PHOTOJOURNALISM: THE GENERATION OF MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY
RAY ADRIAN C. MACALALAG
DISCUSSION OUTLINE I.
Photography VS Photojournalism
II. Basic Photography Terms and Concepts III. Choosing the Good Camera IV. Ethics and Reality V. Tips in Mobile Photography
PHOTOGRAPHY VS PHOTOJOURNALISM
PHOTOGRAPHY VS PHOTOJOURNALISM Photojournalism is photography but photography is not always photojournalism.
PHOTOGRAPHY VS PHOTOJOURNALISM PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOJOURNALISM
It is an art form where the artist has full autonomy on what he chooses to show the viewer.
It is photography in essence but the photograph must accurately portray an event while maintaining a quality composition
The photographer has very flexible timing and has opportunities to repeat a shot.
The photojournalist has to be at the right place at the right time.
THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY IS DIVERSE BUT NOTHING COULD COMPARE TO THE CHALLENGE OF PHOTOJOURNALISM
ERIC SCHAEFFER GETTY IMAGES
VERONIQUE DE VIGUERIE GETTY IMAGES
EGYPTIAN CHINESE UNIVERSITY
JEFF WIDENER ASSOCIATED PRESS
BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY TERMS AND CONCEPTS
APERTURE The aperture is a hole which controls the amount of light. In a camera, it can be adjusted to control the amount of light reaching the film or image sensor.
DEPTH OF FIELD Focus Point Focus Distance
Depth of Field
Focus Distance
Depth of Field
It is defined as the range of object distances within which objects are imaged with acceptable sharpness.
EXPOSURE It is the amount of light which reaches your camera sensor or film.
FLORIAN KURZ LIGHTSTALKING.COM
FOCAL LENGTH The focal length is the distance between the lens and the image sensor, usually stated in millimeters (e.g., 28 mm, 50 mm, or 100 mm). The shorter the focal length (e.g. 18 mm), the wider the angle of view and the greater the area captured.
IMAGE SENSOR OPTIMIZATION (ISO) It measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. In very basic terms, ISO is simply a camera setting that will brighten or darken a photo. Lower ISO
Higher ISO
SHUTTER SPEED Also known as exposure time, it is the length of time when the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light
UROS PUDLOGAR PHOTONEWS.CA
WHITE BALANCE White balance is the scale of adjustment of colors to match the color of the light source so that white objects appear white.
Warmer
Auto White Balance
Cooler
CHOOSING THE GOOD CAMERA
MEGAPIXELS Megapixels do not necessarily dictate the quality of photo you get. It refers to the size. Higher megapixels may do get the details you want but may also become too detailed to record noise and ultimately consume more memory.
300 ppi
75ppi
600ppi
It is the standard pixel concentration for publications. At this resolution, a 12MP photo could be printed at 13.3”x 10”.
The minimum tolerable resolution needed for printing tarpaulin posters. A 12MP photo could be printed at 4.5’ x 3.3’.
It is the standard pixel concentration for developing photos. A 12MP photo can be printed at 6.7”X5”.
MEMORY Memory is essential in order to store as many photos and videos you may need.
MP
File size (MB)
1GB
2GB
4GB
8GB
16GB
32GB
64GB
128GB
4MP
1.2
715
1430
2861
5722
11444
22888
45776
91552
5MP
1.5
572
1144
2288
4577
9155
18310
36620
73240
6MP
1.8
476
953
1907
3814
7629
15258
30516
61032
7MP
2.1
408
817
1634
3269
6539
13078
26156
52312
8MP
2.4
357
715
1430
2861
5722
11444
22888
45776
10MP
3.0
286
572
1144
2288
4577
9155
18310
36620
12MP
3.6
238
476
953
1907
3814
7629
15258
30516
14MP
4.2
204
408
817
1634
3269
6539
13078
26156
16MP
4.8
178
357
715
1430
2861
5722
11444
22888
22MP
6.6
130
260
520
1040
2080
4161
8322
16644
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Look for the following features in your next camera phone:
A good display means good resolution. AMOLED Displays offer good resolutions.
Greater battery life is essential each time an event is documented. Phones with at least 4,000mAh is recommended.
Bluetooth and/or infrared connectivity is also an essential for remote photography.
ETHICS AND REALITY
KEVIN CARTER THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE DILEMMA OF PHOTOJOURNALISM Documenting may lead to a lot of ethical discrepancies. Sometimes, in “how could he take a picture of this situation without providing any sort of help?” moments.
ALEPPO MEDIA CENTER
THE POWER OF PHOTOJOURNALISM Any form of censorship in every image of human suffering wouldn’t mean that the world is suddenly a better place.
THE DUTY OF A PHOTOJOURNALIST Photojournalists do not cause the suffering of the people they photograph, they are simply the messenger that document reality.
NOEL CELIS AFP
TIPS ON MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY
FOOT ZOOM Physically move to your subject. Not all phones are created equal. Zooming in destroys the quality and sharpness of your photo. Improve composition of photo by restricting the focus to your subject.
USE PROFESSIONAL MODE Most smartphone cameras already have professional modes where you can manually adjust ISO, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, etc.
LIGHT UP SUBJECT Be aware of the simple “against the light” angles.
Original Photo
Color Enhanced with Adobe Lightroom
DO NOT USE FLASH Using flash in covering events is a big distraction and is often considered rude. At night, if subjects are still, take a chance on night mode.
SHOOT WITH STABILITY If possible, accessorize with even just a simple tripod when shooting videos or long exposure shots.
PLAY WITH COMPOSITION Composition should always be on point. Here are some examples: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Rule of Thirds Balancing Leading Lines Patterns Viewpoint Framing
RULE OF THIRDS
RULE OF THIRDS
BALANCING
BALANCING
LEADING LINES
LEADING LINES
PATTERN
PATTERN
VIEWPOINT
CHARLIE CALAPARDO DPWH REGIONAL OFFICE VI
FRAMING
FRAMING
REMEMBER STORYTELLING The best shots are the shots which actually tell a story.
AVOID SUBJECTS FROM MAKING EYE CONTACT Eye contact can sometimes imply that the photo is staged.
PCOO
MANILA BULLETIN
PROCESS IMAGE After shooting, you may enhance the photos you took through available third-party apps.
PHOTOJOURNALISM: THE GENERATION OF MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY
RAY ADRIAN C. MACALALAG
www.rayaddesign.com