Something from nothing
November11200711:25 AM
Theoretically, press
conferences should be easy to shoot. After all, your
subject(s) have been brought to you and they're not
going anywhere until you're done. The lighting is
usually pretty good (thanks, TV folks). The press
conferences usually don't take very long.
But really, I think press conferences are hard to shoot. Press conferences, by their very manufactured and organized nature, suck the life and any possible emotional moments out of most photographic opportunities (but not always-see the blog entry "Thank you Craig family" below). And that's what we, as photojournalists, are looking for - photos that have life and emotion. Photos that will connect with the reader, photos that have content and meaning.
So when I've got to shoot a press conference my first rule is "go early and stay late." There may be some spontaneous moments with the subjects before and after the press conference and my best photos often come from those times. Failing that, I have to really get creative during the press conference to make any decent pictures. If the organizers have done their jobs properly, they've provided some sort of background or props (such as charts) I can include in the photo to add meaning to any photos. Sometimes there's interesting light I can use spice up the photos. My goal is to always make photos which convey information to the reader but it's a challenge to make something from nothing. And sometimes we're given nothing at a press conference.
A recent press conference with noted author Salman Rushdie is an example of having little to work with for good photos. The press conference took place in a basement room of the Capitol Theatre in Yakima. A small, square table with a small sign for the Town Hall lecture series (the event at which he would soon speak) sat on the table. That's it. Rushdie came into the room and immediately sat down. So much for my "going early" theory. I shoot a few tight head shots as insurance and then move on to trying to make a more creative photo. There's only the video cameras of the TV stations to work with and by including those I could, at least, show the reader that Rushdie was speaking at a press conference. Some of my photographic efforts (all pretty cliché):
Rushdie framed in the tripod legs of a camera.
Rushdie through the viewfinder of a TV camera.
Tight head shot of Rushdie.
Looser, head and shoulders shot with the sign on the table.
An overall of the press conference scene.
We ended up using the tight head-and-shoulders shot in the newspaper. The others are graphically interesting but don't impart much more information than the tight shot. Plus, that tight shot worked best with the page layout for that day.
But really, I think press conferences are hard to shoot. Press conferences, by their very manufactured and organized nature, suck the life and any possible emotional moments out of most photographic opportunities (but not always-see the blog entry "Thank you Craig family" below). And that's what we, as photojournalists, are looking for - photos that have life and emotion. Photos that will connect with the reader, photos that have content and meaning.
So when I've got to shoot a press conference my first rule is "go early and stay late." There may be some spontaneous moments with the subjects before and after the press conference and my best photos often come from those times. Failing that, I have to really get creative during the press conference to make any decent pictures. If the organizers have done their jobs properly, they've provided some sort of background or props (such as charts) I can include in the photo to add meaning to any photos. Sometimes there's interesting light I can use spice up the photos. My goal is to always make photos which convey information to the reader but it's a challenge to make something from nothing. And sometimes we're given nothing at a press conference.
A recent press conference with noted author Salman Rushdie is an example of having little to work with for good photos. The press conference took place in a basement room of the Capitol Theatre in Yakima. A small, square table with a small sign for the Town Hall lecture series (the event at which he would soon speak) sat on the table. That's it. Rushdie came into the room and immediately sat down. So much for my "going early" theory. I shoot a few tight head shots as insurance and then move on to trying to make a more creative photo. There's only the video cameras of the TV stations to work with and by including those I could, at least, show the reader that Rushdie was speaking at a press conference. Some of my photographic efforts (all pretty cliché):
Rushdie framed in the tripod legs of a camera.
Rushdie through the viewfinder of a TV camera.
Tight head shot of Rushdie.
Looser, head and shoulders shot with the sign on the table.
An overall of the press conference scene.
We ended up using the tight head-and-shoulders shot in the newspaper. The others are graphically interesting but don't impart much more information than the tight shot. Plus, that tight shot worked best with the page layout for that day.