Lecture 4: A Moment in Time

A picture is worth a thousand words…

How many times has this been said? In Lecture 4 of the JOUR1111 course, we heard it once more. After hearing the previous week about the power of ‘word’, we moved onto exploring the incredible world of picture in journalism. From cave drawings to Photoshop, we were taken on a brief journey through the history of developments in picture. 

Seeing edited images regularly in journalism, I don’t notice just how ‘edited’ they actually are. We were shown some examples of how edits compare to the originals; the difference was incredible.

Image sourced from: http://www.chilloutpoint.com/misc/celebrities-before-and-after-photoshop.html

Before editing even begins however, photo journalists must ensure that they are able to capture a great photo. 

“If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that’s a good picture.”

-          Eddie Adams, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist

To be honest, I wasn’t aware of the effort involved in capturing a great photo, until we were taken through the essential elements which produce one. These include:

-          Framing

-          Focus

-          Angle and Point of View

-          Exposure (or light)

-          Timing (Shutter speed)

And most importantly, capturing “The Moment”.

 Image sourced from: http://www.piculous.com/10-cool-pictures-taken-at-just-the-right-angle/

 

We then moved on to exploring the importance of moving pictures and how they have impacted journalism. Much like images, moving pictures are all about capturing the scene and are also required to implement similar elements as capturing a great photo:

-       Framing

-       Focus

-       Angle and Point of View

-       Exposure (or Light)

-       Timing (& Editing)

-       Capturing “The Scene”

-       Inclusion of Sound Dimension

A powerful example of moving picture, which captures brilliance, is this Schweppes commercial which shows water balloons bursting in slow motion. The picture itself is amazing and the sound dimension further highlights the ad’s effectiveness. 

Video sourced from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRFfJJjLpqw

 

Learning about picture has made me more aware of the role which visuals play in journalism and how, words don’t always tell the best story.