Photography Notes:

How are images being used in the media and social websites? How are they being used? Why are they in the sizes they are? Minor and major images, detail shots, landscape and portrait shots. How does the title relate to the images? You need to write a text with correlates to the photography. Life magazine- America- 1948- 11 pages. Newspapers are getting smaller and smaller because of the competition with the internet. Restrict it to a two page spread. Digital media and film cinema is bombarded, illustrated magazines aren’t as popular. Online websites- magnumphotos- agencies of photographers. Magnum photos is the oldest and most photography agency. How do you analyse and deconstruct a picture story?

The picture story- visual storytelling through the construction of a traditional picture story. No picture story is ever the same, even if the subjects are identical. There is no one way for a picture story to look, one must be creative. Image and text cohesion offers a perfect way to learn why some pictures work and why some stories are clearer than others.

Picture story examples are from the JEP because it is something we can relate to, we live on the island and we know what’s going on therefore it is easier to discuss. You need the contexts of an image, lens like a wide angle have been used to include the background in order to give extra information. When you make the portraits you have to be creative with the environment you are working in. How can I use the environment I am in? Think about depth of field, think about lens like telephoto lens, and think about the technicalities. Photography is a language and you must know the linguistics to understand photography. Wide angle lens create a very wide depth of field, it gives you definition, it gives you space in a photograph. Can you see who the person is? Can you see what the person is doing? Does the photograph include contexts in order to translate the necessary information? Observe your subject, talk to your subject, and shoot a number of different frames. Shutter speed will help tell the story, gives a sense of texture, and makes the image more interesting.

People at work shot. Relationship shot. Establishing shot- most important element in the picture story because it serves to define the context in which the other pictures have been located. What is the photographer trying to show? What technicalities are being implemented in order to demonstrate the narrative? Your eyes are always drawn to the brightest thing. Adjust depth of field, height, involve yourself in with the environment and subjects. You can have more than one establishing shot. Detail shot- little extra layer or texture to the story.

Portraits are an essential part of the story. They convey a sense of personality and humanity to a story which helps the viewer to identity with the subject. Formal portraits- totally under your control. You take control of lighting, posture, distance, etc. Environmental portrait. Portraits can link with history- for example portrait of Remembrance Day. Observed Portrait. A Local Story- A Place.

I chose this example of a picture-story because it gives an example of a portrait shot as well as an establishing shot. Clearly it is the only image in the magazine but it is a clear representation of a particular style of photograph which can be used in a picture-story. 

This picture-story has an establishing shot on the left page which takes over the entire page therefore is the main image. On the right page there is a detail and environmental shot. The detail shot is typically a close up shot which allows for the photographer to give intricate and precise details about the narrative. The environmental shot helps the audience understand the context of the story for example the background information. 

This picture story has a variety of different styled shots in order to formulate an interesting and inviting magazine article. The establishing shot is on the left page and is the biggest image. Whereas the smaller images are either detail shots, portraits or environmental shots.