Good photography comes with practice. Taking photographs is both a science and an art, technical and creative:
- The science of setting up the camera and the recording medium to record visual images in a controlled way. See your camera.
- The art of composing good images worth capturing and storing. See picture composition.
Put simply, photography enables you to record images by catching and recording light rays on a light-sensitive medium.
- Traditional photography uses film as the recording medium – a chemical process.
- Modern photography employs digital technology and uses an image sensor as the recording medium - an electronic process.
In either type of photography the basic process is the same.
Taking photographs for the press
Is it to get a picture published in the press? This is a question I’m often asked by charities and small businesses with a news item they wish to send out as a press release.
The short answer is no, it isn’t. But it is possible. And your chances increase significantly if you follow a simple set of guidelines.
As a general rule of thumb, the national papers are the hardest in which to have a photo published. They have a bigger staff of photographers. The local regional dailies, weeklies and trade press are more readily accessible.
Getting the media to use your photographs
Firstly, ask yourself if your ‘news’ is, in fact, newsworthy. Your recent holiday abroad may be of supreme interest to you, but will it really interest the readers of the publications you send it to?
Secondly, does the photograph you are submitting add anything to your story? A good picture reflects the story. A better one enhances the story. But the best picture becomes the story.
You may also find my article on news values of interest.