Photography: Learn to See With a Fresh Eye

By Doug White
Online Reporter

Tampa Tribune director of photography Allyn DiVito says the role of a news photographer is to take people to places they've never been.

But how do you achieve that when the people and areas you cover -- like your classmates, teachers, and high school -- are well known by your readers and viewers? How do you present familiar people and issues in innovative ways?

Get creative.

As DiVito notes, most high school photojournalists will not find themselves covering conflicts in the Middle East. On the surface, many assignments may seem boring. After all, student council meetings aren't always loaded with eye-popping excitement, and covering sporting events can get old if that's all you're asked to do.

DiVito says one mark of a talented photographer is the ability to see things with a fresh eye. For example, instead of covering a meeting and taking a picture of the principal standing at the podium, cover what the issue is about. If the principal is speaking about the need for better lights at the football field, go to the field and look for images that illustrate the problem.

"Use the camera to grab attention," DiVito said. "Get your knees dirty. Get down low, get up high. Force yourself to look at things differently."

Kenny Irby, Poynter visual journalism group leader, said there are ways to expand a publication's photography beyond meetings and sports, the "two basic areas that are often thought of as natural coverage beats."

Irby said students excited by other subject areas need to be enterprising and creative.

"Students interested in other areas like the arts, outdoors, personalities and music must begin to make suggestions to the editors about their interest and explain how these types of photographs can improve the readership of the publication," he said.

Irby added that another way for photojournalists to advance their interests is to pursue and assume leadership roles within their news organizations. Moving up into decision-making positions will "help further the visual cause," he said.