo Story* Due 6 pm on Monday, April 29

Extra Credit: Photojournalist Presentation due March 25

Chapter 5: Portraits

• Photojournalists shoot both posed, candid portraits

• Don’t need elaborate lighting, staging

• Waiting for the moment

Helping your subject feel comfortable

• Not everyone likes having their picture taken: Do you?

• Talk it over• Look your subjects in the eye• Study your subjects• Wait until subject tired of posing!

– Be a bore!

Using light to tell the story

• High key effect:– Brightly lit, with few shadows– Wedding photographs

• More moody effect with shadows• To add depth to a subject’s face

– Main light on side of the face• Look for unusual light sources

– Streetlight, projector, diffused lighting

Compositional elements add impact

• Each situation is different• Close-up versus scene-setter• Avoid busy backgrounds

– Check depth of field– Look for unique lighting source

• Props can help tell the story

Provide clues to the “inner person”

• Face: Assumed to be “mirror of the soul”

• Facial expressions:– Response to the current situation

• Mary Ellen Mark:– Never asks subjects to smile– http://www.maryellenmark.com/

Preconceiving the photo

• When photographing a librarian, do you need to show books?

• Come with an idea of what you’ll photograph, but be ready to try something new

Environmental portrait

• Details tell the story• Technically not different from

traditional portraits• Shows person in their environment• Background the key: Use wide angle

lens, maximum depth of field• Arnold Newman:

– http://www.arnoldnewmanarchive.com/

Psychological portraits

• Build photograph with subject• Annie Leibovitz

– Imagines what photograph will look like– Goes beyond traditional portrait– http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmaste

rs/episodes/annie-leibovitz/photo-gallery/19/

Group portraits

• Show all the faces– Takes careful planning

• Soft light works best

Let’s look at images in book

• Josh Meltzer:– Former Duluth News-Tribune

photographer– http://www.joshmeltzer.com/– Page 95

Photography lingo

• Shoot: take photos• Sharp photo: in focus• Soft: out of focus; not sharp• Flat light: Even, with no highlights• Bracket: Take several shots of same scene

at different exposures• Shoot a lot of frames!

– Take a lot of photos – memory cards are cheap!

Major Assignment II:Portraits/Personality

Photograph• Environmental photograph of a

person in an appropriate setting• Photographs due: Monday, March 4• Brainstorm ideas!

Using Picasa, send a link with your best photos to: lkragnes@d.umn.edu

• Ideas!• Duluth Pack• Teacher• Coach• Zookeeper• Hairstylist• Police officer• Farmers• Fisherman• Construction worker• Bowler• Runner• Athlete• Uncle Louies

• Animal allies• Veterinarian• Brides• Waiters/waitress• Bartender• Mail carrier• Musician• Candy maker Rocky

Mountain• Cold stone creamery• Barista• Surfer• Mime• astronaut

• The mall• Subway• Caribou Coffee• Server• Animal shelter• Historical building• Church• Mailman• Kitchen at

restaurant• Library• Daycare worker• Spirit mountain• aquarium

• Professor• hairstylist• chef• YMCA fitness trainer• UMD fitness trainer• Public safety official• Police officer• Firefighter• Journey’s shoe store• minister• Chocolate factory• Antique mall• Bakery 9th and 11th

• ski hut

Chapter 6: Sports

• Concentration the key– Easy to get distracted!– Anticipate the action

• Timeliness important– Old news = no news– Important to get background

information on sport you’re covering

Barry Bonds: Brad Mangin, SI

• http://www.manginphotography.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=3&a=0&at=0

Summarize game in one photo

• Stay until the end of the game• Summary shot might not be action

shot• Crowd reaction• Coach reaction• Thrill of victory, agony of defeat…

Need complete caption information

• Must know names of athletes photographed

• Editing nightmare: having excellent action shot, but no name

• Take a photograph of the game roster– To get names with the numbers

Sports as features

• Entertainment factor• Look in the stands for photos that

capture flavor of the event

Sports photography techniques

• Freezing action– Shutter speed of at least 1/500 second for

action sports– Let’s look at your cameras!– Speed of subject: sprinter vs. jogger

- Coming straight at you, or on side– Distance

- The closer that the camera is to moving subject, faster the shutter speed

Shutter: 1/50 secondAperture: f/5.60Focal length: 82No flash

Shutter: 1/60Aperture: f/4.20Focal length: 78No flash

Peak action

• Look for momentary pause in action

• Shutter: 1/100 second• Aperture: f/4.80• Focal length: 255 No flash

Panning

• Slow shutter speed, move camera to follow the action

• Try: Shutter of 1/15, small aperture• Background will blur

ISO: 200Shutter: 1/15 secondAperture: f/22No flash Focal length: 48 mm

Getting sharp images

• Bracket! Need a lot of exposures to get sharp sports images

• Use autofocus• Select the autofocus point to capture

the action– Center usually safest

Bag of solutions

• DSLR Tips:– Use a long telephoto– Teleconverter– Zoom lenzes– Monopod/tripod– Rain gear– Wireless remotes

Sports tips for DSLRhttp://photo.net/learn/sports/overview

Reaction Time

• Anticipating the action– If wait until crack of bat, you’re too late

• Press the shutter release halfway down

Basketball strategies

• Stake a position– Don’t try to cover entire court

• No flash!• Watch the key players, then anticipate

where they will be on the court• Look for emotional shot• Difficult to stop action, but keep trying!• How Sports Illustrated works: p. 123

Hockey tips

• Lighting a challenge indoors• Focus on key player, follow them• Focus on the puck – tough to follow!• Prefocus on an area in front of the goal

and wait!• Avoid going behind goal – will just see

goalie’s head• Move around for different angles• With DSLR, shoot through the glass

Shutter: 1/60 secondAperture: f/4.20Focal length: 168 No flash

Shutter: 1/60 secondAperture: f/4.20Focal length: 105 No flash

Indoor sports photography

http://digital-photography-school.com/indoor-sports-photography#more-3754

More tips for sports photography

• http://www.nyip.com/ezine/sports/

And even more sports tips!

• http://jacobfuentes.com/2009/sports-photography-tips-and-tricks/

Let’s look at the book…

63

Carry your camera with you!

Let’s be inspired by Yosemite Horsetail “Lava”

Waterfall

In-class photo practice

• Go out and practice more sports!• This time, take your camera off auto• Look for close-up shots

Picasa 3: Editing, selecting photos

• Set up Google Account: google.com• Go to: http://picasa.google.com/• Download Picasa 3• Upload photographs• Under File menu, select New Album• Type in Date/name of assignment• Select photos, drag to the album you created• Edit photos, put the final photo selection first in

album• Select the final photo, and write cutline where it

says: Write a caption!• NOTE: Add full name to the end of the caption

Sharing album with me

• Select the album you want to share• Click on the Share button on upper

right side of the album screen• Sign in to your Google account• In the Share Photos screen, in the To:

box type lkragnes@d.umn.edu

Reading Assignment for next week:

• Read Chapter: Multimedia• Read the Duluth News-Tribune!