Photojournalism (28): Silhouettes

The dictionary defines “silhouette” as an “image in which only the outline shape of a dark subject appears against a lighter background.” This word came from Etienne de Silhouette, the Minister of Finance in France way back in 1759. He cut out portraits of people from black paper and pasted them on light-colored backgrounds. Incidentally, the original Book of Lists listed “silhouette” as one of the ten most beautiful sounding words in the English language.

Shooting against the light creates silhouettes


Remember our lesson on the quality and direction of light? Generally, you should shoot your subjects with the sun behind you. Shooting against the light (“contra luz”) creates high contrast that leads to burned out highlights and solid shadows.

If you do want, however, to create silhouettes, shooting against the light is exactly the thing to do. By taking your exposure reading from the brightly-lit background, objects in the foreground will be reduced to their outlines. Sometimes, however, to show the context of your image, you should have some details still visible in the foreground.

Backgrounds for silhouettes

Usually, the bright sky serves as the background for silhouette shots (as in the two pictures above). You can also use water backgrounds, shaded subjects against sunlit backgrounds, and atmospheric backgrounds like haze, fog, and smoke (as in the picture below).



Relevant articles:

How to Take Great Silhouette Photos With Your iPhone

How to Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps - dPS

14 Tips for Shooting Stunning Silhouettes - Improve Photography

How to Photograph Silhouettes With a DSLR Camera - Lifewire

Tips for Shooting Killer Silhouette Photos - PetaPixel

How to capture a silhouetted sunset

Photojournalism (27): Reflections

Greek mythology tells us the story of Narcissus, a handsome young man, who passed by a river one day. Bending down to drink, he saw his reflection on the surface of the water. Fascinated with how handsome he was, Narcissus fell in love with himself. Psychologists have, therefore, coined the term “narcissism” to refer to a person’s extreme love of self.

Speaking of reflections and extremes, one extremely fine way of expressing your creativity is to shoot objects and/or their reflections on glass, windows, water, etc. Reflections can be used in a variety of ways:

(1) to create abstract designs;

(2) to portray a timeless world of dreams and fantasies; and

(3) to create romantic and nostalgic images (as in the picture below of a high school barkada obviously enjoying each other’s company).

Shoot the reflection alone, or shoot the object and its reflection

You may choose either to shoot the reflection alone, or both the object and its reflection. When shooting both, you have to use a small aperture or lens opening (more on this topic later) to render both elements sharp. You should also focus on the reflection rather than on the object creating the reflection.

Look at the picture above. Since you can’t turn your computer monitor upside down, stand up and then look at this picture with your head upside down. I know it’s a little bit acrobatic but hey it’s worth it! You will know what this picture is all about. The image of the trees, students and building are all repeated as reflections in the water in the foreground area. This is probably the best picture I have ever taken in my life. Hoo-ya!

I took the picture shown above way back in October 1989. I’ve noticed previously that every time it rained hard, the front area of the gymnasium of Rizal High School in Pasig would become flooded, and there would be reflections on the water of the trees and that building on the background. I decided that this would make a good subject for a photograph. And so I brought my beloved Canon AE-1 Program SLR camera everyday with me to school, and waited for the rain to come. I brought along my camera every day for one month, and it didn’t rain for one whole month! And so one day, I simply gave up and left my camera at home. Guess what happened? It rained hard that day!

I went home after the lunch break (pizza!), got my camera and loaded it with Negrapan (a black and white film manufactured in Spain). I knew I couldn’t use color film because the water was muddy brown in color; with monochrome film, it didn’t matter. I didn’t have a zoom lens at that time and so I used my Canon FD f/1.8 normal lens. I got back to school at around four in the afternoon. I focused on the reflections, and because it was late afternoon, I was forced to use a slow shutter speed of 1/30 sec. with an f/5.6 lens opening, for the right depth of field. (Later on we’ll discuss shutter speeds, lens openings and depth of field.)

In the picture above, I first saw the reflection of the water tank. To provide some human interest, I asked this kid to pose beside the reflection.

Learn from other photographers

One way of developing your style is by “imitating” the work of photographers whose work you admire. The picture above is my imitation of Hénri Cartiér Brésson’s famous photograph of a man jumping over a puddle of water. In that classic photograph, the man and his reflection echoed the graceful pose of a dancer in a poster at the left side of the picture. I didn’t have a dancer nor a poster, but I did have a blurry student, ripples on the water, and reflections of the building and students in the background. Yes! Yes! Step aside, Hénri!

Photojournalism (26): Shadows

William Henry Fox Talbot, considered as the father of photography, once said, “Photography is the art of fixing a shadow.” Historians of photography however, are not really sure about what he meant by this statement. Anyway, shadows are fascinating subjects for your photographs.

The sun, being the primary source of light for much of photography and being much larger than the earth, creates shadows wherever the photographer or the subject may be. To borrow the title of a C. S. Lewis book, the earth is a “shadowlands” and anyone aspiring to become a good photographer, must always be on the lookout for interesting shadows. And following Fox Talbot’s definition of photography, photographers must become “shadow masters.”


Kinds of shadows: cast or contained

Cast shadows are created on a separate subject, not on the main subject itself (like in the picture below of the shadows of the trash can and the three students passing by it).

Contained shadows, on the other hand, are inside the boundaries of the subject. Most of the time, there are cast and contained shadows interplaying with one another (as in the picture below).

Creating a sense of mystery or intrigue with shadows

To create mystery or intrigue, you can exclude the object forming a cast shadow; the shadow itself becomes the main subject. The picture below is a cropped portion of the picture above of the shadow of the trees falling upon the flagpole.


At first glance, the picture above seem to be out of place here since it looks like it’s an illustration for a lesson on converging verticals or vanishing points. Notice however, that on the cement floor, you’ll find a shadow which spells out the word “paaralan.” Our school’s main building has huge stone markers on the roof spelling out “Mataas na Paaralan ng Rizal” and every day at around 2:30 in the afternoon, the sun would cast the shadows of these markers on the floor below. As the sun sets down, these shadows disappear, only to return again the next day.

Remember that opening scene in the classic movie “Rebel Without a Cause” starring James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo? This movie, by the way, was the inspiration for the “Rush, Rush” video of Paula Abdul and Keanu Reeves many, many years ago. James Dean got into trouble with his classmates on the first day of classes when he stepped unintentionally on the school marker.

I taught in Rizal High School from 1984 up to 1995. Every afternoon when I would see that “paaralan” shadow and students stepping on that shadow without even noticing it, I would have the urge to grab these students, hold them up by the collar, and scream at them, “Who do you think you are? James Dean?” But I would probably have gotten into trouble if I did, and so I just kept these things to myself ...

As a creative photographer, you’ve got to see photo opportunities other people miss

What’s my point? Well, one, as a creative photographer, you’ve got to see photo opportunities where other people might simply see insubstantial, ephemeral shadows on concrete floors.

Two, watch classic movies (no, “Takot Ako sa Darling Ko” starring Joey de Leon and Jenny Syquia isn’t a classic) and good music videos (like the oldie “When You’re Gone” by The Cranberries with its creative use of flare, sidelighting, and its haunting setting - the Dachau concentration camp where thousands of Jews were exterminated during World War II by the Nazis). Photography is all about images and what better way to learn about images than from movies and music videos? But choose only those music videos with a positive viewpoint and general patronage imagery, okay?

I don’t know why but a lot of photographers do not like having their pictures taken. Well, one way a photographer can be present in a picture without being obtrusive or too obvious is to include his or her shadow in the photograph (needless to say, the light source must be behind the photographer to achieve this kind of effect).

Photojournalism (25): Shooting groups; Rule of Odds

The Greek philosopher Aristotle, in describing human nature, once said: “Man is a political animal, gregarious by nature.” In simpler terms, he was saying that everyone wants to belong to or needs to belong to a group, to an association, to a club, or to a “berk” in today’s lingo.

In the picture above, we have a group of students practicing for a choral interpretation competition. I don’t know why, but these students and their costumes always make me think of a group of lemmings on the way to self-destruction.

Goal in shooting groups: convey the group’s sense of unity and belonging

When you’re shooting groups, your goal is to convey to your viewers the sense of unity and belonging (like in the picture above of a group of high school friends), and the collective identity of the group. This can be done in several ways:

(1) by choosing the appropriate setting or background;

(2) the use of props or uniforms, like the uniforms of the modern dancers below;


(3) by making the members feel relaxed and comfortable so that they’ll react naturally, spontaneously with one another like the girl scouts below.

Formal group shots: observe the group’s hierarchy

Group shots can be formal or informal, serious or lighthearted. When positioning the members for a formal shot, you’ll oftentimes have to follow the group’s hierarchy - officers in the front rows (like in the picture above of the Rizal High School 1992 yearbook staff), the older family members in the middle ...

Informal group shots: anything goes

For informal shots like the picture above, you should let the individuals choose whatever positions, gestures and expressions they want. You have to establish rapport with the group members; talk to them, humor them, capture their attention by whatever silly antics you can do ...

Free articles and cheat sheets on shooting groups: How to Take Great Group Photos (Digital Photography School) Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Groups of People 16 Do’s and Don’t to Photograph Large Groups How to Take Sharp Family and Group Portraits Ideal Lighting for Large Group Family Photos Indoors (SLR Lounge) How To Crush Wedding Group Shots Every Time 14 Tips For Better Group Portrait Photographs

Choosing your viewpoint in shooting groups; shoot several frames

Remember our lesson in choosing your viewpoint? For group shots, you should use a high angle point of view so that everyone can be seen. Shoot several frames of the group since there will always be some people who are not ready, or with their eyes closed. By taking several shots, you can choose later on which picture contains the best facial expressions from the group members.

Focal point or center of interest; odd-numbered groups (Rule of Odds)

Compose your group shot in such a way it has a focal point or center of interest, like that girl in the middle of the front row of the very first picture in this post.

Keep in mind the “Rule of Odds” — it is easier to shoot an odd-numbered group rather than an even-numbered group. With an odd-numbered group, you can simply place one of the group members in the middle of the frame. You can then distribute the others to the left and right of that group member.

Triangular composition in shooting groups

You may also follow a triangular composition where you have several rows, with each row getting successively smaller. In the picture above, I got a triangular composition with the students forming the base and the head of Rizal’s statue being the apex of the triangle.

Fill the frame

By whatever way you compose your group shot, make sure that you fill the frame, that there are no wasted spaces around your subject, like in the picture above of the modern dancers. Study the four corners of the subject before taking the shot. And always use a small aperture for a wide depth of field (more on this topic later).

If you’re shooting several rows, make sure that the rows are not too wide. Otherwise, you’ll have lots of empty, wasted spaces at the bottom and top portions of your picture. Remember, fill the frame with your subject! Study the four corners of your image before shooting.

How to shoot class pictures
 

Here are the steps in shooting class pictures:

(1) Ask the students to line up according to height, smallest student in front.

(2) Position the class adviser in the middle of the first row. Place the president of the class and the vice-president to the right and to the left of the adviser.

(3) The other officers of the class should be distributed evenly according to height on either side of the adviser. The taller officers should be placed nearer the center while the smaller officers should be placed at the edges.

(4) The first row should be odd numbered with about a maximum of nine individuals comprising the row.

(5) The class muse and escort should be placed in the middle of the second row, immediately behind of the class adviser.

(6) Since the first row is odd numbered, the second row should be even numbered. Place the other students in between the students in the first row. Start with the smaller guys and girls. The idea is to place the taller members of the class in the last rows.

(7) Arrange your 3rd, 4th and 5th rows. Unless you have 70 to 80 students in a class, 4 to 5 rows will be enough. Stand back, look at the group. Make sure there are no unsightly gaps, and that everyone can be seen.

(8) Always bracket your shots. Take your pictures in a brisk manner because students easily lose interest (just like in math class!). After the formal shots, you can now have some fun with your informal shots, as in the picture below. Enjoy!

Photojournalism (24): Types of pictures

Update as of September 18, 2023: If you’re a high school or grade school student in the Philippines who’s joining the photojournalism contest in the division, regional, or national press conference, I’m offering two free resources to you : A. 900-plus interactive exercises on English grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, verbal analogy, etc (with around 200 megabytes total file size). The exercises have time limit and automatic scoring, with an average of 10 items per exercise. Examples of these interactive exercises are: Common English grammar errors: Exercise 01 (nouns - confusions of number); Phrasal Verbs: Expressions with Go; English Placement Test (45 items). B. 200-plus resources (JPG, PDF, MP4, etc.) on photography and photojournalism, with 600-plus megabytes total file size. For some examples of these resources, surf to the “Free photography e-books, cheat sheets” page. For the download links and more information about how to use the interactive exercises, please surf to my “Better English resources and exercises” blog. Please inform your journalism teacher/schoolpaper adviser or your parents about these resources before downloading them. If you have any question about downloading or using these free resources, please email me (after informing your journalism teacher/schoolpaper adviser or your parents). I’ll be able to reply to you within two to three days; if you don’t see my reply in your Inbox, check your Spam folder. Or, you can text me. Also, if you win in the photojournalism contest at whatever level (district, division, regional, or national), you can send me your prizewinning pictures, and I will feature them in a blog post. Atty. Gerry T. Galacio gtgalacio@yahoo.com 0927-798-3138

Pictures can be classified in the following ways:

1. unique images
2. words and numbers
3. juxtaposition
4. point pictures
5. sequence shots
6. establishing shots
7. key personalities

We have just taken up photographic composition, and one other way for you to decide how best to compose your photographs is to think about what type of picture you want.

Unique images


What do bored people usually say? “Done that, been there, seen it before!” This category covers all photographs whose impact lies on their never having been seen before. I’m sure you’ve heard the song “Footprints in the Sand.” It was a number one hit on the Billboard gospel chart many, many years ago, and then it crossed over, again as number one, into the pop chart. Well, the picture above can be titled “Footprints in the Corridor.” It was about 8 AM, and I came across a group of students who were participating in a Speech Festival. They had covered their whole bodies with a chalk-like powder. To get to the venue of the competition, they had to walk though the corridor, leaving their footprints all over the place.

I hesitated shooting the footprints. I wanted to save my Kodak Tri-X film for the contest, and I wasn’t sure if those footprints had any significant value as the subject of a photograph. (I also kept thinking about Alexander Defoe and his fictional character Robinson Crusoe finding that single footstep on the beach.) I managed to shoot two frames before the janitor mopped away those footprints.

Try shooting the audience, the spectators

Who knows, you might be able to shoot an interesting spectator like this Katipunero in the picture above? Notice that he’s the only guy in the picture. You might also be able to shoot a girl, watching from the sidelines, who has too much make-up, as in the picture below.


Or you can turn the tables and try shooting the photographers covering an event as in the picture below. Here, my attention was caught by that old photographer (kneeling) on the right.

 
Words, letters, numbers

These elements may be used to attract the viewer’s attention. Always be on the lookout for announcements or ads which have humorous, grammatical errors. In the picture below, the words written in chalk on the hollow blocks, at first glance, seem to have been the handiwork of a dyslexic individual. On a closer look, however, the letters spell out several words and names like “Guess,” “Ryan” and “Gwen.” Speaking of dyslexia, did you know MI-3 actor Tom Cruise and singer-actress Cher suffered from dyslexia?

Juxtaposition

In juxtaposition, you combine two or more images into a single photograph in order to express an idea, emotion, or to show a certain relationship. In the picture below, for example, I combined the images of man (the students), nature (the towering acacia tree) and a man-made object (the partially hidden backboard on the right). Symbolism? Possibly, Mother Nature reigns supreme over everything, or something of that sort …

Point pictures; fillers

Point pictures are those used by publications to illustrate certain portions of an article or used as fillers for layout purposes. (When we discuss campus news photography, I will tell you about shooting and keeping stock pictures.) For example, the picture below of students studying can be used for a variety of articles.

Sequence shots

Sequence shots are several pictures of the same subject generally taken from the same viewpoint, showing various emotions or the progress of any action. In the first picture below, an adventurous freshman climbs up the acacia tree on a dare by his classmates. In the second picture, that freshman now faces the greatest dilemma of his young life — how to get down from that tree. Poor kid! The last time I looked, he was still up on that tree, and his classmates are already in college! Really! No kidding!



The pictures below are sequence shots of a senior class having their yearbook picture taken. I shot these pictures way back in 1991 with my beloved Canon AE-1 Program camera fitted with an FD f/1.8, 50 mm lens with a yellow-green filter and power winder. (This kind of filter makes black and white pictures more vibrant.)  After I shot the formal class picture, the fun began. If you mouse over each picture, the caption will appear for a few seconds.








Establishing shots

Establishing shots are usually wide angle shots that show the viewer the physical context or the setting of an event, activity or program - What is the program all about? Who are the participants? Who are the spectators? Where is the venue?



 
Key personalities

The key personalities in any program or activity may be the lead actors, actresses, directors, the judges, etc.

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