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4.2 | Storytelling through Photos
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STEP 1 - LEARN View this presentation to learn about how to capture storytelling photos and take notes.
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PLAN FOR SUCCESS But take WAY more than those 10-15. Plan ahead
Plan at least PHOTOS for every spread But take WAY more than those every spread needs DOMINANT photo Plan ahead for a good dominant photo. vary photo SIZES & SHAPES on the spread Consider all contrast options
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DIVERSITY IS KEY Diversify storytelling photo content: action, reaction, & illustrations Create photo visual variety: size & shape, single- & multi-subject, artistic composition
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ACTION Jonah Boatman, Westlake High School [TX]
We are going to be looking at photos that were all taken by 6-12th grade students. Each of the following photos was entered into the Jostens Photo Contest. This photo required the photographer to use a fast shutter speed to capture the action without any blurriness. Notice that the photographer was lower than the subject. This is called a worms-eye view. Lastly, the photographer probably set the camera to take many photos per minute. This allowed him to delete all but the best photo – this one. Jonah Boatman, Westlake High School [TX]
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LIGHTING Trevor Munch, Ward Melville High School [NY]
The beautiful lighting and expression on the dancer’s face make this photo a winner. It is not possible to capture this range of lights and darks if a flash is used. Experiment with your camera so you learn to take good photos without a flash. Trevor Munch, Ward Melville High School [NY]
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RULE OF THIRDS This photo utilizes a shallow depth of field, which you can see because the foreground is crisp and the background is intentionally blurry. The photographer used an SLR camera set to a large aperture to accomplish the shallow depth of field. This photographer also successfully utilized the Rule of Thirds, which allows the viewer’s eye to flow around the photo. The Rule of Thirds is when a photo is divided in thirds horizontally and vertically. The center of interest should land on one of the intersections the lines.
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PLAN AHEAD | THINK CREATIVELY
Planning is key to taking extraordinary photos. This photographer had to think ahead about where the action would be and how to get the most dramatic shot. In this case it was a birds-eye view of this impressive trust-fall. Dani Najafi, Fletcher Academy [NC]
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ACADEMICS Matti Botti, Bryant High School [AR]
Seize every possible opportunity to photograph academics in interesting ways. Experiments, group projects, and class presentations offer opportunities to take interesting photos. Matti Botti, Bryant High School [AR]
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ACTION | QUALITY Amanad Pankhurst, Amboy High School [IL]
Intense eye-contact and crisp detail make this photo a show stopper. The photographer needed to plan ahead to get to a place where action was expected. She also got down low to capture a worm’s-eye view. As if she wasn’t thinking about enough, she also had to consider the background of the photo. See how there aren’t a lot of distractions? She planned that and found a spot where she had the clearest background. Amanad Pankhurst, Amboy High School [IL]
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REACTION Charlie Hunnicutt, Bryant High School [AR]
Strong reactions are difficult to capture but are the difference between a good photo and a great one. Charlie Hunnicutt, Bryant High School [AR]
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REACTION Nathan Kallison, Westlake High School [TX]
As you photograph the events in your school, try to capture the feeling behind them. The photographer cropped this photo close to eliminate distracting details at the edges of the photo frame and highlight the emotion. Nathan Kallison, Westlake High School [TX]
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LEADING LINES | STORYTELLING
Sometimes rules are made to be broken. In this case, the photographer ignored the Rule of Thirds and placed the CVI in the middle of the photograph. It works. Because of this compositional decision, we see more of the surroundings and the cracks in the road create leading lines that emphasize the importance of the subject. Each detail in this photo makes the viewer want to read to find out what is happening. Good photography should do exactly that – make your viewer want to find out more. Dillon Blood, Trinity High School [TX]
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COLOR | STORYTELLING Elizabeth Yee, Horizon High School [AZ]
This storytelling photo kind of has it all – action, reaction, three students and a teacher, striking colors and a classroom experience. Elizabeth Yee, Horizon High School [AZ]
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DEPTH OF FIELD Diana Albrecht, Tartan High School [MN]
The shallow depth-of-field and Rule of Thirds, plus crisp detail, beautiful smiles and lovely colors all work together to make a lovely photo. Notice the background. It could have been very busy and distracting, but by using a shallow depth of field, the background gets blurry and doesn’t detract from the girls. Diana Albrecht, Tartan High School [MN]
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ILLUSTRATION Claire Niemeier, Wrightstown High School [WI]
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EVERYDAY MOMENTS Abbie Lopez, Crain’s Creek Middle School [NC]
This photo, taken by middle schooler, shows the power of everyday moments. As a photographer, you should ALWAYS have your camera with you. Notice, too how the photographer changed the angle to get rid of anything distracting in the background (houses, cars, other kids). The sky makes a great backdrop for the child and isn’t distracting. Also notice how much more fun this photo is because the photographer took it from a worm’s-eye view. Abbie Lopez, Crain’s Creek Middle School [NC]
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CROPPING TIPS Crop out all unnecessary information from the photo. Every inch of space should help tell the story. Crop from the inside out. Instead of cropping from the edges inward, focus on the part of the photo you know you want, then slowly move outward from your center of interest to include only the parts of the photo you need. Crop out the rest.
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Think about how the photo interacts with the shape of the photo box.
PROPORTIONS The lighting and expression in this photo are beautiful, and that makes up for a lot. However, the photo simply is not as powerful when we try to force it into a vertical photo box. Look at how much better the horizontal works. Sometimes it is best to zoom into faces, especially when there is a great reaction like this one, but in this case we get more of the story by also seeing the surroundings. vs. Think about how the photo interacts with the shape of the photo box. Trevor Munch, Ward Melville High School [NY]
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Consider how thoughtful cropping can help you tell the story.
STORYTELLING The lighting and expression in this photo are beautiful, and that makes up for a lot. However, the photo simply is not as powerful when we try to force it into a vertical photo box. Look at how much better the horizontal works. Sometimes it is best to zoom into faces, especially when there is a great reaction like this one, but in this case we get more of the story by also seeing the surroundings. vs. Consider how thoughtful cropping can help you tell the story. Taylor Lockhoof, James Bowie High School [TX]
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CROPPING DO’S AND DON’TS
Look at the background. Does it tell a story or does it distract from the Center of Interest? Avoid cropping at the neck. Avoid placing the CVI in the middle of the photo. Avoid cropping at joints Laura Gilligan, Westlake High School [TX]
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AHHH. THIS IS BETTER. Laura Gilligan, Westlake High School [TX]
The background adds to the story told by the photo, so we kept it.. Everyone has a head! The CVI is placed using the Rule of Thirds. Everyone has their ankles and other joints! Laura Gilligan, Westlake High School [TX]
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PHOTOJOURNALISM ETHICS:
As tempting as it may be, it is unethical to change the content of photos you publish. VERY rarely: Remove people or objects using photo editing software (e.g. put in a person who missed a group photo) Flip images (e.g. make someone face a different direction) Make any content changes to the photo (e.g. change the color of someone’s eyes) See more in the photo ethics 7-Minute Starter.
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National Press Photographers Association
CODE OF ETHICS National Press Photographers Association This is an incomplete list. Go to nppa.org/code_of_ethics to learn more. Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects. Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities. Avoid stereotyping and avoid presenting your own biases in work. Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events. Do not manipulate image in anyway that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
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IN OTHER WORDS… Your goal as a photographer is to tell the story of an event while acting respectfully and purposefully. While at an event: Get in on the action, but respect the rights of coaches, directors, and participants to ask you to stop, not use flash, get out of their line of site, etc. Do not interfere with or stage action. Communicate with coaches, directors and participants so they know who you are and what you are doing. If possible, wear a Yearbook Staff or Official Photographer t-shirt so your purpose is obvious.
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WHEN EDITING… When you are touching up photos using an editing software after an event, remember: You may not alter the image to misrepresent the individual or action of a photo. Minimal edits are okay as long as the integrity of the original photo stays intact – it is still the same photo, just minimally enhanced.
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ILLUSTRATION Parker Pamplin, Bryant High School [AR]
A photo illustration is any photo that has been modified with the use of a program like Adobe Photoshop. This photo, which is actually several photos merged together, is obviously an illustration, but sometimes illustrations can be quite subtle. Technically, any time something is done to a photo that could not have been done in a dark room, it is a photo illustration and must be identified as such. Parker Pamplin, Bryant High School [AR]
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ILLUSTRATION Whitney Butler, Bryant High School [AR]
This photo is clearly manipulated using Photoshop (unless the gentleman photographed is part of a group of triplets!), but it is used for illustrative purposes. This is considered ethical because the edits are obvious, not sneaky. Whitney Butler, Bryant High School [AR]
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BE RESPECTFUL Celeste Fowler, Ola Middle School [GA]
This awesome photo shows a lot personality and a behind-the-scenes look at what appears to be girls in the bathroom at a beauty pageant. The photographer is to be commended for thinking outside the box. However, it is extremely important that the photographer asked permission to take photos of the girls in the bathroom, and that the background of the photo was checked carefully. A yearbook photo should NEVER embarrass a person, especially when the photo is taken in an area that is typically considered private. Lawsuits could, and have, resulted from situations that did not work out as well as this photo, so BE CAREFUL! Celeste Fowler, Ola Middle School [GA]
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ILLUSTRATION Rena Andrews, Lincoln County High School [TN]
Another type of illustration photograph is one that illustrates an idea or concept but has not necessarily been touched by a program like Photoshop. This photo shows a student with her self portrait, illustrating the idea of art, art classes, and drawing. Rena Andrews, Lincoln County High School [TN]
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USING PHOTOS Several factors should be considered when selecting photos for a spread. Show-stopping quality Variety Inclusive coverage Action and interaction
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DOMINANT PHOTOS James Bowie High School [TX]
Dominant photos should be selected for their storytelling potential. Photos that are less interesting should take up less space on the layout. Notice how the headline reflects the content of the photo. This is called a verbal/visual connection. James Bowie High School [TX]
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VARIETY Palos Verdes High School [CA]
Notice the variety of cropping techniques used on this page. It is important to include a variety of sizes and shapes in every layout, but to ALWAYS include a clearly dominant photo and consistent spacing. Palos Verdes High School [CA]
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INCLUSIVE COVERAGE Stillwater High School [MN]
This layout includes photos about jobs. Looking at the topic from a variety of angles, along with photographing outside of the standard school day, allowed the Stillwater high school yearbook staff to include about 41 students on this uncrowded page. Stillwater High School [MN]
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CAPTURE ACTION Westmoore High School [OK]
Notice how every photo on this science page shows students doing something. The Westmoore High School yearbook staff also did a great job of including a wide variety of students through both photos and quotes. Westmoore High School [OK]
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CUT OUT BACKGROUNDS (COBS)
Cut Out Background (COB) photos continue to be a hot trend. The Round Rock High School staff carefully removed the backgrounds around photos at the top of the page, adding visual interest to their layout. They also did a great job including lots of student through the use of a photo strip at the bottom of the page. Round Rock High School [TX]
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STEP 2 - PRACTICE Demonstrate your knowledge of photographic storytelling by completing Exit Ticket 4.2 – Photo Checkup.
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STEP 3 - USE Gather more photos for the yearbook by completing Start Right Activity 4.2 – Tell the Story. All photos from this week are due at the end of class in lesson 4.4. Review of your photos will take place in lesson 4.5.
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