Digital Photography

UNIT 14 PHOTOJOURNALISM
Structure
14.0 Introduction
14.1 Learning Outcomes
14.2 Introduction to Photojournalism
14.2.1 History of Photojournalism
14.2.2 Why Study Photojournalism

14.3 Photography: An Effective Medium

14.4 News Photography
14.4.1 News Value and Photography
14.4.2 Spot News Photography
14.4.3 Portrait Photography
14.4.4 Sports Photography
14.4.5 Features and Photo Story

14.5 Editing
14.6 Photojournalism and Ethics
14.7 Let Us Sum Up
14.8 Further Readings
14.9 Check Your Progress: Possible Answers

14.0 INTRODUCTION
As the term suggests, photojournalism is a blend of photography and
journalism. It is used extensively in newspapers, news magazines, film
magazines, sports magazines and news websites. In photojournalism, we use
photographs to communicate stories to people in an effective way. It involves
using a camera to capture a visual representation of the story.
Photojournalism follows a set framework of rules and principles for
composition. The stories told using photographs are true and therefore must
be communicated in an unbiased and fair manner. In photojournalism, news
photographs often evoke intense emotions in the audience, such as
photographs of disaster survivors or scenes from a terrorist attack. In
photojournalism, photographs are used to tell events, programs and other
important news. It uses the body language and facial expressions of the
subject i.e. the people involved in the event to tell their story.

14.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

 explain the concept of Photojournalism;

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  know the different types of news photography; and Photojournalism

 understand composition and its use in photojournalism.

14.2 INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOJOURNALISM

Photojournalism is an effective way of telling stories and disseminating
information to a diverse group of people. Photojournalism gives visual
support to the news story. A good news photo tells a story all on its own and
requires little to no writing to back it up. Social media tools like Instagram,
Facebook, Snap chat, WhatsApp etc have made it really convenient for
people to share photos and videos. These tools are even being used by the
news organizations to disseminate news. YouTube provides space to people
and organizations so that they can start their own channels where viewers can
come and see the videos on a variety of subjects. Photographs paint real
pictures of news, events and varied human emotions.

In big newspapers and magazines, photographers work with a journalist

assigned to a particular news beat. This means that the photographer takes
photos related to the new storyand the reporter collects the facts for the story
and writes it. The main objective of photojournalism is to tell a story better
than the text or writeup that usually accompanies the photos. Therefore, it
should capture images that have a specific meaning or relevance to the story
being told. For example, a story about a father reunited with his daughter
after being apart for 30 years will be more effective if it is accompanied by a
photo showing them rushing into each other’s arms.

Photojournalism covers latest national and international news developments

which are of public interest. A good photojournalist will focus on latest news
which is being discussed by the common man for example the current cricket
tournament series or the announcement of elections etc. which will be of
more interest to the reader.

A good photojournalist should be objective and honest. He should present the

images as they are with no manipulation. In fact a photojournalist knows that
real emotions of people are captured when they are relaxed and busy with
their daily chores. These candid and perfect moments are captured by the lens
and become timeless classics. A good photograph should try to answer
maximum number of Ws and H.

Photojournalists follow certain principles to produce photos that catch the

attention of different audiences. Photos taken with the right focus, exposure,
angle and colour are understood better by larger audience as compared to
photos in which the subject is not in focus and which lack proper camera
angle. Photojournalism can be done for –

a) General News Stories: which pertains to any event that is planned ahead
of time. Examples are press conferences, product launch ceremonies,
exhibitions and political rallies.
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Digital Photography b) Spot or Breaking News: refers to any event or incident that has just
happened. It is a breaking news story where the photojournalist rushes to
the place of the incident and takes shots which convey the essence of the
story. A house or building on fire, car accident, plane crash or a bridge
collapse are some of the examples.

c) Sports Photography: is seen as the most difficult type of

photojournalism. The camera lens has to follow the movement of the
player, ball or the vehicle as the case may be. Special attention has to be
given to the aperture and shutter speed settings. Generally experienced
photojournalists are given sports assignments like basketball game, a
football championship match or an IPL match.

e) Portrait Photojournalism: a portrait shows people from the society in

their usual environment, like a race car driver beside his car, a doctor
inside the operating theatre or the defence minister in her office. The
portrait captures the emotional state of the person. Portrait is often given
in an exclusive interview or any special report where that person happens
to be a central figure or an important functionary.

Good photos convey the key points of a story faster than its accompanying
text. The photos should focus on the faces of the people and not on their
backs. A good photo will show the person doing some action or group of
people involved in some activity. Any unusual photograph showing a new
phenomenon, emotion or extraordinary act may qualify as a good
photograph. The subject has to be in focus and the audience should be able to
find the key area to focus on in the frame. For example after a heavy snowfall
the focus of one picture can be on the sufferings of the people living in that
area and other picture can be on the extent of snowfall i.e. the amount of
snowfall.

The photographer through right composition and proper visualization has to

convey the right message, one that should be able to tell the audience where
to look in the photo. Any two pictures will have two different angles for a
story. This sort of work needs careful planning and execution. Always take
note of the angle of the shots and position of the camera before taking the
pictures. Experienced photographers often take multiple shots from different
perspectives. This process is quite easy with digital cameras. Digital Single-
lens Reflex Camera (DSLR) manufactured by Nikon, Cannon, Sony, Fuji etc.
support memory cards as high as 128 GB or so. They can also at the same
time see the output and take many shots without worrying about the storage
space.

14.2.1 History of Photojournalism

The history of photojournalism can be traced back to the experiments done
by Joseph Nicephore. In 1826 Joseph Nicephore slotted a pewter (a alloy of
tin, copper with antimony) plate into his camera obscura and exposed that
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plate to the surroundings. He washed this exposed plate with lavender oil Photojournalism
after eight hours and found that an image had formed on the plate. This image
was not very clear but the scene was more or less visible. Joseph Nicephore
claimed it to be the first photograph, built without a negative. Carol
Szathmari a Romanian painter and photographer was among the first who did
photojournalism with the help of his engraving and painting technique. This
engraving technique was also used in the American Civil war.

The first 35mm Leica camera came in 1925 and this marked the beginning of
the Golden Age of Photojournalism. First commercial flash bulbs came in
1927. The early 35 mm camera was small and light. They were more portable
and the printing methods used in these cameras were less cumbersome.
Prominent photographers in the golden age which spanned from 1930s to
1960s included Walker Evan, Dorothea and Gordon Parks.

Homai Vyarawalla is recognized as the first woman photojournalist of India.

She was born in Gujarat and it was her husband Manekshaw Vyarawalla who
introduced her to the world of photography.

Tamabarahalli Subramanya Satyanarayana Iyer, popularly known as T S

Satyan is known as the father of Indian Photojournalism. He was born in
Mysore in 1923. In 2005 T S Satyan published his memoir “Alive and
Kicking” in which has mentioned his experiences and various assignments he
did in his life as a photojournalist. T S Satyan passed away in 2009.

It seems the market for visual storytelling is going to stay and rather going to
expand further. The media and industry report by Indian Brand Equity
Foundation (IBEF) predicts that the market share of television will increase
by 7.5 percent in 2023 and for print it will increase by 1.4 percent.
Photojournalism will rather increase with the help of social media in India.
Cheaper data plans encourage people to download pictures and consume
news in the form of visuals. Many news organizations have started giving
news in the form of photo story, slide shows and multimedia presentation
.When Life magazine made the announcement in 1972 that it was ceasing its
weekly publication, many people said that this was the end of
photojournalism. Photojournalism not only survived but it took a new avatar.
Photojournalism is just as impactful on a webpage as it is when viewed on
the page of a magazine.

14.2.2 Why Study Photojournalism

Photojournalism is the right field for a creative person who has an eye for
detail and loves to travel. One who likes meeting people and is prepared to
work for long hours in difficult situations can do well in photojournalism.
There are lots of job opportunities for a photojournalist. Websites, news
portals, news magazines, TV channels and newspapers are looking for
dedicated and efficient camera persons. Apart from joining a company, a
good photojournalist can become a freelancer. A degree from a reputed 157
Digital Photography college or a university can be an added advantage for the student. Qualified
photographers can join:

 Print and Advertising Industry –magazines, adverts and photo libraries;

 Fashion Industry – creative photography of models and clothing for

magazines and catalogues;

 Event Company- social functions, family, wedding and celebrations

photography;

 And Corporate (industrial/commercial) – company promotional material

14.3 PHOTOGRAPHY: AN EFFECTIVE MEDIUM

Photography is a medium which conveys thoughts and feelings without
saying a word. In fact a photograph can speak louder than words and the
message will be clear and with little noise. Photography as a medium of
communication is easy to comprehend for the larger audience as the encoding
is quite easy. The encoding in news photography has to be easy so that
maximum number of people can understand the message and the photograph
serves the desired purpose. The beauty lies in the universal appeal of the
photograph. People across cultures and boundaries can understand a
photograph and relate to its content.

Photographs in the form of selfies, cellphone snaps, unplanned photos and

any time random shots has flooded the social media and internet with visuals
in the present visual culture. Anybody can become a photographer and with
the help of a good camera and software can do wonders. This massive
production of images in the digital form is affecting photojournalism and the
importance it used to carry.

Photographs are representations of time and events, light and shadows, and
contrasts of vibrant colours. A good photograph speaks to our own emotions
and to the thoughts and emotions of others. Photos allow us to express our
feelings in a unique way.

The photo could be a portrait that shows an important day of a person’s life
and catches him or her in a certain mood. The background of a portrait could
be mountain, desert or a scenic beauty of any kind. A painter or a sculptor
also displays a part of the world as seen and interpreted by him. He uses his
perception and creates a static reality of time and events. A photograph on the
other hand does all this and also captures the same world where we all live. It
depicts different point of reality through a much larger canvas. A photograph
transfers the viewer to the place and time shown in the photograph.

Check Your Progress : 1

Note: 1) Use the space provided below for your answers.

2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.
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1. What is photojournalism ? Photojournalism

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2. In what areas can a photojournalist get opportunities to work ?

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14.4 NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

A news photographer should try to capture the essence of a whole story in a
single image. This photographer should take pictures as the event unfolds.
This will add credibility to the story. In certain situations the photographer
has to wait for the right moment to capture a photo for a news story. He
should have patience, perseverance, the ability to predict events and should
be a quick thinker. These qualities will help him in situations where the final
outcome of a event is not known. It can be court decision, cricket match or a
public rally. A good photojournalist covering spot news should always make
a contingency plan also to get the shots for his story. The camera person not
only has to protect himself, but also has to take care of the equipment and
above all he should take plenty of shots for his newspaper or magazine.

14.4.1 News Value and Photography

Photography for newspaper includes photographs on a variety of subjects.
News photographs are published with hard news as well as with soft news
stories. The photojournalist should have a nose for news and he should
highlight ‘key’ component in his photography. Children, traffic, celebrities,
politicians, members of society etc. all these are common subjects for news
photography. Large organizations hire experienced photojournalists
otherwise in small newspapers one persons does both still and video
camerawork. Photojournalists also specialize in their work, some of them are
good at sports whereas other prefer spot news or breaking news. Depending
on the assignment they need to carry a variety of lenses, flash light, additional
battery backup, tripod, filters, memory card etc. in their camera bag. News
can happen any time of the day. There can be a fire accident at night or a
crime which is committed at night. The weather might be sunny and clear or
it might be cloudy and dark.

A photojournalist has to chase news and show it through his pictures.

Digitalization has not only made the camera better but it has also made the
dissemination of videos and photos much faster.

An experienced new photographer would arrive early at an event and would

stay late to take some interesting and unusual shots. It is always wise to keep 159
Digital Photography some storage free in the camera to capture expected events which qualify to
be shot.

14.4.2 Spot News Photography

Photojournalism for Spot news refers to photos which are taken for a time-
sensitive news event. The news is governed by the basic values of timeliness,
proximity, conflict, prominence and human interest. Typical spot news can be
on accidents, fires, political meetings, rallies, elections etc. These events
attract large crowds also and a photojournalist would do well if he plans this
in advance. In some cases the camera person has to follow the subject also so
he can rarely use a tripod. The camera work is all hand held. He should try to
take still shots as the camera can also shake in a huge crowd. Special
attention is to be given to aperture and ISO in case of breaking news at night.
Additional lights and battery backup is a must.

The photojournalist should remember that there are no re-takes in spot news.
Failure of equipment at the time of new coverage can make you lose your
job. In case of accident, tragedy or big news always look at human loss first,
i.e. grab those pictures and after that take pictures of loss of property etc.

14.4.3 Portrait Photography

A portrait attempts to show the nature and emotional state of a person in his
world. A portrait shows a person in his place of work, in a social setting and
may highlight his status, authority and contribution etc. A portrait may reveal
more about a person’s character and show it from new perspective. A good
portrait will avoid busy background. Busy background will distract the
audience and he/she will not be able to focus on the subject and his
environment. Props in a portrait are extremely important as they help in
storytelling and help in making the picture complete. Many photojournalists
while taking shots for a portrait focus on the face and take close up shots.
Photographers also often choose to take portraits against a white or a black
background. For group portraits soft light is preferred. Portraits also become
interesting when special attention is given to the dress, body language and
expressions of the subject. The main challenge for the photojournalist is to
make the subject feel comfortable and develop a rapport with him/her. The
best method is to start a conversation and gradually the subject starts moving
in a comfortable zone. This moment of confidence gives best shots to the
photojournalist. In portrait the main light should fall on the side of the face of
the subject. It also good to know your subject before planning a portrait. This
will help the cameraperson in capturing his personality and attitude in a much
better way. A portrait can be a medium shot or a full shot.

14.4.4 Sports Photography

Sports photography is about timing. It is about being in the right place at the
right time. A photojournalist covering sports has to be an athlete first. He
should have good knowledge of all sports and the various rules of all major
160 sports. This knowledge will help him in predicting the game and by this he
can plan his camera work in a better way. For example in a 20-20 IPL match Photojournalism
the photojournalist should know that after 15 overs the batsman will really go
after the ball and there will be more boundaries. So the photojournalist can
focus more on the batsman and the movement of the cricket ball. Sports
photography is difficult because the movement of a ball, person or a vehicle
is to be recorded. This is done by ensuring proper shutter speed, aperture and
the use of right lens. Telephoto lens (300mm-400mm) is used in case of
cricket or soccer. The faster the lens the faster the shutter speed one can use.
Higher shutter speeds are required to freeze the action with long lenses. The
position and the angle is of important here as it varies from game to game. In
boxing, the camera is to be at eye level whereas in basketball high angle shot
is preferred.

14.4.5 Features and Photo Story

A photo feature is about capturing everyday activity or shooting a slice of
everyday life. Features are timeless and unlike news pictures do not get stale.
For example pictures of former President APJ Abdul Kalam talking to school
students is a timeless feature. Photo features evoke a reaction from the
audience as they convey emotions to the viewers. Candid shots of celebrities,
sports persons, politicians can qualify for features. A person with a creative
bent of mind can plan and execute good features. He should have keen eye
for details and should observe the surroundings to identify subjects for
features. Every big hard story may have some side stories, these side stories
may offer some good features. Animals, children, artists, actors, elderly
people are great subjects for a feature.

A photo story is based on a theme. The individual pictures in the photo story
are on one subject or on one issue. Different pictures support one central idea.
There can be photo story on the life of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee. These pictures can be about his political career, family, education
etc. The style of lighting is generally the same and background can be
different in different pictures of a photo story. Photo story on political leaders
and their achievements often come in news magazines.

14.5 EDITING
Editing is done by selecting, cropping, and enlarging certain photographs for
a bigger impact. A photo editor may not be a photojournalist. The photo
editor may crop the image, check the white balance, check noise, remove
noise, and improve sharpness. Resizing and scaling of the images is also done
in editing. It is always good to work with ‘raw’ images during editing. The
image formed through the camera sensor is the ‘raw’ image. Adjustments like
conversion into grayscale, and normal toning and minimal colour adjustments
are acceptable as long as they restore the authentic nature of the photograph.

14.6 PHOTOJOURNALISM AND ETHICS

Photojournalism provides important information to its audience. This
information has to be correct as it is important for decision making. A 161
Digital Photography photojournalist has to show whether the message in the picture is for the
larger interest of the society. The photojournalist should also respect the
privacy of a person or a family which is involved in the story. Breach of
privacy and selling of pictures of a private event is unethical. In a private
party or a function it is always good to seek permission before taking
pictures. Manipulation is to be avoided. Re-enacting of events or staging of
events is seen as manipulation. Adding or deleting of images, substantial
background or pros is also counted as manipulation. One has to be careful
when taking pictures of a major tragedy like earthquake or an explosion.
Mutilated parts of human body are not to be shot and published. Human body
and its parts should not be published unless there is requirement as in case of
health story. If the publication is for public good then it may be photographed
and published. The content of a photograph must not be altered in Photoshop
or by any other means. The faces or identities of the subjects must not be
altered by image editing tools like Photoshop. Lot of media organizations say
that the removal of “red eye” from photographs is not acceptable. Photo
editor should not manipulate images or add in any way that misleads the
viewers.

Check Your Progress : 2

Note: 1) Use the space provided below for your answers.

2) Compare your answers with those given at the end of the unit.

1. What is spot news photography ?

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2. What do you understand by photo story ?

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Activity 1
Take all seven copies of any newspaper for a week. Study all the pictures
published in them (excluding advertisements) carefully. Make a table and
record the share of pictures related to different subject areas (politics, sports,
culture, crime, education etc.).

14.7 LET US SUM UP

Photograph is an effective medium for conveying a message. In newspapers,
magazines and news websites, the photojournalist does with photos what a
162 reporter does with words. A good sense of aesthetics and composition are
useful tools for the photojournalist. Apart from using a camera, s/he must be Photojournalism
computer savvy and be willing to experiment with new technology.
Photographers must be well organized, practical and sociable. Finally, they
must have excellent communication skills and work within an ethical
framework. A strong sense of news value is also a fundamental element of
photojournalism.

14.8 FURTHER READINGS

Hoy, F. P. (1986). Photojournalism: the visual approach. Prentice Hall.
Kobre, K. (2008). Photojournalism: the professionals’ approach. Rutledge.
Lester, P. M. (2015). Photojournalism: An ethical approach. Rutledge.

14.9 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE

ANSWERS
Check Your Progress : 1
1. Photojournalism is a blend of photography and journalism. It is used
extensively in newspapers, news magazines, film magazines, sports
magazines and news websites. In photojournalism, we use photographs to
communicate stories to people in an effective way. It involves using a
camera to capture a visual representation of the story. The stories told
using photographs are true and therefore must be communicated in an
unbiased and fair manner. In photojournalism, news photographs often
evoke intense emotions in the audience, such as photographs of disaster
survivors or scenes from a terrorist attack.
2. Photojournalism is the right field for a creative person who has an eye for
detail and loves to travel. One who likes meeting people and is prepared
to work for long hours in difficult situations can do well in
photojournalism. There are lots of job opportunities for a photojournalist.
Websites, news portals, news magazines, TV channels and newspapers
are looking for dedicated and efficient camera persons. Apart from
joining a company, a good photojournalist can become a freelancer.

Check Your Progress : 2

1. Photojournalism for spot news refers to photos which are taken for a
time-sensitive news event. The news is governed by the basic values of
timeliness, proximity, conflict, prominence and human interest. Typical
spot news can be on accidents, fires, political meetings, rallies, elections,
terrorist attacks etc.
2. A photo story is based on a theme. The individual pictures in the photo
story are on one subject or on one issue. Different pictures support one
central idea. There can be photo story on the life of former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. These pictures can be about his political
career, family, education etc. Photo story on political leaders and their
achievements often come in news magazines. 163