Every year JPC student take photographs of their projects that are unusable. They take the time and effort to make a photograph but the images are often technically too poor to reproduce or the images don’t illustrate anything about the project.

You don’t need a fancy camera just a few simple guidelines to follow.

Photographing your JPC project and taking great pictures

1>How to start. Document the story using images to illustrate the narrative. Big picture to small details. Location/situation. Action. Portraits. Still-lifes.

2>Taking the picture. Subject sensitivity. Composition, rule of thirds. Poor/bad light. Depth of field. Posing subject, moving camera position

3>Tech info. Sharing files. Blurb book

  • How to start
  • Be culturally sensitive. Also be IRB aware.
  • Be open with camera, don’t hide it. Don’t bring an expensive camera!
  • Wait for a comfortable moment. Sometimes start with landscape, other JPCers, babies and children, objects: jewelry, food, house. Since you’re not a war photographer or taking street photographs take time to establish some comfort with subject.
  • Ask “may I take a picture?” Tell them what you are doing,talk, reassure to them & make them comfortable
  • Show them the image. Then may be take another. When comfortable, ask for pose.If you promise to send picture- do it!
  • Digital - so don’t be too cautious or afraid to take a “bad” picture. Take a couple of shots in case. Delete the useless ones periodically to reduce volumes of images.

Document the project

  • Tell a visual story with elements of a written narrative. Place, characters, action, details
  • Document the timeline of trip.
  • Place/Location, landscapes, signs, food, locals, local life
  • Characters/Participants – JPCers, community partners, locals etc. Formal group portrait, pose everyone
  • Action/planning & interaction
  • Project in progress, before & after.
  • Task, tools, equipment
  • Social, casual interactions

2. Taking the picture

  • Manual vs. automatic.
  • aperturevs speed. Illustrate & compare f. stops & dof
  • Light metering options
  • Focus & then shift camera
  • Light! Magic hours vs. high noon
  • Backlight
  • Diffused light, window, shade. Not direct sun
  • Improvise tripod for slow speed.
  • Dark skin, light skin
  • Filling the frame
  • Get CLOSE!
  • Be aware of the background, don’t be afraid to direct
  • Scout out a location in advance
  • Wide angle = energetic, slightly off kilter
  • Transitional moment rather than the definitive one, anticipate by watching
  • Where are you standing?
  • Rule of thirds
  • Foreground, background
  • Centered images, off-center, balance, eye direction
  • Landscapes, bottom weighted
  • Action, panning

3. Tech info

  • Jpg
  • File size for print
  • Emailing via UVA
  • Blurb book

Need Pix: Who, What, Where

  • Situation/location/landscape
  • Portrait
  • Group portrait
  • action
  • Location
  • Task tools
  • Discreet/anonymous

Look at:

Robert Frank

Christopher Anderson

Eugene Richards

Sebastiao Salgado

Alex Webb

Larry Towell

Steve McCurry

Bruce Davidson

Bruce Gilden

Emmett Gowin

Alec Soth

Martin Parr

Henri Cartier Bresson