What is PJ?

[ChristopherCoy]

Can someone define 'photo-journalism' in laymans terms? OTHER than the Wiki definition for which I already googled.

I just watched a video that a photographer put on youtube, and she stated over and over and over that she was trained in photojournalism, and she used her photojournalism training, and her photojournalism training helped her transfer over to the portrait world.

If there are no 'degrees' in photography, how do you get a photo journalism degree, and what are you 'specifically' taught?

The one common thing that I have noticed about photojournalistic approaches, is that their pictures always have LOTS of extra space, as if text were going to be put on the image somewhere.

[Tom]

If there are no 'degrees' in photography, how do you get a photo journalism degree, and what are you 'specifically' taught?

There are degrees in photography. There are even degrees in photojournalism. The Newhouse School of Public Communications is probably your best bet [or at least where I would choose] to study photojournalism, journalism, broadcast journalism, etc.

And the term photojournalism has lost most of its meaning in the portrait/wedding photography world. Every stay at home mom who never studied it uses it to describe themselves.

"I only use natural light and I don't pose, because I am a photojournalist!" Yeah, what they really mean is "My husband bought me a Rebel and I went into business by taking snapshots. I haven't quite gotten around to the difficult things to learn and practice like lighting and posing [and exposure and manual controls] so I am going to cover that up by calling myself a photojournalist. They don't pose or light do they?"

Yeah, problem is, to be a real photojournalist, you really have to pose and light. A great part of the job is taking environmental portraits, in which case you light them and pose them. Feature portraits are probably a bigger job of a photojournalist than spot news coverage.

I just watched a video that a photographer put on youtube, and she stated over and over and over that she was trained in photojournalism, and she used her photojournalism training, and her photojournalism training helped her transfer over to the portrait world.

Yeah, but like I said above, people are absolutely full of ****, especially when talking about their photography credentials.

I'll give you mine. I took a 3 hour class in college on photojournalism. Most of the classroom portion dealt with the history of PJ and most of the lab portion dealt with darkroom techniques (this was back in the 90s.) My focus in college was broadcast and photojournalism, but I wanted to do more video stuff then (betamax cameras, mostly linear editing.) We only had 6 hours of possible PJ classes, but I decided to do 9 hours of broadcast and 3 hours of PJ.

The one common thing that I have noticed about photojournalistic approaches, is that their pictures always have LOTS of extra space, as if text were going to be put on the image somewhere.

Are you looking at the self-styled portrait photographers that claim to be PJ or the actual newspaper and magazine PJs?

Most of the time, PJs shoot tight and crop tighter. Environmental pictures are different. You want the rest of the room in the picture around the subject to tell the story of who they are. Definitely not for text, although people definitely throw text and ruin ours pics regardless. A good environmental portrait should tell the story of the person in a single person.

Answer anything?

Marketing photographers have to shoot wide for room for various edits and multiple uses. Lots of marketing photographers have backgrounds in PJ.

[zebulus]

What is Photojournalism?

THIS

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

Answer anything?

Yes. Alot.

I knew that the term was overused in the field, but I didn't know if they taught you anything specifically different. Sometimes people use the term as though its a magical power bestowed upon them, so I've often wondered if they are taught some extra special techniques or something.

[Tom]

Specially, you learn how to tell a story through your pictures or a series of pictures. A series should build upon itself.

Sportsshooter highlights a lot of these series. This is the most recent one that is on their homepage right now. Read the captions and go through these pics:
Professional Photographer Charles Ludeke in Brooklyn | SportsShooter.com

Go through Todd Heisler's photo story, Final Salute. Just typing that gave me chills. There is a reason that has stayed with me for years.
Final Salute : News : The Rocky Mountain News
This won the Pulitzer for feature photography and feature writing.

This is what photojournalism is. And every stupid wannabe wedding photographer or stay at home mom that calls themselves a "photojournalist" without ever really doing this type of work takes a big steaming **** on guys like Todd Heisler, Robert Capa, Eddie Adams and the rest of the people that have shown us what a real photojournalist really is.

I can't explain photojournalism any better than telling you to read and look at the pictures in Final Salute. That is photojournalism. Final Salute can explain photojournalism in pictures better than anything I could ever write.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

Sportsshooter highlights a lot of these series. This is the most recent one that is on their homepage right now. Read the captions and go through these pics:
Professional Photographer Charles Ludeke in Brooklyn | SportsShooter.com

Yeah... that one got to me in more than one way.

[Tom]

Yeah, I figured it would. It was very powerful.

[Comanche]

Thomas did a great job of explaining what PJ really is. If anyone would like to actually study it a bit, pick up a copy of Photojournalism: The Professional's Approach by Kenneth Kobre. The book is well written and not an academic tome, though it is used as a text book.

[Hanky]

I benefited from one of Leslie's (lscottpht) pj classes and so could you if the good fortune
to attend one ever comes up again.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by Hanky

Last edited by Hanky; Today at 04:32 PM.. Reason: added Leslie's doodad name

I'd love to meet you in person. I bet your a flippin hoot!

[lscottpht]

Originally Posted by Hanky

I benefited from one of Leslie's (lscottpht) pj classes and so could you if the good fortune
to attend one ever comes up again.

Thanks, Hank! Glad you enjoyed it and learned something.

Christopher, if you want to see some great wedding photojournalists, go to fwforum. Many of the greats are members there, and they will def. inspire you. A lot of them worked/work for newspapers and magazines and won Pulitzers.

[Hanky]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

I'd love to meet you in person. I bet your a flippin hoot!

Lol, your too kind.....however there is a way just follow this link http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...m-1-2-8-d.html and purchase this awesome lens (perfect for pooches) and I'll deliver. he he

Leslie, was an honor for my dear.

[ChristopherCoy]

Originally Posted by Hanky

just follow this link http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...m-1-2-8-d.html and purchase this awesome lens (perfect for pooches) and I'll deliver. he he :

Perfect for pooches where? On planet Saturn? LOL

Leslie, I'll check it out. When are you doing another workshop>?

[lscottpht]

Originally Posted by ChristopherCoy

Perfect for pooches where? On planet Saturn? LOL

Leslie, I'll check it out. When are you doing another workshop>?

Doing a wedding one in Italy next week, but probably won't be doing any others until some time in the fall. I doubt I will do a pj one again soon because there doesn't seem to be as much interest.

[jtriron]

Go through Todd Heisler's photo story, Final Salute. Just typing that gave me chills. There is a reason that has stayed with me for years.
Final Salute : News : The Rocky Mountain News
This won the Pulitzer for feature photography and feature writing.

This read did bring tears to me, there are some really great men and women in our armed services.
Thanks for posting the link.

Jack