Journalistic Photography

Journalist photography is quite a wide bracket of photography as it incorporates many different styles, however, it is probably more commonly known as photojournalism. Photojournalists job is to provide articles with photos that enhance the story told whether it be the war update or local business dilemmas. Using different style of photography depends on the article.

But these photos are meant to tell a story them self thus enhancing the article all together. The photos that a photojournalist can take fall into three categories as they are a a reporter and is required to think strongly about their work to complete the job but also incorporate their own virtual autograph into each photo. A photo can be timeliness which relates to a recent event that has happened. Objectivity which would be portraying an event accurately in the same attitude as well as the articel as well as staying on topic if not offering slightly more information. Narrative uses other elements of news to be able to relate to readers on a more cultural level. All of which together is used to create photographs that contribute to the news media.

The advancements in camera technology have also significantly increased ease for photojournalists as the first photojournalists started during the world wars to portray the horror that war caused. With the invention of DSLR's and memory cards it has made easier for photojournalists to report as like other reporters they need to make quick decisions when out in the field as well as carrying all of their equipment.

Personally I think photojournalism is an unappreciated art as many photojournalists go overlooked. The skill of being not only keeping your cool and being brave enough to get the photo while still being able to produce an evocative photo is a very professional skill. It definitely deserves more attention.

This photo was taken soon after a napalm strike in a small village in Vietnam during the war. The naked girl only survived because she tore off her burning clothes and was carried to the nearest hospital by the photographer.

One of the most famous photojournalists to this day is Robert Dousneau and has been labelled to be one of the founding pioneers in this art form. He was born, raised and began work in France with the majority of his work taking place in the streets of Paris. With photojournalism being his main discipline it shines through in his work the messages he is trying to convey.

He led a fairly regular life in his early years but grew interest in arts and attended an arts school during his adolescence. It was at the age of 16 he took up amateur photography and this became his doorway to arts as a whole in Paris.

Throughout his years as a photographer he has produced collections of amazing photos, each as impacting as the last. As a photojournalist he has to evoke emotions in the viewer and this is what shines through about his work. The first photo I saw of his was 'Le baiser de l'hotel de ville' and it was capturing a young couple kissing in the middle of a busy Paris street. He knows what emotions to play with and how to do it. First it could be passion as he makes us look at love, then it could be disgust at the living conditions of those in Paris as showed in 'Pipi Pigeon.' Overall I admire his work, purely for the human aspect of them. Capturing human nature is a masterful art.

Soucres: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photojournalism

Fashion Photography

Fashion photography has been around since the early days of photography. It is a genre that was and still is used to display fashion articles for both advertisements and magazines, the most popular being magazines like Vouge and Vanity Fair reaching huge audiences allowing both photographers and designers a platform to showcase their work.

Over time fashion photography has developed into its own brand of photography as most fashion photographers will now use things like accessories and background within the composition to add to the overall photo itself.

These photos are usually mainly portraits with little room for manoeuvre as they are there to showcase the clothes the model is wearing. This in turn requires of the camera to be of very high detail (both mega pixel and resolution) and will need to be able to maintain different areas of focus to help advertise the clothes (range of aperture and focus points) in the composition. Fashion photography is a form of advertising as more often than not, they are trying to create a composition in which the viewer finds the clothes appealing.

Personally fashion photography is something to pay attention to as more often than not the photos are simply complex while maintaining the essence of the designer and adding to it through his/hers use of composition.

A man that has greatly impacted fashion photography in the more recent years would have to be Terry Richardson. Known for his Marmite like personality and work alike, his career especially recently cannot be bashed. Terry grew up with a fashion photographer as a father so from a very early age he was subject to this art form rather explicitly.

After attending several schools in his adolescence he finally decided to pursue fashion photography. As said earlier some very much admire his work (I do) while others are not huge fans. This could be due to the lack of clothing that appears within his photography but no art should be limited in my opinion. He perceives people for who they are and by the what they are wearing he is able to convey not only the sitter but also the style of the garment by how the sitter is acting. Many of his photos contain the sitter as eccentric or hysterical but I see this purely to add to the effect of the clothing they are wearing. He is an artist, just not for everyone.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion_photography

Sports Photography

Sports photography is generally referred to when talking about any type of photography relating to sports whether that be mothers at their sons football game or professionals at the six nations. Sports photography is a particular specialism that does require an immense amount of skill (although I may be being slightly biassed as it is where I started) as it needs to be timed to the exact second to get the right shot. Timing is everything.

The most important part of photography to consider when approaching sports is the shutter speed as this is key in keeping focus with most usually the fast moving objects. Most sport photographers are hired to particular newspapers/magazines/websites as they will be sent out to events for that particular medium. However there are a large number of freelance photographers that will obtain passes to these events and then sell their photos to the highest bidder. 

Having started out in sports photography and from there growing my interest in photography as a whole I would say it is an aspect of life that many are able to engage in both in front and behind the camera which could explain the popularity. The art lies in not only capturing a focused and well rounded composition but also being able to convey all the action in a still image, which believe me, is hard to do.






















Louis Arnold is a Borders based photographer who mainly focuses on action photography - specifically mountain biking - but recently has broadened to other sports also. He started officially selling photos to athletes in early 2014 with appearing at all the Scottish Downhill races. He is an upcoming action photographer and currently working on building up his portfolio and moving toward a more professional career.







Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_photography

Wedding Photography

Wedding photography has and continues to be one of the most popular forms of photography both formally and informally. It has also spawned an entire business as wedding photographers are something that the world will never be short of as there will always be photographers needed.

There are many different types of wedding photography that range from traditional to journalistic, and some even step into the boundaries of contemporary that is more artistic. Traditional wedding photography typically includes a lot of instructions from the photographer organising the composition to include particular shots e.g. groom and bride, bridesmaids, family etc. However on the other end of the scale is the more journalistic type which focuses more on human moments that happen during the occasion, mostly spontaneous.

Every wedding photographer creates their own style that usually falls between the realms of the scale just described and each is to their own as different organisers have different tastes.



Alex martin who is a local photographer in the area of the Borders and Northumberland has in own style of wedding photography which I very much enjoy.

I personally find it hard to appreciate wedding photography in its entirety as it is in most cases meant for the bride and groom, I do believe however that it is perfectly plausible to make entertaining and artful photos. This is what Martin does as he maintains the sentimental value that wedding has on its own, but adopts it and brings in his own creative vision. This creative vision of beauty and sentiment is integrated both into his models and the location, which when done well makes for good wedding photos.

 

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_photography

Landscape Photography

Landscape photography was one of the first types of photography that originated when cameras were invented as people wanted to capture the immense beauty that earth holds. Its main aim more often than not is to portray the landscape in its most natural form, giving the audience an idea of what the sight is truly like. Like sports photography it is immensely popular among amateurs as well as professionals due to the availability of nature.

To bring vast landscapes to life photographers have to focus carefully on their aperture and depth of field in the photo. Aperture allows the photographer to keep as much of the composition in focus as possible which is essential for landscape photography as it is needed to bring the picture to life. Ansel Adams who is arguably one of the most famous landscape photographers took the depth of field in photos very seriously and used it to his advantage in most of his works.Overall landscape photography is a growing market clearly showed by the success of magazines like National Geographic and the willingness of people going out there and doing it whether it be the family out for a walk or the explorer in Malawi.