Page 13 - Cape-Camera-May-2022

May 2022 Cape Camera

Rule 7 - Go early; Stay late (get bored) Rule 9 - Use (don't abuse) text
All the preparation in the world can't replace investing time in "There is something to be said in telling the story with just the
a story. It's often the unexpected unscripted moments in be- images. I think that's an ideal and can also be damn hard," says
tween what you've planned that will yield the most memorable, Smith. Words should follow rather than lead a photo essay. Any
relatable photographs. text, whether introductory text or captions, should enrich the
According to Calabrese, that's where most of the honest mo- work that an image is already doing. A picture shouldn't rely on
ments are. The extra time allows him to just be a person before text to make it interesting, but strong text can help provide im-
he has to start photographing. "Imagine being on the other end portant context and tackle complex ideas.
of this relationship, and someone coming into your space and "In a movie, we have sound and dialogue to tell a story. So pho-
just 'taking' pictures. Must feel awful. I will often put my cam- tography and text can work together in the same way," says
eras down on a table and just chat for a while," he says. Osborne. Calabrese adds, "No doubt, giving space for both the
Osborne agrees, explaining that she's careful of being overly photographs and text to wander is ideal. I'd want them to com-
intrusive, while also balancing that against storytelling goals. plement one another. I don't want the text to explain some-
"It baffles me how often I can miss things while shooting. So thing already covered in a photograph".
working hard, being present and capturing as much as possible Rule 10 - Kill your darlings
within the day is crucial," she says. "Less is more in most cases. A bad edit destroys work. There
Smith points out an added benefit of investing time is that "you is so much power there; one project can yield so many repre-
can go back to the same well and hopefully get something bet- sentations. Hence, editing and responsibility go hand in hand,"
ter.” He adds, "My Hutterite project has been constantly about emphasizes Osborne. What is left out of an essay is potentially
building over time." more important than what is included. Especially when photo-
Rule 8 - Strive for intimacy graphing sensitive issues, a picture hasn't really been made un-
til it's been shared, and so this is a crucial time to revisit the goals
"Intimacy is so important, and it can come from being physi- of the essay. “I like having people I trust to bounce the work off
cally close to the action in a photo from being emotionally close
to what is happening in the scene" says Smith. This is one of and who can tell me when I'm missing the mark" shares Smith.
Each image needs to be evaluated for how it serves the story
the most central values of a journalistic photo essay: intimacy and contributes to a cohesive presentation. Getting assistance
makes storytelling feel personal. But the only way to access it
is by building trust, having good communication and investing from an editor can help when making difficult decisions.
time. "It's such a simple thing. Anyone can do it, but I find a lot Osborne prefers to show her nearly final edits to non-photo-in-
of photographers talking about wanting to do projects often dustry people. She explains, "I like it when editors like my work,
either don't get the idea of putting in the time or don't want to. as it will get me jobs, but my work targets normal people. They
It's simple but requires effort," Smith continues. ultimately have to be interested in what I'm doing."
Calabrese approaches his working relationships as a collabora- Rule 11 - Be intentional with story sequence
tion. "I'm working with them to tell the story honestly, I don't Classic sequences are either chronological (developing a story
know why I didn't see it this way all along" he says. Once you in a linear order of occurrence) or thematic (developing a story
have access, some of the ways to communicate intimacy visu- around a topic but not necessarily following a timeline). Which
ally are through distance from the camera, gesture, eye contact, images are chosen and the way in which they are ordered af-
physical contact and contextual details, like a private setting. fects what story points are emphasized. Nuance can be created
EDITING by the emotional, aesthetic and informational interactions be-
Editing is where your vision really takes shape. The interaction be- tween images. "I don't think there are rights and wrongs, as long
as the work as a whole has impact and flows," says Osbome. “I
tween images can create nuance and complexity that are impos- think editing is one of the most artistic areas of photography.
sible in a single image. The elimination of repetitive, misleading We are not allowed to stage images in documentary work, yet
and weaker images strengthens the overall narrative. we can play with the sequencing in a way that can bend time
and alter our perception," she continues. This is the time to re-
DON'TS flect on how the essay will be understood and how that may
A photo essay is much more than a collection pictures. affect people's lives. A good sequence is like any good story: it
Do not let your images be a series of point pictures (“ should have emotional range, story progression and aesthetic
and then this happened, and then this happened"). beauty. In journalism, your sequence has to be honest and fair.
•Don't be dogmatic with a specific technique. Be open to A STARTING PLACE
new Ideas, and allow your style to respond to the chal- It's a great honour to be trusted with someone's story, and so
lenges in front of you. there's also a great responsibility to tell it effectively. It can be
•Don't put your goals above the safety or well-being of an impressive task and everyone will have to find their own way
the people who are sharing their story with you. to accomplish it, but these guidelines can set the stage tor good
•Don't influence the story; don't become part of it. work. while compelling photo essays take many forms and in-
•Don't expect to perfectly objective. Own your perspec- novations often come from intentional defiance, some of the
very best follow these rules. Use them as a starting place, ex-
tive, keep to yourself, and focus on being fair. periment, and know you can always come back to them if you
•Don't tense up or overthink when you are photograph- lose your way,
ing. Inspiration comes when you are open and in the
moment.

12 Cape Town Photographic Society