One shot and a thousand stories. Discovering Photojournalism

Have you ever thought that every picture has a story behind it? Every selfie, picture of a cat or food on Instagram can tell you a story… even if it is banal it still tells you something. On the other side of photography, there is a professional world which is more versatile, complex and deep. If I ask you to explain what photojournalism is, would you first imagine photos of pain, devastation, war, poverty, death and cruelty? Or maybe you see happiness, success, bright colors and celebration? It doesn’t really matter because all of these could be photojournalism; it is more important what you feel when you imagine it. Photojournalism is about telling different stories – happy and sad, persuading, motivating, informing and making about making you feel.

I was never interested in photojournalism and I didn’t think that photographic skills can be useful in video production. However, my photojournalism class has turned my belief upside down. I’ve realized that a decent photo which makes people look at it and recreates the atmosphere of the captured moment is not easy to take. You need to think of so many things like framing, lighting, sources of light, theme, purpose and at the same time have a fast reaction because you can lose the moment.

I’ve learned how to achieve a good lighting and framing, how to take the best shot possible in a few tries, how to fill a photo with meaning, how to tell your story effectively, and so many other interesting things that can be applied in video production. I was so into every project that, in the end, I enjoyed the results, (this happens in very rare cases with me). I’ve enjoyed the atmosphere of the class because I found it very creative, friendly and relaxing.

In the class, we were not criticizing each other, but advising and helping; the lecturer was carefully guiding us from the beginning until the end. These factors helped me to concentrate on my projects and stop stressing about doing something wrong. We had a chance to express ourselves, tell a story we want to tell and show our creativity. People had so many interesting ideas and photos like street art, old factories, local fruit markets, musicians, barber shops, local traditions, etc. Every project was so unique, so you could see the photographer’s characters and their stories behind it. So, in the end, I changed my mind about photojournalism and became interested in photography, met new cool people and became even more open-minded, learned new things about cameras and increased the quality of my shots in photos and videos.

This class surprised me in a good way. I’m so happy that my advisor had persuaded me to take it. So, if you are thinking of taking this class, I will say TAKE IT and be ready to enjoy it! =)

 

Leyla Eminalieva