Our first readings from Kenneth Kobre’s Photojournalism, The Professionals’ Approach served as a significantly thorough introduction to photography. Although I have dabbled with photography before in previous courses, I had never really had the chance to read about it in great detail. I remember when I was young, I thought, you’re a photographer, big deal! In my mind, there was nothing more to it than aiming the camera at a subject and pressing that shutter. After reading about all of the thinking and planning that goes into taking a good photograph that will tell a complete story, I realize it’s not so black and white.
The readings in addition to the class lecture were definitely helpful when it came time to take some of my own photographs. After reading about different kinds of shots i.e. medium shots (tells the whole story, pg.14), close-ups (emphasizes one element to create drama, pg.14), and overall shots (paints a scene of the event, pg.13), I found myself putting more thought into every shot than ever before. I thought where should I stand, what elements should I leave in the frame, what elements should I leave out, which details pertaining to my subject would be most visually appealing in a photograph, what elements would tell the most complete story?
The readings, lecture, and in-class activity coupled together gave me a whole new respect and admiration for the work of photojournalists and photographers in general. Kobre’s tips, in my opinion, can quickly improve anyone’s ability to take a better picture, a more complete picture, even for a complete novice like myself!
Below I will highlight what I felt were some of the most helpful tips throughout the readings. Read these carefully and you can quickly be on your way to taking a more thoughtful and professional quality photograph than you ever thought possible!
1. Be present when your subject is engaged in some activity. This helps to avoid the posed portrait feel.
2. Think about the purpose and use of your photograph when deciding what kind of shot to take. For example, if you know only one of your photographs will be used in a publication, take a medium shot that tells the whole story.
3. Using different angles can give your photograph a different perspective.
4. This is a tough one. Because we are used to the kinds of pictures we might take with our friends or at a gathering, our tendency is to manage the scene by telling people where to stand and what to do. Kobre says “Rather than stage-managing pictures, photographers observe but do not direct” (pg.19).
5. Kobre also says, “come early and stay late” (pg.54). This way you can catch surprising photo-ops that might happen before and after the actual event takes place. Also, by doing this, you have the best chance of getting a spot near the subject that will provide a thorough and clear shot, something you might not get if you are stuck behind a huge crowd of other photographers.
6. Always look for good lighting.
7. Look for something that stands out, something enlightening, something shocking.
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