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Community Photojournalism lecture

10/27/2022

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-Carol Guzy

So where do we begin?

They can help you remember..... honor

They can share something witnessed... beauty

So how do we do this?

Not everything is car on fire.

As student journalists a lot of your work will be in the controlled atmosphere of your school, you are likely to know your subjects and they are likely to be uncooperative in that they will horse around.

Be patient.

Remember it is more important to tell a storing in a compelling way than it is to simply take a picture or write what someone tells you to write.

A moment is much more interesting than a set-up.

There is nothing wrong with the picture above, but that's one for your wall or refrigerator or some future social media story memory. Only the people in this photograph and their friends and family will care.

But this is a story to tell. Something people can relate to and be interested in reading what is going on.

or this.

Remember life isn't happening because of cameras, cameras were invented because life is happening.

So show life!

So some nuts and bolts:
What makes a good compelling storytelling photograph?

Try to document life as it is being played out. Don’t set anything up. Never ask someone to do something again. Make the best photograph that you can that is real not staged, controlled or posed.

You will miss more than you get. That's photojournalism.

Subject matter should fill your frame.
Get closer, layer pertinent information.
Don’t do mug shots or group pictures unless you have no other option and if that is the case then don’t put them against a wall. Photograph them in the environment where the story is taking place.
Use angles, shoot from different perspectives remember - everyone already sees things from “relative” eye level.
Layer information. Layer information layer information, shoot moments don’t pose, have I mentioned layering information?
Take note of things said,
Your ears and curiosity are as important as your eyes.
Shoot for content, but have fun showing that content in interesting ways.
Listen to others who have good story ideas, but then make it your own.

A few things to learn that help:

Ask questions
Research photojournalism
Look at photojournalists - ask how they made the photo
Know the ability of your equipment
Research how to get the most out of your equipment
Shoot, shoot, shoot
If you use a fancy camera then learn the basics. ISO, aperture and shutter speed and how they work.
Wear sunscreen

Always jump in headfirst on your assignments.

Remember to breathe, step back and reassess if its not going well

Don't snap to judgement - listen and tell their story

Reflect on your work and learn from it

If you need to - ask for help in anyway you can

Don't get a big head - your next assignment will humble you - I promise

Protect yourself some assignments are dangerous to self and equipment

Don't be snooty with others, learn from everyone

Bear with me I'm almost done

Don't crash and burn out - if somethings not working try something else

Sit down if you need to and maybe you'll see things differently

Fly

Most important - have fun

Oh ... and wear sunscreen.

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Laid off, now what?

10/26/2022

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In March of 2020 I called back to the Oil City Derrick from my assignment. I had called saying I was feeling uneasy about possible exposure but was told to come back anyway.

At that point I knew what was coming.

I had done two assignments that morning and even though I was told to come find my editor when I returned, I went to my "photo cave" to file my assignments. It wasn't the fault of the subjects I just talked with and photographed that I was getting laid off.

So I finished my work, arranged my desk, even burned a disc or two of work I wanted to archive before going to see the editor.

Yep, I was right. laid off!

As I sat in the office I had already decided I would start
Eight & 322.

Two days later I published my first story even though I hadn't really created a website yet.

Now we're in 2022 at the end of October and I'm still here

I was told that one reason I was being laid off came down to versatility. It was perceived that I was just a photographer and they needed people to report and write stories.

The thought process must have been a writer can take a picture, but a photographer can't write?

The results are the photos in the paper are not very good and I'm writing better and better everyday.

The point I'm making in this is - the only limitations you have are from within.

There are road blocks a plenty in your future. How do you over come them?

So let's talk about a few ways to get yourself prepared for those roadblocks or even better - the opportunities when they present themselves.

Let's start with a few question:

Can you define what is hard news vs soft news? And how does writing vary between them?
What is the difference between a newspaper and a newsletter?
What is the importance of community journalism? - watch dog?
How to be objective when you know the subject, what to do if you can't be objective?
What role can school journalism students play in local journalism?

Things you should consider studying sooner than later to improve as student journalists:

AP style books
Learn to right in pyramid order of importance. Or write, everyone needs an editor.
Study journalism ethics
Know the difference between opinion and observational story telling.

Tips:

Be curious
Learn to listen
learn what follow up questions are
question everything
only quote when you have the quote

Ask yourself:

What are the journalism tools in your toolbox? Camera/phone, recorder, video, note pad, pens, computer, internet platforms?
Is TikTok a journalism tool? What will they be in 5-10-20 years.

This is where you come in.

You, as young people who are going to school have a great opportunity to cut your teeth, learn some skills and be a productive set of eyes and ears for your community.

You can tell the stories of your communty and get them out there, Newspapers and news agencies are hungry for well written and documented content. You can provide that for your community even if your community is your school

Write about your school and send your stories to the local outlets.

if there’s a story that you don’t know how to approach - ask a professional - most writers, photographers and editors that I know will have time for you.

Don't be discouraged by the curmudgeons.

Seek out those that have a true hard love for journalism and ask for their advice.

We need young people in this profession to revolutionize how news will be delivered in the future.

We need you to get out there with strong ethical standards and utilize the platforms that old guys can’t even wrap their brain around We don’t even know how to spell TicToc correctly.

There’s never been a more important time for young people to get involved in journalism than right now.

But we need you to learn how to do it ethically so when you revolutionize the way journalism and storytelling is going to be presented in the future, it will be done for the right reasons.

So, what do you need to do to be those revolutionaries?

Learn ethics of journalism and photojournalism.
Learn writing ledes
Learn pyramid storytelling
Learn AP style (get an AP stylebook look things up when you have questions).
Have questions
Assume nothing
Be curious - ask why
Ask questions
Know that nothing is impossible to learn
Understand that almost every question you have has been asked by dozens, hundreds, thousands of journalists before you.
Know that not knowing something is a strength, but only if you ask questions.
Know that at one time a guy named Bob Woodward also did not know how to do something and he grew up to become one of the most important investigative journalists of our time
Look up Bob Woodward
Everyone needs an editor
Know that every Pulitzer Prize winner at one time was as clueless as you are now about how to be a journalist
Be eager
Wear sunscreen

We need young people to come into this profession and revolutionize how storytelling is going to be done in the future. But we need you to also maintain the integrity of journalism.

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Community Photojournalism lecture

Laid off, now what?

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