Journalism 2300:News Photography

Week ThreeFebruary 7, 2011

Announcements

• Extra Credit: Wing Young Huie Presentation– Thursday, February 17, 2011– Noon, Ballroom, Kirby Student Center

Mr. Young Huie is an award-winning photographer who has received international attention for his many projects that document the changing cultural landscape of his home state of Minnesota. His best-known work is Lake Street USA, which in the summer and fall of 2000 transformed six miles of a well-known Minneapolis thoroughfare into one of the most remarkable public art projects in recent memory.

– 10 points for 5 paragraph summary of what you learn emailed to lkragnes@d.umn.edu by February 24

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/

Let’s turn in textbook quizzes

• What surprised you?

Photojournalism assignment

• Have you heard back from your photographer?

• Any concerns?

Let’s review who you have…

• Molly: David Brewster, Minneapolis Star Tribune• Luke: Steve Muscatelo, New Ulm Journal• Braden: Bruce Olson, Montevideo American News• Anna: Cappy Jackson, Equine freelance,

Maryland?• Erica: David Burnett, freelance photographer• Gram: Paul Walsh, AP freelance, Duluth• Evia: Bea Wiharta, Reuters, Indonesia• Matt: Jamie Squire, Getty Images• Kim: Kirtstin Hatz, Shakopee Valley News• Amanda: Tom Wallace, Minneapolis Star Tribune

• Reegan: Tom Carothers, Woodbury Bulletin• Tara: Nadine Kasel, Food Magazine, Twin Cities• Jessica: Jean Pieri, Pioneer Press• Amelia: Annie Griffiths, National Geographic• Laura: Scott Wallace, National Geographic• Jennifer: Philip Kamras, Times Union, Albany, NY• Ean: Kate Wiltshire, freelance, Dubois, WY• Bailey: Stacy Axelrod, Daily Tar Heel, North

Carolina• Wesley: ????• Lisa: Joe Lemke, Spin Magazine• Alexa: Jennifer Cappucio Maher, Inland Valley

Daily News, Upland, California• Bobby: Sun Sailor, Plymouth, MN• Heather: Carl Burton, Mankato Free Press

Let’s look at your photos

• Good job!• Composition: Photos need to tell the story• Get in the habit of taking photos from all

angles:– Overall, medium, close-up– Pick best shot for future assignments

• Shutter speed:– In low-light, tough to hold steady under 1/30

shutter speed• Make sure that the picture quality on your

camera is set at high: let’s double check!

• Need a focal point• Crop your photos: Eliminate dead space• Soft: Out of focus

– Usually want your focal point sharp: in focus• Depth of field:

– Infinity in overall shots– Closeups: limited depth of field

• Eye drawn to lightest spot in photograph– Make sure that it’s not too light and necessary

to tell the story• Bracket, bracket, bracket!• Use exposure + - (controls aperture)• Bob King photograph

What’s a caption?See page 150

• Who:– Need names or detailed description– Need last names

• What:– What’s happening in photo

• When:– Time element important

Day of week, time of day• Where:

– Location• Why:

– Importance of shot• How:

– Explanations as needed

Three UMD students patronize the Burger Hub located in Kirby Plaza for lunch on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011.

Reflection clever, but reproduce poorly. Focal point? Weak caption

Lunch hour at the UMD food courts brings dozens of hungry customers, however the crowded set up leaves little room to move freely.

Run-on sentence. When? Crop right side. Focal point? Correct name?

Sam Linnell and Jordan Schmidt study at the UMD Dining Plaza during their break between classes.  The dining plaza is a popular venue on campus among students.

Tough to tell where they are. Correct name? Exposure challenges

The use of on-campus food venues at UMD have been increasing over the past year. At lunch time you will find the UMD Food Court packed with students eating lunch and studying.

Strong composition/caption for assignment goal. Exposure/white balance off. Crop top/bottom

UMD's Food Services have been growing in use. Here students enjoy lunch on February 2nd.

Composition flat. Flash washes out color. Crop right, bottom. Style: months

Students and staff, at Sombrero's, enjoy the Mexican style food offered at the UMD food court for their lunch specials.

Strong composition! Captures goal of assignment. Caption could be stronger.

UMD students and other hungry people make their way to the Taste of ITALIA, part of the Kirby Plaza Food Court.  The UMD Food Service has had an increase in student numbers partly due to the convenience of the school's food. 

Excellent in meeting assignment goal. Could crop right, bottom.

UMD students wait in line Wednesday night during the 6pm dinner rush at Taste of Italia.

Strong photo for assignment goal. Is it straight? Style: p.m.

The Kirby Plaza Food Court sees a rise in student business around lunchtime during weekdays.  Despite student efforts to increase healthier and vegetarian options, much of what is offered is still pizza and pop. 

Good use of depth of field, but an ad for Coke? No opinions in caption!

Ryan Johnson, a student at the University of Minnesota Duluth, eats chicken fingers while doing homework at the Burger Hub on the afternoon of Feb. 2. The Burger Hub is one of the fast food restaurants located in the Plaza Food Court at UMD.

Excellent composition, caption!

UMD students wait in line to pay for food at the Taste of Italia  on Feb. 3, 2011.  A popular entree' choice includes a beverage and two slices of pizza.

Good composition, depth of field. Sign best focal point? No year!

Two students from UMD enjoy some pizza late Thursday night from the Taste of Italia in the Kirby Plaza at UMD.

Interesting angle! Weak caption. Crowds?

Many UMD students use the food court as not only a place to eat, but also an area to study.

Strong composition. Could crop foreground. Exposure tricky!

Students enjoying lunch last Thursday at the UMD Food Court.

Good composition, angle. Exposure challenges. Weak caption.

While waiting in line UMD student Dan Hurley grabs a bite to eat at Taste of Italia in UMD Plaza Food Court on Thursday before heading to his 1pm class.

Strong caption! Meets assignment goal.

Lines are growing inside UMD's food court as students wait for the The Daily Special during the lunch rush on February 3, 2011.

Strong photograph. Good cropping/composition. Style error: months.

A group of UMD students are in line for getting into the coffee shop. It was early morning and a lot of them want to get a cup of coffee or breakfast to begin the day. Northern Shore Coffee House, University of Minnesota Duluth. February 3.

Focal point? Exposure challenges. Hand held at 1/8. Need complete sentences in caption.

UMD Studnet Tao Fong pays for his pizza at the Taste of Italia, where they offer a various selection of foods, including your own additions of hot sauce and parmesan cheese.

Good use of depth of field. Name strong. Spelling? Need more in caption.

During the lunch hour, UMD students line up at the Northern Shores Coffee House at the university. As one of the few food venues on campus available to students, the coffee shop sees a steady flow throughout the day.

Shows busy place, but focal point? Names? Coffee Shop. When? Crop top.

UMD students look out towards the bus stop as they enjoy their food from the UMD Burger Hub.

Good composition; could crop from the left. Need names! Weak caption: All students? Style error: toward

The Taste Of Italia in the Food Court at UMD stays busy at all times of the day. Students come through the line to get pizza for lunch, dinner, and anything in between.

Need student names! A little dark. When? Busy?

How to use AP Stylebook

• Stylebook Key– Addresses:

Is this correct? 25 East Silver St.– Spellings:

Adviser/advisor; Legislative titles

• Sports Guidelines and Style• Business Guidelines and Style• A Guide to Punctuation• Editing Marks

Don’t memorize, familiarize!

Common style areas

• Dates• Months• Numerals• Titles• Addresses

Chapter 4: Features

• What’s a feature photograph?– Way to play up average citizens in

circumstances other than accidents/tragedies

– “movements in time worth freezing forever”

What’s the difference between features and news?

• Timelessness– Keep holding power longer

• Slice of life– Records everyday story in a new way– Kids always good!

• Photographers generate own assignments– Enterprise

“Featurizing” the news

• Main story: Event such as a fire• Feature photo: Fireman with a kitten• Emotional impact

– Viewers reaction important

Where to find features photos

• Kids, animals and nuns in habits?– Get permission from parents when

photographing children• The incongruous

– Things that look out of place• Animals acting like people• First and last events

– First haircut, coach’s final game

Keep a fresh eye; take a candid

• Go to a new place, explore first impressions

• Drive around/take bus to a new area of town– “If you think you should stop, stop.”

Eagle

• Think like a visual anthropologist

Constantine Manos

• Where’s Boston?– Shot 500 rolls of black-and-white and

color film for this 40-projector slide show• Never posed/arranged photos• Introduced himself: Didn’t sneak up• http://www.costamanos.com/

Henri Cartier-Bresson

• Considered father of candid photography

• Popped up, took photograph and kept on walking

• http://www.henricartierbresson.org/hcb/home_en.htm

Is it OK to photograph strangers?

• Emily Nottingham research:– “From Both Sides of the Lens: Street

Photojournalism and Personal Space”– 86 percent of people approached by

photographers agreed to be photographed

– Forming a relationship = better results• You decide what’s best approach for

you

Where to look?

• Public Relations person• Find a unique angle• 22 ways to find a feature:

– Column on page 79• Where can a photographer take

photos?– P. 393

Assignment for 2/11; Major Assignment I: Due

2/18• Features photograph assignments• Get more comfortable looking for news

photos• Let’s brainstorm possible ideas for

features photographs• Shoot from a variety of angles: above,

down lowUsing Picasa, send a link with your best

photo to: lkragnes@d.umn.edu

In-class assignment

• Go out and practice!• Download your photographs, upload

to your Picasa web account• Share the link to your folder with

your classmates

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

Carry your camera with you!