Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism

A few quotations were memorable from the Associated Press guide to Photojournalism. These can be guideposts for the work. Here are the ones I noticed:

• “‘This is what separates a good photographer from a mediocre one,’ Reinke says, ‘the ability to go with the flow, but also to have a general idea of how the flow goes’” (20).
• “AP photographer Cliff Schiappa says, ‘Our prime responsibility is to communicate.’ And, he adds, ‘if your style causes static in the signal, in the communication, then you are not a success’” (31).
• “Amy Sancetta: ‘Be kind to the people that you work with, your colleagues or the subjects of your photos. The subjects may be opening a part of their life to you that they’ve not shared with others’” (59).
• “‘Photography is 90% anticipation and 10% pressing the button at the right time’” (72).
• “‘Don’t go in with a list of photographs,’ he says. ‘You must not control the situation but you do need to put yourself in the situation’” (92).

I paid particular attention to the section on feature photography because this composes most of what we do for the MAS Journalism Blog. We aren’t doing hard-hitting news or very often encountering territory where moral lines are blurred. Rather, we want to give readers a perspective about life on the hilltop. This story about Greg looks at the interest of one seminarian that is being carried in a visible way on the feet of his peers as they meander the campus. Some of the guidelines of photojournalism certainly apply, and the tips found in the quotations above add some substance to the work I am trying to do. Though I won’t be sneaking behind the restricted areas or searching for hours to get the right shot, I will try my best to be inventive, truthful, and competent in photographing Greg for this story.

Source: Horton, Brian. Associated Press Guide to Photo Journalism. Second ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Books, 2001. Print.