Journalism 2300:News Photography

Week FiveFebruary 20, 2012

Announcements

• Extra Credit:

To be a better photographer…

…you need to take a lot of photos!

The week in pictures

• MSNBC:– http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3842331/

Let’s look at yourMajor Assignment I: Feature

photo• Overall excellent variety of shots• Impressed with your growth as

photographers!• Remember: Constructive criticism• Need a “news hook” for photos• Put name at end of caption• Put photograph want graded first in album• Bracket, bracket, bracket!• Need to answer 5Ws and H in caption• Get familiar with Associated Press

Stylebook!

Tessa Grumstrep rocks out with her dance class on Feb. 8 at Madill Performing Arts Center. Her class teaches her the fundamentals of dance.Strong composition. Good energy. A hint of red eye? Posed? A little more in caption: city where she’s from, where Madill .

Duluth tourism continues to flourish during the winter months in Canal Park. Tourists brave the winds from Lake Superior to take in the sights in Canal Park.

Excellent composition, exposure. Posed? Who is she? When photo taken? Winds?

Brittany Drees takes a picture of her brother- and sister-in-law, Troy and Kim Drees, in front of a frigid Lake Superior on Feb. 10. The three, along with Brittany's husband, Jeff, were visiting from the Twin Cities to attend the North Dakota-UMD hockey games.

Another strong composition, excellent exposure! Excellent caption, except where taken?

Maleeah Guthrie (left) and Nicole Swanson (right) are just one of many that spent Saturday afternoon on Feb. 11 looking for a new pet at Animal Allies Humane Society.  The Humane Society has filled up with pets lately as take-ins for gone up.  Adoption is just one way for pets like these cats to find a new home.Strong composition, excellent exposure except difficult to see cat: need caption to fill in blanks. Excellent caption information, except where Humane Society?

Michelle Berg serves beverages to students as they await the start of Dining for Success in the UMD Ballroom. This event was hosted by UMD Career Services on Feb. 9th, 2012 to teach dining ettiquette. Berg works with the UMD catering service.

Strong composition. Good action, use of depth of field. Style errors!

A group of young girls lend a hand sweeping the ice at Congdon Park Elementary School's skating rinks on Saturday Feb. 11th.

Tells story, good movement. Who are they? Exposure tricky on bright day. Crop tighter!

The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra held their annual Lollipops concert this weekend on Feb. 12. Finished with her dance numbers onstage, dancer Laura Grieme struck a pose in celebration as she headed for her dressing room to grab a quick bite to eat and wait for the show's final bow.

Stronger to see her face! Flash causes bright spot. No clear focal point.

SUNSET STROLL: A couple holds hands while enjoying a stroll along the Duluth Lakewalk near Leif Erickson Park before dusk on Feb. 12. With bare trees and no snow on the ground, winter looks like autumn.

Strong composition. Tricky exposure with foreground. Who are they?

A herd of deer search for food in a field that lies next to the trainyard in the industrial park of Duluth, MN.  Corridors under the freeway that are not blocked allow the deer to tread dangerously close to trains, cars, and industrial machinery.

Excellent composition, exposure. Strong focal point. Could crop from bottom. When taken?

Sandy, a cross between a hound dog and beagle, is taken for a walk around the lake at least once a week for some good exercise accompanied by her owner Glen Freeman.  On this particular Monday, Feb. 13 it was a little chilly, "so Sandy gets to wear her favorite pink sweater," said Freeman. 

Strong composition, exposure. Where’s owner? Excellent caption, except need location.

Kitten relaxes in his safe haven, an old Grain Belt beer box as the day gets underway.

Strong composition. Good exposure. Need a lot more info in caption: where taken? When? Who owns cat?

Mallerd ducks arrive early to Canal Park on Feb. 12th. Lake Superior provides them with open water this winter.

Good composition. Tricky exposure: flash could help. Unclear focal point. Style errors!

Residents near Arrowhead road and Lakeview drive scraped together enough snow to make some reindeer. The unusually warm temperatures and lack of precipitation is a change from recent years in the Twin Ports.Tricky exposure; sun spot distracting. Reindeer? Where taken? When?

An Ironic history board stands on the Canal Park walk way on a 35 degree Feb.13th afternoon.While Lake Superior lays iceless for the majority of the winter thus far.

Interesting angle; What’s focal point? Caption errors!

The sun rises over the Duluth harbor on the morning of 2/13/12.  Sunrise was at 7:16 am.

Strong composition; good exposure. Pretty colors! Need more in caption: why photo taken? What’s the news hook?

Home owners at 4723 Gladstone Street decorate their yard with bowling balls using rebar.

Interesting subject! Good exposure. What’s focal point? Why? Where? Style errors!

St. Paul native and antique collector Stephen Ketchmark added a barbers chair to his collection two years ago and has since turned his garage into a free Barber Shop for his friends and neighbors.

Soft focus; focal point? Person in photo would make it much stronger; when taken?

Outside UMD's Chemistry building, water freezes when it comes out of the drain.  This is especially surprising this winter, as it is the second warmest winter on record.

Good composition. When taken? Why?

According to Duluth City Parks regulations, alcohol is not permitted in parks without a liquor permit, yet the bottles and cans pile on brown park grass. This time of year, most of the trash is covered in snow until spring clean up is organized.

Interesting angle; good exposure; when taken? Bottles? Where taken?

Let’s critique each others’ work

• Work in small groups to review your classmates’ work

• Discuss where you took the photos, and challenges you faced/overcomed

Day in Pictures

• San Francisco Chronicle Web site at:– http://www.sfgate.com/

Upcoming major assignments

Major Assignment II: Portraits/Personality* Due 6 pm on Monday, February 27

Major Assignment III: Winter Events* Due 6 pm on Monday, March 19

Major Assignment IV: Sports* Due 6 pm on Monday, March 26

Major Assignment V: Spot News* Due 6 pm on Monday, April 9

Chapter 17: History

• The Daily Graphic:– First illustrated daily newspaper

• Difficult process– 5 by 7 inch plates– Cumbersome equipment– Days to develop– Artists drew replicas!

51

Evolution of printing process

• Halftone screens– Ordered dot pattern, held against screen– First halftone in Canadian Illustrated

News, 1871

• Full-bleed photographs by 1900• First photograph on front page of

New York Times in 1910• Skeptics questioned power of

photographs52

Jimmy Hare

• Born in London, came to U.S. in 1889• Freelance photographer from 1896-

98 for Illustrated American• After leaving, went on to photograph

battleship Maine explosion• Covered Spanish-American war• First flight at Kitty Hawk

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Women enter field

• Frances Benjamin Johnston– Documented early educational methods

in schools– Bain News Service in Washington, D.C.

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National Geographic

• First issue in 1888: No photographs• 1903: Ran first halftone• 1905: First photo spread unbroken by

text

55

Photographers as reformers

• Jacob Riis/Lewis Hine– Exposed slum conditions for immigrants– Led to child labor laws

• Immigrants could understand photographs published in tabloids

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Weegee: King of crime photographers

• Arthur Fellig• Police radio, lived near police station• “New York City was his working

space, night was his time, and violence was his specialty”

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Esther Bubley

• Golden age of photographers• From Superior, Wi.• http://www.estherbubley.com/

Let’s look at the book…

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Chapter 5: Portraits

• Photojournalists shoot both posed, candid portraits

• Don’t need elaborate lighting, staging

• Waiting for the moment

Helping your subject feel comfortable

• Not everyone likes having their picture taken: Do you?

• Talk it over• Look your subjects in the eye• Study your subjects• Wait until subject tired of posing!

– Be a bore!

Using light to tell the story

• High key effect:– Brightly lit, with few shadows– Wedding photographs

• More moody effect with shadows• To add depth to a subject’s face

– Main light on side of the face• Look for unusual light sources

– Streetlight, projector, diffused lighting

Compositional elements add impact

• Each situation is different• Close-up versus scene-setter• Avoid busy backgrounds

– Check depth of field– Look for unique lighting source

• Props can help tell the story

Provide clues to the “inner person”

• Face: Assumed to be “mirror of the soul”

• Facial expressions:– Response to the current situation

• Mary Ellen Mark:– Never asks subjects to smile– http://www.maryellenmark.com/

Preconceiving the photo

• When photographing a librarian, do you need to show books?

• Come with an idea of what you’ll photograph, but be ready to try something new

Environmental portrait

• Details tell the story• Technically not different from

traditional portraits• Shows person in their environment• Background the key: Use wide angle

lens, maximum depth of field• Arnold Newman:

– http://www.arnoldnewmanarchive.com/

Psychological portraits

• Build photograph with subject• Annie Leibovitz

– Imagines what photograph will look like– Goes beyond traditional portrait– http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmaste

rs/episodes/annie-leibovitz/photo-gallery/19/

Group portraits

• Show all the faces– Takes careful planning

• Soft light works best

Let’s look at images in book

• Josh Meltzer:– Former Duluth News-Tribune

photographer– http://www.joshmeltzer.com/– Page 95

Photography lingo

• Shoot: take photos• Sharp photo: in focus• Soft: out of focus; not sharp• Flat light: Even, with no highlights• Bracket: Take several shots of same scene

at different exposures• Shoot a lot of frames!

– Take a lot of photos – memory cards are cheap!

Major Assignment II:Portraits/Personality

Photograph• Environmental photograph of a

person in an appropriate setting• Photographs due: Monday, February

27• Brainstorm ideas!

Using Picasa, send a link with your best photos to: lkragnes@d.umn.edu

• Ideas!• Duluth Pack• Teacher• Coach• Zookeeper• Hairstylist• Police officer• Farmers• Fisherman• Construction worker• Bowler• Runner• Athlete• Uncle Louies

• Animal allies• Veterinarian• Brides• Waiters/waitress• Bartender• Mail carrier• Musician• Candy maker Rocky

Mountain• Cold stone creamery• Barista• Surfer• Mime• astronaut

• The mall• Subway• Caribou Coffee• Server• Animal shelter• Historical building• Church• Mailman• Kitchen at restaurant• Library• Daycare worker• Spirit mountain• aquarium

Carry your camera with you!

Let’s be inspired by Yosemite Horsetail “Lava”

Waterfall

In-class assignment

• Working in groups at your table, find 5 environmental photographs

• Go to Newseum.org• Each area assigned a part of the world!• Survey front pages in your area that readily

shows an environmental/personality portrait• Working together, save to your desktop as a pdf• Have one member of your group write an email

listing all members of the group and attach the pdfs to the email

• Send email to lkragnes@d.umn.edu

One person copy the pdfs and send to me in a

document• Put names of all classmates at top of

document• Share the area where you searched• Copy the pdfs• Clearly identify what they convey

Indoor sports photography

http://digital-photography-school.com/indoor-sports-photography#more-3754

More tips for sports photography

• http://www.nyip.com/ezine/sports/

And even more sports tips!

• http://jacobfuentes.com/2009/sports-photography-tips-and-tricks/

Picasa 3: Editing, selecting photos

• Set up Google Account: google.com• Go to: http://picasa.google.com/• Download Picasa 3• Upload photographs• Under File menu, select New Album• Type in Date/name of assignment• Select photos, drag to the album you created• Edit photos, put the final photo selection first in

album• Select the final photo, and write cutline where it

says: Write a caption!• NOTE: Add full name to the end of the caption

Sharing album with me

• Select the album you want to share• Click on the Share button on upper

right side of the album screen• Sign in to your Google account• In the Share Photos screen, in the To:

box type lkragnes@d.umn.edu

Reading Assignment for next week:

• Read Chapter: Multimedia• Read the Duluth News-Tribune!