Intro Photog Feb03

Introduction to Documentary Photography

Keep Your Camera Ready
You never know when something’s going to happen. Get the habit of having your camera with you.

Keep It Simple: Get Close
You waste film and distract the viewer when you are farther from your subject than you need to be.

Moving in focuses the viewer’s vision

Getting close involves the viewer with your subject

Distracting Surroundings

Are simplified by Getting Close

Keep People Busy
Avoid Static, Posed Group Photos

Show People Doing Something
People in action are more interesting.
We not only see them, we see them interacting and we begin to get a story.

Show People Doing Something!

Watch for interaction between people: eye contact

Keep the Background Simple: Look At Edges

Frame foreground elements with background elements

Simplify the Background by throwing it out of focus

Look for an Unusual Point of View that helps tell the story

Consider Getting Above the Situation

Look for “Frames”

Include foreground objects as a frame

Composition: The Rule of thirds

Rule of Thirds

Don’t always use Horizontal Framing

Turn Your Camera to get a Vertical Frame

Practice Your Timing

Timing: Can you see everyone’s face?

Strong sunlight creates too much contrast
State the purpose of the discussion
Identify yourself

Use your flash to lighten foreground

The interview itself is part of history.

Whose story is it? In the Heritage Project, the documentarian is part of the story.

by Michael Umphrey

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