The ability to use photos to describe, explain and reveal what the story is. What happens to the person, thing or situation? Who’s involved? Where? How? Why? When?
E.g. A high school volunteering group is helping a local food bank to clean up ice chests for transporting the food. Which of the following photo does a better storytelling job? Why?
|
|
1. Focal point
News writing use inverted pyramid to direct and attract readers to read the story: using lead as the first paragraph, and then the body. Good photojournalistic photo requires a strong focal point, a visually interesting element to lead readers to work as a lead. After that, to tell the story more, carefully adding more contributing elements to enrich the content of the photo.
2. Strong composition
Framing, shooting angle, location of elements in the frame, and timing of the action all contribute to composition of the photo.
 |
 |
|||
Clear & brief, straightforward, and to the point. Abstract photos, photos that require a lot of readers' imagination is not photojournalism.
E.g. Do not take photo of the sweat on the mat to show readers how exhausting a gymnastics training camp is (except if it is one of the many photos in a photo story).
Which of the following photos is a more concise photo for reporting a rainy day?
 |
 |
Stick with facts, real happenings. Journalism is to tell readers what is really happening, credibility has to be based on facts. Fictional photos should be avoided.
Try to get photos of people doing real things at real moments. Pose portrait should be used as a second option.
 |
 |
|||
Be an observer and outsider; avoid letting personal feeling or opinion affect the outcome of your photo. (e.g. Even if you vote for democrat, do not purposely make MaCain look bad and Obama look good)
E.g. Which of the following photos gives a bad impression to readers on John McCain? Did you in some way opinionated your photo?
 |
 |
For breaking news, the earliest to photograph the incident and distribute the image to the readers is the most paramount. (e.g. fire in progress)
For most feature or expected news, the timeliness might not be counting in seconds or minutes, but timeliness will still exist. (e.g. new Riverwalk path)
Which of the following photos has a better timely report on the accident?
 |
 |
|||