Depth of Field

You may have exercised any one of these standards of good composition, but if you failed to achieve adequate depth of field, your images may leave you dissatisfied. Unfortunately many of today’s lenses lack a depth of field scale and/or depth of field preview buttons.  One easy way to assure maximum depth in your photograph is use as small lens aperture such as f/16 or f/22 and then focus a third of the way into the scene. Not the actual physical distance of the closest object in your picture to the farthest, but a third of the way into your frame as you look through the viewfinder.  If you use your depth-of-field preview button, it allows your to stop the lens down to its taking aperture to visually check and see if everything looks sharp. Take your time and allow your eye to adjust to the darkened image in the viewfinder. A ‘dark cloth’ or coat can be handy to shield the sun as you look into the viewfinder. Depth-of-field and critical focus is very important to the finished image.  Another way to get maximum depth of field is to focus at your lens’ hyper-focal distance which is what you’re simulating by focusing 1/3rd of the way into the scene.  OK, now your asking yourself, “What the heck is hyperfocal distance?”

Whenever you focus your lens there will be an area that is in focus and areas that are out of focus. The in focus area is referred to as the “focal plane”.   The import thing here is that 1/3rd of the focal plane is ahead of the thing you’re focused on and 2/3rds of the focal plane falls behind what you’re focused on.  Focus your lens at infinity and the leading edge of the area that is in focus is the hyperfocal point for that lens.   Focus on that point instead of infinity and you’ll have the greatest range of focus from infinity back toward your location.

Here is a free PDF that gives you a guide of hyperfocal distance.

Photojournalism Conclusion

Seek to have the widest possible skill set. This includes work with a still camera, computer, audio and video tools. Be as complete a storyteller as possible with the range of tools available.

Special enhancements are equally valuable: Learn to write stories and proposals; learn one or more foreign languages; learn to compose music, an especially valuable skill as one moves into the multimedia and video world.

Storytellers should keep in mind they will be studying at least three topics as long as they pursue this career: 1) New technological developments, 2) the process of telling a story that communicates clearly, and 3) the copyright law. These are subjects that become the ordinary, on-going “homework” of the working professional.

Most likely creative people will have several if not many jobs over the course of their career. The days of being a photographer, a videographer, an editor or “just” one of anything are gone. Versatility combined with perseverance are the qualities that will keep storytellers working through this century.

Internships in Photography

Whatever one’s chosen educational path, in the end photographers and visual storytellers have to be able to show they can produce work of sufficient quality to attract the attention of editors and hiring managers. That often comes down to a portfolio or video “reel” of one’s best work. Students often put this together in school. However it happens, this is the key element those who hire want to see.

Often editors are looking for the most talented potential intern they can find. On some occasions, that does not mean it will be the most polished photographer.

Besides class assignments and self-assigned projects, the entry-level photographer or video documentarian sometimes gets a chance to prove him or herself through internships or assistantships with professionals. Work with individual photographers or filmmakers is often like the age old apprenticeship experience where one turns oneself over to a master and learns by first watching, then doing. Magazine interns often work in the office and soon learn the culture of the modern magazine world. Initial work doing low-level tasks can evolve over time to taking on greater responsibility throughout the internship and eventually becoming an integral part of the publication’s workflow.

Students who want to shoot pictures or video and who want to see their work in front of an audience will seek internships where these opportunities exist. Newspapers often give student interns the same assignment and deadline responsibilities as staff photographers.

Though he now shoots for Sports Illustrated and Major League Baseball, Mangin started in newspapers and still believes that gives new photographers great training. “It has always been my opinion that magazine editors who hire freelancers to shoot sports want to hire journalists who know how to tell stories with their photographs. This is why I always stress to get a start in newspapers where you can learn to become a complete journalist and prepare yourself for more opportunities in your future.”

Videographers at small televisions stations might learn the ropes in the newsroom or by editing. Before the end of the internship they can be shooting stories for broadcast if their skills are in place.

While it takes a basic portfolio or reel to get hired, the aim is to add significant new material to the portfolio over the course of the internship.

What are the steps to an internship?

To get an internship photographers often find it helps to mount a campaign. For students, this is like taking on one extra self-designed course called, “Getting my first (or next) internship.”

This means assembling a portfolio of excellent work and figuring out where you would like to intern, or where it would be most appropriate for you to intern based on your experience. In addition applicants will need a resume and a cover letter that introduces them and makes their case to be selected as an intern.

Among the beginner errors are misspelling the name of the hiring editor. Worse yet is to get their gender wrong.

If a candidate is fortunate to get an interview with the boss, “Dress correctly for the interview”. “No jeans, T-shirts, gum or bottled water. Wear a nice clean shirt or blouse and slacks.”

How can I maximize the job interview opportunity?

Job candidates know they will be asked questions during an interview. Think about what you will be asked—and what you want to ask—during the interview.

In the first instance, candidates should be able to speak about why they want to intern for this particular organization. Also, what can the intern candidate bring to this organization as an aspiring journalist or storyteller?

Having questions for the organization’s interviewer is also smart. What is the daily routine of the job? Is it office bound or can interns get into the field? Is the work of interns published in print, on the Web or broadcast on the air? What were the duties of the previous intern?