History of sports photojournalism. Sports photojournalism
It can be argued that photojournalism is the most universal form of mass communication. Written and oral speech require knowledge of a certain language, and the image in most cases can be understood by everyone. Facial expression, emotion, body movement and position, as well as composition, light and shadow can tell a story as well as any words.
This lesson does not pretend to turn you into a photojournalist immediately, but I hope it will allow you to get best performance about this craft. It will help you understand professionals practicing in this direction, find out what it takes to create the pictures you see on the news, or make an informed decision about introducing photojournalism into your photographic life.
Definition of photojournalism
Let's first define what photojournalism is. Simply put, she tells stories through photographs. But, in addition, the stories created must follow the rules of journalism. They must be truthful, and the journalist must try to convey the story in the most fair, balanced and unbiased way possible.
Photojournalists come in many varieties, but are commonly found in newspapers, magazines, news stations and websites, and an increasing number now work in other, traditionally non-visual news media, such as radio stations that have expanded their reach on the Internet.
Work in photojournalism
A staff photographer is someone who works for a specific publication, shooting for this publication is his full or part-time work. A freelance photographer, or freelancer, shoots for many publications. A number of different organizations may use the services of a freelancer for a specific task or for a limited period of time. Freelancers usually have a list of clients they work for.
The third most common employer for photojournalists are news agencies such as the Associated Press or Reuters. Newspapers and other news media receive information from these agencies by subscription. They provide news coverage for these media outlets, since they often cannot afford to send their own reporters to remote areas.
The photo below is a typical assignment. My editor said that there was a great teacher at the local school who had integrated "character building" principles such as honesty, wisdom, kindness, and honor into his gym class, and I had to make an image that fit the story.
Photo tasks
The life of a photojournalist can be exciting. You can be sent anywhere to meet anyone. More than photography and journalism alone, this versatility and diversity of experience is perhaps the most valuable part of the profession. General news assignments are just that, ordinary. General news is all that is planned. Dinner parties, fundraisers, protests, press conferences, award ceremonies, tree plantings are all types of general news appointments.
The key to covering these events (and most things) is to try to tell the full story with the image. For example, the photo below accompanies a report about a science class that helped care for a sick thrush chick. My assignment was to visit the class and see what they were doing. The photo shows all the elements of the story: the class, the teachers, the thrush and how they helped him.
Sports events
Sports photography is a specialized version of general news. It is associated with fast-paced action, and the photographer must have a great sense of timing. In sports shots, you need to show conflict and emotion. This usually means capturing the players on both teams and the thing they are fighting for (usually the ball). Emotions can be shown through the faces of the players. It can be hard because of the waving of your arms or helmets, but the best sports photos convey not just the action, but also the emotions.
breaking news
Breaking news is, in a sense, the opposite of general news. They represent unplanned events, such as a car accident or fire. During the execution of these tasks, the most important thing is information. You need information to be on the safe side and get the shot that best tells the story.
You need reportage skills to get information about who is involved and what really happened. In such situations, it is often required to have experience in dealing with law enforcement and emergency services. You can see this kind of photo later in this tutorial.
portraits
Photojournalists also shoot portraits. While they usually never do staged shots, portraits are an exception. Journalistic portraits, as a rule, show a person in his environment: a judge in his office, an artist in his studio. The subject is usually looking directly at the camera, so the audience knows it's a portrait. Usually a person does nothing at the same time, again so that the viewer does not fall into a misunderstanding about whether this photo is a staged portrait or a real, documentary part of journalism.
photo history
The last type of assignment is a photo story, or long-term documentary project. This type of work requires the photographer to spend a long period of time documenting the subject's actions. Story photos usually include several photos put together. Examples include following a refugee family or documenting the life of a family whose member is sick.
Great
Photojournalism has never been a career for fame seekers. But when it comes to fame within the industry, there are hundreds of amazing photographers out there. I'm going to focus on three of my favorites. I chose them because they cover much of the history of photojournalism.
Before I continue, let me say that I am an American, so I am more familiar with American photographers. There were other great photojournalists not listed here, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson of France, Robert Capa of Europe, Shisei Kuwabara of Japan, and Sebastiao Salgado. Salgado) from Brazil. The three photographers I have chosen are men. But there are also many outstanding women in the profession, such as Annie Leibovitz, Margaret Bourke-White and Susan Meiselas.
William Eugene Smith
William Eugene Smith was born in 1918 and died in 1978. Smith's specialty was history photography, at a time when magazines like Life filled their pages with documentaries. He covered the events of World War II in the Pacific Ocean, but became famous thanks to his later work. My favorite Smith series is The Country Doctor, published in 1948. It is often referred to as the first modern "photo essay."
Eddie Adams
Eddie Adams was born in 1933 and died in 2004. He covered 13 wars. He is best known for his photograph of General Nguyen Ngoc Loan executing a Viet Cong captive in Saigon. His sense of timing, or luck, led to him being able to capture a shot showing the exact moment the bullet enters the prisoner's head. For this he received the Pulitzer Prize. Eddie Adams also opened a photojournalism workshop. Places in his workshop are perhaps the most sought after by students in the US, and the standards for admission to it are very high.
James Nachtwey
James Nachtwey was born in 1948 and still shoots. In 2007, he received the TED Award, which guarantees the winner $100,000 and the opportunity to make "a wish that will change the world." He was, first of all, a war photographer, and the documentary film made about him is called War Photographer. In the film, he has a small video camera attached to his camera, allowing you to see the action through the eyes of James Nachtwey. Some of my favorite works by Nachtwey are his photographs of people suffering from AIDS in Africa and his current TED award is dedicated to the fight against drug-resistant TB.
Skills
Photojournalism is a highly competitive field. Having the right skills is essential to building a successful career. First, communication skills are very important. A photojournalist must be able to quickly gain people's trust and do their job in a way that doesn't break that trust.
Good journalism skills go hand in hand with this factor. Knowing how to identify the most significant moments in a story and how to communicate them to the public is critical. This means that most photojournalists are also proficient in other areas of journalism, including writing articles and conducting interviews.
photographic skills
A person applying for the position of a photojournalist must also have an impeccable portfolio. The portfolio must contain many images from the above types of assignments, and these photographs must demonstrate the ability to work in difficult situations. Many aspiring photojournalists fail in low light situations.
The photo below was taken at night without flash. The shutter speed is about 1/8 second, but because I practiced stabilizing my own body and knew how to use the camera's motor drive to eliminate shaking, and I got a sharp image with just candlelight.
The three elements of a great shot are light, composition, and moment. It is important to understand when to use flash and when to use dramatic natural light. Also, knowing the basics of composition such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, and repeating shapes will serve you well. But the most important thing is finding the perfect moment. Look for the peak of emotions.
Technological Skills
A modern photojournalist must be able to capture and transmit images digitally and be well versed in online tools such as blogs and social media. The trend now is to increase the number of videos on the Internet. Photojournalists now often carry video equipment with them to use when needed. This also implies the need to basic knowledge in the area of software for video editing.
Ethics
The main thing that distinguishes photojournalism from other forms of photography is trust. Viewers must trust that the image they are looking at will allow them to get a true picture of what happened. It comes down to two main issues: interference and manipulation.
A photojournalist should never interfere in a situation. He/she may never direct or ask people to pose in the frame, except in situations where a portrait is required, in which case they follow the rules mentioned above in the section on photo assignments. Portraits are also tagged as such in the description, using phrases like "Mr. Smith is posing" and the like.
One can argue that the mere presence of a photographer can already make a difference. While this is sometimes true, interference can be minimized with patience and practice. People usually get used to the presence of the photographer, and in the best case, they all forget about him together. A photojournalist should be able to explain his goals well so that the people being photographed understand whether they should pose or change their behavior.
Ethics of post-processing
Photo manipulation is strictly prohibited. This is especially true in post-processing. Nothing in (or on) the photo should be edited. Post-processing can only touch upon correction of color distortions, problems with exposure and latitude of the photographic material, and slight imperfections in sharpness. Cameras are still not as good at reproducing images as the eye, so sometimes we have to compensate.
Cropping is also allowed. But we leave wrinkles, we leave bags under the eyes, we leave stains on shirts. The photojournalist may not move the basketball in the frame, remove or insert it. Adding dramatic effects like vignetting, artistic filters and the like is also against the rules.
Ethical approach and attitude
Another aspect of ethics is how a photojournalist shoots and portrays people. This requires compassion and sincere interest in the participants in the events and the topic covered. This part of ethics is harder to talk about, so I would like to describe a situation I once found myself in, which happens all the time in the world of journalism.
I was called to the scene, so this falls into the breaking news category. The little girl was hit by a car. It was an accident, the driver was not drunk and did not intentionally injure the girl. When I arrived at the scene, the driver was still there, as were many members of the victim's family. Both sides knew each other and we mourned together. I took the photo below. It is quite obvious because of the blood on the driver's T-shirt.
The image is obviously convincing, but what's the point? Is this news? Often you can't make that decision when you're at the scene. After returning to the newsroom, the reporter found that the apartment complex where the accident had occurred had recently sent a letter to all residents, asking them to be very careful while driving, for the safety of children and pedestrians. So we released the photo.
The girl died in the hospital later, but the point of the news was not to exploit her death, but to focus on the problem. It's a fine line, and it takes a lot of thought and discussion before making a final decision.
Access
Without empathy and trust, you will never get access. By access, I mean persuading people to let you document their lives, to get into their history. The best stories don't come from press conferences or information service announcements, they come from going out into the street and looking for interesting people. Asking these people to let you follow them, sometimes for months, can be difficult. There are a few things to consider here.
Risk/Benefit Analysis
First, the photojournalist must determine how the subject's story will help society. Secondly, it is necessary to understand how this reportage will affect the people being filmed. Will it help them achieve something or, on the contrary, will it damage their reputation and make their life harder?
Each story has its own unique factors, but the photojournalist must present this balance between the public good and personal harm or benefit to those he wants to photograph in a way that is understandable to them. After that, the decision is theirs. However, when a journalist is admitted into the situation, it is up to them whether they will behave in such a way that he is provided with constant access. In theory, they should not be kicked out ... well, at least not for good.
"Won"
But it is still very good idea- give people the opportunity to kick you out for a while. Let me explain, many photojournalists let their models tell them to get out. They tell them that if they get uncomfortable and if they want to be left for a while, that's okay.
It's important to give people the opportunity to hide from the public eye for a while, but usually just knowing that they have the power to drive you away without making you upset is enough. It is often more important to have the opportunity than to use it.
Loyalty and Compassion
Finally, people should know that the journalist is committed to their story. It helps a lot that you will spend a lot of time with them, and this goes hand in hand with trust and compassion. The photo below is part of a story I did about a mother who was raising her little daughter with cerebral palsy. Daughter, Lianna, was about 5 years old and could do little on her own.
Her mother had to feed her, bathe her, carry her, lift her up and interpret her eye signals to understand what she was trying to explain because she couldn't speak. Because I spent a lot of time with this family, her mother gave me access to everything, even bathing, to show the extent to which Lianna relies on her mother.
Storytelling
As I mentioned earlier, photojournalism is about telling stories through photographs. Most newspaper and magazine reports only allow one companion frame, so the more you can tell through it, the better. There are many ways to do this, but I will focus on two of the most powerful tools a photojournalist has in store.
Layers
Often, layers are used to bring context to a photo. A photograph of an enthusiastic musician playing can be taken anywhere, but the same musician taken with a crowd of people in the background is history. Maybe the crowd is huge, and the musician feeds on their energy, or, on the contrary, the crowd is small, and the musician gives them everything he has. In any case, the "layering" of content adds a lot to the story. Layers don't have to be as large as in this example, small elements and details will also create context that enriches the content.
Emotions
Another important aspect in history - it's emotions. A photojournalist must be an expert at reading and, more importantly, anticipating facial expressions. Tears, a thoughtful look, a wide joyful smile - all this shows how the people in the photo relate to what they are doing. Since childhood, we learn to recognize the faces of people who are close to us, using this skill in photography can be a very powerful tool.
The photo below is a World War II veteran. He fought in the Pacific and was awarded a medal for his service by the local Association of Veterans of Foreign Wars. The medal and other people's badges in the frame create layers and I'm sure his face is showing appreciation, I hope it's easy to read by viewers. I also hope that this tutorial has given you a deeper understanding of the world of photojournalism.
Many people would like to become a sports photographer. Adrenaline, excitement, hunting for "the very shot" at breakneck speed - you must admit, it sounds attractive. But just do not think that you are waiting for only fun and travel. Robert Maksimov, the official photographer of the Russian Tennis Federation and Nikon Ambassador, knows firsthand what long hours of waiting in the bitter cold, working with 15 kg of equipment behind him and truly fraternal mutual assistance of colleagues are.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/1600
ISO: 800
Focal length: 195mm
Camera: Nikon D4
In a career spanning over 40 years, Robert, who was a track and field athlete himself as a young man, has a wealth of stories and advice. Interestingly, in fact, he observed the entire evolution of sports photography - from black-and-white films to the "stuffed" Nikon D5 - with his own eyes through the lens.
One of Robert's most memorable lessons was once taught by a colleague in Atlanta. The photographer recalled that the hall in which they then got was very poorly lit. “We found a good shooting point, I put a converter, black and white film, because color here, in my opinion, is useless. And my friend, the Italian photographer Giuliano, says that he will still try to shoot in color. Women perform on uneven bars. The subject is 60 meters away. Giuliano has a 400 mm lens, converter, shutter speed - 1/60. Any movement is unsharp. I wondered why he does it? But when they brought the film from the developer, it was just fantastic. Everything is in motion, blurred, and the athlete's face is absolutely sharp. He filmed something that was impossible to film!” Maximov says.
Camera: Nikon D4
Aperture: f/4
Shutter speed: 1/1600
ISO: 2000
Focal length: 560mm
What's important?
According to Robert, who participates in the international project about photographers in various genres NikonPro, the most important thing in a camera for a sports photographer is the right autofocus. "This the most important factor. And the second is a good matrix. Everything else is not so important, I don't even need those 14 frames per second. The main thing is clean quality image and precise autofocus. Nikon D5 and D4s (links) are one of best cameras in this case! ”, - admits the master.
Don't forget about high ISO. After all, the photographer can choose a faster shutter speed. “So, if I used to shoot at 1/800 or 1/1600, now I can shoot at 1/2500 and above, so the racket and ball become sharp, not blurry. You can even see the texture of the pile!” says Maksimov.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/1250
ISO: 800
Focal length: 400mm
Camera: Nikon D4
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR
The master claims that the photographer must have high-quality equipment. After all, she was the one who saved him. Imagine: a mountain slope, 19 degrees of frost, wind. And the height is about 2700 meters. And suddenly the start of the downhill race is canceled! First for an hour, then another... As a result, half of the photographers simply could not stand such conditions and left. “I wrapped myself up, put on my hood, closed myself, settled down in a snowdrift and fell asleep. I myself am a skier and I use ski equipment for filming. It is ideal, heated - a fabric with a thread of zirconium carbide, I feel good in a snowdrift! ”, Maksimov recalls.
And how to describe in a nutshell what, in general, a sports photographer needs to do? Think and observe. “I can’t stand it when a photographer sits next to me and scribbles like a machine gun. I tell him, “Think about it. You have 10 frames per second. Bolt runs. Almost every frame coincides with repulsion. If you shot the first frame at the moment when the runner’s leg “overwhelms” (between ourselves we call such frames “disabled” - one leg is not visible), then all 10 frames will turn out to be defective. If you hit the right moment with the first shot, then all the next ones will also be good. Think!” advises Robert.
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter speed: 1/800
ISO: 2500
Focal length: 195mm
Camera: Nikon D4
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
In general, Robert Maksimov is absolutely convinced that a photographer who can shoot athletics can shoot anything. After all, this tremendous experience: completely different conditions, tasks, solutions ... Plus, this is a real test of strength! “Physically, skiing and downhill skiing turned out to be a very difficult sport for me to shoot. And technically too,” says Robert. - What is the difficulty: the athlete's speed is 140-150 km / h. As a rule, you can shoot from a single photo position, which is determined by the chief photographer. 10-12 people are allowed here, no more - only a pool, or only if “your” athlete is in the lead, and it’s almost impossible to get admission here.”
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/800
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 200mm
Camera: Nikon D4
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Professional mutual assistance
Everyone should understand that the work of a sports photographer who often needs to travel abroad was very complicated during the Soviet era. So, they were not allowed to travel outside the country twice a year (and after all, the summer and winter Olympics took place in the same year). “Thus, having gone to one, and I usually chose the summer one, I automatically skipped the winter one,” Robert admits.
But let's talk about those events that Maximov was still able to see with his own eyes. Imagine a huge crowd of photographers at the Olympics: most likely, the first thing you think about is frenzied competition. Oddly enough, Robert speaks fondly of his colleagues from other publications, recalling many stories of mutual assistance and assistance. And in general, he calls sports photographers a family, and has been friends with some for several decades.
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/30
ISO: 640
Focal length: 200mm
Camera: Nikon D4
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
“There was one case. Imagine: 100 meters race, final. Who won? Photographers shoot at 400 mm, and even with a converter, to take a picture in the forehead, close-up, capture emotions. There are four of us: Italians Giuliano and Colombo, German Gladi and me. We distribute four tracks among ourselves - someone removes the first, someone the second and so on. We shoot each of our “own” athletes, and after the victorious finish, we share the pictures of the winner among ourselves,” Robert gives an example.
By the way, more fascinating life stories and interviews with professional photographers can be found on the NikonPro website.
“While setting up exposure used to take a lot of attention and time, now you don’t think about it. I set the parameters I need and don't care about them anymore, I'm all creative. seeking desired frame, the right moment is just that, ”says Maksimov, adding that the technique should work out its own, and our head should work out its own, and if all this is combined, the result will not be long in coming!
Aperture: f/4
Shutter speed: 1/1250
ISO: 5000
Focal length: 270mm
Camera: Nikon D4S
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II
Aperture: f/3.2
Shutter speed: 1/1000
ISO: 640
Focal length: 400mm
Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 1/1000
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 150mm
Camera: Nikon D4
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter speed: 1/1000
ISO: 2000
Focal length: 400mm
Camera: Nikon D4
Lens: AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR
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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
State educational institution of higher professional education
Yugra State University
Humanitarian Institute
Department of Journalism and Literature
Photo report. Method of work.
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………….....3
Chapter 1. Photojournalism ………………………………………………………………………….. 6
1.1. The system of photojournalism genres …………………………………………………………6
1.2. The history of the development of photojournalism in Russia ……………………………………7
1.3 The Crisis of Photojournalism …………………………………………………………………..…7
Chapter 2. Photo essay. ………………………………………………………………………….. ….10
2.1. The history of the emergence and development of photo reportage in Russia.............10
2.2.Principles and methods of photo reporting………………………………………………………11
2.3.Technology for creating a photo report……………………………………………………….13
2.4 Selection of illustrations……………………………………………………………………………………..14
Chapter 3. Analysis of photo reports published on the official website of the World Championship in biathlon and cross-country skiing……………………………………… 18
3.1. Analysis of own photo essay. Photo report №1. “Russian Paralympic athletes shared their experience with young athletes of Khanty-Mansiysk »
(application) ………………………………………………………………………..… .18
3.2. Analysis of photo report No. 2 “Athletes of the Canadian team got acquainted with Khanty-Mansiysk” (Appendix)……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………..twenty
3.3 Analysis of the photo story #3 “Erik Angstadt: It is necessary to achieve independence and sustainable development of each sport”……………….…..21
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………..…24
Bibliographic list……………………………………………………………………………..27
Introduction
Photography has become an integral part of modern life. In a short time, it has penetrated almost all spheres of human activity. Photography was especially widely used in the press, becoming an indispensable means of information and propaganda. There was a special branch of journalism - photojournalism. The advent of the mass illustrated press and the possibility of replicating visual information made photojournalism a powerful factor in influencing public consciousness.
But, unfortunately, the presence of photo reporting in traditional media is becoming less and less noticeable. Traditional illustrated periodicals and socio-political magazines give photojournalism less and less space. And there are many explanations for this. The practice of journalism in the light of global corporate associations is dictated by the material expediency of publications, the desire of investors to return the invested funds. In general, journalism has become a "business" in which accountants and managers have no less influence on how events are covered than editors. Then, pressure from advertisers increased, which also affected the editorial policy. And finally, representatives of many publications argue that the audience demands from them more and more detailed coverage of the world of show business, thus limiting the possibilities for publishing reportage or documentary photography.
On the other hand, the number of printed publications is steadily growing, and in many countries where economic and political reforms are successful, new magazines are published every month. Moreover, publications that previously did not support the genre of photojournalism (for example, glossy women's magazines) are beginning to need to talk about more serious topics, which forces them to use high-quality photography more often and better. A definite outlet for photographers is, first of all, online media. In addition to presenting photographs in multimedia format, there is a demand from non-profit organizations, structures involved in the development of various business areas, government and city administrations, etc. In our time, when the concept of "communication" is applicable in all areas, many structures have begun to realize the informational value of photographic images.
Hence, the topic of this course work is quite relevant, because the photo essay faces two conflicting problems: the lack of demand for traditional illustrated periodicals and socio-political magazines, and vice versa, increased demand from non-profit organizations, structures involved in the development of various areas of business, government and city administrations.
Scientific novelty of the research– for the first time as an analysis, we used a photo reportage of our own production (from the competitions of the 2011 Parabiathlon World Championship).
Target of this work: to consider a photo essay as a genre of photojournalism and methods of working on it.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:
- define the concept of "photo essay" and study its types;
consider in detail the methods of working on a photo essay, as well as study the technique of linking photos with text;
see how the methods learned are applied in practice.
Subject of study: Photoreport and methodology of its creation.
Research methods:
Methodological base: the theoretical chapter was based on the works of such researchers as I.D. Baltermants, Ya.D. Feldman and L.D. Kursky.
Chapter 1 Photojournalism
- Photojournalism genre system
- Time- snapshots matter in the chronological context of the development of events.
Objectivity- the situation assumes that the photographs will be honest and will accurately reproduce the captured events.
narrative- pictures in combination with other elements of the news inform and give the reader or viewer an idea of the essence of events.
Photojournalists must act, make decisions and wear photographic equipment in the same environment as the participants in the events (fire, war, riots), often at the same risk as them.
news photojournalism is just news. The news can be more visual (the opening of the monument), verbal-visual (theatrical premiere) and just a clarification of the verbal news (portrait of the speaker who published the sensational news).
reportage photojournalism is almost the same as news journalism, but stretched out over days or weeks. This may be a publication addressing one topic in several issues (reporting on a strike or from a major international exhibition; coverage of a lengthy trial or international sports games, etc.).
Documentary photojournalism- this is the same report, but no longer enclosed in a rigid time and editorial framework. one
- The history of the development of photojournalism in Russia
On January 13, 2010, on Russian Press Day, Russian photojournalists for the first time protested on Red Square in Moscow, where since 2008, by order of the Federal Security Service of Russia, photography using any professional photographic equipment, in particular with a lens longer than 7 centimeters, has been prohibited. A group of 20 photojournalists from newspapers, magazines and world photo agencies held a flash mob (pre-planned mass action), during which they took photographs using professional equipment. 2
1.3 Crisis of photojournalism
Since the 1990s, television, which had incomparably large budgets thanks to advertising, has developed rapidly, changing the presentation of news - instead of an announcer in the studio reading from a piece of paper, live broadcasts from the scene came into use. Television companies did not skimp on expensive high-quality reports either. As a result, the circulation of printed publications, color illustrated magazines, which are not able to compete with television in efficiency, began to fall. The economic crisis has hit most of the world's photojournalism agencies. This was followed by a partial loss of copyright, lowering the rates of photographers. Three of the world's major news agencies, previously focused primarily on text information- The Associated Press, Agence France Press and Reuters hired high-end professional photographers for a fixed salary, thereby dramatically improving the quality of their news photographic products, which newspapers and magazines began to eagerly buy with inexpensive annual subscriptions. As a result, most of the small and medium-sized and even large agencies that were unable to offer such dumping conditions were forced out of the market.
The advent of new technologies, in particular the appearance on the market of royalty-free photographs, for which you do not have to pay, only exacerbated the crisis. Newspapers and magazines began to willingly buy amateur photographs for nothing, and the Internet became oversaturated with visual information, which significantly affected the level of photojournalists and contributed to the ruin of journalistic agencies.
In Russia, at the beginning of the 21st century, the disregard of the copyright of photographers and the theft of photographs from the Internet for the purpose of publication on the pages of print media became the norm. Many reportage photographers had to go into commercial photography in order to survive.
In 2009, Jean-Francois Leroy, founder and director of the VisaPourl'Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France, condemned major photo agencies (primarily the Associated Press, AFP, Reuters) for "carefully digging a grave for their profession" by offering the media subscription schemes based on very large discounts. Leroy argues that this worsens the situation for photojournalists, who have to conclude that this type of creativity is unnecessary.
In August 2009, one of the world's leading journalistic agencies, Gamma, which had existed since 1966, declared bankruptcy. According to the French newspaper L'Umanite as of September 2009, more than 20 percent of photojournalism agencies around the world closed in a year. According to the journalist of the newspaper, publications began to be interested only in the fastest possible speed in obtaining photographs from the scene, and not in the quality of the material and the thoughtfulness of the photographer in working on topics and reports.
Only agencies that are subsidized by the state at the expense of taxpayers, such as France Presse or Ria Novosti, remain afloat.
- Chapter 2. Photo essay.
- 2.1 The history of the emergence and development of photo reporting in Russia
A reportage can be a series of reportage shots, reflecting both one event and the key moments of a series of events. It can be a series of successive or, on the contrary, chaotic events, united by one theme from the area of the unknown, not yet mastered by this category of viewers and readers. The phenomenon of such a photo essay was especially widespread in the press of post-Soviet Russia. In a fairly short period of time, information from all areas of human knowledge and ignorance, human activity, natural and unnatural nature surrounding a person poured onto the pages of newspapers, magazines and books.
Each photo essay should have its own plot, clearly defined spatial and temporal coordinates of the image. Researchers of photojournalistic creativity distinguish the following varieties of the genre:
- chronicle photo essay;
photo essay-report;
photo essay with an estimated start.
Within the genre, such popular trends have developed as - political photo reportage, industrial, agricultural, scientific, event, sports, criminal, ecological and others.
Photo reportage on the pages of newspapers, as a rule, is limited to a few diverse pictures. The "classic" newspaper photo essay consists of three photos - general, medium, close-up, text and subtext. There are reasons for this. First, the newspaper is limited by space and cannot afford to print more than three pictures. Secondly, in three diverse photographs, you can give the most detailed visual information about what is happening. You will also need a place for the text, it can be short, but you can’t do without it at all. As for a thick glossy magazine or online publication, they can be published several times more photos. 4
2.2. Principles and methods of photo reporting
Photoreportage has two methods of photography - reportage and staging. With the reportage method, the photographer does not try to influence the course of events, he only captures the moment of a genuine event that occurs regardless of whether it is photographed or not. With the reportage method of shooting, the phase of capturing the event is important. Therefore, the photographer captures the most expressive moments, making a variety of takes. Then looking through the footage, he selects the most successful shots.
The strength of the photo essay is its veracity. Authenticity, documentary nature of the photo essay turns it into a powerful means of agitation and propaganda.
The staging method consists in the preliminary organization of the plot for the purpose of photography. A pre-prepared episode is recorded. This is close to the features of shooting a movie, shooting in a theater, in a photo studio.
From the point of view of the perfection of the form of a photographic image, the staging method undoubtedly has much greater potential.
A photojournalist often does not have the opportunity to find the best lighting and compositional solution, choose the best shooting point, etc. His pictures can be protocol, and sometimes they are not meaningful enough, because often there is not enough time for this. They may lose in artistic terms, but win in the authenticity of the facts.
Each reporter shoots an event in his own way, and this subjectivity of his will not affect the event in any way.
But the reporting method can lose its veracity if the people depicted in the frame react to the presence of the photographer. The heroes of the meeting need to adapt, get used to the photographer.
The report is valuable for its truthfulness. This refers to the justice of movement, gesture, the truthfulness of the emotional phase, all this is directly related to reporting.
The picture can be taken as a reportage, but if the wrong moment of shooting and lighting is chosen, then the picture will look untruthful, unnatural.
In addition, reporting, especially newspaper reporting, is associated with great efficiency. If the photojournalist is late with the transmission of information about the event, it loses its meaning. Efficiency is the first commandment of a photojournalist. 5
2.3. Work on a photo essay
When working on a photo story, the photojournalist receives a technical task, which describes in detail the topic and the main persons who need to be filmed. Then the photojournalist arrives at the scene, gets acquainted with the room where the shooting will take place, evaluates the lighting and takes a few technical shots in order to check whether he has chosen the correct shooting mode.
The main thing in the process of shooting is not to miss interesting exclusive shots of communication. For reporting, it is very important to capture emotions, attitudes, gestures, and the process of communication.
The purpose of a photo essay is to cover an event using a series of photographs and a short text; often a photo report is created without a descriptive part (text).
Main work plan:
- Take a few shots of the general plan, showing the entire location
Close-up (how people are watching the event)
Capture on camera the main faces of the meeting
In order to "attach" people to the event, it is necessary to remove various "banners"
It is important to record all the moments inherent in a particular type of event. For example, if a photojournalist is filming a business meeting, it is necessary to record a handshake, signing papers, etc. As for sports competitions, the important moments during them are: start, fall, finish.
If the photo report is accompanied by text, then the main thing is to depict the main points of the meeting: the venue of the event, who opened it, who participated, the reaction of the public, the closing of the meeting.
2.4 Choice of illustrations
The appearance on the pages of newspapers of good, high-quality pictures depends primarily on the photojournalist. A photographer can improve the quality of their photographs by following these tips:
1. Change the shooting direction. It is not necessary to always shoot “head on”, see how the subject will look from below, from above, from the side - this will give the reader the opportunity to see different angles.
2. Each snapshot must have an action. If there are people in the frame, they should be doing something, not posing for the picture. Characteristic facial expressions, relaxed gestures of people in the picture create the impression of liveliness and informality of what is happening.
3. Use the right props to keep people from looking into the lens. Make something in the foreground the focus of their attention.
4. The composition of the shot should be tight, with no empty spaces between people or in the background - this makes the picture whole.
5. Each photograph should have a single compositional center that focuses the reader's attention. If there are several, it dissipates.
6. The number of people in the picture should be limited. If you are not trying to create the effect of the crowd, reduce their number to the most rational. A group of 3-4 people is preferable to 10-12.
7. Let there be people in the pictures. Firstly, it helps readers to estimate the size of rooms, streets, trees, etc., and secondly, it gives dynamics to the pictures.
8. Consider the “mood” of the shot. Show the reader how the “subject” felt during the shoot. If the mayor of the city was angry at a meeting of the city council, and the politician who won the election smiled, let the readers see it. But don't ask people to smile if the photo suggests a serious or mournful mood.
9. Sometimes turn the camera around - this allows you to capture not only the action, but also the reaction to it. Do not shoot only the participants of the match - the captured reaction of the fans to the goal scored can be much more eloquent.
10. You should make the highest demands on the quality of images. Blurry, dark pictures are unacceptable.
11. A photograph should carry a message, not just take the reader to the scene. Often a photograph, which at first glance does not literally illustrate the material, can tell the reader a lot. The photojournalist is obliged to know and understand the material and only then look for picturesque, “talking” shots to it.
Elements that grab the reader's attention
There are certain elements that should be kept in mind that particularly attract the reader. This improves the readability of the content. Here are a few elements of the content of the photo illustrations.
Children. Just a good picture of a child, or pictures of children illustrating less important news.
Animals. Universal shooting objects that literally everyone likes.
People, prominent personalities. A photo portrait with a caption can attract the attention of readers several times more than a short article on the same topic.
Unusual shot. An ordinary event can be effectively filmed using non-traditional methods, including unusual angles, the use of special photographic equipment, etc.
Humorous illustrations. A photograph that makes the editor snort with laughter usually has the same effect on the reader.
Genre shots. Well shot, they are especially good on the first page.
Color. Draws attention and allows you to look for more opportunities for using illustrations. 6
framing
The planning of the illustrations, the excellent work of the photographer, the excellent caption, the successful layout of the strip - all this loses its value if the photos are cropped poorly.
1. When framing a picture, choose the filled parts - the "heart" of the picture - and get rid of empty spaces.
2. Keep the original composition: if the picture was taken vertically, leave it that way. You can change the composition only with great care.
3. Save the compositional center of the picture. If a group of people is photographed, two of which are looking in the center, and the third is looking somewhere to the side, the last one can be cut out.
4. Keep your shot rectangular. Check that the horizon line, the lines of the houses are parallel or perpendicular to the sides of the photo and that the people in it are not tilted to the right or left.
5. Each illustration should be easy to "read". When a schema is required, make it. If an arrow will help point the right person in the crowd, use the arrow. If you need to mark the new college building in the photo, make it in font using the overlay.
6. Avoid cutouts. When a photo is cut out, it is more difficult for the reader to perceive it, especially if part of the captured event is removed.
7. Experiment with pictures in unusual sizes, such as one 10-inch column or six 2-inch columns, to engage the reader and add variety to the layout of the newspaper.
8. Consider the size of the pictures. There is not much difference in the impact of 5-column and 6-column photographs. But the difference in the impact of 2- and 3-column shots is huge. Sometimes it is useful to reduce the number of shots per strip and increase the remaining shots.
9. You can not crop people's heads in pictures, even partially. The crown, ears, chin - the absence of these body parts in the heroes of the picture irritates readers. There are almost no exceptions to this rule.
10. Look for a series of photographs, especially people. The governor at a meeting of the city council, the president of the city club, the politician watching the counting of votes, etc. The viewer catches only the moment of action, the newspaper must be able to catch facial expressions. 7
Conclusion
In the course of the course work, we solved all the tasks set for ourselves:
- They defined the concept of "photo essay" and studied its types
There are three types of photography:
- A) chronicle photo essay;
etc.................
The turn of the century is characterized by a significant acceleration in the pace of historical development. Relations between countries are expanding, the mutual influence of the most diverse processes and spheres of human activity is deepening, sharp social changes are taking place, and many millions of people are being drawn into the active “creation of history”. All this has a direct impact on the quantitative growth of information that the press should give. With the growth of the produced journalistic information, the audience consuming it also grows. Or an increase in the audience demanding new information, stimulates the development of media and propaganda.
Today, photo illustrations have become an integral part of the graphic appearance of a newspaper page and have artistic value in themselves. They carry additional information, convey the mood or atmosphere of the events described in the article, draw attention to the material, break up the text, stop the moment and allow you to study it in a way that a moving image would not allow. A photograph can perform various functions in a newspaper; it accompanies and illustrates textual material - correspondence, an article, a chronicle (hence the origin of the term itself: lat. illustrare - to clarify) - and is inextricably linked with the text.
Photo reports in in social networks are not very popular. In the conditions of the modern pace of life, it is much easier for the reader to go to informational portal and view the information of interest to him at home, on the road from his phone, or tablet computer, or at work. While standing in the subway, he is unlikely to unfold a 36-page newspaper, A3 format.
We did a little research. It was possible to interview 100 people, in the age category from 18 to 37 years. It turned out that 55% of the public is attracted by photo reports in online publications, and only 45% remain faithful to print media. (22) Upon deeper analysis, we found that 80% buy newspapers and magazines out of habit, or because they like the smell of printing ink, or because “grandparents used to do that,” but in fact they mostly use the internet. The remaining 20% really think printed matter more practical in everyday life. (23)
At the moment, according to some Russian photographers, the development of the media is largely due to the photo. In a sense, this is the engine of modern journalism. In American newspapers, high-quality photo reports have long occupied the main, dominant place. The role of photography is great. But unfortunately in Russia there are a number of problems. First, funding. Not every media outlet can afford a photo editor and a worthy photojournalist. This degrades the quality of the photo information. Secondly- Lack of proper education. “Live and learn!”, as we know. The problem is that many people, taking elementary, "empty" photographs, begin to consider themselves masters of photography. It should not be forgotten that there are many talents. But at the moment, to their great disappointment, they have nowhere to develop and learn. And this problem, of course, can and should be solved.
According to James Hill, an outstanding photojournalist whose work can be found in the Russian Reporter, today it is very difficult to find a place to publish your materials. It can be said that the space for good photojournalism is now limited. And this applies not only to Russia. The modern world is dominated by the glossy press. Good photo reports are replaced by stories about the life of stars, stories from the world of show business and pop music. The same problems exist now in Russia.
Also, do not forget that the most noticeable influence on the development of modern photojournalism has technological progress. By its nature, photography is completely dependent on technology, unlike, for example, drawing, where, in the absence of pencil and paper, you can draw with charcoal on the wall. Photography is impossible without a camera. Improving photographic equipment today allows you to shoot more, in better quality and in more difficult conditions. Permissible sensitivity in professional cameras makes it possible to shoot motion at night without using a flash, make strong framing and just experiment more. The development of related devices (satellite phones, communication devices) allows news photographers to transmit information much more quickly. These opportunities, in turn, have greatly changed the idea of what is considered a temporary norm for delivering a photo to a consumer. So, from major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games or football matches, photos come almost online. The camera is directly or via Wi-Fi connected to the computers at which the editors sit, one of them selects the pictures, the second signs, the third checks the signatures and sends. In such conditions, competing photo agencies sometimes count by seconds.
The expansion of the creative possibilities of photojournalists is directly related to the development of technology. Reporters began to shoot wider in the truest sense of the word, much more often using wide angle lenses to include more space in the frame. Of course, not only close-ups were shot before, but now it has become a trend. Now you can take pictures with more detail. In the old days, mainly magazine photographers could afford this - on a newspaper page due to technical features Printing of many details was simply not visible. Almost all newspapers were in black and white, and photographs based on color lost their advantage. Now in newspapers, as we know, it has become possible to publish color photographs and see the details of the picture. Consequently, it became possible to shoot wider.
Therefore, the difference between newspaper photography and magazine photography is increasingly leveled.
Traditionally, magazine photographers have had more time to comprehend the material, to select and process. "Novostniki" began to shoot in much the same way, only faster. It is indicative that in the most authoritative photojournalism contest World Press Photo, news photographers are increasingly winning not in news categories, moreover, not with single photos, but with themes.
However, efficiency can also be a disadvantage. Not being able to delve into the event, devote a lot of time to it, the photographer shoots, so to speak, only “tops - the main action, but does not shoot around. Orders for complex topics requiring long-term research have become several orders of magnitude smaller. Although it is precisely these topics that have always been and continue to be the most interesting for both the viewer and photographers - topics that push the boundaries of photography and people's knowledge in a particular issue. Striving for such shootings, photographers are increasingly doing them not by order of the editors, but on their own initiative, with money received through grants, sponsorship contributions or at their own expense. In other words, photography began to use financial schemes that are more common in the arts than in the media environment.
Once upon a time in the periodicals the event was illustrated with only one photograph, it had to be as capacious as possible in content. The Internet made it possible to give as many photos as needed from one event, the viewer got the opportunity to independently decide how much to watch.
Not only online media, but even search engines such as yahoo, put out their slideshows, making collections of photos from a certain period and on different topics. As a result, the visual range grows indefinitely. More recently, such collections included ten to twenty pictures, now their number can reach up to 100 or more. The mosaic nature of the set, an overabundance of small details form a certain idea in our head, but a single image does not work out. The photographer no longer tries to look for a frame-symbol, does not strive to be visually concise. Unfortunately, this can and does lead to a deterioration in the level of photography. But even worse is that nice photos begin to get lost among so many passing frames.
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