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1 Assignment

WHERE TO FIND NEWS

teve Linsenmayer, of the Fort Wayne (Indiana) News-Sentinel,

heard the newsroom’s emergency band scanner cackle, S“Structure fire.” Looking out the window of the newsroom, he saw black rain clouds covering a sky broken by distant lightning.

Linsenmayer hesitated to race out into the storm until his boss,

Keith Hitchens, came running down the hall yelling, “Church fire.”

Hitchens had heard the second call on the radio asking for more fire

companies and identifying the burning structure as St. Mary’s Church.

“Oh shit,” Linsenmayer gasped as he grabbed his camera bag on the

way to his car.

The photographer heard about this out-of-control fire at a nearby church by monitoring the emergency scan- ner radio. Steve Linsenmayer, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel

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When he got to St. Mary’s, the lightning can listen to transmissions from all the emer- storm that had started the blaze was still in gency agencies in an area. If a warehouse fire full glory. Within minutes of starting to shoot, takes place, the dispatcher will call for fire Linsenmayer’s umbrella blew out, so he engines and give a location. By noting the radioed back to the office to send more pho- number of the alarms (indicating the size of tographers—and dry towels. the fire), the number of engines called, and About an hour later, heavy smoke started the location, a photographer can determine to billow out of the rear steeple. Linsenmayer the magnitude of a blaze, its news value, and kept shooting as he captured the shot of the whether it will be burning by the time the church’s crosses enveloped by smoke. The photojournalist arrives on the scene. photo filled nearly the entire front page of the Jim MacMillan, a winner of the Pulitzer next day’s edition (see page 2). Prize who has covered spot news for the Philadelphia Daily News for years, says 90 NEWS HAPPENS percent of his tips come from listening to the SCANNER RADIO SIGNALS FIRES AND ACCIDENTS scanner radio—make that four scanners, all Most dramatic news photographs result not of which he monitors simultaneously. He rec- from city desk assignments but from vigilant ommends keeping one scanner tuned to the photographers who monitor scanner radios to citywide police, one to local police, one to learn about breaking news situations. Police, the fire department, and one to pick up trans- fire, and other emergency agencies communi- missions from the local TV news desk, as cate with cops and firefighters in the field via well as the Coast Guard and airport. low frequency, very high frequency (VHF), Sam Costanza, on contract with the New and ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio wave York Post, spends six nights a week parked bands. Each agency—the police, the highway near the intersection of three main highways Political groups like this patrol, Coast Guard—broadcasts on a differ- that lead to New York’s boroughs—all the one demonstrating in front ent frequency. A scanner radio automatically while monitoring the transmissions of the of an abortion clinic in switches from one frequency to another, stop- New York Police Department’s special opera- Wichita, Kansas, often tip ping whenever a transmission is occurring. tions section. “I’m a listener,” he says. off the media about the time and place of their The scanner continually rotates through the “There aren’t many listeners. Other photogra- protests. Kim Johnson, for the frequencies it is programmed to listen for. By phers respond to assignments. By the time Wichita [Kansas] Eagle monitoring a scanner radio, a photographer they arrive, I’m already leaving the scene.”

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Kent Porter of the Santa Rosa Press he hears “B-O-L,” and that “code 20” means Democrat covers spot news—news that an officer needs immediate assistance. In occurs without warning—in rural Northern New York Costanza knows that a “1045, code California. He tracks the action with four one,” means a fire-related death. antennae on his Toyota Tacoma as well as a Although there are no uniform codes from scanner inside his house. He monitors scanner one city to another, stores that sell scanner transmissions, carries a cell phone, and stays radios usually have printed copies of local tuned to local news radio. He says the anten- codes available. nae make his truck look like a centipede. The codes tell photographers what is tak- Different agencies use their own special ing place, but they do not always indicate the codes when talking on the air. Porter knows importance of the action. Every photographer he is heading out for a strong-arm robbery or interviewed for this chapter said that the ten- assault with a weapon when he hears “211.” sion in a dispatcher’s voice reveals an emer- He also knows to “be on the lookout” when gency’s significance. “I listen for the voices

In near-100-degree heat at Marine World, staff mem- bers distribute hats and water to stranded riders after a cable broke on the thrill ride Boomerang. The photographer heard the tip on an all-news-radio station while driving home. Dean Coppola, Contra Costa [California] Times

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on the scanner,” says Santa Rosa’s Porter. USE CONTACTS “The stress in their voices will tell you so Michael Meinhardt of the Chicago Tribune much.” The Post’s Costanza puts it this way: has developed his own system of finding out “The dispatchers have distinctive voices— about local spot news as it happens. Using a you can tell when they are alarmed. Listen system of pagers, two-way radios, cellular hard and quick. You might only get one shot phones, and a network of sources and con- at it.” tacts, he stays abreast of news as it breaks in the Chicago and greater-Chicago area. STAY TUNED TO ALL-NEWS RADIO, Firefighters, police officers, dispatchers, TELEVISION, AND WEB SITES and even air-traffic controllers at surrounding Alternatives include all-news radio stations, airports notify Meinhardt of news events via television stations that provide frequently a voice-message pager that he carries 24 updated news reports, and web sites that post hours a day. He has befriended these the latest information as soon as it comes contacts at other news events, where he intro- across the wires. MacMillan in Philadelphia duced himself, left a business card, and fol- begins each day by checking all the local news- lowed up by giving them photographs of paper, TV, and radio news sites as well as wire themselves at work. service date books, and activist calendars. “You’d be surprised how many of them An all-news radio station or a cable net- remember me when the news breaks,” he says. work like Cable News Network (CNN) inter- “Additionally,” he explains, “I belong to a rupts in-progress programming immediately network of contacts led by a local radio news if an emergency arises. These stations moni- reporter who is considered the dean of spot tor several scanner channels, including the news. . . . We all have two-way radios on our fire and police departments, and will own frequency that we monitor around the announce when a major fire alarm or multicar clock. . . . Once the closest person arrives on accident occurs. Radio alerted Dean Coppola the scene, I can usually ascertain whether it’s to riders trapped on a stalled roller coaster at worth traveling to shoot pictures. They can a local theme park. He was the first still also let me know how urgently I need to get shooter on the scene. With temperatures near- there before the scene clears up.” ing 100 degrees, park workers started distrib- Not surprisingly, Meinhardt is considered uting water and hats to the people on the ride. a great source of information by his col- Shooting with a 400mm lens, Coppola took a leagues in the newsroom and also by the page-one picture based on a tip from the all- newspaper’s city desk. news-radio station. Bruce Chambers of the Orange County The all-news channel’s weather forecaster Register, who has been nominated for the monitors natural disasters such as hurricanes Pulitzer six times, recommends talking to the or tornadoes. The information provided by police and to firefighters. He goes even fur- all-news stations is not as immediate as what ther and recommends giving them pictures you will learn on a scanner, but their reports you have taken of them if your news organi- often will suffice. See if your community has zation allows. To find stories, Chambers a local Internet site that provides up-to-the reads the events calendar at City Hall. Of minute news tips. Sites like these feed data course he reads his own paper, but he does directly from all the emergency services in not stop there. He reads every news outlet in the area. You may even be able to download the area. these feeds onto your cell phone. Chambers may have an edge when it For magazine and freelance photographers comes to story ideas, though—a secret and working overseas, CNN as well as the BBC proprietary source. “My mom is my favorite and MSNBC provide around-the-clock news source for ideas,” he reveals. updates. Even photographers covering huge, breaking, international stories turn to one of TIPS HELP the 24-hour outlets to get news in English News organizations often get leads on top and see how the rest of the world is receiving news stories when people call or write with the story. Cell phones with Internet access tips. In fact, some newspapers, web sites, and also can provide nearly instant access to a few magazines offer monetary rewards for developing news. tips. The desk editor sizes up the event; then, Today, many photojournalists on foreign if the decision is to respond, the editor or an assignments carry laptop computers with assistant may send out a reporter and photog- modems that allow them to track developing rapher or call a local freelancer. stories on the web and, of course, transmit Special-interest groups also notify news pictures and stay in touch with editors. outlets if group members think publicity will do them some good. If minorities, mothers on

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Photograph people in action. Whenever possible, avoid the office portrait. Milbert Brown, Chicago Tribune

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MAKING THE MOST OF AN ASSIGNMENT PHILADELPHIA’S HOMELESS: HOW THEY SURVIVE om Gralish of the Philadelphia Inquirer recalls that when he received through the ups and downs of their barren, subsistence lives. He pho- Tan assignment to photograph the homeless, editors suggested he tographed them staying warm atop steam grates on a frozen street, drink- “might do portraits of the street people, each standing in front of their ing wine, and panhandling. He showed them sleeping in boxes. Rather grates or cardboard boxes or whatever else they called home. At that than a series of formulated, posed portraits, Gralish photographed the point, I wasn’t sure what I would do, but I decided then and there that nitty gritty of these men’s lives. For his efforts, he won both the Pulitzer whatever it was, it would be the most honest photography I’d ever done. I Prize and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Prize. ■ was determined to do something as true as possible to the traditional Photos by Tom Gralish, Philadelphia Inquirer ideals of documentary photojournalism.” Consequently, Gralish did not set up portraits. Instead, he followed street people with names like Hammerman, Spoon, and Redbeard

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welfare, gays, or antinuclear groups, for SCHEDULES IN PRINT OR ONLINE FROM A WRITER’S example, are going to stage a protest for Another source for upcoming news events POINT OF VIEW which they want coverage, they might con- comes daily to your doorstep rolled and held tact local and national outlets with the time with a rubber band. The daily newspaper and Reporter Ellie and place of their planned demonstration. its web site carry birth, wedding, and death Brecher of the Miami announcements. Here is where you will find Herald suggested the BEAT REPORTER KNOWS THE TERRITORY schedules of local theaters, sports events, following to Most news outlets assign reporters to cover a parades, and festivals. When the circus photographers in certain beat: city hall, hospitals, or police arrives in your town, start with your local 4Sight, a newsletter headquarters for a city newspaper or web media outlets to find the time and place. published by Region site, or the White House, education, or medi- Web sites also offer lists of upcoming 4 of the National cine for a national magazine or 24-hour cable events. Many organizations and sports facili- Press Photographers station. These specialists keep up with the ties list activities on their own sites. Surf the Association: news and events in their area; consequently, Internet for updated schedules. they know when to expect a major story to Understand the break. The city hall reporter may call in to UNUSUAL LEADS IN TRADE MAGAZINES assignment by talk- the city desk to say, “The mayor is greeting AND ON SPECIALIZED WEB SITES ing to the reporter some astronauts today. It will be worth a For more unusual activities check special- ahead of time. good picture.” The editor will probably interest newspapers, magazines, and special- assign a photographer. A magazine writer interest groups on the web. Dog and cat Don’t barge into an working on a story about education in lovers, cyclists, plumbers, skateboarders, interview. America may need pictures of a school for mental health professionals, and environmen- the gifted. The magazine’s photo editor, often tal groups all publish magazines or newslet- Share information in New York or Washington, will assign a ters, and most have web sites that announce with the reporter. photographer who is under contract with the special events. publication or will call a local freelancer. To track upcoming happenings with visual Bring ideas to the possibilities, newspapers, wire services, web reporter. PR OFFICE IS THERE TO AID YOU sites and magazines maintain log books list- The senator will arrive at her office at 9:00 ing the times, places, and dates of activities Have your technical A.M. She leaves for the airport at 10:15 A.M. to that might turn into stories. The notation in act together. dedicate a new runway. She will be at the the book includes a telephone number for the Golden Age Senior Citizens’ Home from sponsoring organization in case the photogra- 11:30 A.M. until 12:30 P.M. During a 1:00 P.M. pher needs more information. Freelancers can lunch at Parker House, the senator will adapt this idea to track events for themselves. address the State Beautification Committee. If you want to know the whereabouts of WORKING WITH REPORTERS: the senator at practically any minute of the CLICKERS MEET SCRIBBLERS day, just consult the politician’s schedule. PHOTO REQUEST STARTS THE PROCESS The senator’s itinerary is planned weeks in Whether it’s Time magazine, The New York advance. From the mayor to the president of Times, or MSNBC.com, most news organiza- the United States, politicians have carefully tions have many more staff reporters than planned schedules, usually handled by media photographers. From their sources, these relations officers. newshounds generate potential stories. When Companies, schools, hospitals, prisons, an editor approves a story proposal, the and governmental departments also have reporter makes out a photo request. press or public relations offices. Sometimes For the photographer, the key to great called public affairs or public information photo coverage depends on the information departments, they generate a steady stream of and arrangements on the photo request. news releases announcing the opening of a Typical assignment requests include the new college campus, the invention of a long- name of the person or event to be pho- lasting light bulb, or the start of a new spe- tographed, as well as the time, date, and cial-education program. Many of these PR place. The editor usually assigns a slug—a releases suggest good picture possibilities. one- or two-word designation for the story When Bruce Chambers of the Orange that serves as the story’s name until the copy County Register set out to do a story about a desk writes a final headline. The assignment multigenerational fire-fighting family for the sheet often includes a brief description of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the proposed article, as well as a telephone num- public affairs officer for the fire department ber with which to contact the key subject if provided Chambers with contact information. anything needs to be changed. (See Chapter 4, “Features,” for more on working with PR professionals.)

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PHOTOGRAPHER AND REPORTER PHOTOGRAPHERS MAKE MEET IN ADVANCE THEIR OWN ARRANGEMENTS Under the best of circumstances, the Although reporters can hold a telephone reporter, photographer, and assigning editors interview or call back later for more facts, meet or talk on the telephone or by email at photographers need to be present when the this point in the story’s development to dis- subject is engaged in work. Photographers cuss the team’s approach or define the and photo editors need to educate those who story’s thrust. Here, the photojournalist can report, or assign reporting, about this need if suggest visual ways to tell the story that cor- pictures are ever to go beyond the routine. respond to the reporter’s written approach. Photographers usually find that they can The photographer can recommend candids, a make better arrangements than a reporter or portrait, or a photo illustration—and also editor because they know the kinds of pic- can estimate the amount of time needed for tures they are looking for. Photographers are the shoot, or identify props and necessary mindful of both the subject’s activities and clearances. the quality of light at different times of the At some outlets, unfortunately, the pho- day. High noon outside rarely provides attrac- tographer never meets with the reporter and tive light for an outdoors portrait, for exam- assigning editor. Instead, the shooter receives ple. Ideally, photographers would get names the information from an intermediary editor, and phone numbers of subjects and then or is briefed by notes on the assignment make the appointment, or decide what other sheet. In these circumstances the photogra- pictures might go with the story. The reporter pher plays a reduced role in determining the might tape the interview at four o’clock, story’s final outcome. Located at the end of and the photographer might arrange to shoot the assignment chain, the photographer has the subject from dawn until dusk on a differ- little say in determining the best approach to ent day. the story. When scheduling a shoot with a subject it’s always good to ask, “What is your typical DETERMINING THE BEST TIME TO SHOOT day like?” As the subject, like the principal At many news outlets, the reporter calls the mentioned earlier, describes a normal day’s subject and makes shooting arrangements. activities, you can note which hours the per- Sometimes this saves the photographer time. son is sitting behind a desk talking and which In most cases, though, the reporter will prob- hours he or she is doing something active and ably overlook great picture opportunities. therefore photogenic. You also should find The reporter, for example, may decide to out if anything unusual is coming up that do a story about the controversial principal at would lend itself to revealing photos. Lincoln High School. The writer asks when the principal is free ON THE SCENE: WORKING IN TANDEM for an interview and pictures. The principal For some types of news, the photojournalist responds: “Well, I’m busy all day. I greet the and reporter must cover the event together. kids as they get off the bus. Then I meet with Sometimes it’s the reporter who knows the parents and teachers. Next I observe classes important players. Sometimes the photogra- and eat lunch with the kids. Then I usually pher needs a second set of eyes to help pro- work with student discipline problems in the vide protection, such as at a violent street afternoon. All the teachers and students are protest. “You be my extra ears,” says Ellie gone by four. How about meeting me in my Brecher, a photographer-friendly reporter for office after four?” the Miami Herald, “and I’ll be your extra From the reporter’s point of view, four eyes.” (See Chapter 3, “General News,” page o’clock is fine. The principal is free to 52, for special situations where photogra- answer questions and chat in a quiet environ- phers must not share information.) ment in her office. Even at dangerous breaking-news events From the photojournalist’s perspective, like street riots, when the situation calls for four o’clock is okay if formal portraits or all available eyes and ears, the photographer headshots are satisfactory. But four o’clock is and reporter should not become joined at the a disaster if the goal is to produce revealing hip. Each has different needs. One is follow- candid pictures. ing the action as it flows down a street, while Shooting at a writer’s appointed hour is the other is checking a quote and making sure more likely to result in a portrait in front of the name is spelled correctly. However, while the school or inside a classroom. The envi- the photographer and reporter each need ronmental portrait can show what a principal independence, the two also need to reconnect looks like but can hardly reveal her character. every once in a while to confirm they are developing the story in parallel ways.

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Although the photographer and writer may To avoid being attacked dur- ing his forays into San not shoot and interview at the same moment, Francisco’s Tenderloin they should coordinate the message of their neighborhood, Fred Larson words and pictures. Photographers should dressed unobtrusively and pass on their observations about the subject hid his camera inside a or event to the writers. Writers can explain portable stereo. Scott Sommerdorf, San Francisco how their story might lead. Chronicle In the end, the reader will be looking at both the picture and the accompanying story. If the writer describes the subject as drab, yet the picture shows a smiling person wearing a peacock-colored shirt, the reader is left to

resolve the conflict. Writers and photogra- Street fighters continued phers should resolve conflicts between words their battle while an unob- and pictures before the story goes to press. trusive Larson moved in close with his camera-in-a- PICTURE POLITICS boombox. Frederic Larson, San Francisco Chronicle With good planning, editors avoid poor use of photo resources. However, many news outlets continue to operate in a traditional structure long unfriendly to the effective use of photography. Traditionally, news organizations have been organized to handle assignments proposed by either reporters or editors. Photographers rarely originated story ideas. And even if they did, the photo-reporters received little in the way of picture play for their efforts. While some of this is changing as print outlets shift toward distribution of content on the visually friendly Internet (see Chapter 12, “Multimedia,” and Chapter 13, “Video”), the process in many publications continues to work like this: once the reporter gets the green light, research begins. The reporter media outlet, different editors pitch their might interview subjects, check the publica- best stories to the managing editor, who ulti- tion’s library for related articles, do a web mately decides which stories get cover dis- search, call authorities, and, finally, write the play and which will run inside. While the copy over a period of days or even weeks. photo editor speaks up for pictures at this Only when the story is nearly completed and meeting, word editors always outnumber the ready for publication does the reporter fill out lonely representative from the photography a photo request. Finally, the photo depart- department. (See Chapter 7, “Photo ment becomes aware of the issue. Editing.” Also see the documentary “Inside With the story written and the publication Sports Illustrated,” on the DVD enclosed date set, the shooter has little flexibility. with this book.) While the reporter took days and weeks to At the budget meeting, editors defend develop the story, the photographer may have their turf. At a large news outlet, the only hours to produce photos. While juggling sports editor, fashion editor, city editor, and three or four other assignments for the day, foreign desk editor might each have an entire the photojournalist is unlikely to be able to section. On a news magazine, the national shoot in the best light, have time to wait for a editor, political editor, and music editor each candid moment, or to reshoot. might have a minimum number of pages to cover the most important topics in a specific THE BUDGET MEETING area. Too often, the photo editor has no desig- At most news organizations, the decision nated turf: there is no space assigned solely about how much space or how much time to to photo stories. Though seated at the table allocate to a story as well as where it will with other decision makers, the picture editor play takes place at a daily, weekly, or has no formally reserved space. monthly conference often known as a budg- Furthermore, the picture editor is et meeting. Representing each section of a up against colleagues who think that their

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sections cover the most important news, con- suggest to your photo editor or managing edi- tain the best writers, and ought to have the tor an assignment that will help illustrate the most space. And, because more and bigger story. On your own, start reading about the photos mean fewer words, few print editors issue. If you notice a picture that might sup- see the advantages of storytelling pictures port the story, shoot it. Look for as many that eclipse longer stories. Furthermore, man- ways as you can to photograph the writer’s aging editors, most of whom have moved up story even before the wordsmith has finished from the writing rather than the visual side, the masterpiece. make the final decisions about the use of When the story results in a formal photo space. The upshot in most organizations: request, your editor will likely assign the job even a very outspoken photo editor can rarely to you because you already have started on counterbalance these inherent structural bias- the photos. By now you have a clear idea of es toward words. the possible pictures that would expand the On the other hand, the Internet’s capacity story. Also, a story written by a top writer to deliver unlimited numbers of pictures and will probably receive prominent play. video without incurring additional cost pro- If you continue to look for good writers, vides inherent advantages over print publica- anticipate photo requests, and build alliances tions. On web sites, you might think, having with the word side, you will likely find writ- space for pictures should not be an issue. ers agreeable to listening to your story Think again. ideas. A writing/photography partnership is The “splash” or “home” page is a news likely to claim more space than your propos- outlet’s guide to its web site. The demand for al alone. space by section editors means that pictures on the home page are often run the size of GENERATE YOUR OWN ASSIGNMENT postage stamps. In addition, because of Sometimes a photographer pulls over next to download-speed considerations, web design- an overturned car, jumps out, and shoots. No ers often reduce the number of pictures on written assignment at all. Usually, a photogra- the opening page as well as their size so the pher receives a verbal or written assignment pages will load quickly. Just when photogra- from an editor. But many shooters report that phers thought they had found a photo-friend- their best assignments are those they proposed ly medium on the web, they discovered their themselves. Self-generated assignments allow work squeezed again—at least on the open- the photographer to pick exciting topics that ing page. lend themselves to visuals. Fortunately, many news organizations are When a photographer has researched a now recognizing the draw of telling stories good story, the next step is to request a with photography on the Internet and are reporter to provide the needed text. The more assigning photojournalists to shoot and often stories photographers propose, the more con- report and produce in-depth photo stories that trol they will have over their work. Fred include audio. While words may still reign in Larson of the San Francisco Chronicle spent print, photojournalism is finding its place in weeks photographing the city’s tough neigh- powerful multimedia projects that include borhood known as the Tenderloin (see page still images, sound, words, and, increasingly, 11). The Chronicle’s Kim Komenich leapt stand-alone video projects. from the world of stills into video journalism See Chapters 12, “Multimedia,” and 13, when he assigned himself to follow a Bay “Video,” for more on taking advantage of Area Santa Claus nearly all the way to the these new opportunities when approaching North Pole. (See pages 307–308, Chapter 13, assignments. “Video.” Chapter 10, “Covering the Issues,” and Chapter 11, “Photo Story,” feature other TAKE A REPORTER TO LUNCH successful self-generated assignments.) To avoid the trap of being the last one to know about important stories—and having INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS your pictures played poorly—try this: If you Many news outlets have expanded their beats are a new staffer, ask the managing editor to include the world. From covering earth- which reporter stands out in the newsroom. If quakes in India to uprisings in Rwanda, you have been on staff for a while, you photojournalists are literally on the move. already know the names of the best writers. Photographers who covered high school foot- Start by introducing yourself to one ball on Friday night may find themselves reporter and asking what he or she is working boarding a plane for Iraq on Sunday morning. on. If the story sounds interesting, discuss pic- Never has the mastery of foreign languages ture possibilities. If you know that an event is or knowledge of international affairs been coming up that would help explain the story, more important to photojournalists.

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Michael Kodas, who has covered interna- substituting language tapes for your favorite tional news for the Hartford Courant, reads rock groups when you are stuck in traffic. voraciously: The Wall Street Journal, the And do not forget the most basic prepara- Christian Science Monitor, and The New York tions of all, as recommended by freelancer Times, among others. National Public Radio Keith Philpott, who shoots for Time and (NPR) is a good source of international news People. Keep a current passport in your cam- for car-bound photojournalists. If an intensive era bag, and make sure your inoculations are language course is out of your budget, try current for travel in developing countries.

The photographer was on the front with the U.S. military during an incursion into Najaf, Iraq. Their temporary outpost was taking constant sophisticated sniper fire through windows and down corridors. American soldiers used the sniper dummy to draw the enemy into sight and return fire. A sniper was spotted about 450 yards away in an abandoned hotel. U.S. forces called in an air strike, and a fighter jet soon dropped two aerial bombs onto the hotel, shattering the building and probably killing the sniper, although incoming sniper fire resumed just a day later. Jim MacMillan, Associated Press

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Carol Guzy, who covered the Ethiopian night, and so on. The shot defines the relative famine for the Miami Herald and the tum- position of the participants. In a confronta- bling of the Berlin Wall for the Washington tion, for example, the overall angle would Post, says to pack light for international show whether the demonstrators and police assignments. She carries as little photo gear were a block apart, or across the street from as she feels she can get away with, she says, one another. The overall shot also allows the but does bring an extra camera body—and reader, by judging crowd size, to evaluate the memory cards, lots of memory cards. magnitude of the event. Do not forget batteries. Margaret Bourke-White, a member of the original Life magazine staff, always shot VISUAL VARIETY overalls on each assignment, even if she OVERALL SHOT SETS THE SCENE thought they would not be published. She If readers themselves were at a news event, explained that she wanted her editor to see they would stand in the crowd and move their the shooting location so that he could inter- eyes from side to side to survey the panorama. pret the rest of the pictures she had taken. The overall photo gives readers at home the Generally the overall requires a high same perspective. A good overall allows angle. Knowing this, Gene Pepi rented a viewers to orient themselves to the scene. 12-foot-tall ladder and stationed it right in the The overall shot is one that will serve you middle of San Francisco’s Market Street to well in video as well as in stills (see Chapter photograph a peace demonstration. His lad- 13, “Video”). der and position provided the best location to For some stories, an overall might include capture the historic size of the crowd. just a long shot of a room. For others, the When you arrive at a news event, quickly overall might cover a city block, a neighbor- survey the scene to determine what is hap- hood, or even a whole town. The scope of the pening. Then search for a way to elevate shot depends on the size of the event. The yourself above the crowd. In a room, a chair overall shows where the event took place: will suffice. But outside, a telephone pole, a inside, outside, country, city, land, sea, day, leafless tree, or a nearby building will give

GET HIGH

Gene Pepi knew the shot he wanted at a peace march in San Francisco could not be taken from ground level. He rented a 12-foot-tall ladder so he could photograph over the heads of the marchers for an overall shot of demon- strators filling the length of Market Street, with the city’s Ferry Building in the background. A telephoto lens appears to compress the space between the banners down Market Street, making them seem closer together than they really are. Gene Pepi gets the picture from atop a ladder he Gene Pepi, Frontlines rented for the occasion. © Ken Kobré

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ASSURING VISUAL VARIETY

MEDIUM When published alone, a medium shot must tell a complete story. Ryan Newman (left) jumps back as the last challenger’s car erupts into fire while head- ing into the garage at the NASCAR Winston Cup Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Scott Strazzante, Chicago Tribune

CLOSE-UP A musician’s hands resting on her church’s organ keys shows the reader the curvature of the woman’s fingers and the texture of her skin. The 92-year-old organist had played at her church since 1927. Rich Abrahamson, Fort Collins Coloradoan

OVERALL Shot from a helicopter, this high vantage point best con- veys how many people pad- dled out to attend this memorial for a young pro- fessional surfer who had died. With the door removed from the chopper, the pho- tographer was harnessed in and able to lean out safely to get a clean shot. K.C. Alfred, The San Diego Union-Tribune

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you the high angle you need for an effective the reader would wonder if anyone had been overall. When in a flat area, even the roof of hurt. The combination of elements—car plus your car will add some height to your view. victims—briefly tells the basic story. The wider angle lens you have, obviously, A medium shot gains dramatic impact the less distance from the scene you will when the photograph captures action. need. However, on a major news story that Although the camera can catch fast action, encompasses a vast area, such as a flood, hur- you may still have difficulty: action often ricane, or conflagration, you may need to happens so quickly that you have no time to work with your editors to rent a helicopter or prepare. Shooting action is like shooting small airplane to get high enough to capture sports (see Chapter 6, “Sports”). For both, the dimensions of the destruction. you must anticipate when and where the action will take place. MEDIUM SHOT TELLS THE STORY If a man starts a heated argument with a The medium shot should “tell the story” in police officer, you might predict that fists one photograph. Shoot the picture close will fly and an arrest will follow. Aim your enough to see the participants’ action, yet far camera when the argument starts; do not wait enough away to show their relationship to until a punch is thrown. If you hesitate, the one another and to the environment. The quarrel might end while you are still fiddling medium shot contains all the storytelling with your equipment. elements in the scene. Like a news story lead, For the medium shot, a wide-angle lens the photo must tell the whole story quickly such as a 24mm or 28mm works well on a by compressing the important elements into full-frame camera. On a digital camera with a High angles such as this shot of a hurdler and a one image. This is another shot video shoot- small chip, you need at least a 17mm or competing shadow give the ers share with still photographers (see 18mm to shoot comfortably. reader a fresh perspective Chapter 13, “Video”). on the race. The photogra- An accident photo might show the victims CLOSE-UP ADDS DRAMA pher shot from the roof of in the foreground, the wrecked car in the Nothing beats a close-up for drama when the press box for this early morning competition. background. Without the car, the photo would shooting stills or video. The close-up slams Jeremy Portje, Telegraph Herald omit an essential detail—the cause of the vic- the reader into eyeball-to-eyeball contact [Dubuque, Iowa] tims’ injuries. With only the crumpled car, with the subject. At this intimate distance, a

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subject’s face, contorted in pain or beaming contact lens and enlarge it until it is easily happily, elicits empathy in readers. seen (see page 144). How close is close? A close-up should isolate and emphasize HIGH/LOW ANGLES BRING NEW PERSPECTIVES one element. And not all close-ups include a Since most people see the world from a sit- person’s face. Rich Abrahamson pho- ting or standing perspective, a photojournalist tographed only the hands of a 92-year-old shooting stills or video can add instant inter- organist who had played the organ at her est to pictures simply by shooting from a church for more than three-quarters of a cen- unique elevation. Shoot down from a 30- tury. The aged hands tell the woman’s story story building or up from a manhole cover. without showing her face (see page 15). Either way, the viewer will get a new, some- Sometimes objects can tell the story even times jarring, but almost always refreshing when the story involves tragedy. A close-up look at a subject. Even when covering a of a child’s doll covered with mud might tell meeting in a standard-sized room, standing the story of a flood better than an aerial view on a chair or taking pictures while sitting on of the disaster. the floor can add interest to your pictures. Longer lenses enable shooters to be less Avoid the “5'7" syndrome.” On every conspicuous when shooting close-ups. With a assignment, avoid taking all your pictures at lens zoomed to 200mm, you can stand ten eye level. When you start shooting, look feet away and still get a tight facial close-up. around for ways to take the high ground. The telephoto lens decreases the depth-of- Whether going out on a catwalk or shooting field and thus blurs the foreground and back- from the balcony, find some way to look ground. This effect isolates the subject from down on the scene you are shooting. unwanted distractions. “Get down. Get dirty. Get your camera In addition to using a telephoto for close- where the action is,” says Bruce Chambers, A low angle provided up work, some photographers employ a the outstanding feature photographer for the additional power to this macro lens or a standard lens with an exten- Orange County Register. Digital cameras and commemoration of the sion tube if the subject is tiny—and station- video cameras with flip-up LCD screens second anniversary of the September 11 attacks. ary. With either of these lenses, the camera allow shooting from (literally) ground Bruce Chambers, can take a picture of a small object such as a level. Even without a flip-up screen, use a Orange County Register

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extremely close to his subjects and filled the entire frame. The resulting pictures, he said, tended to project a more intimate feeling between the subject and the viewer. Because shooters like Green work close to a subject, few distracting elements appear in their images This proximity also emphasizes the subject. Finally, a wide-angle lens takes in a large area of the background, thus estab- lishing the relationship of the subject to his or her surroundings. Eugene Richards, a photographer who has won numerous awards, is master of the wide- angle lens. His lens is like a mother spreading her arms to include all her children in an embrace. Richards’s wide-angle lens encom- passes his subjects, often bringing together two elements into one picture to tell a more When more height is called wide-angle lens to place your camera as low comprehensive story in a single image. His for, like the situation at this as you like, even on your toes. Aim. Then topics, which also have appeared in books, Santa Ana College football Cocaine game, the photojournalist shoot without looking. It’s easy to check the have ranged from drug addicts ( can try holding the camera results with the LCD screen on digital cam- True, Cocaine Blue) to emergency room per- overhead, aiming and shoot- eras. Try pointing a wide-angle lens in the sonnel (The Knife and Gun Club). One of ing without looking in the approximate direction of your target, take a his award-winning pictures includes, to the viewfinder. Photographers picture, and then check it on the screen. If you right of the frame, a tiny coffin in the front call this shot a “Hail Mary” because they hope and pray miss, just bend down and shoot again. seat of a hearse; in the middle, open car for a good image when they Using a wide-angle lens, hold your camera doors; and, at the extreme left, a young child. cannot see what they are as high as you can stretch your arms, aiming Richards brought together the widely separat- shooting. A wide-angle lens the lens in the direction of your target. Do not ed elements of the child-sized coffin and the usually works best in these situations. worry about looking through the viewfinder. youngster in one visual whole. David Pardo, freelance Now, regardless of your religion, say a For more on shooting with wide-angle “Hail Mary” and pray your picture was lenses, see Chapter 8, “Camera Bag.” framed well. Then check the image on the LCD screen in case your prayers were not Multi-layered Images answered. Then shoot again if necessary. The wide-angle lens is the perfect tool for Photographers call this shot a “Hail Mary.” “layering” images. Here a photographer tries The “Hail Mary” often provides an unusu- to frame the main subject occupying the mid- al view and works especially well when bat- dle ground of the image with something else tling other photographers for a shot of the of interest on the edge. The inclusion of this winning athlete after a game. Some photogra- additional element produces a more complex phers even extend the “Hail Mary” by attach- image, causing the viewer to study both the ing their cameras to a monopod and triggering dominant subject and its relationship to the the shutter with a hard-wired cable release or framing elements. The guitarist on the oppo- a remote control radio slave like the site page is the obvious subject of the picture, PocketWizard. but the other musicians in the foreground and The over-the-head “Hail Mary” is also background add layers of interest. effective for shooting at a dance or street fair. These crowded circumstances often make it PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF hard to get a clean shot without a distracting Photographers stay on site until they get the background. Coming up close to your best picture possible within their time limits. subject, holding your camera high, and point- Amateurs take a few snaps and hope for the ing down will clean up the background nicely. best. Still photojournalists search for the Shooting at shoe level or rising above the decisive moment and know when they get it. crowd with a “Hail Mary” will greatly expand A pro might take 100 or even 1000 shots to the visual variety of all your assignments. get the perfect moment. Former New York Times photographer GOING WIDE George Tames said, “If you see a picture, you Walter Green, who worked for the Associated should take it—period. It is difficult if not Press for many years, noted that he took most impossible to recreate a picture, so do not medium shots with a 24mm lens (equal to a wait for it to improve. Sometimes the action 16mm on some digital cameras). Green got gets better, and you will take that picture

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also, but if you hesitate, you’ve lost the and shoot the same thing from a fresh van- moment, and you can’t go back.” tage. They might shoot six frames from one Chambers of the Orange Country location and then walk around the subject and Register echoes that advice, “Don’t always shoot six more. By watching the subject as wait for the perfect moment. It never comes. well as the background, photographers are Start and make a picture. Make the next trying to find the perfect balance of a pic- picture better.” ture’s elements while capturing a revealing Sometimes, staying with a situation yields expression or telling body position. a series that has more impact than any single The video shooter will also explore a image (see pages 20–21). While the video scene from a variety of angles and locations shooter isn’t looking for a particular moment, for a different reason—the need to have suffi- both Chambers’ and Tames’s words ring true cient footage to edit cuts into seamless for another reason. If the action is interesting, scenes. (See Chapter 13, “Video,” for more keep the camera rolling. If you turn it off too on shooting for video.) soon, you’ll miss the entire sequence. An unedited set of still pictures straight MAGNUM PHOTOGRAPHERS’ SHOOTING from a novice’s camera, or “take” as it is APPROACHES often called, usually shows a few shots of Each photographer’s shooting style differs, many different scenes throughout. All might though. In his book, Magnum: Fifty Years at be taken from exactly the same position. the Front Line of History, Russell Miller With the bass fiddle close up, the banjo in the rear, Professionals, however, visually explore each described a wide range of shooting styles and the guitarist as the cen- scene, taking a number of pictures of essen- practiced by the diverse members of the tral subject, each member tially the same thing but at different moments Magnum picture agency, which was founded of the Roanoke Valley or from different angles. (See a variety of one after World War II. Pickers is on a different plane in the photograph. pro’s images on page 124.) Ernst Haas. A Magnum photographer The photographer moved in Usually this means that they will take a known for exquisite color work, Haas always tight with a wide-angle lens. few shots, then move to a different position, began shooting before the action occurred, Josh Meltzer, The Roanoke Times

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according to Eve Arnold, another Magnum Robert Capa. Capa, whose real name was shooter. Haas, she said, followed through to André Friedmann, was perhaps the world’s the peak of the action, and then tapered off. greatest war photographer and the founder of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Magnum’s Henri Magnum, the picture agency cooperative (see Cartier-Bresson is famous for capturing one pages 440–443). He had a yet different decisive moment in an image. In fact, his 1952 approach to shooting. book was published in the United States under According to Magnum colleague Eve the title The Decisive Moment, which sug- Arnold, Capa’s contact sheets did not show gests perfect shutter timing to freeze action at Haas’s persistence in pursuing a sequence. its peak. But Cartier-Bresson also looked for Nor were Capa’s individual pictures as well balanced composition. designed as Cartier-Bresson’s. He wrote: “To me, photography is the Yet Capa took some of history’s most simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a memorable images. During the Spanish Civil second, of the significance of an event as well War, he photographed a soldier, arms flung as of a precise organization of forms which wide, falling backward at the moment of give that event its proper expression. . . . death (see page 442). Capa also took the clas- Inside movement, there is one moment at sic World War II D-day landing pictures. which the elements in motion are in balance. He was killed while covering the war Photography must seize upon this moment in Vietnam. When Eve Arnold told New and hold immobile the equilibrium of it.” Yorker writer Janet Flanner that Capa’s pic- For Cartier-Bresson, a photograph must tures were not well designed, Flanner shot not only freeze an instant of time, but must back, “History doesn’t design well, either.” capture that instant within a well-designed After that, Arnold said, “I began to under- composition. Cartier-Bresson did shoot some stand that the strength of Capa’s work was 15,000 rolls of film during his active career— that just by being there, where the action was, not all of which caught decisive moments— he was opening new areas of vision. according to Claude Cookman’s dissertation, “He was aware that it is the essence of a “The Photographic Reportage of Henri picture, not necessarily its form, which is Cartier-Bresson, 1933–1973.” (See pages important.” 441–443 for more about Cartier-Bresson).

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CATCHING CANDIDS About 95 percent of the time, you will get What sets photojournalistic pictures apart a correctly exposed picture with the camera from other types of photography? The photo- on either Aperture Priority or Shutter Speed journalistic style depends on catching candid Priority. These are not bad odds. (See page moments. Good photojournalists have devel- 157 for exceptions.) oped the instinct to be at the right place, at Photojournalists often use Aperture the right time, with the right lens and camera. Priority for catching candids since this option Often, they can steal images like a pick- allows control of depth of field by selection pocket, without anyone ever knowing that of the lens aperture, while leaving shutter photographic sleight-of-hand has taken place. speed selection to the camera. The photogra- Photojournalists must catch their subjects pher is free to shoot quickly without readjust- as unaware as possible to record real emo- ing the lens as the subject moves from the tions. Rather than stage-managing pictures, deep shadows under an oak tree into the bril- photographers observe but do not direct. The liant sunlight of a grassy field. results depend on their ability to record inti- This semi-automatic exposure mode mate moments without interrupting. In good reduces the number of under- or overex- candid pictures, subjects never gaze at the posed shots while increasing chances for camera. Eye contact tips off the reader that catching the decisive moment. All photogra- the picture is not candid and suggests that the phers still must keep an eye on the camera- subject was at least aware of the photographer determined shutter speed so that the speed and might even be performing for the lens. will be fast enough to stop any subject or camera movement. TECHNICAL STRATEGIES Photojournalists covering sports with long Preset Your Camera. Prepare your camera lenses often use Shutter Priority, selecting a before you point it. If you are fiddling with fast shutter speed to stop the action. With the the camera’s dials, you might catch the sub- camera set on shutter speed priority, a light- ject’s attention instead of a candid moment. ning fast tennis player will be properly Make sure you have set your ISO, shutter exposed whether serving from the shadows speed, aperture, focus mode, selection area, or guarding the net in bright light. and continuous shooting mode. Decide ahead of time how you might want to frame the picture. Before pointing your lens toward your intended subject, select your autofocus “hot zone.” Do you plan to frame the subject in the middle of the photo or off to the side? Adjust the hot zone accordingly. Then, with the designated hot zone focus area in the viewfinder over your subject, let the camera itself focus the lens as you press the shutter. (For more on autofocus, see pages 106–108, 158 and 160.) Use autofocus on continuous mode. On “autofocus continuous,” the camera is focus- ing as long as you keep the shutter pressed halfway down. If the subject moves forward or backward, the lens will stay focused. Camera manufacturers offer other ways to hold focus if the subject is likely to move to the right or left. Select the appropriate lens before you bring the camera to your eye. Of course you might have to zoom in or out to frame Some encounters play your subject most out like a short story. The photographer anticipat- advantageously. ed the encounter, kept Watch your sub- shooting, and caught the ject. You have pre- final glance on this Brazilian set your camera and beach. As is often the case, now you must con- some stories are told best in more than one image. centrate on your Elliott Erwitt, Magnum subject’s expression.

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Everyone was aware of the photographer’s presence couple holding hands might kiss. Sometimes during a Yom Kippur service the photographer, like the meteorologist, at a retirement home. The judges the evidence correctly and is prepared subject was more involved with the right lens, shutter speed, ISO, and in kissing the hand of the female rabbi than in the f-stop. At other times, like the weather person, photographer. Robert Cohen, the photographer misinterprets the obvious. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Timing to release the shutter at the opti- mum moment is as important as anticipation. Even with continuous shooting mode and autofocus, photographers must get into the flow of the action. Most action builds to a The photographer moved in quickly with a wide-angle lens for peak and then settles down again. Almost this candid shot. The moment was over in one frame. Julie Stupsker, San Francisco Examiner every event has a crucial moment.

FOUR APPROACHES TO CANDID PHOTOGRAPHY With all your camera control choices set Out in the Open ahead of time, you can swing the camera up, An out-in-the-open approach works when frame, and press the shutter at the same time subjects, engaged in an engrossing activity, to freeze a meaningful moment. The lens will forget that a photographer is present. almost instantly focus and expose automati- Robert Cohen arrived at a Jewish cally to catch a natural scene. (See pages nursing home early for the high holy days 106–108, 158 and 160 for more about using of Yom Kippur. autofocus.) He introduced himself to everyone and asked whether anyone in the room either did Anticipation and Timing not want to be photographed or could not be Candid photography requires the skill of a photographed for legal reasons. weather forecaster. Photographers must guess “With elderly people I tend to stick with what is going to happen based on how they those who are with their family members or see a situation developing. If two kids have those who I am convinced are lucid enough their fists up, they are likely to fight. A to make decisions on their own,” he says.

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As the service proceeded, the female A woman enjoying a hot rabbi visited with residents. Cohen spring in the California desert was aware of the anticipated that a special spark might take photographer who, by the place between the rabbi and one of the way, also was naked. The congregants. subject returned to her own Just as an elderly man reached out and reverie after the photogra- pher told her to ignore the kissed the rabbi’s hand, Cohen moved in camera. Julie Stupsker, San close and grabbed a candid with his wide- Francisco Examiner angle zoom lens. The man was far more engaged in his act of courtliness than the photographer. After taking the picture, Cohen slipped away so as not to interfere with the With his telephoto lens, the photographer could shoot unob- event’s natural flow (see opposite page). served from a distance when the 101-year-old grandmother gave a kiss and a pinch to her great-great grandson. Bryan Click and Run Patrick, Sacramento Bee Some photographers use a click-and-run approach rather than try to work unobserved. frame as they partially disappeared into their They catch candid images by walking past clothing. With the flash ready and the camera the subject, shooting quickly with a wide- preset, Stupsker shot quickly and caught the angle lens, and then moving on. candid moment (see opposite page). According to observers, Henri Cartier- Bresson would pause in front of his subject Big Game Hunter and, with one fluid motion, raise his Leica, Like a hunter stalking prey, a photojournalist focus, and click several frames. By the time studies his or her subject. Sighting through a the subject turned toward the photographer, rifle-like telephoto lens, the photographer Cartier-Bresson had gone his way. stands across the room or across the street— Julie Stupsker saw two children at a day- watching, waiting, and trying to anticipate care center about to duck into their sweat- what might happen next. shirts. She moved in close with a wide-angle Patience, if this is your approach, is not lens and bounce flash just in time to grab one only a virtue but a necessity.

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Bryan Patrick had been covering the clothes, the woman was curious, of course. “Gathering of Honored Elders” at the Indian When Stupsker explained she was taking pic- Museum for two hours when he noticed an tures for the San Francisco Examiner, the elderly woman playing with a young child. woman resumed her respite and ignored the Using a medium-telephoto zoom lens, he photographer. Stupsker was able to capture a focused on the pair and watched from afar as natural moment before the arrival of a group the woman held up the child. of teenage boys quickly brought the shooting Just as she pinched the child’s cheek and session to an end (see page 23). rubbed his nose, the Sacramento Bee photog- Diana Walker, who shoots behind-the- rapher snapped the shutter. Only after he scene photos at the White House for Time approached her for caption information did magazine, must catch candid images in pri- the centenarian realize she and her great- vate areas almost every day. She says she great grandson had been photographed (see tries to avoid conversation with her subjects page 23). so they will forget she is there. (For more on When hunting features, many photogra- Walker’s technique, see pages 50–51, phers carry a medium-long zoom lens and an Chapter 3, “General News.”) even longer fixed telephoto lens. SAVE ROOM ON YOUR FLASH CARD Introduce Yourself By changing memory cards before the last Even when someone is engaged in another megabyte is filled, photographers build in activity, the sight of a photographer loaded some insurance. Having extra capacity at the with gear can bring all action to a stop. The end of an assignment is like having money in advantage of stealth is gone. The simplest the bank. You may never need it, but it might solution is to ask the person to continue, “Go save you in an emergency—and reduce your on about your business and ignore me.” If the own anxiety, as well. ■ person returns to work or fun, you may be forgotten altogether in the moments that pass. Spotting a woman bathing in a hot spring in the California desert, Stupsker climbed a fence to get closer for the scenic shot. Then, following the ancient advice to do as the Romans when in Rome, the photographer stripped and joined the woman in the water. Having watched the photographer climb the fence with her gear and then take off her

A captain comforts her daughter and says good-bye to her husband, one of about 250 paratroopers departing for a deployment to Iraq. Even at the end of your assignment, save some room on your memory card in the event a moment like this occurs. Andrew Craft, The Fayetteville Observer

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MARKETING SPOT NEWS: A CASE STUDY

A few minutes after the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, a father reacts as his dead baby is removed from a collapsed apartment building. The photographer sold the picture to Life magazine. Kaia Means Oslo, Norway

hen the Loma Prieta earthquake rocked she had exclusive images. However, the did not see her dramatic pictures. She called WSan Francisco in 1989, journalism stu- earthquake had shaken local news outlets as to see what had happened and learned that, in dent Kaia Means was one of thousands who well as buildings and bridges. the confusion, the film had never even been initially thought the quake was “just another” Means took the film to the San Francisco processed. shaker. Visiting friends atop Russian Hill, Examiner, which had lost all electricity and Following more confusion at the newspa- however, the San Francisco State University phone capabilities, and was conducting its per, the young photojournalist finally got her student noted a huge cloud of dust rising photo operation out of a van in the paper’s film back—still unprocessed two days after above the Marina District. She said her good- parking lot. Having told the photo chief about the event. Under normal circumstances, this byes and left for a 5:30 P.M. meeting, thinking the pictures, she helped out for a while and series of faux pas would have spelled photo- she’d drive by the Marina first to see what the then left the film, marked “DEAD BABY” on the graphic disaster for the fledgling photojour- dust was all about. canister. nalist. The pictures’ timeliness would have “I knew I had to turn in a spot news In less chaotic circumstances, Means dissipated. assignment sometime during the semester,” could have bargained for the sale of the pic- However, once the film was processed, it recalls Means, who was a news-editorial tures. Having gotten a bid from the Examiner, was easy to see that these were no ordinary major taking her second semester of photog- she could have contacted local TV stations to pictures. It was time to seek a national raphy. “So I thought I’d drive by to see if see how much they would offer for rights to market. The news magazines were already there was anything to take a picture of.” the photos. With the story’s national impact, closing by the time the film had been Means found more than fallen bricks and bro- she could have offered the film to the wire processed, and they rarely buy anything but ken glass. The first photographer on the services, either the Associated Press (AP), color. Her photo teacher, this author, gave her scene, the 22-year-old student from Norway Agence France-Presse (AFP), or Reuters— the number of Peter Howe, picture editor at photographed a distraught father awaiting the all of which depend a great deal on stringers Life magazine at the time. Means took over rescue of his wife and baby. and freelancers. from there. Howe was out of town, but editors In addition to the father in the crowd, None of the services maintains a large at Life wanted to see the prints. Means photographed firefighters carrying the enough photo staff to cover the country—or baby from the building, its father grieving the world—thoroughly. Many photos appear- A REAL LIFE ASSIGNMENT in the foreground. Later, in tears upon ing in print and carrying the AP, AFP, or After viewing the pictures, Life editors pur- realizing that the baby was dead, Means Reuters credit line are taken by independent chased first North American rights for six photographed the mother’s rescue and photographers. months and sent a reporter to San Francisco reunion with her husband. Alternatively, Means could have called to interview Means and the parents she Although Means was “shaking all over” by other large dailies around the country. Today, had photographed. When an order for a the time she finished shooting the tragedy, newspapers want their own photos of a major follow-up story came in, the second-semester the young photojournalist’s real-life midterm story to augment those supplied by the wires, photo student received the five-day Life exam was just beginning. and many send staff photographers. However, assignment. none would have had this series of pictures. In the year-end issue of the magazine, DETERMINING POSSIBLE OUTLETS But with phone lines down and chaos Means’ photo of the distraught father, in addi- The photo student’s pictures certainly had around her, Means left the film with the tion to two of the follow-up pictures she shot wide local and national interest. And Means Examiner. Naturally, she was surprised when on assignment, ran as a two-page spread. ■ was in a good bargaining position because she opened the paper the following day and

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