By Pluginin

Source: Ash Grant

In today’s world, photojournalism isn’t something that is heard or spoken of much anymore. With the Internet providing us with places such as YouTube, DeviantArt, and other online sources created just for sharing amateur photography, it’s really no surprise that photojournalism is slowly becoming a dying form of art as well as media. However, those who haven’t had much interaction and experience with photojournalism really don’t understand the true beauty behind it. It’s amazing to be able to look at a set of pictures, if not just one single picture, and be able to draw a story from it- and not only is the story usually touching, but its message is usually important.

Below are 10 photojournalists who are very well known for their stories. Many of them risked their lives and some even had to witness things no one could ever imagine seeing in their lifetime. All of these people have been able to pick up a camera and take some of the most famous pictures ones that tell stories of wars, riots, and anything and everything in between.

10. Philip Jones Griffiths

Philip Jones Griffiths is best known for his portrayal of the Vietnam War through his pictures, though his first picture was of a friend and his family using a Brownie (a very popular and relatively in expensive camera produced by Kodak). As the Vietnam War was slowly coming to an end, Griffiths took photographs during the Yom Kipper War and then traveled to Cambodia where he worked until 1975. Because of his great success and popularity, Griffiths became Magnum’s president until 1985. Though he died in 2008, Griffith’s legend still lives on today. He is best known for Vietnam Inc, Dark Odyssey, and Agent Orange: Collateral Damage in Vietnam.

9. Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson is known as the father of modern photojournalism. Born in France in 1908, Cartier-Bresson was one of the first to use the 35mm format. He was influenced by the randomness and grace of a photograph taken by Martin Munkacsi of 3 young boys running into a lake. He often spent hours on various streets, capturing life as he saw it, which became known as street photography. He took pictures all over Europe: from Madraid to Prague and from Budapest to Brussels. In 1948 he became well known for covering Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral as well as the ending of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. He also spent time photographing the Imperial eunuchs.

8.  Robert Doisneau

Robert Doisneau is a well-known French photographer, who along with Cartier-Bresson, was able to lead the way towards a new path in photojournalism. He is well known for snapping ironic images as well as ones that depicted juxtapositions. At 13 he went to a craft school where he was first introduced to the arts, participating in still life and figure drawing, and earning diplomas in lithography and engraving,  At 16 he discovered photography and, according to many, he was so shy that he’d only photograph cobblestones. Eventually he moved to photographing children and then adults. In the 1920s he became a lettering artist for Atelier Ullmann, an advertising company tied to the pharmaceutical industry. He was also able to work as a camera assistant in the studio and over time earned the job of a staff photographer. In 1932 he sold his first photo-story to Excelsior newspaper. In 1939 he took up a job working with postcard photography and freelance advertising services. Later that year he was drafted as a photographer and a Resistance soldier. He used his skills to forge identification papers and passports. During this time he photographed the Battle of Paris. After the war he worked for Life magazine and he also worked with Paris Vogue doing fashion and high-class photography. He won the Prix Kodak in 1947.

7. David Burnett

Burnett graduated in 1968 from Colorado College and immediately went into amateur and eventually professional photography. He was a freelancer for Life and Time magazines in both the U.S. and later on Vietnam. Once he was in Vietnam for two years, Burnett decided to join Gamma, a French photo agency that allowed him travel all throughout Europe, where he worked as a news photographer. In 1975 Burnett decided to fly solo and co-founded his own photo agency in New York City, known as Contact Press Images. Even though he opened his own photo agency, Burnett was still heavily devoted to his job and passion as a photographer. For the next 30 years he travelled all over to cover various worldwide events, including the Olympics, political campaigns, and various others. He even photographed some of the most famous people of the time, including popular reggae singer Bob Marley. His photos have been published in various magazines, including The New York Times. While he may be best known for his photos taken during the Iranian revolution, all of his work has been praised and he has received various awards, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, World Press Photo, and others.

6. Robert Capa (Endre Friedmann)

Robert Capa, born as Endre Friedmann, is well-known for his wartime photos during WWII as well as his boldness and bravery and his involvement in Magnum Photos. His life as a photographer started at the age of 18 when he moved out of his native home in Hungary and left for Berlin where he worked as a darkroom apprentice. He was also able to dabble in photography and was able to take pictures of Leon Trotsky. Once Hitler came to power, he went to Paris, but here he struggled to live as a freelance journalist. He and his finacee decided to take another approach, setting up a business under the falsified persona of a rich and famous man called Robert Capa, who the two claimed was an American photographer visiting France. Friedmann took the pictures, his fiancée sold them for no less than 150 francs a piece, and all credit was given to the made up Capa. Editor of Vue, Lucien Vogel found out the secret but sent the pair to Spain, where Capa took one of his most famous photographs of a Spanish soldier dying. His fiancée died during their quest to take notable pictures, and after her death Capa went to China were he photographed the battle of Taierchwang. After traveling to various countries to capture more of the war, Capa died on May 25, 1954 after stepping on a landmine.

5. David Seymour (Chim)

Sometimes known as Chim, David Seymour was born in Warsaw but moved to Paris where he became enthralled with photography during his studies. He is well known for his perceptive eye and caustic personality. In 1933 he landed his first job as a freelance journalist and from there his career took off. He was able to capture moments during the Spanish Civil War as well as during unrest in Czechoslovakia. In 1939 he took photographs of Loyalist Spanish refugees who journeyed to Mexico. When WWII began, Seymour was in New York but enlisted in the army in 1940 where he worked as a photo interpreter in Europe. In 1942 his parents were killed by Nazis, which lead him to help UNICEF document the plight of refugees, especially children.

Even though he was well known for his war photographs of orphans, he later got into photographing celebrities. While covering the 1956 Suez War, Seymour and fellow photographer Jean Roy were killed by machine-gun fire.

4. Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange was an American photojournalist who heavily covered life during the Great Depression. She first learned about photography in New York City and got the chance to apprentice at various New York photography studios. In 1918 she moved to San Francisco where she opened a portrait studio. Once the Great Depression began, Langue left her studio and decided to use her camera outside where she captured images of homeless and unemployed people. She later married an agricultural economist in 1935 and the two worked together documenting migrant laborers, sharecropping, and rural poverty. Her photographs caught the eye of many and she was given a job with the Farm Security Administration. In 1941 she earned the Guggenheim Fellowship and went on to cover life for Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor. Today, her photographs are well known all across the world as they show the true side of the Depression and put faces to the dire circumstances and made their plight public. Lange’s photographs and coverage of the era influenced the creation of documentary photography.

3. Margaret Bourke-White

Margaret Bourke-White was an American photographer who is well known for her documentary photography of WWII and the India-Pakistan violence. She earned the first of many titles, including being the first female war correspondent, the first female to work in a combat zone, the first foreign photographer to be granted the right to photograph the Soviet Industry, and the first female to have her photograph grace the cover of Lifemagazine.

She worked for Fortune magazine from 1929 to 1935 as a staff photographer. In the early 1930s she became known for her photographs of those suffering from the Dust Bowl and she also published a book with the help of her novelist husband which portrayed Southern life during the Depression. She also went to various countries in Europe to photograph life under Nazi rule and Russia life under Communism. Here she was able to capture a photo of a smiling Joseph Stalin. In 1936 Henry Luce, the owner of Life magazine, hired her and put her Fort Peck Dam construction photo on the front cover. She was the on and off staff photographer up until 1945. In 1969 she retired due to her failing health and later died in 1971.

2. Eddie Adams

Like many on this list, Eddie Adams’ name is well-known and attached to one specific photograph. Often referred to as “Saigon, 1968,” Adams said the image haunted him for the rest of his life. Even though he photographed 13 different wars, he is best known for his work that he produced during the Vietnam War. And even though today these pictures are widely known, praised, and analyzed, they were never published in a book before his death in 2004. Many say this is because Adams was a perfectionist, which often slowed down or halted the publishing process.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and worked as a combat photographer. He was sent there to take pictures of the Demilitarized Zone from one end to the other and he was able to complete the task in just over a month. Adams became widely known when he worked for the Associated Press during the Vietnam War where he took various photographs of Vietnamese refugees attempting to escape in a photo essay that was entitled “The Boat of No Smiles.” Adams pictures greatly changed the American view of the war and even persuaded Jimmy Carter to grant asylum to 200,000 refugees.

1. Robert Frank

Robert Frank was born in Switzerland and ever since his work entitled Les Americains was published, he became a very prominent figure in American photography as well as in film. He was born to a wealthy Jewish family but when Hitler came to power, despite his family being safe in Switzerland, Frank experienced the widespread oppression. To escape the oppression as well as the fact that his family was so involved with business, Frank got into photography and in 1946 he was able to create his first book of photographs entitled 40 Fotos. A year later he moved to the U.S. and worked as a fashion photographer for Harper’s Bazaar. In 1950 he published a book of photographs he had taken while in Peru and in the same year he participated in the 51 American Photographers held at the Museum of Modern Art. While in the U.S., Frank never liked the American way of life. He saw it as being too fast-paced and too dependent on money, something he tried to escape at home. He referred to the U.S. as being lonely and bleak, a theme that runs through Les Americains. Later on in life he worked as a photojournalist for Fortune, Vogue, and McCall’s.

Related articles

• Photojournalism (basilsar.wordpress.com)
• PSU-3 Top Photography Careers (pluginin.org)

By Pluginin

Source: Shane Burley

Looking at Photojournalism Degree Requirements

Let’s take a look into the photojournalism degree through

the requirements, coursework, and degree types.

A Career as a Photojournalist

Related articles

• Photojournalism (basilsar.wordpress.com)
• PSU-3 Top Photography Careers (pluginin.org)
• Insights into Photojournalism with Newsweek’s Senior Photo Editor (petapixel.com)
• The Future of Photojournalism…? (emilyfashionfiend.com)

By Pluginin

Create Tilt-Shift Images Without The Need For Expensive Lenses

Special effects in photography tend to be a mixed bag. It can be difficult to create realistic-looking effects, much less effects that look like they were made in-camera, instead of through a digital editing process.

Tilt-shift editing is an example of a process that produces images that look radically different from their originals, yet could still conceivably have been made without a computer.

Tilt-shift has its roots in architectural and landscape photography, but in photographic communities, it has become a by-word for a style of photography that makes its subjects look like toys. Tilt-shift photography is beloved by its practitioners, partly because it offers a fresh new perspective on old and familiar scenes; it’s difficult not to fall in love, for example, with an image of a favourite destination when it looks like it should be inhabited by Noddy and Big Ears.

Faking a tilt-shift image also takes mere seconds once you’ve got the hang of it, and can even be automated entirely, to the point that some compact cameras and even a few DSLRs come with the ability to miniaturise shots without the help of a computer.

For everyone else, creating miniature photos is a doddle, but as with producing any decent image, a little forethought and effort are required to achieve a good result. Read on to find out exactly how it’s done.

Read More of article by  Dave Stevenson from PC Plus

Please rate this article.

Follow Us on Google+ Search for Pluginin
Follow us on Twitter @Pluginin
Join our Facebook Fanpage: Search for Pluginin

By Pluginin.org

Source: Danny Greer

Compiling a demo reel might seem like a daunting task,

but it doesn’t have to be. 

 Keep it simple and follow these guidelines to insure that your reel positions you for success.

1.  KEEP IT SHORT

If you ask 10 different editors how long a demo reel should be you’ll get 10 different opinions… but there’s one sentiment that’s pretty consistent, KEEP IT SHORT.  A demo reel should highlight YOUR BEST work,and thus should probably not be a sampling of everything you’ve ever done. My personal opinion is 60 to 90 seconds for most cases, and I can think of few reasons why you’d ever have a reel over 2 minutes.  One of the main tasks of a video editor is to be able to tell a clear story in a condensed amount of time.  Underscore this ability by showing off your body of work with brevity.

2.  MAKE IT SPECIFIC

These days it seems that many folks in production have multiple skill sets. When applying for a position, ensure that your demo reel is targeted specifically to an individual skill or job function (i.e. Director, Editor, Director of Photography, Animator, Gaffer).  This may mean that you will have to create multiple reels, but you will benefit in appearing more focused.  Because those hiring have a very limited amount of time to review reels, they will likely only want to see examples that pertain to the position they are hiring for.

3.  COLLAGE OR SAMPLES?

Demo reels seem to be divided into two types – the rapid fire “collage” type reel that shows quick shots cut to music or the segmented “scene” based reel that shows short samples of clips cut together in some context (for example, several 20 second scenes with multiple shots each). Which is “right” for you?  I’d say it depends.  Typically, the collage type reels work best with spot / commercial / short-form work while the scene reels might be most appropriate to spotlight narrative / documentary / journalism based projects. As a general rule of thumb, for whatever style reel you make, ensure that the clips are “digestible” by the viewer.  Can they take in what’s happening in the footage?  Does it appropriately highlight your abilities?  Whatever you do, pick a style and go with it throughout your reel!

4.  PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

Although the old saying “save the best for last” may be true in some situations, for demo reels this is simply not the case.  Make sure you lead with your strongest work…you only have a few seconds to grab the viewer’s attention.

5.  YOUR WORK ONLY!

There are sneaky people in the world.  Don’t be one of them.  Whatever footage you show in your reel, make sure that you had some part in it.  If you don’t have the body of work that the job requires, don’t apply for it! Instead, keep working on your craft so you’ll have a better shot for future opportunities.  Dishonesty may not only cost you one job, but in small production markets (where word travels fast) it could mean the end of a career.  Be smart!

6.  SLATE IT

This may sound like a no-brainer, but include your name and contact information on a quick slate at the start and end of your reel.  With all the other details and creative decisions being put into a reel this can easily be overlooked.  Stick to your basic contact info:  name, email and website.  Your reel’s worthless if the viewer doesn’t have a way to contact you.

7.  SHOWCASE YOUR INVOLVEMENT

One way to convey the specific roles you had in your showcased clips is toinclude short descriptions in your reel.  For instance, if you’re an animator who did the modeling for a particular scene, include that over the video footage (i.e. “Lead Modeler”).  This will not only keep you honest about your involvement but it will give the viewer a better sense of your abilities.  You can also include the software or tools that you used (i.e. “Final Cut Pro Editor” or “Steadicam operator”) I’ve seen these designations as lower thirds or as small text in the corner of the frame.

8.  HIGHLIGHT IMPRESSIVE CLIENTS

If you’ve got an impressive client list, use it to your advantage! Major corporations, popular films or network television programs are impressive and can  be notated in your reel.  Just like highlighting your technical skills, this can be done by putting the name of the project over the reel footage in a lower third or corner of the frame (i.e. “Gaffer – When Sharks Attack – Discovery Channel”).

9.  EMPHASIZE TECHNICAL ABILITY

You may want to use your demo reel to show off your work process. I’ve seen many colorists show “before” and “after” shots of their work, and to great effect.  In such instances, do a split screen or quick shot sequence to show the different “stages”.  This is also an effective technique for compositors and broadcast designers.

10.  BE MINDFUL OF ASPECT RATIOS

As a full-time editor this is one pet peeve I’ve developed over the years…seeing different aspect ratios slapped together on the same timeline without regard for how it looks.  Yes, you may have done some projects in both 4×3 and in 16×9.  And yes, you should showcase both if they are examples of quality work.  But when you combine aspect ratios in the same program (or demo reel) be cognizant of it! Put a frame around 4×3 footage when it appears in a 16×9 frame (or at least add some stylized sidebars).  This shows an added level of professionalism.

11.  SAY “NO” TO COPYRIGHTED MUSIC

Not only is the unauthorized use of copyrighted music illegal, it will likely turn off potential employers.  As tempting as it might be, don’t risk getting your reel quickly tossed aside due to this technicality.  Instead, use an energetic royalty free music track to make your reel lively and spirited (Premiumbeat has 1,000s of high quality royalty free tracks).

12.  CUT TO THE BEAT

A quick way to separate novice editors from the more experienced is to see how they utilize music in their projects.  A common rookie mistake is just slapping music under a video track.  Instead, present yourself as a professional by cutting to the music and use it to give your demo reel energy and drive.

13.  DON’T REPEAT FOOTAGE

Repeating footage in your demo reel may lead others to believe you have a very limited body of work.  Instead, air on the side of brevity by leaving the viewer wanting to see more.

14.  QUALITY CONTROL

Check spelling, check for technical errors (glitches, noise, etc.), check for audio mistakes and then check again! Nothing will have your demo reel headed for the wastebasket faster than a few misspellings or an unintentional jump in the video.  Having an error free reel shows an attention to detail and carefulness.  Check, double check and then have a colleague check!

15.  ONLINE, ALL THE TIME

Your demo reel should be online and easily accessible. I would suggest uploading it to a video sharing site like Vimeo (a process made even easier with the built in uploading tools in Final Cut Pro X).  Hosting on Vimeo insures that it’s viewable by the overwhelming majority of computer users, whereas sending a specific file type (WMV, MOV, etc.) may prove troublesome if the viewer doesn’t have the right software installed on their computer.  You want to insure that it is quick and easy for a potential employer to view it.  When someone is hiring in a hurry, the ability to quickly shoot over a link may mean a better chance at getting a job.  Also, by putting your reel on Vimeo you can quickly swap it out when you need to make modifications or additions.

16.  DVDS FOR DELIVERY

Some employers may request demo reels be delivered on DVD.  Make sure that you have multiple copies of your demo reel available on DVD at any given time.  With a DVD, you may also want to create a simple menu that highlights the main demo reel as well as an option to view additional footage or work examples. Just be sure to keep it simple!  Make it clear and easy for the viewer to find the reel and play it back.

17.  LABEL WITH CONTACT INFO

Aside from marking the beginning and end slate of the video, be sure toinclude your contact information on the physical DVD or website(Vimeo) as well.  You want to make it as easy as possible for the hirer to contact you!

18.  ACTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE

One of the benefits of keeping your reel(s) online is the ability to keep it “active”.  Make sure you revisit it every so often… especially after you’ve completed a round of new jobs.  Your demo reel should showcase your best and recent work. Also, it’s important to make sure that all of the source files are in a place that you can easily get to them.  It shouldn’t have to be a daunting task every time you want to update your reel.  When updating, you can start by swapping weaker shots for newer and better ones.

19.  SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY

Use your reel to showcase you. Are you a little edgy?  Got a wild sense of humor?  Don’t be afraid to put a bit of you into your body of work… it will give employers a better sense of who you are as a person.  That being said, I personally find it to be a dice roll to include any profanity or offensive material in a reel (although I’ve seen it often enough).  When putting together your demo reel, use your best judgment in how you want it to highlight your personality.

20.  ASK A CRITIC

Before showing it to a potential employer, give your reel a few rounds of critique with your acquaintances.  Editor / producer / director friends make great critics.  What does your reel say about you?  Would they hire you based on what they saw?  Where are areas for improvement/what’s missing?  Now, take their feedback and improve!

Please rate this article.

Follow Us on Google+ Search for Pluginin
Follow us on Twitter @Pluginin
Join our Facebook Fanpage: Search for Pluginin

Related articles

• Voice-over Demo Reels (gearslutz.com)
• Stunning Demo Reels by the VFX Masterminds of Tomorrow [Video] (io9.com)
• Do You have a Business Demo Reel? (aleasemichelle.typepad.com)

By Pluginin.org

Some of the most rewarding careers in photography today include photojournalism, fashion photography and wedding photography. Interesting niche careers that are much more difficult to enter include wildlife photography and underwater photography, which are often associated with wildlife conservation and forensics, respectively.

1. Photojournalism

Photojournalists play an important role in delivering important news to the public and are at the forefront of capturing historical events. Working alongside journalists and alone, they capture moments of national and international significance that add to a news or feature story by showing it visually. Who could forget the photo “Raising the Flag in Iwo Jima?” Or the photos that chronicled the despair of the working poor during the Great Depression? What about the photos of the Explosion of the Hindenburg, or more recently, photos of smoke billowing from the Twin Towers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.? These photos are demonstrations of photojournalism and tell in images what can’t always be understood in words. Photojournalists have been credited with shocking people out of complacency by capturing telling images of refugees in third world countries living in stark conditions and disseminating them to the rest of the world, spurring humanitarian action. Their photos lace history books and the front pages of major newspapers and magazines, and help keep small-towns informed of local news in community newspapers.

2. Fashion Photography

Fashion Photographers often earn a living by using their creative and artistic skills to help retailers advertise a clothing product. The career is both heavily commercial and highly aesthetic. Fashion photographers are known for their cutting edge work in high-end clothing and accessories lines, like Prada and Versace, in magazines like Vogue. Taking full advantage of the emotional reasons behind people’s buying decisions, they create images meant to tell people that buying their product can make them feel powerful and more attractive. Most fashion photographers, however, don’t work at that level. Many find plenty of work taking fashion photos of the more everyday types of fashion for catalogs and websites.

3. Wedding Photography

Wedding photographers capture moments that a bride and groom will be able to keep as lasting mementos of their wedding ceremony and reception. To get their name out, wedding photographers market their skills heavily through their websites, bridal publications, bridal shops and even bridal conferences. Many wedding photographers also capture events, such as bar and bat mitzvahs, quinceaneras, parties and awards ceremonies.

Please rate this article.

If you enjoy Pluginin™ and the information we provide please sign up as a subscriber today! Thank You.
Let us know your thoughts and comments.
Pluginin™ © 2012 All RIGHTS RESERVED Leader in Quality Introductions for Today’s Emerging Artist.

Follow Us on Google+ Search for Pluginin
Follow us on Twitter @Pluginin
Join our Facebook Fanpage: Search for Pluginin

Related articles

• Fashion Shoot Attempt – Brown Moss, April 2012 (rhiannonretro.wordpress.com)
• What style is your wedding photographer? (wollwerthimagery.wordpress.com)
• Get to Know a Wedding Photographer: JMM Photography (weddinglovely.com)
• PSU-Digital Photography Basics101 (pluginin.org)