What is PJ?

[Comanche]

I have been reading the thread on making this forum an "opt-in". Out of that conversation has come some other interesting thoughts. HotHolly suggested a definition of photojournalism, while a number of folks indicated anybody should be able to particpate - even those who aren't photojournalists.

And that's me - I am not a professional photojournalist, nor do I expect to be one. However, I do enjoy finding something to write about and taking photos to accompany the story. Nothing fancy - just simple stories such as this one about newspaper sellers or a welder and maker of barbeque grills or a Vietnamese funeral. For me, both the words and the pictures are important.

But I'd like to hear more from pros like Leslie. How can I improve my photos? What should I looking for in my composition? I'd also like to see a discussion about the definition of photojournalism. I'd like suggestions for books to read and workshops to attend. Ideas on equipment?

Pros and advanced amateurs alike make this a good forum - I hope we can all learn more. Thanx for the posts.

[JPalmer]

Your story ideas are really good. A good photojournalist would be able to tell the story without so many words.

That's easily one of the marks of a good photojournalist.....somebody who can express a great deal in a single shot. Sometimes, that's all the space there is in the newspaper...one shot. How on earth am I going to show the readers the impact of a fatal car crash in a single shot.

You could show grief on onlookers faces...you could show the mangled wreckage and the rescuers doing what they can...you could show blood. A good photojournalist will be able to concisely show what needs to be shown.

From the American Heritage Dictionary: Photojournalism is Journalism in which a news story is presented primarily through photographs with supplementary written copy.

For me...that means that a Photojournalist has to know how to do both. If not just the caption information...an entire sub-story. But the focus is entirely on the photographs.

That's what seperates me (a photojournalist) from those that aren't....I know how to write journalistically....following all the basic tennants of journalism on both sides of the fence (photo/writing)

[jeffkohn]

From the American Heritage Dictionary: Photojournalism is Journalism in which a news story is presented primarily through photographs with supplementary written copy.

I would think that using this strict definition would mean that photojournalism is pretty rare in today's world, since the vast majority of news photography supplements written copy, not the other way around.

Where does "documentary" photography that tells a story that isn't necessarily news/current events fit in?

[JPalmer]

Doesn't the fact that you're documenting something make it a current event?
_____________________

And your first point isn't as valid as you think.....you're right...most news is writing first and photos second. But that's why there are more reporters at newspapers than photographers. But GOOD photojournalism is out there and in wealth, just have to know what your market is.

[johnastovall]

To me the classic PJ was Larry Burrows and the definative PJ essay was "One Ride with Yankee Papa 13" which ran in Life. Go watch the video here and you'll see the images and hear Burrows talk about his craft and the making of "Yankee Papa 13." Here is the full Life story.

Burrows was what a PJ is.

[Comanche]

Thanx for a great link, John.

Jason's definition of PJ, taken from the dictionary, is good, but as Jeff says, it may be a bit restricitve. Possibly we want to say that a good photo evokes strong emotions, but needs some writing to convey the details.

In keeping with John's subject of the war in Viet Nam, there is no doubt that one of the most famous photos of all time was this one, taken during the Tet offensive in 1968.

Edit by Abel: Removed IMG tags and replaced with URL tags
Photo contains graphic content
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...y/vietcong.jpg

But the photo said little without the context of all the written dispatches coming out of Viet Nam at the time. In fact, the photo was so powerful that people did not read the accompanying stories and made assumptions that weren't correct. (As a side note, Eddie Adams said just before his death that he regretted taking the picture.)

But seldom do any of us have the opportunity to be there were something that dramatic happens. I believe (and remember, I am not a professional) that photos and writing have equal importance. The writing is expanded by a good photo that shows both the emotion of the event and as much factual information as possible.

[johnastovall]

A good PJ doesn't need the dramatic. Eugene Smith is the embodiment of that with his Country Doctor essay in Life and other images from the lives of people.

Eugene Smith has been called the humanist photographer.

[Russell]

That's a good question. I think both Jason's and John's definitions are good ones. I try to fancy myself a wannabe PJ - at least in the things I try to document - and none of them are breaking news or dramatic.

I like to tell stories with pictures and a few words. To me, if you can do that well, I can't see why your style can't be called photojournalistic.

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong in my assessment but a good photo story that documents simple goings-on can be as dramatic and noteworthy as coverage of attrocities, war, or other unrest.

Thanks,

RG

[JPalmer]

The thing is...Russell's photojournalism is perfect for his locale.

In Childress...hunting and fishing are as big a part of their lifestyle as shopping at a big mall for people in the metropolis areas.

What is newsworthy in Wichita Falls isn't going to make the Dallas Morning News (trust me).

[lscottpht]

Originally Posted by Russell

That's a good question. I think both Jason's and John's definitions are good ones. I try to fancy myself a wannabe PJ - at least in the things I try to document - and none of them are breaking news or dramatic.

I like to tell stories with pictures and a few words. To me, if you can do that well, I can't see why your style can't be called photojournalistic.

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong in my assessment but a good photo story that documents simple goings-on can be as dramatic and noteworthy as coverage of attrocities, war, or other unrest.

Thanks,

RG

I totally agree! This is something I need to try and do more of, since it's impossible for me to travel the world to cover the other stuff.

[Comanche]

Looks as if we have some folks who think some well done photos, accompanied by some writing that fills in details, is PJ, regardless of whether its dramatic or not. Russell's work is superb - and I would include it as PJ.

So - maybe we ought to be posting some of those "everyday" stories here in the forum. "A Day in the LIfe . . . " kinds of stories. I'd love to see some work by the pros that I could look at and we could discuss. Obviously, I'm not talking about work that might bring in a dollar of two - maybe something culled from regular work.

By the way - there was some talk once about a PJ workshop. I'd love to attend one.

[txphotog]

Read markhancock.blogspot.com for a view on what a PJ is or isnt. Good stuff on that site.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Yes a good subject can be as simple as covering a hospice or one patient and their support group or it could be about a single animal on a ranch, say a white buffalo or a longhorns life. Heck until a couple months ago I didn't realize that a Longhorn didn't really grow into a good set of horns until their 5th year and that most of them live well into their 20's and some into their 30's.
Now in the City we have visible Homeless problems but with the drought still ongoing across the state we have many ranchers and farmers who are in dire straits. Now doing a story about one of those people would be very hard to do properly because you should first think through what you are really trying to do and not try to denegrate the people that you are trying to cover but to show the plight that is effecting the state, it ain't all Cadillac Escalades and Strip Sirloins out there.

Or it could be a simple story of a mentoring program to try to help youths who may be heading down the wrong path (back in the old days it usually was the family religious leader or a relative who helped out but with all the crazy things that have come public about the abuse that was going on under peoples noses it has turned more into programs that are done by people who are just trying to help kids out).

Not much is talked about this but there are a lot of runaway kids out there hitting the streets, they are very much underground and they would be very very hard to document because in many cases they DO NOT WANT TO BE FOUND (I would guess a lot of shots in silloutte of the person or them wearing disguises and more of a showing where they hang out and how they earn a few $'s to survive-most people think of homeless as the guy on the corner with a hand out or the "bum" who walks up asking for money but those street kids have been out there and still are.

Or in those smaller towns that still have a Drive In working you could do a group of Stories about Fri Night in XXX and how teenagers spend their time.

Or if you want to get real cutting edge create contacts with the local LEOS and go on some meth lab raids, plenty of those all over the state.

To me photojournalism is covering an event, person, animal, building, or location with photography that tries to cover what is happening and then adding an appropriate story to the photographs taken to fill in and take the reader deeper into the story. When I finish up my Arcadia work-including research on the history of the building and if I am in town going to the meetings where the developers of the property go to the local neighborhood associations to tell them what they want to replace it with. (I also hope to take some pics of various business owners and people who live in the area and get some statements on how they feal about the whole thing).

[johnastovall]

Add to you list of interesting places the small town local coffee shop.

[Russell]

I think it helps define photojournalist by adding a qualifier to the handle. I would guess that most ordinary people would conjure up images of people who travel to far away places to shoot images of war. However, if you add more descriptive words it helps define PJ better. For example, I consider myself an outdoor photojournalist or Jason may be a sports photojournalist.

Does that make sense?

RG