Posts Tagged “code of ethics”

As is states in the introduction, journalism without photos is like writing without words. Digital technology has made it possible to publish pictures almost immediately after they are taken with just a few clicks. However, effectively publishing digital photos takes practice and patience. This chapter explains what a journalist will need to know.

Image courtesy of: howstuffworks.com

Image courtesy of: howstuffworks.com

In this modern era, digital photography has become the preference of most because of its many benefits, including:

  • Not having film limit the amount of pictures that can be taken
  • The ability to immediately see whether or not you captured the image you wanted
  • The ability to upload pictures to the internet
  • Saving money by printing only the pictures you want
  • Easy editing of photos, such as cropping, on your computer

By now, digital camera use is pretty simple to most college students. You point and click to shoot the image and look on the camera’s display to make sure its what you want. Then there are the zoom and flash features if you need a close up or more light.

After you have the images you need, it is time to edit them. Cropping and resizing photos can be important depending on what you need them for. However, it is possible to do more harm than good if you are not careful. According to the Code of Ethics of the National Press Photographers Association, you should never “manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.”

Following these steps while editing your photos is a good way to make sure you get the most out of the program you decide to use.

  • Edit a copy of the photo — never the original
  • crop the photo
  • resize the picture
  • modify the resolution
  • tone and color correct the picture
  • save a web version
  • keep it simple

Once you have your collection of photos, you will need a place to organize them. There are many sites online that let you upload, organize and share your photos with friends and family. Using these simple photography techniques can greatly improve the quality of your journalism.

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