Thoughts & Theory – Page 22 – Visual Journalism

October 22, 2013

Journaling Your Destination

The University of Georgia has a neat program, started a few years ago, called the First Year Odyssey, made up of one-credit classes and every first year kid must take one. When they started, I tossed some ideas into the ring – the courses are designed by faculty to introduce students to their area of expertise. None of my ideas...

Craft/Good Work/Photojournalism/Thoughts & Theory

September 16, 2013

A Flower for the Graves, 50 Years On

It has been fifty years since Gene Patterson published A Flower for the Graves. If you’ve never read it, take the time to. It’s a stunning piece, his call to action after the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four children. Only we can trace the truth, Southerner — you and I. We broke those children’s bodies. We watched the...

Good Work/Journalism/Thoughts & Theory

September 13, 2013

On the Ken Burns Effect

I love Ken Burns, I love his research, I love his style, I love his storytelling. Chances are, you’re not Ken Burns. From xkcd. (Thanks to Michael Johnston at The Online Photographer for the lede.)

Advice & Learning/Photojournalism/Tech Talk/Thoughts & Theory

September 10, 2013

Cameras in the Supreme Court

We had a wonderful day-long series of panels centered on the Peabody Award winning SCOTUSblog on Monday. I will admit that I am a fanboy of the Supremes – there’s something so enigmatic about them, so powerful. Better than any Harry Potter sequel. As we all know, there are no cameras – still or video – allowed in the courtroom...

Ethics & Legal/Photojournalism/Thoughts & Theory

August 29, 2013

Residents versus Renters

The New York Times’ Shaila Dewan and Mac William Bishop have a video story up that looks at the influx of renters into formerly residential communities in the Memphis, Tennessee, area. It’s pretty well shot, but this is an idea every journalist should honor because it is very easily localized. As homes were foreclosed upon, a lot of them were...

Advice & Learning/Good Work/Photojournalism/Thoughts & Theory/Video

August 25, 2013

Learning to Shepherd

Every manager I’ve reported to over the last quarter century has helped me become who I am, as both an employee and a person. Many have guided me towards better paths, towards self-learning or self-realizing. Some have guided me towards fits of rage, but even in those moments I have learned. Most of my industry career was spent as someone...

Photojournalism/Thoughts & Theory

August 22, 2013

The Unseen Editors

The New York Times’ Lens blog is taking a look at the picture editors behind some of the great photojournalists. We all see the names on the credit lines, but so much of the great work out there was inspired, cultivated and promoted by unknown editors – really happy they are doing this project. (Part two is here.) This is...

Craft/Photojournalism/Thoughts & Theory

August 21, 2013

Introvert or Extrovert?

Which side of the vert do you fall on? And does it matter? Perhaps … over at The Online Photographer, Michael Johnston takes a look at that idea.

Journalism/Photojournalism/Thoughts & Theory

August 19, 2013

Where Bad Photos Go

So, where does bad student photography and painting end up? According to the TV show Portlandia, coffee shops … (Thanks to Hilary Maloney for the link.)

Good Work/Thoughts & Theory

August 14, 2013

The Visual Zig

Poking through the Poynter Institute’s site, I came across Roy Peter Clark’s analysis of a story about Justin Beiber’s tour stop in Tampa Bay, and how reporter Stephanie Hayes took a different tack to cover it. It has me thinking how we, as visual storytellers, can do the same. Is Rich-Joseph Facun’s Pink Shoes photo an example? How about W....