The other night I watched a slide show of a friend’s trip. They showed a lot of stuff they came across; a building they saw, a person they met, a famous location they stumbled upon. In every snapshot, the subjects were dead center (and I mean slow). I began to wonder if their camera had sights rather than a viewfinder. My friend kept us informed (not necessarily entertained) by telling us what each photo showed.

I have another friend, Joanna Pinneo. She shoots for National Geographic. When Joanna showed photos of some of her trips, each image was a story. Her photos spoke volumes. Her pictures were worth a thousand words. There was no need for a running dialogue with her presentation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The difference wasn’t subject matter. My “dead center” friend showed us a subject, but Joanna used verbs. Instead, she presented her issues from various angles, including framing, lighting, and mood.

What Joanna, and other photojournalists, do that many photographers do not do is offer an assortment, a mixture of images.

Jeff Raymond is the director of photography for a Christian missionary agency. Jeff and I were training his student photographers in a workshop.

Jeff said, “A lot of these students have improved their coverage of stories, but mostly what they have done is just move their subjects from dead center and made nice portraits of them.” Jeff calls these “People Need The Lord” photographs. He called them that because every missionary was copying what Steve McCurry did when he made that iconic image of a young Afghan girl wearing the red scarf for the cover of National Geographic Magazine in 1985.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem Jeff Raymond was addressing is that there is so much more to photograph than just a lovely portrait.

Some photographers use the “Day In The Life” approach to move beyond a lovely portrait. Just follow a subject for a day and capture what they do. You could tell the story as if you were doing a significant paper for a school project. Take photos systematically over some time and use these to help tell the story.

No matter the approach you take, you will need a variety of photos. A classic way to accomplish this is, to begin with an overall establishing shot. Then make some medium shots that show the environment. Follow this with close-up photos like a portrait or extreme close-ups to show those details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like when you write that major paper for a class project, you will need to gather lots of material before you start writing or, in this case editing the project. You will need a lot of variety for each type of photo to pick the best that work together as a package.

If you are covering an event, look for a broad view that gives a sense of the scale of the occasion. For example, a wide-angle lens, like 28 mm from a birds-eye or worm view, adds drama and makes the presentation more exciting.

Use those leading lines and graphics for impact. Study National Geographic or Sports Illustrated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My friend Bob Rosato, staff photographer for Sports Illustrated, spoke to a professional photographers group not long ago. Bob talked about how important it is to capture the atmosphere and grandeur of an event. He showed many images in the magazine, shot with a wide angle. Sure, he had photos made with those super behemoth telephoto lenses we typically think they always use, but to capture the splendor, he used wide-angle lenses.

Capturing the atmosphere is difficult. The sensations of an event are gathered from sounds, smells, and all our senses. Therefore, relying on visual cues to evoke these emotions in your audience would be best.

Shoot wide, but highly close also. Show details as close as your camera will focus. For example, find a fall leaf that brings to mind autumn rather than only showing the wide-angle view of the forest.

Now we see why photojournalists carry two or three cameras. You see something and shoot; no need to change lenses to capture the moment.

Ah, yes, the moment. Don’t limit yourself to a predetermined list of shots. Be ready for the unexpected. These serendipitous moments are what will add a human touch to your photography.

You cannot sit in a chair and capture it all at an event. Instead, you must move around and look for unique perspectives and various images.

No matter how many shots you take of an event, you usually wish you had taken more because you need transition images as you tell your story with pictures. Also, you need photos to lead the audience to the next point or subject.

In television shows, they use bumps to help break up the changes. For example, the TV show Home Improvement used little detail graphics of a tool, a fence, or something with a sound to let you know you were changing thoughts.

You have done the job when you show your photos, and you feel little need to explain what is on the screen—a good job.