Photojournalism is one of the most fascinating careers for photographers nowadays. It’s truly a dream come true job. Here, you’ll get paid for travel. Also, you’ll have the opportunity to witness history. Here, you get the chance to open your mind by viewing things from different perspectives. This will help you to improve your storytelling with a variety of pictures.
Though it feels so fascinating, the life of a photojournalist is not that simple. You may view them on social media and wonder, “How lucky they are!” But, that’s not the truth. Everything has two sides. On social media, you see the bright sight. But, there is also a dark sight.
Getting worried? Don’t worry at all. Here we are going to talk about everything you need to know about photojournalism.
What is Photojournalism
Before diving deeper, let’s start with the basic question. What is photojournalism?
Photojournalism is the practice of producing different images. These images will tell a news story. However, keep in mind your pictures need to be impartial and honest in the field of journalism standards. These pictures must have context relating to the recent event. But, keep in mind, your pictures must not mislead any events. And you should not be manipulative or fake.
A photojournalist is like a reporter. But he or she uses a camera instead of a keyboard to tell new stories. He or she will travel to various places to take pictures of a certain area for news. For that purpose, he or she may need to go to a war zone or the most dangerous place in the world.
And that is the reason photojournalism is a dangerous job. It’s also a risky job. Because one can change the whole situation of an event by a simple image. In that case, he or she can be the reason for treason or domestic violence. Sometimes even international violence.
As you see, it’s not as easy as it looks. That’s why you need to know everything before getting into this profession. Here, you’ll get the complete guideline of everything to become a photojournalist. In case, you don’t know anything about photography, read how to get into photography
Ethics Of Photojournalism
Like every other profession, photojournalists should follow ethics. Their ethics should be stricter than any others. As they can change the whole situation of a country. They should be more careful and responsible for their job.
Here, we are going to state the ethics that every photojournalist must follow.
- Always respect the truth. No matter what the consequences is, a photojournalist must perform his duty.
- Before publishing anything he/she should verify sources.
- Only publish information that can be traced back to the origin.
- Abstain from using any kind of disloyal means to achieve any photographs.
- Never pay sources or subjects for anything.
- Treat subjects with respect and dignity. And always abstain from intruding on private moments of grief. However, in the case of justifiable and pressing reasons, he/she can make it public.
- Never interfere with an event. Also, shouldn’t attempt to change the event’s course.
- Never set up a situation for any dishonest purpose.
- Always write true captions of images.
- Always share all information with the editor all information to avoid wrongful or misinterpretation use.
- To avoid any editorial misuse, he/she should choose publications with care.
Best Camera for Photojournalism
A photojournalist needs to have the best camera. Because they need to carry it all the time. Besides, it should be comfortable and highly configured. So, photographers can take any picture anytime. Here, we are going to talk about some cameras that are award winners for photojournalism.
01. Nikon D5
Nikon D5 is the most popular camera for photojournalists. And it is used by every photojournalist. Because of its great features.
Key Specifications of Nikon D5
- 20.8MP full-frame Nikon-designed image sensor.
- 99 cross-sensors with a 153-point phase-detection autofocus system.
- Fine-tune automated autofocus.
- ISO range stretches from 100-102,400.
- Full autofocus and autoexposure with 12fps continuous shooting.
- 4K video recording.
02. Nikon D810
Another popular camera for photojournalists is Nikon D810. Here, we are going to see the features that make this camera one of the best.
Key Specifications of Nikon D810
- 4.8µ pixel size, 36.3 MP FX sensor.
- 35.9 x 24mm sensor size.
- 7360 x 4912 resolution.
- 15.3 MP DX mode.
- 4800 x 3200 DX Mode Resolution.
- 64-12,800 ISO Sensitivity.
03. Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Is only Nikon preferable to photojournalists? The answer is, no. Most photojournalists found Canon EOS 5D Mark III as their favorite Canon camera. Here, is the reason why they prefer it.
Key specifications Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- CMOS sensor with 22MP full frame.
- ISO 100-25600 standard, 50-102,800 expanded.
- 6 fps continuous shooting.
- The shutter is rated to 150,000 frames.
- Stereo sound via external mic with 1080p30 video recording.
- AF system 61 points.
- 63 zone iFCL metering system.
- 100% viewfinder coverage.
- 1040k dot 3:2 LCD.
- Dual card slots for both CF and SD.
To know about the best cameras for still photography, read the best cameras for still photography.
Things You Need to Know About Photojournalism
A. Photojournalism is About the Eye, Not About the Camera
It’s not required to have the most expensive camera to become a photojournalist. For staring, use what you have. Learn every feature that your camera has. Then, focus on your skill.
Try to use your eye to find pictures from your daily life view. After doing this, you’ll understand your limitation. This will help you to know when you need to change your device.
B. Your Co-pilot Will Be Rejections
You’ll get rejected. Accept it. And, the bitter truth is, you’ll be rejected many times. More than you can imagine. But, if you become frustrated, you’ll never be able to fulfill your dream.
Whenever you are getting rejected, you’ll learn something new. Ask for feedback, every time you got rejected. Then, work on your weakness. It’ll make you perfect day by day.
And, never let your ego take over your dream. It’s okay to get rejected.
C. The Stories You Know Best Should Be Your Strongest Stories
Most photojournalists make the mistake of running after big news. But, they forget everyone is running after it. So, it will be hard to ensure a position by using it. Instead, use your well-known stories. These stories are your powerful weapon. And no one can outrun you here. So, instead of running after big ones, run after your own.
D. As A Photojournalist, You’ll Spend Very Little of Your Time Photographing
Photojournalists don’t spend a lot of time doing photography. Besides photography, photojournalists have many works. They have to build connections and travel to a lot of places just to take a photo. So, don’t think of taking photographs every time.
Set your mind to spend a lot of time doing other work, not just only photography. This will make you prepare for your photojournalist job.
E. You’ll Not Get Rich by Becoming a Photojournalist
Photojournalism sounds fascinating. But the hard truth is, it’ll never make you rich. It will give you the opportunity to travel a lot and meet new people, and cultures. But, in terms of money, you’ll not get enough. Because you’ve to spend a lot of money to buy gear for the camera. And they are not that cheap.
So, before coming into this profession, make sure you’re okay with this.
Conclusion
Photojournalism is a very exciting profession. It gives one the opportunity, that no one ever thinks. Here, you’ll experience many things that you’ll never be able to see in your regular life. So, if you’re interested in this field, prepare yourself for it today. It’ll give you the best moments that you can ever imagine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Photojournalist?
A photojournalist is one who uses a camera rather than the written word to tell news stories.
Do Photojournalists Write?
Besides taking pictures, and shooting; a photojournalist also writes. But he is not expected to write content. He just writes captions for some images for news.
Who Invented Photojournalism?
Henri Cartier-Bresson is known as the father of modern photojournalism.
What is the Most Famous Photo of All Time?
A photo titled The Falling Soldier, taken in 1936 by Robert Capa during the Spanish Civil War is known as the most famous photo of all time.
