Photojournalism

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A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Channels Orientation... ................................................................................ Page 1
Electronic Filing......... .................................................................................. Page 2
Photojournalistic Genres ............................................................................. Page 6
Indispensable Web Sites ............................................................................... Page 9
Where Do I Go From Here .......................................................................... Page 10
Excerpts: Tim Harrower’s “Newspapaper Designer’s Handbook - Page 12
• Some Photo Guidelines
• Good Photos
• Bad Photos
• From Camera to Page
• Cropping Photos
Excerpts: Brian Horton’s “The Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism” - Page 23
• Sports: Coverage Tips
• Getting in the Door
Excerpt: Kenneth Kobre’s “Photojournalism” - Page 26
• Where and When a Photojournalist Can Shoot
The National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics - Page 27
A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
ORIENTATION
CLASS
You must sign up for The Channels for Artists J123, and Photo 190, Photojournalism, or another SBCC photography class.
You are required to attend staff meeting 12:45-2:05 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. You will be assigned at least one assignment for each issue. The photo editor, a member of The Channels
Editorial Board, determines the genre and assigns photographers.
2. You are required to enterprise one piece of wild art for each issue.
3. You are required to report and write cutline information for all images submitted for publication.
GRADES
You earn points for content and for production. Your content grade is based on your monthly portfolios, submitted on
the dates listed on The Channels online calendar. Your production grade is based on your success following Channels
procedures and protocols for photo imaging and electronic filing. You also have ample chances for extra credit points.
TYPES OF SHOTS
You will be assigned a specific genre for each assignment.
1) Provide a minimum of three types of shots for each assignment: a establishing shot, a medium shot and a close-up.
2) Shoot horizontals and verticals.
3) Shoot mugs of each campus leader—student and faculty—that you interact with.
CAMERA
You can shoot either with your own camera or with The Channels’ cameras, for which you must follow checkout protocol.
The Channels has video, audio and still cameras for checkout, please see Zach or the current editor in chief for information
on how to check out a camera.
CUTLINES
For each photo submitted for publication, you should provide who, what, where, when, why and how, and one additional
interesting detail. Again, this is considered minimum. Check all names and spellings.
DEADLINES
Are either Friday or Monday morning, depending on what section you’re shooting for. Deadlines are clearly called out on
The Channels budgets.

LESSONS
The Channels does not teach photojournalism per se. You will be given lab guides on genres and lab protocol, and each of
you will complete an online tutorial. The Channels Manual Online also has numerous references for you, comprising need-
to-know items about access, media law and ethics. You are expected to study these materials and apply them in your daily
work at The Channels.
Numerous Photoshop tutorials can be found online, but an easy and excellent one you can complete in an hour was created
by the UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
You will find it at:
http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/photo/photoshop/
COPYRIGHT
Understand that you are working as a staff photographer for The Channels, under assignment from the Editorial Board. As
such, the copyright for all your work belongs to The Channels, and all rights to reproduce that work in perpetuity belongs
to The Channels. This is in place to protect your work from anyone using it without you knowing.
A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
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ELECTRONIC FILING
You have four goals when submitting images for Channels publication:
1. Prepare your images as optimally as possible so editors can easily place them on the newspaper or Web page.
2. Submit accurate and complete information so that editors can write cutlines that help readers better understand
your images and the people in them.
3. Submit all your content, properly slugged and in the proper computer file, so that editors can find it.
4. Do all the above by deadline.
PREPARING IMAGES
• Adjust orientation and make sure you are saving images properly as verticals or horizontals, depending on the shot.
• Adjust contrast and color.
• Bring out detail in faces, if needed.
• Remove spots and other imperfections, but do not alter the actual image.
• Prepare your image for print (the photo editor will adjust it for the web).
• Your camera should be preset, but check to make sure you are saving in 4” x 6” format, at least 300 dpi.
FILING IMAGES
The Channels file server—the location where all content is stored—can only be accessed from the lab.
Working from a lab computer:
1. Get into the Channels server by pressing Apple key in Apple Key K.
2. Navigate to:
Work folder
The edition folder of the week (2/14/08 in your screen shot)
Photography/Graphics folder
3. Create a new folder, and name it the same as your assignment slug. Save in the Photography/Graphics folder.
4. Move all your images into this folder.
5. Pick your Top 4, and rename them and number them, again with the assignment slug. Remember that you are
choosing shots with vertical and horizontal orientations, as well as establishing shots, medium range and
a close up.
6. You can leave the remaining images unnamed.
7. Save wild art in the Wild Art folder, right above the Graphics folder.
CUTLINES
Your goal is to provide page editors with enough information for any shot he or she may choose — without you (the
photographer) knowing the choice. With this in mind, you should be shooting in such as way that you can collect cutline
information without killing yourself. Second, you should be submitting accurate information. If in doubt, leave it out, even
if leaving it out earns you an editor’s wrath.
1. Cutline requirements are: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, and one interesting detail. Don’t worry about the
writing because it will be rewritten. Do worry about accuracy.
2. Create a Word file, name it the same as your assignment slug with “cutline” added, and save it using the same steps as
you did with your images.
3. In list form, write complete cutline information for each of your top shots. Remember to lead off each cutline with the
slug of the photo.
4. Write general cutline information for the rest of your shots.
See reverse for examples and screen shots of these processes.
A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
SCREENSHOT OF CHANNELS PHOTO FOLDERS AND SLUGS
SAMPLE CUTLINE FILE:
KMsoccer1: Maria James cries in the arms of her coach, Morris Hodges, after losing the state championship to the Oxnard
Cougars. The Lady Vaqueros played their final match Tuesday night in the Sports Pavilion at SBCC. It’s interesting that James
scored every point in the match, but also made some of the worst errors. The score was 5-3.
HERE’S ANOTHER FORMAT YOU CAN USE:
KMsoccer 2:
Who: Soccer player Maria James and her coach, Morris Hodges
What: She cries in disappointment after the Vaqueros’ 5-3 championship loss to the Oxnard Cougars.
When: Tuesday night
Where: The SBCC Sports Pavilion
Detail: James scored every point in the match, but also made some of the worst errors.
KMsoccer3: Goalie Laura Prescott blocks a shot from Oxnard’s Janine Parker with 30 seconds left to play. Parker was named
most valuable player for the conference.

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A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
4
CUTLINE SITING
GENERAL GUIDELINES
• Every photo must be accompanied by a cutline.
• A mug shot takes simple identification.
• For more complex photos, the cutline must be at least one complete sentence and up to three. Writing is factual and
to the point, and sentences should be short. Avoid fancy prose.
• Cutlines must identify all recognizable people by name. Crowds and people in the background can be identified
more generally.
• When more than one person in the photo, you will probably have to “site.”
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
• The first sentence of cutline must describe the action in the photo. The sentence must contain a present tense,
active verb.
• The rest of the sentences can provide background or more information about the story or photo.
• Avoid clichés such as “shown here” or “pictured above.” Better to just identify the subject and provide
a piece of information about the story.
IDENTIFICATION
The following can be identified without siting:
• single subject photos
• photos in which the action clearly identifies who is who.
• photos of opposite-sex people when they don’t have ambiguous names.
• two-subject photos when one of the people is famous.
DIRECTIONAL SITING
• Never use directional siting if you can help it. But use it if you need it.
• The main actor in the photo is generally sited first, by describing the action. Then site from left to right, if you have to.
• Famous people are sited first, the rest left to right, if you have to.
• When no main actor, site from left to right.
• For row or tiered shots, site front to back, left to right.
• For circular shots, pick a focal point (usually 12 o’clock) then site clockwise.
Siting directions can either be in parenthesis (from left) such as The Channels uses, or in commas, front to back, depending on the style
of the publication.
CUTLINES FOR SOUNDSLIDES
Unlike in print, cutlines in this media form should be minimal so they don’t compete with the audio.
• Only describe action if the audio doesn’t.
• Use last name only on second reference.
• Put a cutline on every image, but the text be as simple as the subject’s name.
A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
5
This is an example of a photographer including inaccuracies in the cutline information.
The red comments were submitted by a reader.
PHOTOJOURNALISTIC GENRES
VISUAL VARIETY
Strive to capture three types of shots for each major assignment: the establishing shot (also called the overall shot), the
medium shot, and the close-up.
ESTABLISHING SHOT
If readers themselves were at a news event, they would stand in the crowd and move their eyes side to side to survey the
entire panorama. A good establishing shot allows viewers to orient themselves to the scene, whether it be a street, a city
block, a hillside on campus, or a room.
Note: Generally requires a high or a wider angle. Climb a ladder or stairs, get on your car roof, or say yes to a
helicopter ride.
MEDIUM SHOT
Adds drama and tells the story. Shoot close enough to see the participants’ actions, yet far enough way to show their
relationship to one another and the environment.
Note: A wide-angle lens such as a 24mm or 28mm works well, although a normal 50mm will do.
CLOSE-UP
Slams the reader eyeball-to-eyeball with the subject. A close-up should isolate and emphasize one element, which is most
often a face but can also be the hands of an aging pianist or the child’s doll, mired in the mud of a flash flood.
Note: Longer lenses enable photographers to be less conspicuous. With a 200mm lens, you can stand 10 feet away and still
get a tight facial close-up.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MOST COMMON PHOTOJOURNALISTIC GENRES:
MUGSHOT
• Head and shoulders.
• Subject looking directly at the camera or slightly off to the side.
• No emphasis on background, little thought to creativity or content.
• Consistency among subjects is key if more than one.
• Eyes are important. Always have subjects removed sunglasses and caps.
Note: Generally with a medium range telephoto lens; around 80 to 100mm. Depth of field F8. Watch the background to
see that a tree branch or pole doesn’t appear to stick through the head. Watch for bright sun or too much flash causing a
reflection on glasses and for bright sun causing a squint or dark shadows beneath the eyes. The latter can be filled in with
flash, or turn the subject’s back to the sun or stand in the shade & shoot with balanced flash, then add a touch of warmth in
Photoshop.
Also be aware of the color of the background in relation to the subject. White hair against a white wall will be lost. Likewise,
dark hair against a dark wall requires some separation. In such situations, also be careful to meter off the face so the large,
single color background does not throw the light meter out.
ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAIT
• Capturing the subject in his or her natural environment.
• Required when one wants to both show a person’s face and say something about what they do or are involved in.
• The background is thus as important as the subject & should say something about the person, or correlate to
the article in a direct manner.
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Note: Props directly related to the subject or news article may immediately contribute to a good photo. Ask questions –
get a good feel for the subject and their activity or profession. Are they linked to a product or activity? If you get a first
impression – check or ask that it is accurate, then try to depict that to readers. Secondly, think how you can make good use
of light. Use window light, fill in with flash. If an industrial or lab type setting, use a gel on a background light or flash for
effect – red & blue always works well here. These shots are generally in the 17 – 35 mm wide angle range. Subjects for the
most part look at the camera but not as a rule. Depth of field may vary from F8 to F16.
STORY TELLING
• Real people doing real things.
• The subject, action or happening is shown as a moment in time in a particular environment. No propping
or posing.
Note: Most generally created with a combination of keen photojournalistic senses, good use of light and a 17 – 35 mm lens.
Tele lenses are also used, but less so. The effect is not quite the same – which is to capture a dramatic sense of place and
occurrence. The subject may be large and fill three quarters of the frame. Or the subject may be small & fill a tiny fraction
of the frame. The emphasis is on story and content. Aperture varies from small to large depending on desired effect.
PAPARAZZO
• Basic celebrity photography in more demanding situations, perhaps from within a pressing crowd.
• Often the best you can to get the face or pose.
Note: Get there earlier to stake out a position & anticipate movement. (Generally within a 28 – 200 mm range depending
on position. Also at F5.6 to F8) Look for expression or unusual antics. Try for inside information on arrival times etc. Can
include long hours of waiting with short bursts of action. So take trial light meter readings in various clearly thought out
parts of the location. (Open up by a stop from the meter reading if you anticipate a dark skinned person arriving, or two
stops if someone might be arriving in light but will step into shade etc.)
SPOT NEWS
• Emphasis is on content first.
• This might be described as a cross between paparazzi, sports and storytelling work.
Note: In most cases you get the best you can from the best angle possible. Then when you have the bread & butter shot in
the bank, look to improving it with more creative angle or lighting, or give attention to a good story telling shot. Emphasis
is on capturing a key moment. (The fired Professor’s fist pumping the air in indifferent light with a cluttered background is
more important than a beautifully lit image of the President announcing the dismissal in a garden setting.)
SPORTS ACTION
Close-up action photography using a medium- to long-range telephoto lens.
Note: Short to medium range teles are generally used for court sports & medium to long range teles for field or other
outdoor sports. Aperture is generally from F2.8 to F8. A good tip for flash use is to dial in a negative 1 to 2 stop exposure
on the flash if possible and the action is fairly close. This throws just enough light to freeze the action and add light to the
subject, but leaves enough power for a double burst before the flash has to recharge. (You thus get two shots with flash on
motor drive.) On full charge or equal to the meter reading, the flash fires only once then has to recharge.
Sports action can also be caught with a wide-angle lens, especially when play moves in to the touchline the photographer is
standing on. But this requires a second camera with such a lens fitted for quick use, and although action photography, will
show a greater element of ‘story telling.’
SPORTS REACTION
Watch the bench, the team, the coach and the stands when a match point is about to be played, or a penalty kicked or
thrown etc, or the final whistle is about to blow. Reaction tells the story of a game as much as the winning move.
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WILD ART
• Standard paper filler from everyday activity.
• This is a slice-of-life moment in the day of a student or teacher on campus.
• Look for the unusual, or look for fresh activity in usual places.
• Emphasis is on people & their habits or quirks.
CLICHES TO AVOID
GRIP AND GRIN
Standard posed shot for an event. Might include
check hand over, award receipt, sod turning, etc.
Note: You can show some creativity, but not
much. Try for fresh angles, perhaps low down,
off to one side or higher up, and special lighting,
sidelight for contrast or a soft flash blending in
with ambient light. Try to avoid harsh shadows
beneath the eyes. (Generally within a 28-105 mm
range at F5.6 to F8)
EXECUTION AT DAWN
Line ‘em up, shoot them down.
Note: There’s no way to make this shot
interesting. Instead, find out exactly what these
people are being honored for, then pick the most
interesting one, go to the scene of the action and
do an environmental or storytelling shot.
8
BORED MEETING
Not a typo.

Again, go beyond the lazy shot and find out why
these people are in the news. Then head out to
where the news or human interest is, and capture
that image.
A GUY AT HIS DESK
Same as above, but add mug shot to the list
of options. Everybody does something more
interesting and action-oriented than sitting at a
desk. Find out what that is, and shoot it.

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INDISPENSABLE WEB SITES
The Channels Manual
• Grades
• Job Requirements
• Portfolio Information
http://instructors.sbcc.edu/journalism/manual.html
UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Photoshop Tutorial
http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/photo/photoshop
Associated Press photography
http://www.associatedpress.com
Current editorial content in the field for purchase or ideas
http://www.corbis.com
http:/www.getty1.com
National Press Photographers Association
http://www.nppa.org/
NPPA Code of Ethics
http://nappa.org/professional_development/business_practices/ethics.html
American Society of Press Photographers
http://www.americanphotojournalist.com/
The Digital Journalist
http://digitaljournalist.org/

College Photographer of the Year
http://www.cpoy.org/?s=Home
“Ethics Matters” Column from News Photographer magazine
http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/nppa.html
Poynter Online’s Photojournalism Resources
http://www.poynter.org/subject.asp?id=29
Pulitzer Prize Photos: Examples from the Newseum
http://www.newseum.org/exhibits_th/exhibits/about.aspx?item=PPPG&style=dS
Sports Shooter
http://www.sportsshooter.com/
Visual Edge
http://www.visualedge.org/

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A SHORT GUIDE TO
PHOTOJOURNALISM
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?
Recommended SBCC Photography courses
* PHOTO 109
Basic Photography

* PHOTO 190
Photojournalism
MULTIMEDIA 113
Digital Imaging 1: Photoshop
PHOTO 133
Digital Photography Basics
PHOTO 180
Digital Imaging
* Required for Journalism Certificate and Associate’s Degree



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NPPA Code of Ethics
PREAMBLE
The National Press Photographers Association, a professional society that promotes the highest standards in
photojournalism, acknowledges concern for every person’s need both to be fully informed about public events and to be
recognized as part of the world in which we live.
Photojournalists operate as trustees of the public. Our primary role is to report visually on the significant events and on the
varied viewpoints in our common world. Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at
hand. As photojournalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images.
Photographic and video images can reveal great truths, expose wrongdoing and neglect, inspire hope and understanding
and connect people around the globe through the language of visual understanding. Photographs can also cause great
harm if they are callously intrusive or are manipulated.
This code is intended to promote the highest quality in all forms of photojournalism and to strengthen public confidence
in the profession. It is also meant to serve as an educational tool both for those who practice and for those who appreciate
photojournalism. To that end, The National Press Photographers Association sets forth the following Code of Ethics:
CODE OF ETHICS
Photojournalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in
their daily work:
1) Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
2) Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
3) Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and
groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.
4) Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion
to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and
justifiable need to see.
5) While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
6) Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context. Do not manipulate
images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
7) Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
8) Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
9) Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.
Ideally, photojournalists should:
1) Strive to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public. Defend the rights of access for all journalists.
2) Think proactively, as a student of psychology, sociology, politics and art to develop a unique vision and
presentation. Work with a voracious appetite for current events and contemporary visual media.
3) Strive for total and unrestricted access to subjects, recommend alternatives to shallow or rushed opportunities,
seek a diversity of viewpoints, and work to show unpopular or unnoticed points of view.
4) Avoid political, civic and business involvements or other employment that compromise or give the appearance of
compromising one’s own journalistic independence.
5) Strive to be unobtrusive and humble in dealing with subjects.
6) Respect the integrity of the photographic moment.
7) Strive by example and influence to maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code. When
confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the
highest standards of the profession. Photojournalists should continuously study their craft and the ethics that
guide it.
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