“Journalism without photographs is like writing without verbs,” begins Briggs.
In his sixth chapter, Briggs offers a brief introduction into digital photography, how to get the good, worthwhile pictures and, ultimately, how to publish them in a compelling way.
After laying out some basics on digital photography, Briggs advises that in order to take better photos:
– Hold the camera steady: Dig your elbows into your body or place them on something. Use two hands. Lean against a wall. Do anything you can to be still while shooting.
– Fill the frame: When photographing people, don’t leave too much headroom, that space above their heads. The subject’s face should be near the top of the picture, not in the middle.
– Focus on one thing: When shooting a person or group of people against a busy, complex background, focus on the person’s eyes. The automatic focus function can focus on only one thing in the image, and a person’s eyes will make the photo look the sharpest.
– Get closer: Most amateur photographers fail first by not changing their positions. They see something they want to capture on photo and take out their camera and shoot the photo without moving around. A professional photojournalist, in contrast, will move all over the place to get the right angle.
– Go vertical: In the subject is vertical, turn the camera into a vertical position to shoot it.
– Shoot action: Capture the moment whenever possible, and avoid posing people.
One thing Briggs definitely advises, though, while editing is that “new digital tools have made it much easier not only to improve a photo but to make it lie about reality.” That’s why publishing the scene as accurately as possible is CRUCIAL for a believable story.
Briggs advises, while editing, to:
1. Edit a copy of the photo–never the original.
2. Crop the photo.
3. Resize the picture.
4. Modify the resolution.
5. Tone and color correct the picture.
6. Save a Web version.
7. Keep it simple.
“Photographs, and especially slide shows, can attract huge audiences online. The New York Times, for example, saw 25 percent more traffic the day after Inauguration Day in 2009, thanks in large part to its slide shows.”
Honestly, I think this chapter’s a waste. If I want to learn photography, I would learn photography elsewhere. Sure, Briggs can offer up some good pointers on what makes a good picture in a story and which pictures are appropriate for which stories, but photojournalism is a field on its own.
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