CORD TRAININGPHOTO & GRAPHICS 11-12

CONTENTSPHOTO & GRAPHICS2011-12

PHOTOGRAPHY RESOURCES 03Politics of Photography 03News Photography 04Opinion & Features Photography 06Arts Photography 08Sports Photography 10Ethics 12

GRAPHICS RESOURCES 12Graphics & Cartooning 14Editorial Cartoons 16

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POLITICS OF PHOTOGRAPHYPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

Every time you take a photo, you’re intervening in the micropolitics of your community. When you decide to shoot, you decide what and whom will appear in the photo. This is where your political judgment will come directly into play.

When there’s a conflict story, for example, whose photo should ap-pear in the paper?

At McGill University, for instance, students were petitioning to get rid of a science professor because they claimed they couldn’t un-derstand his accent. At a department meeting everyone thought it natural, at first, to take a photo of the professor because he seemed to be the centre of the story. But photographers later realized that identifying the professor was not necessarily a good idea, because it could subject him to more harassment and supported the idea that the problem was the appearance (and accent) of this non-white pro-fessor rather than, say, the white anglophone students.

The person you choose to use to illustrate a story subtly influences the point-of-view of the reader. If the story is about a conflict be-tween a developer and neighbourhood activists, and you only have room for one picture, who are you going to feature?

The photo says a lot about what the paper thinks about the story. So does the angle (from above or below?), the context (getting into their Mercedes or sitting in the cafeteria?), framing (in the centre, or “on the outside looking in”?), lighting (fully exposed or in the shad-ows?) and tone (smiling, sombre, looking silly, looking outraged?).

That’s why you, as a photographer, have to understand the story before you go to the session. Knowing what the story is about also gives you and your subject something to talk about while you take the pictures, making the shoot more natural.

THINK BEFORE YOU SHOOTYour camera is a powerful tool. It has the potential to do great

good or controversially harm. You must be mindful of what you chose to capture and the ramifications that may come with that, for both you and those involved. That is not to say don’t take the photo, just be aware that what you do has an affect on the subjects you capture. Photojournalism is important, and in certain circumstances it takes may take great courage to do your job. Think, but do not second-guess your judgment.

Moments last just that long. Demonstrations are legal in Canada, and take place on public

property (for the most part). Therefore you have full authority to photograph them. Should things become violent, or illegal acts begin to take place, your first duty is to your personal safety. If you feel or are actually threatened by protestors, retreating to a safe place is an acceptable decision. While a picture may be worth a thousand words, your life is not. Never feel like you have to stay in a dangerous situa-tion, that is a personal decision you must make for yourself.

It is perfectly legal to photograph law enforcement officers, de-spite what they may try to tell you. Do not let your rights be subvert-ed. Focusing your lens on their actions will remind them the media holds them accountable for their actions, regardless of what those are.

PROGRAMS→ Photoshop: This program was designed for graphic designers,

not photographers. There are more features in the program than any photojournalist will ever need. Yet, it still is the program of choice for the majority of working photographers because of to ability to edit images faster than any other program out there. It is a necessary program to familiarize yourself with if you intend on applying as a Photography Manager in the future.

→ Lightroom: The program of choice for WLUSP photographers. program. Designed with photographers in mind, with the same power as Photoshop, without the frills.

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NEWS PHOTOGRAPHYPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

There are essentially three types of news photographs: interview shots, illustrations and spot news. A good news photo does not just illustrate, it informs. Allow the photograph to bring something new to the story; be it a slice of personality, a new perspective, or a piece of additional information.

When shooting an interview, snap the shutter when the subject appears natural, but is engaged with the interviewer in some way. Look for lines created by interesting hand gestures, moments of emotion, and eye-contact with the story’s writer.

If good images aren’t coming from the interview, ask if you can photograph the subject somewhere interesting. Ask them to suggest a spot or prop which helps illustrate the story. Explain that it will only take a few minutes, and will help make the story more visually ap-pealing. Come to the photo shoot with a couple of ideas in mind, just in case the subject isn’t forthcoming.

Sometimes it’s impossible to get photos of the interview subject; or, the story is better served with an illustrative approach. This is a great chance to add something extra to the story, an angle which can be better expressed visually.

The third kind is spot news. This is when something happens, be it a car accident or crashing building, that is impossible to predict. This relies on quick information, lightning fast reflexes, and the fact that you have your camera with you all the time.

Spot news photography is about conveying events and reaction while it is in the process of happening. Shoot a lot because when the moment passes, it’s over forever and you’ll only have what you cap-tured.

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Nick Lachance “Student upset over alleged discrimination”, March 31 2010.

Megan Cherniak“Winter Carnival jump shot”, January 20 2010.

Yusuf Kidwai“Lethal residence fire started by victim”, September 6 2009.

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHYPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

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Nick Lachance“Collision sends pedestrians to hospital”, January 10 2011.

Nick Lachance“Breaking down O-Week”, September 15 2010.

Nick Lachance“G20 protest erupts in violence”, July 2 2010.

Yusuf Kidwai“Get Involved Fair”, September 16 2010.

OPINION & FEATURESPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

OPINIONOpinion photography is like news photography, except you can be creative.

Read the article you are about to illustrate. Think about the writ-er’s tone and theme, and how this can be best represented in an im-age. Or, make a picture that shows a contrary opinion.

This need not be complicated. A few simple props and creative composition can draw the reader into the story.

Opinions photography is also a great way to learn lighting, as you have longer to conceptualize and shoot.

FEATURESFeatures are the most open-ended area of photography. Here you

have the greatest creative freedom, and the opportunity to work ex-tensively within the framework of a story. Because more than one photo is almost always used in feature stories, variety of content and perspective is key.

The approach is usually similar to opinion photography — take a story and try to add a new perspective, or illustrate an important part of the story.

Think of creating images which can easily be incorporated into design. Try leaving a space of solid colour in the frame, so text can be dropped onto it. Try taking images of solid objects that can be made into cut-outs. The key here is variety, the more diverse the photo-graphs, the better the feature.

There is also the opportunity for photo-oriented features. Think of it as a photo essay, where you tell a story through images.

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Yusuf Kidwai“The burden of a restricting relationship”, January 6 2010.

Nick Lachance“Bro, grow your mo”, November 11 2009.

Elli Garlin (illustration by Wade Thompson)“It’s getting better”, February 16 2011.

Megan Cherniak“It hits closer to home”, November 17 2010.

OPINION & FEATURESPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

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Nick Lachance“Honouring Canadian soldiers in a new era”, November 11 2009.

Myles Wilson“Illegal activity on campus?”, November 18 2009.

Photography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Examine the lighting in the venue. How does it strike the perform-ers? From what angles can this light be used to your advantage? Try to make the lighting compliment the mood of the show; bright and cheery or dim and sombre.

Lighting varies wildly from venue to venue. Some places have their lights more or less set. Hand metering can be of benefit here, or meter by filling your frame completely with the subject to make sure no stray light is distorting your meter reading.

Other places have variable lighting. Here, your meter is useless. Because the lights are constantly changing, an accurate reading one moment will be useless the next. Start with an exposure of ISO 1600, f/2.8 and 1/60 or 1/125, and bracket like mad.

With most arts assignments, you’ll need to access areas which normally require payment. Contact the organizer beforehand, by e-mail or phone. At the event, state that you are taking photos for The Cord, and show them your camera. If there is a problem, show them your press pass or give them your editor’s card and ask them to con-tact them. As a last resort, talk to the promoter.

The other main type photography we do which is unique to arts is the theatrical photo call. These are great experience, since you get to boss around actors and technicians until you have the perfect pic-ture. Don’t be shy about asking the actors to run their scene one more time, especially if you have an idea for a shot you couldn’t get. Wait for moments of high action, and get them to repeat it again and again.

Arts photography is ripe with visual clichés. Someone playing guitar, or screaming into a mi-crophone. The challenge is to take a new perspective on something formulaic and often monotonous.

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Nick Lachance“A night at the opera”, November 25 2009.

Nick Lachance“Fucked Up at Canadian Music Week”, March 17 2010.

Yusuf Kidwai“Life on the FrInge”, November 25 2009.

Photography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Yusuf Kidwai“Metric rocks O-Week”, September 16 2009.

Nick Lachance“Happy Chicester at Canadian Music Week”, March 17 2010.

Elli Garlin“Drag draws enthusiastic crowd”, November 24 2010.

Nick Lachance“Fashion takes centre stage”, March 24 2010.

Nick Lachance“A Broadway spectacle at Laurier”, January 27 2010.

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHYPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

When shooting sports, things happen quickly, so you’ll learn how to operate your camera swiftly and confidently. There are two things which make an outstanding sports photo: peak action and emotion. You should be able to explain why you took the photo at one moment, as opposed to another.

Scoring is always a great moment for peak action, but look for diver-sity: say, a great dive in volleyball or an illegal hit in basketball. Never put your camera down once the basket is made or the goal is scored, as moments of celebration can also make interesting pictures.

Keep your attention focused on what is happening close by. Your subject should usually fill a good third of the frame, anything less, and the point of focus might become unclear. So pick a spot, and stick to it for a while. You’ll fi nd the pictures will come more easily if you wait, rather than frantically following the action.

Each sport has its own money shots — knowing where to stand to get a great photo is the first step to capturing that slam-dunk.

SOCCER, FIELD HOCKEY & RUGBYYour best bet here is either behind the opposing team’s net, or just strolling along the sidelines. Focal lengths over 100mm work well here; remember to fill your frame with the action, which means avoid shooting when the play is on the other side of the field.

FOOTBALLDon’t be intimidated by the players, but keep your wits about your-self — get out of the way when the play comes too close. Because a lot of the action happens in the middle of the field, a long lens is crucial. The peak actions here are passes and tackles—follow the ball with your camera and wait for somebody to hit somebody else.

VOLLEYBALLVolleyball takes place in gyms, where the lighting is atrocious (it makes everyone look like they have jaundice), but there’s not much you can do about it. Use an exposure of f/2.8 & 250 at ISO 800, or

f/2.8 & 500 at ISO 1600.

Volleyball is perhaps the hardest sport to shoot. The action shifts in a splitsecond, so it is the perfect sport for improving your reaction time and focusing skills. With a short lens like a 50mm, shoot from the sidelines in front of the bleachers or the announcer’s table. This is the place to capture spikes and digs. Wait for peak action moments, like a dive or a perfect set/spike.

Remember to stay low to the ground, or the large fellow who always sits in the front row will yell at you. Another great place, if you’re a bit braver, is under the referee’s stand. Here, you can even use a 28mm, and get some really great shots. Just keep an eye out for wayward balls.

With a longer lens, 200mm or above, try shooting perpendicular to the net, for some intense blocking and spiking action. Or, for a unique perspective, head upstairs and shoot a birds-eye view of the game. Remember though: keep the frame tight.

BASKETBALLLike volleyball, basketball is extremely fast-paced, and much of the same advice applies. Shooting from the sidelines works well here too, but the best spot is right under the net. From here, with a 28mm or a 50mm, you can capture the meat of basketball: jumping, hitting, and grunting. For scoring baskets, look for intense expressions, be they concentration, anger, surprise, or excitement.

HOCKEYA good starting point is ISO 800, f/2.8 and a shutter speed of 500. Try to get as close to the ice as possible — shoot from the corners of the rink, or behind the opposing team’s net. Make sure that you shoot perpendicular to the glass, as glare can easily appear in pictures.

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Yusuf Kidwai“Swim meet”, January 6 2010.

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHYPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

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Yusuf Kidwai“Hawks claim OUA title”, March 10 2010.

Nick Lachance“Hawks fall to Gee Gees on homecoming”, March 10 2010.

Yusuf Kidwai“Hawks fall short in OUA semifinal”, November 11 2009.

Matt Symes“Behind the Hawk: Andrea Ironside”, January 13 2010.

Nick Lachance“Students celebrate Canada”, March 3 2010.

ETHICSPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

As a photojournalist your purpose is to capture the moment as it happens. You serve as the witness to an instant in time that others are unable to experience for themselves. Your photo becomes, in many cases, the first historical record that others will remember said event by. Your power to influence and direct the opinions of readers is equal to that of the writer.

Your ethics as a photographer are identical to a writer. However, given the recent advances in technology and the (almost complete) elimination of film as a medium for photojournalists, the ethics of a photographer working news source has been a topic of intense de-bate.

Photojournalists around the world have been vilified in forums, written off, and, in the most extreme cases, black listed by colleagues for violating a sometimes unspoken set of ethics.

Individual newspapers, wire services, and various photojournalist organizations all have their own set of ethics and codes of conduct. It can be difficult to sift through the endless amount of information on the web or the “word of mouth” do and don’ts you might get from seasoned photojournalists in the industry.

For the purposes of The Cord, a good starting point for photojour-nalistic efforts is the outline authored by David Schlesinger, Reuters Editor-in-Chief. Schlesinger’s ethics for photojournalism are as fol-lows:

RULES→ No additions or deletions to the subject matter of the original

image, thus changing the original content and journalistic integ-rity of an image.

→ No excessive lightening, darkening or blurring of the image, thus disguising certain elements of an image.

→ No excessive colour manipulation, thus dramatically changing the original lighting conditions of an image.

GUIDELINES→ Only minor Photoshop work should be performed. Cropping,

sizing and levels with resolution set to 300dpi are acceptable.

→ Where possible, have your photo editor perform any required further Photoshopping on calibrated hi-resolution screens. This typically entails lightening/darkening, removal of dust and basic colour correction.

ALLOWED→ Cropping (only to extent so as not to distort the event).

→ Adjustment of levels to histogram limits.

→ Minor colour correction on a properly calibrated screen.

→ Sharpening at 300%, 0.3, 0 (no in-camera sharpening).

→ Subtle use of burn tool.

→ Careful use of lasso tool.

→ Adjustment of highlights and shadows.

→ Eye dropper to check/set gray.

If you must salvage or modify an image using any of the above tools, they should be labeled as a “photo illustration.”

NOT ALLOWED→ Additions or deletions to image.

→ Cloning & healing tool (except dust).

→ Airbrush, brush, paint.

→ Selective area sharpening and in-camera sharpening

→ Excessive lightening/darkening.

→ Excessive colour tone change.

→ Auto levels.

→ Blurring.

→ Eraser tool.

→ Quick Mask.

→ In-camera sharpening.

→ In-camera saturation styles.

STAGING PHOTOS→ Photographers, staff and freelancers, must not stage or re-enact

news events. They may not direct the subjects of their images or add, remove or move objects on a news assignment.

→ Photographers may direct the subjects of portraits, formal inter-views and non-news feature images needed to illustrate a story.

→ The presence of the media can often influence how subjects behave. When the behavior shown is the result of the media’s presence, captions must make that clear. If other photographers orchestrate or set up scenes, it is still a set-up.

→ The best news photography occurs when the presence of the camera is not noticeable. Photographers should be as unobtru-sive as possible to avoid influencing events and consider using long lenses.

→ Composite images that show the progression of an event (e.g. lunar eclipse, time lapse) must indicate the technique in their captions. They are never acceptable in a news assignment un-less captioned accordingly.

→ Captions must also make clear when a specialty lens (e.g. lens babies, tilt-shift lenses) or a special technique (e.g. soft focus, zooming, circular polarizer) has been used to create an image in portraiture or on a features assignment.

STAGING PHOTOSJust as our news photographs must reflect reality, so too should your

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ETHICSPhotography Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

captions. They must adhere to the basic rules of accuracy and free-dom from bias and must answer the basic questions of good journal-ism.

→ Who is in the picture?

→ Where was it taken?

→ When was it taken?

→ What does it show?

→ Why is a subject doing a particular thing?

Captions are written in the present tense and should use concise, simple English. They generally consist of a single sentence but a sec-ond sentence should be added if additional context or explanation is required.

Contentious information, like death tolls in conflict, must be sourced or avoided entirely. The caption must explain the circum-stances in which a photograph was taken and state the correct date.

Captions must not contain assumptions by the photographer about what might have happened, even when a situation seems likely. Explain only what you have witnessed. All other information about an event must be sourced unless you are certain of your information.

ETIQUETTEAs a photojournalist, you will often have access to restricted ar-

eas. Be respectful of the context — remember, as a photographer you should try to go unnoticed. With sports and arts, be cognizant of other people who have paid to see the event. With news, respect the environment you are in, as nobody likes a pushy photographer rearranging their office. Most of the time, a little courtesy goes a long way. If you explain to people who you are and what you are doing, they are usually more than happy to help out.

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YOUR RIGHTS AS A PHOTOGRAPHER

1) You can make a photograph of anything and anyone on any public property, except where a specific law prohibits it (i.e. streets, sidewalks, town squares, parks, government buildings open to the public and libraries).

2) You may shoot on private property if it is open to the public, but are obliged to stop if the owner requests it (i.e. malls, retail stores, restaurants, banks and office building lobbies).

3) Private property owners can prevent photography on their property, but not photography off their property from a public location.

4) Anyone can be photographed without consent when they are in a public place, unless there is a reasonable expectation of privacy (i.e. private homes, restrooms, dressing rooms, medical facilities, and phone booths).

5) Despite common misconceptions, it is almost always per-missible to photograph the following subjects:

→ accidents, fire scenes, criminal activity

→ children, celebrities, law enforcement officers

→ bridges, infrastructure, transportation facilities

→ residential, commercial and industrial buildings

6) Security is rarely an acceptable reason for restricting pho-tography. Photographing a public place cannot infringe on trade secrets, nor can it be considered terrorist activity.

7) Private parties cannot detain you against your will unless a serious crime was committed in their presence. Those that do so may be subject to criminal and civil charges.

8) It is a crime for someone to threaten injury, detention, confis-cation, or arrest because you are making photographs.

9) You are not obliged to provide your identity or reason for photographing unless questioned by a law enforcement officer and state law requires it.

10) Private parties cannot confiscate your equipment without a court order. Law enforcement officers also must obtain one, unless making an arrest. No one can force you to delete photos you have made.

Note that these are general guidelines and should not be interpreted as legal advice. If you need legal help, contact a lawyer. CUP provides lawyers that we can reach for advice if necessary.

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GRAPHICS & CARTOONING

Not everyone in our office is interested in framing the perfect lede or learning the intricacies of conducting an interview. Some volunteers are passionate about drawing or production work. This is a positive thing. A paper does not start and end with the articles; creative lay-out, provocative photos and entertaining cartoons are as important to a paper as a strong news story.

As for the cartoonists themselves, here are some quick tips to help you draw a better graphic:

GETTING STARTED → Complement the story by drawing a graphic that contains the

same theme as the article. Visual indicators of content make some people likely to read further.

→ Simple is better. The story shouldn’t be over-looked because of an intricate graphic. A picture that symbolizes a small element of the story is best.

→ Graphics should draw attention to the story by leading the eye towards it. This can be done by the direction a fi gure is pointing, moving, leaning or looking in, or by the direction of the actual design.

→ The ethical principles that apply to our written work apply to graphics as well. Always avoid discriminatory graphics, and try to use nongender specific figures. For instance, show an equal number of females and males throughout your paper. Include as many different ethnic groups as possible as well.

→ Keep away from very dark or really light images. more often than not, the results you get back from the printers will be less than beautiful.

→ Draw an arrow pointing at the story if you have to. Another nifty effect is to use screens over large blocks of text. They make a page more interesting to look at.

→ Screen darker colours — forest green, teal, purple, etc. — at 10, or maximum 20 per cent, for best readable results. Remember that really small details on a screen can get tangled up with your text, So try to make sure the smallest details are at least bigger than your text’s point size.

→ To do screens in InDesign, go to the swatches tab, then change the tint to 10 per cent. If the screen is done in grey, 10 per cent is plenty. Any more, and chances are your text will be obscured. Same goes for colour: stick to the lighter hues. Yellow, pale green, pink and light blue all work well at 100 percent.

→ Experiment! Try spot colour, screens, colour washes over pho-tos, headlines in colour, graphics on flags and section heads, and full front page graphics. Watch the paper become a friendly and collectable work of art.

PLANNING GRAPHICS Like any content in the paper, graphics need to be planned ahead. Aim for graphics that are intelligent and critical, not malicious.

Other graphics end up being done on production night to fill the holes you have, or haven’t, dummied into the paper. If you have a good graphics team, filling these holes will never be a problem. Con-vince them to hang out on production night in order to fulfill last minute needs.

But even though on-hand cartoonists are a great way to create custom drawings and give The Cord a more human touch, file graph-ics can also come in handy. So keep a graphics file, divided into sub-ject areas, and use them when applicable.

Newspaper graphics serve several functions: attract artistic volunteers, help to visually organize a page, provide editorial commentary in a fun and engaging manner.

Graphics Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

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GRAPHICS & CARTOONINGGraphics Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

Wade ThompsonGraphics Editor“The value of your arts degree: Post graduate reflections”, September 22 2010.

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EDITORIAL CARTOONS

On an aesthetic level, campus news stories — especially about po-litical or administrative matters — generally don’t lend themselves to good photography. For instance, most articles on a student union meeting are usually accompanied by a shot of people sitting at a table. Pretty boring stuff. Few people, however, can resist reading a cartoon. As well, editorial comics can break up news sections that are notoriously text heavy, improving the overall design of your paper.

Creating a good editorial cartoon involves more than drawing some goofy faces. For editorial comics on campus issues, it is impor-tant to place them in context. As well, placing an editorial comic in the midst of articles discussing the same issue is a must.

DEALING WITH FALLOUTAnother consideration when including editorial cartoons in your pa-per is their effect on the campus community. Editorial cartoons tend to be more potent in a school setting, because universities are rela-tively small communities.

Criticizing a club, a residence or admin in an editorial cartoon can raise more of an outcry than an article doing the same. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

MAKING THE PEN POLITICALThe trick is to channel your talents to accommodate campus politics and to understand local issues. That is why The Cord’s editors should keep in touch with the artists. The difference between Max Blouw holding a chainsaw or a pair of scissors may be key to The Cord’s edi-torial stance.

However, cartoonists are artists and cannot be programmed to churn out comics according to an editor’s whim. An editorial cartoon is just that, editorial, and the fact that the artist may take a slightly different slant on the issue than an article is only healthy.

DON’T WRITE A NOVELDo not clutter your picture with text. A comic’s primary form of ex-pression is the visual medium. If you throw out too many words, you might as well write an article. The cartoon, remember, should not try to repeat what a news story does. Rather, it should focus on summa-rizing campus issue through pictures.

A well done, strong political cartoon will catch the reader’s eye, amuse them and pull them into the article. Moreover, it can make readers aware of a complex issue in an enjoyable and easy to understand format.

Graphics Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12

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EDITORIAL CARTOONS

Maya UemuraGraphics Artist “Communication needed between faculty and admin”, November 25 2009.

Graphics Resources • Cord Photo & Graphics 2011-12