Assignment 3 - First Draft - Part One

The first drafts of this assignment are really the page layout exercise on page 68 and as I have already looked at mock ups I am incorporating these into this posting.

The opening page below has monochrome images and I am not happy that they convey the correct feeling of a caring environment. There is a starkness to my processing that has a coldness and that is not my intention. I am showing it here so that there is a record of it existing and maybe during further discussion it will reveal itself and what that may connote.

 

 

Some colour photographs instead of the black and white proved difficult when seen together. The colour content within a series did not have a synergy, they were just a set of individual photographs being shown together. To introduce a feeling of warmth I am thinking of sepia toned images. I am conscious that this is a bit clichéd, but here for a magazine page I think the readership will not be judgemental, instead seeing it as an appropriate "feel" for a story of an old person. The page above has then be redrafted into a single image opening page, allowing more space to contextualise the story. The title has changed and becomes precise with a bracketed subtitle and to fill some of the blank space on the opposite page a quotation from Stephen Hawking on the wheelchair as icon.

 

 

 





On reflection (this posting is being constructed over a number of days) the sepia will not work. I have never liked sepia toning in contemporary photography and although this connotes a warmth in the image this editorial has no warmth, it is a matter of fact, not a work of fantasy. This totally contradicts my early thoughts and the change has come about during the writing of the main body text.

 

The process has become iterative. backwards and forwards with alternative images and texts. The Page One below is cleaner and closer to how I want it to look.

 

 

 

The page within Photoshop, showing the use of Guides for layout. Here in particular to check that the in focus part of the photograph was on the Focal Centre

 

 



 

 

To be continued.

 

 

 

Exercise - Practise writing captions

An exercise relating to picture captions.

There are some basic rules relating to a caption that don't seem to change with time. The 5 "W's" have been around as a guide for many years.

Who
What
Where
When
Why

It is not always necessary to include all of them due to the inherent nature and picture content/context. Repeating what is obvious from the photograph is considered bad practice.

Below is a selection of images with suitable captions. My experience in this field extends to some local newspaper work and although I provided factual information to my editor I was never asked to write the caption. The caption/cutline needs to be tailored to suit the story and in some cases suitable for the reader who may not wish to read the whole story, in which case it should include salient information. The cutline varies from the caption as it may run to a few sentences. Another important rule in caption writing is to never emphasise or suggest something that is not in the picture. The reader will loose confidence if they subsequently discover inaccuracies. I have given the photograph/caption combinations some context so that they can be judged within their published environment.

 

No 1  Local newspaper.

 

No 2 Monthly magazine article featuring Lincolnshire churches

 

No 3 Contents page for specialist motor sport magazine

No 4 Magazine article on classic car motor sport

No 5 Weekend supplement feature on wind farms and fishing

No 5 Specialist Paper Industry magazine article  

 

 

 

No 6 Tourism supplement with local newspaper

 

 

Conclusions:

 

Not the easiest of tasks without more direction on the type of publication the photographs will be shown with. The "W" rules when adhered to though give you the support to make the correct judgement, while being conscious of the pitfalls of being too creative and too descriptive of the obvious.

 

 

 

 



 

Exercise - Two images on the same page

This exercise continues with developing the skill of page layout and design, asking for two images on a page that are of the same subject, but different in scale or viewpoint. The picture combination is to be balanced and complimentary, resulting in a page that is cohesive. I have chosen to include areas of text as this is an important design element and when combined with the white space an integral part of the design.

Page 1 is a simple layout with photographs of a covered market in France now in use as a café. Suitable for an article on the architecture of the country it shows a large image to contextualise the building and a close up of the timber roof structure. A text panel is fitted with the rectangle of photograph edges. The Focal Centre is in the half to one third above the centre, leaving a large area of white space below the images.

Page 1

 

 

Page 2 takes us to a remote and rather unusual building on the Norfolk coast. "The Retreat" is built on the beach amongst the Marram grass and is the holiday home of an artist. The photographs once again rely on a large image to bring the context of the location and the smaller image of the seat with name board to name the building. The page could be used as a stand alone small piece on the building or as part of a larger article on the artist together with interior images and portraits etc. The text at right angles and some white space below the small caption deliver a contemporary feel that is mirrored in the architecture. The Focal Centre is again above the horizontal centreline although not so obvious as in page 1.

 



 

 Page 2

 

 

Page 3 is a rather simple layout showing a lighthouse on the island of Menorca. The building and the tower are geometric and this is reflected in the style of the layout. The text box is sized to suit the adjacent photograph and there is an overall symmetry in the layout.

 

 

Page 3

 

 

Page 4 has two photographs of a construction site. At the time they were taken we can see that the structural frame is being erected. The tall thin image on the left is shot as a silhouette and shows no detail other than to inform us that tower cranes are being used. Visually it is graphic whereas the main image below shows detail of a reinforced concrete frame and would be suitable for an article on structural engineering. The large text area is essential for a technical publication as there is often considerable detail that needs to be revealed. The overlap of images is included to tie the layout together and breaks up the large expanse of sky in the lower image while allowing the long tall image fit on the page without cropping. 

 

 



 

Page 4

 

Page 5 has two images connected in some way to food, drink, hotels, corporate hospitality or any number of similar or partial connections. There is no text and the page would be suitable for use in a corporate publication of some description relating to the above industries. The layout is driven entirely by aesthetics and has no intention of being anything other than a notion of potential for high end cuisine.

 

 

Page 5

 

 

Conclusion.

 

As discussed in the previous exercise there are no hard and fast rules for page layout but there are a number of well developed guidelines that should be adhered to. The western world reads from left to right and the page should have a L to R connotation delivered either in the images themselves or the layout of the images. The Focal Centre does need to be considered and works better with some layouts than others. If the brief is that you only have space for two images then the choice is difficult especially for the specialists subject matter, where one will be needed to contextualise the article and then one other to satisfy some detail, especially when the text relies upon the illustration.

 

The five example I have made above I rate as follows.

 

Page 1. Simple and conventional.

Page 2. Suits the content in that the layout is more complex.

Page 3. Not particularly interesting, but a specialist subject.

Page 4. Graphically interesting with contemporary photography.

Page 5. Ambiguous but likely to be used in a high end publication.

 



Exercise - Design Theory and Published Layouts

In preparation for Assignment Three I will research the various page layout options available from contemporary practice, together with some of the theory of basic layout design. Examples from magazines are to be included to demonstrate the design principles.

Part One
 

Basic Layout Design.

Design, ordering and arranging elements into a scheme into a layout that gives the best outcome. This is not generally the work of a photographer (although probably more so with the ease of self publishing) and is more often the domain of an editor or artist in a production team. Following any predetermined rule is likely to result in static and uninteresting work but there are five basic principles of design that a photographer should be aware of.

1. Contrast
2. Balance
3. Proportion
4. Rhythm
5. Unity

Every good layout will incorporate in some part all of the above.

1: Contrast

Size.

Two equally sized images will detract from each other and cause confusion as to which one should the viewer look at first. When making a layout with two images a decision must be made which is the most important and make that the bigger one on the page.

 

 

Poor layout with two similar sized images

Two image layout with one dominant image

 

 

1. Shape

 

Repetition of the same shape for important compositional elements will tend to make for a monotonous layout and lack interest.

 

1.1 Tone

 

A page layout should have a pronounced tonal range. Through the tonal range of the photograph to the white of the paper and the grays of the typeface there should be a certain amount of black. The type of photograph will influence this decision. A high key image will benefit from a light typeface and an image with a lack of bold tones will be better served using a bold typeface.

 

1.2 Direction

 

Each unit of a design layout (unless they are equal) points in the direction of the longest dimension. A long vertical photograph points up and down and a large block of bold text will point in the direction of the largest unit. Some working in this field feel it is important to stop each design unit from pointing in a certain direction by using another unit at right angles, therefore carrying the eye to the next unit in a preconceived order.

The careful use of the white space (the area of white paper between the design units) brings together the shapes and perceived direction and order. It also plays an important role in the contrast of size, shape and tone.

 

 

 

Size Contrast but all Vertical (Poor)

 

 

 

Improved Directional Contrast (Better)

 

 

 

Units at Right Angles (Good)

 



2. Balance

 

The design units within the layout must appear to belong in the space they occupy, with a look of stable equilibrium. None of the design units, whether body, headlines, pictures or cut lines should struggle for position or look as if they are about to fall over or fall out of the page. There are no hard and fast rules which will determine a successful balanced layout. Experience with trial and error will eventually bring results although there are four factors which are a help to start with.

1. The Focal Centre
2. The Tone of the Units
3. The Size of the Units
4. The Shape of the Units

 

 

 

The Focal centre of balance in a layout is on the vertical centre line somewhere between the two horizontal lines dividing the layout into thirds and halves respectively. In the illustration above the mobile telephone is on the focal centre point.

Design units of similar size, tone and shape will form a perfect balance if they are placed equidistant from the focal centre.

3. Proportion

Proportion is the size relationship of the various component units to one another or to the complete layout. A pleasing layout has a great deal to do with how space is divided and obvious proportion is often considered as poor proportion. The more subtle the scheme the better, with ratios of 1 to 3, 2 to 5 and 3 to 5 offering better effect than say 1 to 1.

 

4. Rhythm

 

This is defined as a regular recurrence of design elements and is characterised by separation of form, development of a graduated tone, repetition of common tone and interrupted rhythm. Any of these techniques impart a feeling of movement or "flow" to a layout.

 

5. Unity

 

The units of layout must be assembled in such a way as to form a unit, or single impression. If the units are scattered around the page visual confusion will occur. The eye must move easily from one design element to another so that the various parts assimilate into a logical order.

 

Layout Styles

 

The five principles of layout (contrast, balance, proportion, rhythm and unity) are difficult to express equally in every piece of creative work. The layout artist should draw upon knowledge of each to add appeal to the page. There are three design concepts that most work will fall into. They are classical, editorial and modern.

 

Classical layout consists of two facing pages as in an open book with a narrow gutter dividing the type, wide margins, top sides and bottom.

 

Editorial layout uses pictures, headlines, cutlines, copy and other design units grouped into a single continuous mass. The layout is characterised by two large units: a unit of pictures and display matter and a unit of text

 

Modern format is based on simple geometric arrangements of lines parallel and at right angles to each other, an internal framework holding the design units together.

 

 

Part Two

 

Examples of contemporary practice (limited to Editorial examples)

 

 

 

 

  © National Geographic Magazine Fig 1.

 

 

Fig 1. is a good example of the layout artist using the Focal Centre of the page to attract the viewer with bold headline text and one dominant photograph. On the left hand side the word "Chernobyl" is positioned on the vertical centre line and exactly within the one half and one third page division that form the Focal Centre. On the right hand side the photograph is on both centre lines although the main feature within the image (the long sweeping curve of lights) is within the Focal Centre zone.

 

Included in the above are good use of tonal contrast within the text. The text has varying size and font which provides a tonal range while the use of white space makes for an airy and light feel.  The greater area of white space above the layout is an inverse of the traditional architectural proportions ( 4 bottom, 12 main, 3 top) and works well in a story where the natural order was completely reversed after the explosion. Balance is achieved by utilising the Focal Centre within the text and photograph without further text on the right hand page.

 

 

 

© National Geographic Magazine Fig 2.

 

 



Fig 2.shows the skill of the layout artist with excellent use of space utilisation. The standard editorial four column arrangement has been broken by the inclusion of a photograph spanning two and a half columns. There is tasteful use of white space above column four and the area below the caption. The full bleed photograph on the left hand side and top introduces balance to the right angle text layout.

 

 

 

© Tatler Fig 3.

 

Fig 3 is a variation on the Classical layout and makes use of the shapes within the photograph to complement the text. The two page layout has balance and rhythm. The photographs have been carefully chosen and are the dominant design units. The text is well balanced with white space above and makes good use of the capital T (Not sure if that is a feature of Tatler or a coincidence). The caption on the left hand side is placed neatly within the steps and fits the space and is level with the end of the main text. The full bleed image on the right has the same boy as the left image and this provides more rhythm and balance. The image also has the correct composition of elements within it to keep the layout within the page. Dark areas of book case and the left facing chair make a suitable frame.

 

Conclusion:

 

Prior to this research I had not aware of the laid down rules of page layout and composition. I am now more aware of the intricacies of the layout artist/editor and fascinated by the use of rhythm and balance. Clearly there are occasions when the rules can be broken but for most editorial uses the pre determined standards seem to work. The techniques become obvious when there is an understanding and it is now difficult to look at any printed mater without being aware of the good and bad examples. As a photographer I am not likely to manage a layout but it is an interesting subject to continue with and develop a notional amount of skill.

 

 

References:

 

Kerns, Robert L: Photojournalism - Photography with a Purpose, Prentice Hall

 

National Geographic Magazine, December 2013

 

National Geographic, Greatest Parks of the World 2014

 

Tatler, August 2014

Photojournalism and the Tabloid Press

Photojournalism and the Tabloid Press

In this exercise we asked to look at Karen E. Becker's essay "Photojournalism and the Tabloid Press". An essay contained within the PWDP course reader "the photography reader" edited by Liz Wells.

Basic contention is that

Photography as a part of the world of journalism is considered by some to be a distraction from the intellectual application of the serious press and its use is to be limited within the industry. It is thought that the use of photography (in a trivial sense) is to gain popular appeal amongst tabloid newspapers which are seen as entertainment.

The conclusion is that

Photography in the elite press has attained a status of popular art by the use of well edited photo essays, with high quality imagery. However within the tabloid press the output is often heavily overworked with flat composition or haphazard candid shots by impulsive photographers consumed by events. Tabloid press photography is populist, is a vehicle for the news, and often supports and contradicts the standards of journalistic practice.

The Conclusion adds to the opening statement ?

Becker uses the conclusion to bring together the researched elements of the essay to justify her opening statement. Her thesis is that the tabloid press uses photography in a popular sense rather than through the intellectual discourse of the elite press. Her conclusion has clearly set out examples of how she believes this is taking place.

Main part of the essay 

The early picture press

Becker takes us through the early history of illustrated publications stating that the earliest illustrated magazines were launched in the 1840's. They included The Illustrated London News, L'Illustration and Harpers Weekly to name a few. Although photography arrived in 1839 the techniques for reproduction in newsprint had not been invented and the method of illustration was from wood engravings up until 1873. Artists covered news events and a team of engravers would work through the night to meet the press deadline. Photography was being used for image capture although the cameras “likeness” was considered too stiff and the camera too much of a machine. The engraver often using a photograph as a referent with a note attached describing the process as being “from a photograph”. With the invention of the half-tone process for newsprint the immediacy of the photograph became prominent. Colliers Weekly employed English photographer James Hare as its primary correspondent during the Spanish American War (1898) and it was his success together with technical innovation that promoted growth and the potential for advertising in newspapers and magazines. Becker does however state with reference to Kahan 1986 and Hassner 1977 that there is little evidence that photography had increased magazine sales although advertising revenue had increased from 360 million to 542 million dollars during the period from 1890 to 1900. Becker does not state why the sales increased.

The tabloid = sensationalism=photography

In this section Becker describes a number of instances where the early tabloid press starts a trend of using photographs to deliver sensational coverage of news events that were to many outside of the established ethical practice.
It was in the 1920's when large sensational photographs first appeared featuring violence, sex, etc. which according to press historians in the US was a low point with loose morals and loss of ethical standards that could threaten public and private life with the New York Daily Times being the main culprit. At around this time with increasing sales figures it became clear that a divide existed between the elite and the tabloid press, the tabloids profiting from the trite, superficial and the tawdry through events and personalities. Ever on the lookout for news worthy events the tabloids looked at the world of the judiciary and legal bodies where photography was banned. Examples are given by Becker of a photomontage being made of a semi naked woman in court and the trial of Ruth Snyder in 1928 when a photographer smuggled a camera into the press area and photographed her execution. "DEAD" was the heading over the image in the Daily News extra edition which sold one million copies. Becker quotes William Taft in 1938 who believes that "the free use of photographs in picture newspapers and magazines has in measure defeated their own object, presumably that of disseminating news" His contention is that photographs are glanced at, the journal thumbed through then thrown away and that the pictorial press must address this if they are to command the respect of intelligent people.

The daily press 'supplements' the news.

Becker reiterates some of her previous text with a note that photographs were rare in daily newspapers in Europe and North America up until 1920 with the exception of the tabloid press.
The daily newspapers of the late nineteenth century had begun to print weekly supplements that were illustrated predominantly with photographs and the major New York newspapers all had a Sunday supplement printed on the rotogravure presses and were a response to the popularity of photography. An interesting comment is how the daily editions developed a format for their supplements to insulate them from being downgraded by the photograph.

The picture magazines' legacy

Although not a part of the history or study of the tabloid press Becker takes us through the history of the mass circulation picture magazine, discussing its photojournalistic discourse through practice and aesthetic values. Most notable (during the 1930's) they introduced the genre of the photo essay as a way of documenting both the ordinary and the extraordinary in the same light. Previous assumptions that 'high' culture was the home of the aesthetic were now challenged and the photography of these journals was accepted as popular art and became a subject for museum collections. The status of  photojournalism had reached unprecedented heights with rising circulation and the acceptance of the mass produced as popular art meant the photojournalist was considered an artist. This elevation of the genre had done nothing for the tabloid press whos work was still considered as 'low' culture.

The contemporary domain of the tabloid.

This short section looks at the elite and tabloid press, their 'look' and content and how the overlap is differently presented. The news stand is a common ground for selling the elite and the tabloid and it is here that they share a look. The front page in each is almost always a poster like format with a large photograph, a headline and a single story. The tabloid look will often be brash with typically a celebrity being revealed with a style associated with a tabloid. The broad categories for a front page are; ordinary people in a newsworthy incident, celebrities and an event and it is within the style of photography used to depict these that one can make an analysis of its value. The following three sections look at these categories in more detail.

Plain pictures of ordinary people.

Very plain photographs that present ordinary people. I think Becker is referring to the working class but she does not elaborate on 'ordinary' only indirectly by reference to living room, taxi driver and woman losing job discrimination suit. However, Becker is making the point that when the extraordinary occurs to the ordinary person it is a news story and the type of photograph presented is often taken in their house, on a sofa or in the kitchen. People upset or happy by the event looking straight into the camera have a resonance with the viewer and establishes them as equals, assuming the viewer is a tabloid reader. These type of photographs dominate although we are reminded of the I.D photograph, often used when there is tragedy and loss, and the action image where the ordinary person is involved in an event, thus making them newsworthy.

Celebrities

The celebrity photograph is often a behind the scenes look at the ordinariness of these people, often taken in their home, in a manner that shows them happy and relaxed. Becker assumes that we know the person is famous, although we need not know who they are, which is a strange assumption. The view into a famous persons home is seen as a privilege, and again I am confused by this, as a view into anyone's home is a privalidge. The recognisable photograph is often one of them in performance as either an actor or sportsman and  places them in context. The tabloid press are interested in the candid image although it is often less candid than may appear, being semi staged to give this impression and the hope that they will be seen and photographed. True candid images are not generally used on the day by the tabloids, this being the market for the paparazzi who market their work to a wider audience (and income) in weekly publications. The true candid image is often poor technically, due its grabbed nature but fulfils the need to have that moment when the celebrity was off guard. Sekula (1984) states that there is ".....higher truth of the stolen image". The grabbed candid is used by the tabloids in the news event.

The news event.

News can be defined in many ways but our general perception (for national tabloids rather than the regional press which Becker does not mention) is the core national and international events that receive universal coverage. Photographs of the event as it happens will have people acting totally unaware of the photographer, although it is likely the photographer will have a strategy on how they will cover the event. Candid news photographs will often have the trait of being less than technically perfect, especially when looking at events of famine, natural disasters and war. In addition the photographs may be taken in poor light and bad weather, rendering them grainy and poor focus. In the tabloid this distinct "look" is part of the tabloid style.

Reframing the picture in words and layout.

Becker starts to bring together the elements of her essay in this section with the explanation of how the text and its relationship to the image is important especially when in the tabloid press. The text can be dramatic and often more so than the image, with sensationalism at its core. The text, often large with punctuation marks consists of one word as a statement of fact. The I.D. photograph, the source often being the police used in a news story connotes criminal activity is enhanced by text anchoring the meaning in an event. Text when used with the ordinary subject tells us of the reality of what is behind the image and eludes to the truth. Text associated with the celebrity is of a varied nature and has less of a pattern. The tabloid press often use text that is a direct quotation and this is seen as having an added nuance as it becomes a testimony if it is of the person in the image. The photographer can also become a part of the text, with quotes from them or description of how they worked under dangerous conditions to bring the images to the press. This however is at odds with the ideal role of the journalist as one who is completely detached from the event as the photojournalist becomes involved. The image we see on the page is not always that seen by the photographer. The rectangular frame is often changed to suit a page layout, arrows and circles added, text overlaid and the montage the most extreme of manipulation. It will after substantial modification no longer be a window looking out to form a natural representation. Most of these contradict what the reader will believe as unmediated and as such not a true representation of the facts. The tabloid press have no regard for the original image (and sometimes the truth) and persistently overturn this notion.

Conclusion.

Becker believes that "contemporary photojournalism has attained the status of popular art, outside the margins of the daily press", with the tabloid press inverting this cultural capital. Becker is looking for " cleanly edited photo essays" but instead finds "heavily worked layouts of overlapping headlines". She refers to the "decisive moment" (I assume as a HCB quote) with its idealised grace but instead finds flat, ordinary, haphazard and the awkward. The tabloid press therefore present us with photojournalism that is work of the serious and emotional while being against all the established standards and practices of the elite press.

My Conclusion on Becker's essay.

Becker has written a well thought through and realised essay. Her research backs up her claims and at no point is she entering into the unsubstantiated. My concern is that her collective use of the "press" has tried to encompass all daily, weekly and monthly printed output into one category, referencing the standards of the elite and the lack of acceptance by the tabloids. Her argument is seen from within the press industry with its standards but seldom does she refer to the commercial pressure being exerted on the tabloid press to sell copies and increase revenue and make a profit for the shareholder. Owners will be influencing the editorial content to achieve this and that influence is outside of a tabloid versus elite context and not referred to by Becker. In her defence on this issue it has to be noted that the essay was published in 1990 and was researched in the 1970's. Twenty four years separates Becker's essay and contemporary thinking/practices and this has resulted in my analysis being aligned to a contemporary view of the tabloid press.