A picture says more than a thousand words. Do not tell this to a print journalist, but it is true that a well-chosen photo can be crucial in translating the message of an article. A click, a flash - and you got a picture, it is so easy. But does easy equal good?
So how do you actually take a good picture?
Do not despair; you can learn to take a stunning picture with the following basic rules.
Learn to use your camera!
There is nothing more frustrating than a blurry shot, even tough you have a good camera and it offers you a wide range of possibilities. Take the manual and find out how you can play with shutter speeds, iso, focus, etc.
The perfect accessory for an article
Decide on the type of picture, after all it has to fit your article. With a suitable picture you can introduce your reader to the tone and atmosphere of your article and incite their interest. If you have an emotional story, your picture should be to. An interview may be accompanied by a portrait of the person, an event like a protest march comes along with many symbols such as flags and placards. Capture these to introduce and underline your theme.
Determine what you are taking a picture of
Is it a landscape? A building? A person? If you have a landscape make sure to capture horizontal lines straight or it will look crooked. Keep in mind the universal “thirds rule”: either you have one third sky, two thirds pasture or two thirds pasture and one third sky. Shift your focus of attention away from the centre and to the edges to create an intriguing effect. To bring the scale into perspective in landscapes and high buildings it is useful to have a reference point. This is often a human or an animal to show the scale and to bring life into the scene.
A very important point: change perspective! Drop to your knees, lie down, and try every uncomfortable position to capture your object in a new perspective to incite the reader’s curiosity.
Frozen smiles and imitated hugs
Don’t take everyday “cheese” portraits. Ask your model to be genuine and candid, make them feel comfortable by building a relationship. Have a chat so that your model forgets the camera and their personality shines through in a smile or a wink or a little gesture. Be careful with taking pictures of people randomly on the streets. Either ask them kindly before or get a signed consent afterwards that you may use the photo to journalistic purposes. Otherwise you can get into real trouble and be accused as a peeper instead of a serious journalist! This rule does not apply to protest marches or other mass events where people have to assume being taken a picture of even involuntarily.
Colour: black, white or vibrant red?
Use the light!
Whatever colour choice, light is possibly the most crucial point in photography. Early in the morning or in the evening the daylight is softer and more orange whereas at midday you will often have sharper contrasts and almost white light. Play with shadow and light and choose an angle with indirect exposure to light to stress the features of a face and highlight the texture of an object.
With a little help of a European friend
If you can’t get the right picture for your article, do not despair: on youthphotos.eu young photographers from all over Europe share their pictures of just about every subject you can think of. And never mind copyrights – they are for free use; just do not forget to mention their name.
Some extra tips
Whatever you do don’t hunt the perfect picture but look for the beauty of imperfectness. Inspiration is everywhere. You literally just have to open your eyes.
Determine whether to use the black and white or colour application. Black and white often creates a homely atmosphere and highlights symmetrical forms of buildings like castles. Here, shape is important to create interest whereas a picture in colour photos can deliberately emphasize contrasts such as red and green.
