There are many definitions of the concept of “journalism.” Here is a compact yet content-rich one:

“Journalism is public activity focused on the gathering, processing, and periodic dissemination of current information through mass media, such as print publications, online portals, television, and radio.”

Let’s assume you attended a concert of a music band, took some photos of the artists and the audience, and spoke with people. After returning home, you wrote a text describing what you saw and heard. You sent this article with photos to a local print or online publication, and it was published. That is journalism. You gathered information, processed it, and published it in the media. Congratulations, you’re a journalist.

Let’s talk about the main points of working with photographs in journalism. How can you take good shots that editors and readers of media outlets will appreciate? Photojournalism is very different from regular artistic photography. The only commonality is knowing how to handle a camera or a smartphone. In terms of subject matter, and especially post-processing, there are significant differences.

Let’s start with the simplest aspect — editing. In artistic photography, anything that makes the shot better and more interesting is allowed, encouraged, and available. Photographers edit their shots in special programs and now even use AI-powered services. For instance, they might change the skin tone in a portrait, add a cloud in the sky, or turn day into night. In photojournalism, editing is strictly forbidden and not welcomed. You can make the photo slightly darker or lighter, adjust the exposure (amount of light), but that’s it. This has both pros and cons. The downside is obvious: how the photo turned out is how it will remain. But the upside is that you don’t have to spend time and energy editing photos.

Often, photojournalists send their photos straight from the event, having taken dozens of shots, to the editorial team “as is.” After working hard for 30 minutes, they send the photos off in 5 minutes and can relax with a cup of coffee. Why is editing forbidden? Because journalism conveys authentic information, not artistic fantasy. We write texts about real events without embellishment, and we need similarly realistic photographs.

Occasionally, scandals happen. A photojournalist enhances the fire in a photo, adds a dog in the background, or turns two tanks into three. This is considered utterly unacceptable, and no other publications will work with them afterward. Now that we’ve covered editing and “artistic fantasies,” let’s move on.

Let’s discuss what is necessary. There are several key approaches that help create good journalistic photos.

Story in the Frame. It is believed that every photograph in the media should tell a story. For example, a photo of the mayor cutting a red ribbon at the opening of a new large enterprise. This is not just a portrait of an official with some ribbon. This photograph conveys the story of how the factory was built and how its grand opening took place. Therefore, it’s important to capture the most “meaningful moment.” Before this, the mayor was standing with a blank expression, and 10 minutes later, he’ll be talking to colleagues. But what we need is the ceremonial ribbon-cutting moment.

Main Object and Details, Surroundings. Details enhance a photo. What will the viewer see to the left and right, and in the background? A happy politician walks in a fine suit, surrounded by his “entourage.” Good, but for some reason, the journalist captured in the background a very sad elderly woman in modest clothes, watching the gathering and not understanding what’s happening. This was a deliberate choice by the photojournalist, who noticed the elderly lady during the event. Now, the photo isn’t just about the politician being impressive, but also about whether the activities of these well-dressed officials matter to ordinary people.

Composition, Cropping the Shot. There is much in common here with artistic photography, so we find some overlap. How objects are arranged, how the photo is cropped (cropping is allowed in photojournalism, no one demands the raw image) plays a major role in how the viewer perceives it. The same moment can be captured poorly or exceptionally well.

This becomes clear when journalists work at the same event. They stand together and photograph, let’s say, the arrival of a minister at a facility. But in the end, one has mediocre shots while the other has excellent ones. It’s not about image quality but about composition. This is the arrangement of all elements in the photo, and composition depends on the angle of the shot and what is included in the frame. The classic rule of composition is the rule of thirds, which we often mention. The frame is divided by lines into nine parts using three lines from each side (most cameras and smartphones have a grid feature), and important objects are placed at the intersections of these lines.

Capture the Moment. A talented journalist knows how to capture the moment. The artist throws his hands up, describing the upcoming exhibition of his work; a little girl bursts into laughter; a priest gives a stern look at a cat that wandered into the church. Such moments and photos will not leave anyone indifferent and may even win awards at photojournalism contests.

It’s also worth mentioning that staged shots are generally discouraged. “Stand here, look there, hold the flag”… In journalism, this is considered, at the very least, bad practice. However, occasionally, such techniques can be used carefully.

We hope we have outlined the key approaches to photojournalism and how to create good photos that will please editors and audiences. By the way, this applies not only to photojournalists but also to journalists who still need to know how to take good pictures.