PHOTOGRAPHY
FOR WRITERS
Newspaper editors are over-worked so they like complete packages: a finished story usually around 800-1200 words - but they are getting shorter; an 'If You Go Box' - with contact information for the places mentioned in the piece; and good quality photos. They will often pay a bit extra for photos. Normally photos are sent in electronically. 150 dpi on a 4x6 is usually enough.
If you are going to publish photos, make sure you have written permission from the people in the shots.
[FYI, Magazines often prefer to use professional photographers. They have separate departments dealing with editorial and photographic.]
So, with all that in mind, here are some photography tips from the Society of American Travel Writers.
Top 10 Tips to Improve Vacation Photos
1. Shoot early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the sun is overhead and the light is flat. Shooting in early morning and late afternoon will add more color and shadows to your photos, giving more definition to your subject.
2. Put local people in your photos. Ask permission first and try not to pose them.
3 Pay attention to details and distractions in the back of the photo or behind the heads of your subjects. Frequently a telephone pole or tree is sticking up behind your subject. Move around until there are fewer distractions in the background.
4 Wait! Before you click, wait for the clouds to clear, the truck to move away from the front of the cathedral or other distractions to pass.
5 When shooting a detail shot, get as close to your subject as possible. Fill the frame with your subject.
6 Always show a sense of place as to where you are. If in the tropics, frame the photo with palm trees; if in the mountains, frame it with pine trees. Frame your photo the way an artist frames a painting.
7 Look for a new angle on the familiar. Try shooting the beach on a foggy day instead of in the sun. Shoot bright colors on an overcast day. Trying shooting vertical shots instead of horizontal.
8 Take a lot of photos and edit them down to just the best before showing them to others.
9 Bring plenty of film. Film from home might be better quality and newer than film purchased in other countries. It will also be cheaper. Also bring a spare battery for your camera.
10 Keep the sun at your back, especially when shooting people. If your camera has a fill-flash option, use it - even in the daytime. It will eliminate shadows on faces. Encourage people to remove hats, which also cause shadows on faces.
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