For my photo essay, I would like to take audiences on a journey to adidas x Kanye West’s, Yeezy Season 4 show on Roosevelt Island. The essay will begin with an intro into how one got invited to the show, and how the entire day unfolded.
The most important aspect of the project in my opinion is the ability to storytell, so I took photos at the show (that I already attended) in a way that would allow the audience to get a well-rounded idea of what all happened. It will also give fashion a more behind the scenes perspective.
Often times, the fashion industry maintain a very glossy and glamourous look from the outside, however, those who work within it understand that inorder to reach that glossy point, there is a lot of blood, sweat, and too many tears that go into it beforehand.
I want to showcase both sides of that in my photo essay. I hope you guys enjoy it.
I would like to do the photo essay on a gentleman that works as a bus driver for New York City Transit Authority by day and as a disc jockey by night. He has invited me to start interviewing and shooting photos on Saturday, September 10, 2016. As discussed in class, I will keep you updated as the information unfolds.
I’d like to do my photo essay on a tattoo artist. I didn’t get in touch with any artist as of yet, but I’d like to speak to multiple artists and get a feel of them. I want to learn more about why they became a tattoo artist and why they are passionate about it. Also, I’d like to get pictures of the clients and their tattoo if they allow photos to be taken and also ask why they are getting this tattoo that they’re getting if they are willing to participate.
Tattoos use to be looked down upon, but now many people are getting them. I want to look more into why people have changed their mindsets and why they are getting more “popular” and how people are more open to the idea of one having or getting a tattoo.
For my Photo Essay Project, I am going to discuss the “Vendy Awards” -an event known as the Oscars for Food Trucks. The food truck industry has grown at a rampant pace and has changed the way people eat – quick, small and fun. In a busy city like New York, the food truck industry is set up to succeed as everybody is always in rush. This food is portable which allows for quick mobility as well as multi-tasking or skipping a lunch break if necessary.
In regards to why I am interested in focusing my project on this space is because I generally tend to describe myself as a “foodie.” In fact, when I took a Public Affairs course at Baruch, my policy pitch focused on the sanitary issues faced by the food truck industry. Moreover, when I lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, I became interested in attending food truck events that took place very Friday in my neighborhood.
I think the opportunity to speak to and photograph goers next to a variety of the top tier food trucks and ask what makes food trucks attractive to them and why they resort to food trucks over restaurants will help me paint the picture of the cultural impact the food truck industry has made. Also, the fact that there even is an event of this sort should speak to the growth. Therefore, I’d like to photograph the entire event in landscape view as well.
Lastly, to gain perspective, I’d like to interview and photograph managers representing different trucks and ask for their take on industry trends, sanitation issues, policies, licensing & government regulation. I’d like to find out the benefits of a truck versus a sit down eatery and what truly led them to opening a truck given the amount of risks they need to undertake to succeed.
Here are some basic rules and guidelines of composition in photography to keep in mind as you start developing your eye:
1. The Rule of Thirds.
If you pay attention to only one element of composition, the rule of thirds should be it. If you start shooting with this “rule” in mind, your pictures will look a lot better immediately.
The general idea is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. If you place the main points of interest in your photo where the lines intersect, or along the lines themselves, your image will be far more visually interesting than if you just put the subject smack in the middle. Studies have shown that composing photos this way draws the human eye far more effectively.
Screen Shot: Google ImagesCredit: Emily H. JohnsonCredit: Emily H. Johnson
2. Use color.
Black and white photography is a beautiful art form, but in photojournalism, most of the time you’ll be shooting in color. It helps to know what combinations of color to look for if you want your images to really pop.
Credit: Steve McCurry
You probably recognize this photo. Known as Afghan Girl, it is one of National Geographic’s most iconic images and was taken by color master Steve McCurry. One of the reasons this relatively simple picture is so stunning and so well-known is the colors: red and green, which fall on opposite sides of the color wheel.
Credit: Wikipedia
Opposite colors, paired together, can make each other look more vibrant. Notice how the green of the girl’s eyes is picked up by the wall behind her and set off by the rusty red of her scarf.
Images with variations on the same color, known as monochromatic images, can also be quite striking:
Credit: Emily H. JohnsonCredit: Emily H. JohnsonScreen Shot: Google Images
3. Capture the decisive moment.
“The decisive moment” is a term that was coined by renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. It refers to that fleeting instant that photographers love to capture: When someone leans in for a kiss, when a soccer player connects with with the ball, or when a protester throws a rock. If you aren’t ready with your finger on the shutter, you’ll miss the moment. If Bresson had taken this photo a split second earlier or later, it would have been a very ordinary photo of a man walking through a puddle.
Credit: Henri Cartier-Bresson
Another decisive moment, this one also by “Afghan Girl” photographer Steve McCurry.
Credit: Steve McCurryCredit: Emily H. Johnson
4. Leading lines.
Leading lines are lines that move the eye from one part of the image to another part, or sometimes out of the image. They add a sense of drama and perspective, so it’s always good to be on the lookout for roads, bridges, fences, shorelines and the like.
Credit: Emily H. JohnsonCredit: Emily H. JohnsonScreen Shot: Google Images
5. Symmetry and patterns.
Symmetry and patterns exist everywhere, both in nature and man-made sights. Looking for repetitions and symmetries, while staying alert to things that then break those very patterns (especially on the thirds!) is a sure way to make an arresting image.
Credit: Emily H. JohnsonA moment of political passion breaks out amongst tens of thousands who gathered for a pre-election protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Credit: Amanda Mustard
6. Layers.
Another great way to make sure your images are visually interesting is to keep an eye out for what’s happening up close, in the middle distance, and far away. Think in layers. If you can frame your shots so that interesting things are happening in the background as well as at your focal point five feet away, you’re onto something.
Credit: Henri Cartier-Bresson
Layers will be one of your greatest tools as a photojournalist, because layers add context. They tell a story.
Credit: Emily H. JohnsonCredit: Emily H. Johnson
This is a famous photograph by South African photojournalist Kevin Carter. He won a Pulitzer Prize for this image, which showed the effects of the 1993 famine in Sudan.
Credit: Kevin Carter
“Photojournalism” means you’re telling a story, not just taking a picture.
7. Get close. Then, get even closer.
Photographer Robert Capa famously said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” Proximity with your subjects makes for more powerful and intimate photos. Don’t be afraid to get right in someone’s face with your camera. It may feel intrusive and strange at first, but a huge part of being a reporter is engaging with people and making them feel comfortable.
What’s the process like? How do you go about shoving a camera in someone’s face?
Hello, JRN 3510 students! This class blog is where you’ll pitch stories, submit drafts, publish your edited stories, and workshop each other’s projects and ideas. I will also post my lectures here so that you can refer back to them.
What does “multimedia” journalism mean and how is it changing?
Traditional forms like writing, radio and broadcast have moved online and can complement each other when it comes to telling a complete, dyanamic story.
Snow Fall: revolutionary in 2012, now this type of interactive multimedia-heavy layout is fairly common.
The old forms of traditional media still exist, but they have adapted to new methods of delivery and consumption.
Radio stories on the air –> downloadable/streamable podcasts
TV news –> online video (compositional framing changes, video length changes, formatting optimized for mobile)
Newspaper-style photography and landscape orientation –> Instagram and Snapchat (portrait orientation contains more information)
The availability of online multimedia content has also made aggregation easy (tweet roundups, etc.) and helped to create a click-driven economy. Twitter and other social platforms have changed the way news breaks.
