Advanced Photography Course

situations, such as a small boy trying to give a St.
Bernard a bath in a washtub. Just the idea conjures
up images of soap and water everywhere. This is the
kind of photograph that is explicit, and when the
quality is good, it transmits the message effortlessly.

A feature picture can be used to provoke an

action, to excite someone, or to create a feeling. Here
the message is strong and emotional. The
photographer has a particular feeling he or she wishes
to bring out in the reader. This is the type of picture
that moved Congress to pass laws prohibiting child
labor (fig. 1-2).

Research

Defining a feature picture is fundamental; the

process you will find complicated is researching the
subject. Once the originator of an assignment
provides the photographer with an idea of the kind of
pictures desired, it is up to you, as the photographer,
to perform the necessary research.

The photographer should ask the following

questions: "What are the requirements of the

assignments? What is the end product going to

be--black-and-white or color, prints, or
transparencies? What are the size requirements of the
pictures, as well as in what publication, if any, will
they be used? Where is each photograph to be
used--as a cover by itself or in connection with other
photographs for a story? Will the prints be used in an
exhibition or placed on display somewhere"?

Only through research can you answer the many

questions pertaining to the assignment. Thorough
research will provide the necessary details you need to
plan the shooting and to bring together all the
necessary elements of the photographs.

Making Feature Pictures

Making feature pictures may require elaborate

technical effort and unusual compositions, yet it may
be simple. When you produce feature pictures, you
must work carefully and take time to consider and
evaluate your approach. Unlike a news assignment, a
feature picture assignment permits you to exercise
more control over the situation. You are better able
to control the subject, lighting, and composition.

To be a good photojournalist, you must use

correct composition to make the message clear that

your picture is meant to get across. The position of

the subject, the highlight and shadow areas, the use of
leading lines, and the foreground and background
must be controlled to best tell the story. When the
picture elements are arranged, you must think of what
is included, what is missing, and what is suggested.

To dramatize an idea for a feature picture, you

have many tools to work with. Knowing your subject
and subject selection are significant. Imaginative
lighting can be used to create a mood. Many
photographers take full advantage of fast lenses and
fast film to use available light.

For a feature picture to have more impact, you

may find it necessary to distort or accentuate the
perspective with various focal-length lenses. The
camera position is also important. You can use a
distant panoramic shot to set the scene and a closeup
shot to emphasize significant detail. Shooting from a
low camera angle adds stature to the subject. A high

camera angle creates a sense of separation; it shows

more of what is happening.

The control you exercise over the scene can add

interest and variety to feature pictures. Electronic
flash and fast-shutter speeds can "freeze" action and
"stop" what is too fast for the eye to see. By using
the right application of slow-shutter speeds, you can
blur moving objects, giving an illusion of movement
to your pictures. Time exposures of moving lights
create motion patterns, as does panning the camera
with the subject. The serious photojournalist also
skillfully controls depth of field.

Picture Quality

For publications, you want to deliver the best

full-toned, normal print to the printer that is possible.
This means that the print must have full highlight and
shadow detail. The print must be of proper density,
never so light or so dark that it loses detail. Contrast
should always be normal, unless the subject matter
requires higher or lower contrast. Printing in a
newspaper, book, or magazine tends to increase the

contrast of a photograph; and it often becomes darker.
A display print, on the other hand, is viewed directly
and does not go through the lithographic process.
But, here again, the best possible print must be made
with detail in highlights and shadows. It must have
proper contrast and density and be dust- and spot-free.
It is important for you to know how the photograph is
going to be viewed

1-5

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Advanced Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> situations, such as a small boy trying to give a St. Bernard a bath in a washtub. Just the idea conjures up images of soap and water everywhere. This is the kind of photograph that is explicit, and when the quality is good, it transmits the message effortlessly. A feature picture can be used to provoke an action, to excite someone, or to create a feeling. Here the message is strong and emotional. The photographer has a particular feeling he or she wishes to bring out in the reader. This is the type of picture that moved Congress to pass laws prohibiting child labor (fig. 1-2). Research Defining a feature picture is fundamental; the process you will find complicated is researching the subject. Once the originator of an assignment provides the photographer with an idea of the kind of pictures desired, it is up to you, as the photographer, to perform the necessary research. The photographer should ask the following questions: "What are the requirements of the assignments? What is the end product going to be--black-and-white or color, prints, or transparencies? What are the size requirements of the pictures, as well as in what publication, if any, will they be used? Where is each photograph to be used--as a cover by itself or in connection with other photographs for a story? Will the prints be used in an exhibition or placed on display somewhere"? Only through research can you answer the many questions pertaining to the assignment. Thorough research will provide the necessary details you need to plan the shooting and to bring together all the necessary elements of the photographs. Making Feature Pictures Making feature pictures may require elaborate technical effort and unusual compositions, yet it may be simple. When you produce feature pictures, you must work carefully and take time to consider and evaluate your approach. Unlike a news assignment, a feature picture assignment permits you to exercise more control over the situation. You are better able to control the subject, lighting, and composition. To be a good photojournalist, you must use correct composition to make the message clear that your picture is meant to get across. The position of the subject, the highlight and shadow areas, the use of leading lines, and the foreground and background must be controlled to best tell the story. When the picture elements are arranged, you must think of what is included, what is missing, and what is suggested. To dramatize an idea for a feature picture, you have many tools to work with. Knowing your subject and subject selection are significant. Imaginative lighting can be used to create a mood. Many photographers take full advantage of fast lenses and fast film to use available light. For a feature picture to have more impact, you may find it necessary to distort or accentuate the perspective with various focal-length lenses. The camera position is also important. You can use a distant panoramic shot to set the scene and a closeup shot to emphasize significant detail. Shooting from a low camera angle adds stature to the subject. A high camera angle creates a sense of separation; it shows more of what is happening. The control you exercise over the scene can add interest and variety to feature pictures. Electronic flash and fast-shutter speeds can "freeze" action and "stop" what is too fast for the eye to see. By using the right application of slow-shutter speeds, you can blur moving objects, giving an illusion of movement to your pictures. Time exposures of moving lights create motion patterns, as does panning the camera with the subject. The serious photojournalist also skillfully controls depth of field. Picture Quality For publications, you want to deliver the best full-toned, normal print to the printer that is possible. This means that the print must have full highlight and shadow detail. The print must be of proper density, never so light or so dark that it loses detail. Contrast should always be normal, unless the subject matter requires higher or lower contrast. Printing in a newspaper, book, or magazine tends to increase the contrast of a photograph; and it often becomes darker. A display print, on the other hand, is viewed directly and does not go through the lithographic process. But, here again, the best possible print must be made with detail in highlights and shadows. It must have proper contrast and density and be dust- and spot-free. It is important for you to know how the photograph is going to be viewed 1-5 contents Advanced Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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