Quick Tips & Know Your Rights

This is an updated repost of the information presented on April 4, 2008 at the New York Press Association Annual Convention.
While there is no way to "pin" a post, I have set the date to keep this post on the front page for new visitors. Please scroll down to see newer content as it's added.

video, narration, beats by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com
photos by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com, The Beaumont Enterprise and/or The Dallas Morning News

If you find the "Quick Tips" version to be visual hot sauce, please watch "Savory Tips to Improve Photos." It's the same presentation with more time to savor each image.

Additional information is located on the All PJ-related posts section of this blog. Underlined topics are linked to previous posts with detailed information about the subject.

Basics:
Read equipment manuals three times.
Have the right equipment for the job.
Know the difference between nouns and verbs.
Pre-consider potential visual problems and solutions.

Photo basics (see below for specifics) 
Fill the frame.
Have sharp focus.
Get the right exposure.
Time the images.

Fill the frame:
Get close.
Use long lens.
Crop in camera.
Get wide.
Back away when necessary.

Focus:
Stabilize the camera.
Focus on lead eye.
Adjust plane of focus / angle.
Use depth of field.
Adjust focal length for available light.
When focusing manually, use one finger.
Zone focus.

Exposure:
Zone V.
Hand meter the area.
Use alternative meter techniques: Sunny 16, palm, grass.
Understand the dynamic range.

Timing:
Have patience.
Look for repeated action patterns.
Anticipate the action.
Shoot at apex.
Shoot before collision - wind through reaction.
Get reflective shots (quiet moments)
Seek "timeless" images.
Time of day.

Composition:
Shoot horizontals and verticals.
Start with a clean background.
Have dark corners.
Place subject in background.
Use subject and foreground to cover unwanted elements.
Leave leading space.
Use Rule of Thirds/Fifths.
Build a strong skeletal structure.
Frame items within other items.
Avoid tangents.
Have clean edges.
Lead eyes with light and focus.
Layer the image.
Employ leading lines.
Employ repetition of pattern.
Block corners.
Juxtaposition (harmony / irony)

Where to crop:
Avoid cropping joints.
Contain subject within rectangle (Golden Ratio).
Avoid lights, reflections and voids.
Frame arcs and lines.

Before shooting:
Research stories - find those with emotional elements.
Verify location, access.
Double-check equipment.
Have business cards, pencil and notepad.
Refuse access contracts.

Upon arrival:
Arrive early. Stay late.
Shoot signs and rosters. Collect paperwork. Shoot name tags and numbers.
Shoot basic package: scene, normal, tight
Shoot story: lede, transitions, kicker, emotion.
Get cutline information (5W & H). Get sound if possible.


Selecting subjects:
Hunting techniques: shadows, oblique angle, concealment, pre-compose, pre-focus
Emotion
Activity
Color
Sound
Use attention span limitations.

Goals:
Tell the story.
Get main subjects.
Get emotion.
Shoot 100-frame minimum.
Use each lens.
Shoot each angle (left, right, high, low).
Shoot reflection / refraction.
Shoot silhouette / isolation.
Shoot blur.

Before leaving:
Understand the story.
Be able to tell the story in one frame, three frames, five frames, 20 frames.
Have all cutline information.
Have 100+ images.
Count equipment.

Advanced:
Find new word.
Make unique (rare) images: access, subject, news value, combination.
Multi layers
Multi meaning

Artificial light:
Use flash whenever it's helpful (no light, too slow).
Use flash from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. outdoors (fill light).
Get flash off the camera.
Understand what causes red-eye.
Try to keep flash angles from 45 to 90 degrees.
Diffuse light.
Color balance artificial light.
Learn to light large areas.
Use multiple lights to add depth.
Be ready to manually calculate exposure (guide number).
Understand inverse square law of light.
Speed techniques (stop action).
Light painting with mixed light and flash (holiday lights, fireworks, lightning).
Increase depth of field with artificial light.



 video, narration, beats by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com
photos by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com, The Beaumont Enterprise and/or The Dallas Morning News

Do you know your rights as a photojournalist?

Please watch “Know Your Rights as a Citizen Photojournalist.”

Know your rights (most is covered on this link)
It's best to be courteous to defuse confrontations.
Don't be belligerent.
The First Amendment provides the right for anyone to make photos.
Anyone can shoot in public places, streets and sidewalks.
Anyone can shoot where access is granted.
Property owners have the right to deny access.
Understand trespass law by state.
Generally, PJs can shoot until asked to stop.
Exceptions include military facilities and some areas within nuclear plants.
Model releases aren't required for editorial use (but pubs may still require).
Celebrities, politicians and emergency workers limited their right to privacy (injected themselves into spotlight).
Felony criminals have no right to privacy until in prison.
The right to privacy is seriously limited in public places.
The exception to this is medical facilities (which include ambulances in some states).
Business security isn't sufficient to prohibit photography.
Trade secrets aren't in public view. Trade dress doesn't apply to photojournalism.
Police may limit access, but can't prohibit photography (prior restraint).
You aren't required to explain the purpose of your photography.
Coercion and harassment by private security is a criminal offense in all states.
Private parties have limited rights to detain and could face criminal and civil charges.
Without a court order, private parties can't confiscate film.
Ask what law was specifically violated.
Ask for this person's name, and who they represent.
Report rights violations to police. Call before the offender does.
Enough for now,

iPhonography 101 - Storage

Previously, this iPhonography series discussed the camera and editing images for color balance and tone.

Today, we'll look at how to store the images in the iPhone for quick retrieval through albums and archival safety through downloads and file name conventions. 

DON’T DELETE YET!

If there is still storage space on your iPhone, don’t waste your time looking through the images to delete a few – just save them all. They often have little details you will need later. They may let you know the who, what, when, where, why and how of a better image that doesn’t contain the same information.

I’ve written a post titled, “Take pictures of signs and rosters.” The point is to get additional background information to go with the photos of value. Don’t delete these until they are saved on a computer or in the cloud. One day, they may be vital to complete your family story.

In general, I NEVER delete ANY images other than completely useless shots.

What is completely useless?

A random palm of the hand or inside of a pocket happens from not turning the camera app off after a photo. Some images are completely black or completely white. Some are nothing but blur or grossly out of focus.

If it has ANY use, it isn’t useless.

Library sorting

When it’s time to make images, make images. Don’t sort the images while you are prepared to make images. Check occasionally to ensure the images you need were captured. Then, make some more!

As images are made, they’re stored in the iPhone’s library. These can be sorted later when you have time and nothing interesting to shoot. If you’re waiting for an oil change or traveling by air, it’s a perfect time to sort images.

From the Camera App of the iPhone, hit the library box (lower left corner). The last image will appear.

If it appears with black borders, tap once to show options. If it appears with white borders and options, tap once to show black borders.

It’s easiest to sort in assess image quality with black borders, but images can only be favorited and sorted with a white border. Each person must find their own level of comfort switching back and forth between the two modes.

Sorting through photos

Open the photo Library. You can start immediately editing by swiping left and right through the photos. Or, you can jump to different parts of your Library by selecting “All Photos” and swiping up and down until you find the area where you want to focus. Tap on a photo icon and start swiping left and right through those images.

When there is time to sort images, you need a plan. Be efficient and don’t waste your own time. Choose your Favorites, add those to folders and stay organized.

Favorite and edit down

The first edit adds selected images to the Favorites album.

With a photo in full screen, hit the heart button at the bottom of the screen for any images you like. This will immediately add them in your “Favorites” folder.

After you’ve made a pass through the entire library, go to the Favorites folder. Next, compare similar images and select the better of similar images. Un-heart the lesser of the two. If you change your mind, you can return and re-heart until you leave the album or put the iPhone in sleep mode.

It’s OK to keep two similar shots as long as you unselected four others. You can compare those later.

Create albums

Once you’ve selected the best images in your iPhone’s library, you need to add them to specific albums for easy access. You can make albums for different categories: cities, subjects, dates, etc.

The image is still located in the same place in your main library. The Albums streamline your search later. If you have business photos or photos of your dog that you like to show, the best images are only a few clicks away.

Open the Library box, tap the screen to switch to the white selection border on the screen. Click “All Photos” in the top right. Click “Albums” on the bottom of the screen.

At the top of the Albums page is a + icon. Tap the + to create a new album. From the pop-up options, select “New Album.” Name the new album in the pop-up window and hit Save. Continue to create albums for major categories.

Don’t DELETE from Albums

CAUTION: If you “Delete” an image from an Album, it DELETES it from your Library. If you no longer want a photo in an album but want to keep the image, hit the Trash icon, and choose “Remove from Album” instead of “Delete.” Then, the image remains in your Library rather than moving to the trash.

Social Media albums

If you manage your own social media, you may want to create some specific workflow albums. These include:

·         To edit (see the iPhone editing post) 

·         Ready to post (these have been toned and color corrected enough to post)

·         Future posts (these are either scheduled through services or held until a specific time)

·         Holidays or specific days (can be long- or short-term storage for future holidays or events)

As you complete the tasks or posts, you can remove photos from the albums to stay organized.

Add to Albums

Rather than using the word “Copy” or “Move,” I’ve used the word “Add.” This is because the photos aren’t copied (duplicated) or moved (physically relocated) to any albums. There is still only one photo. It’s located in the Library. However, a link and icon (alias or shortcut) of that photo are added in as many albums as you choose.

Select from Favorites

Once all appropriate albums are created, click on the Favorites album. The images you chose before (by hitting the heart icon) should be in this album now.

Tap the “Select” option in the top-right of the screen. Next, tap on any photos you want to add to one particular album. A blue circle with a white check mark will appear on the photo icon. Continue to select all photos that will move to the same album.

Tap on the photo again to unselect it.

Once all images are selected, tap “Add To” at the bottom-center of the screen. The “My Albums” page will appear. You’ll also see the number of images you’re about to move near the top of the screen. Locate the specific album where you want to add these photos. Tap once on the icon for that album. You’ll see an animation of the photos being added to the specific album.

Remove from Favorites

Once an image has been added to another album from the Favorites album, it should be removed from the Favorites album to stay organized. The heart icon can be removed from the photo in any album (Camera Roll, Favorites, or a specific album), and the photo will be removed from the Favorites folder.

Download often

Download images from your phone to your computer frequently to avoid accidentally deleting images. They’re also far easier to organize on your computer.

Consider setting up an automatic cloud storage system. Ensure the images are safely stored in at least one secure location (two is better) BEFORE deleting an image from your phone.

Make duplicates

Don’t make any changes to originals that can’t be undone. Once on the computer, you’ll need to copy images to make any changes to the copied version and leave the original as it was.

To easily sort through images that you have worked on, keep those separate from the original files by placing them in a different folder.

File name conventions

For color-corrected and other important photos, give them specific names. Start the name with the date the image was CREATED. Because computers sort differently than we write, here is the pattern to use: For May 20, 2019 the file name should start 190520 (19=year, 05=month, 20=day).

Then, possibly add a short term for a group of images. “NOLA” for images made in New Orleans, Louisiana. Finally, something specific about the image such as “bridge sunset.”

The finished file name would be “190520 NOLA bridge sunset”

What stays on the phone?

The biggest advantage of keeping any photo on a phone is access. Those images are in the device’s memory. They can be referenced quickly at any time without need of a Wi-Fi or cellular signal.

Your permanent images should be set aside and easy to access in specific albums. If the image isn’t important enough to set aside, post it online and store it on your computer.

You should have your folders set up by now. You’ll know which images you want to have handy forever. Many of your favorite images are probably also on social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). So, you don’t always need to carry the full-size versions with you.

Delete after saving

When the photos on your phone are safely saved elsewhere (preferably with a second external-drive backup), it’s time to delete the non-essential images from your phone. It’s easier to manage a few images rather than an entire life history.

Once you confirm that the images are safely on your external hard drive(s), select those images in your iPhone folder and hit delete. Now, there’s more space for new images.

Enough for now,

iPhonography 101 – Camera

Almost all photos and video on my Instagram page and IG business page are made and edited on my iPhone.

Not everyone has the cash to invest in a full camera rig (camera body, lenses, flash, etc.). Even those of us with “serious” cameras don’t always have them handy. However, most of us can’t leave our homes without a cell phone with a camera feature (or three).

In 2011, I wrote a magazine piece about submitting photos for publication. It addressed the difference between professional cameras and iPhones. All cell phone manufacturers have stepped up their game since then. The difference between cell phone images and professional camera images have narrowed considerably.

Additionally, many newspapers pay a little extra over the assignment fee to get some "atmosphere" cell phone images before a major event to post online. It's enough of an incentive to have a decent cell phone camera and arrive early. 

So, let’s address some iPhone basics to maximize the use of the camera you have in your pocket rather than the camera that’s safely stored in your closet.

Just the basics

This post is only going to address a basic iPhone (i7 and below). The information should be useful on most cell phones, but there will be differences between brands.

I also understand there are many ways to attach cell phones to other gadgets and vice versa to make them do many beautiful tricks. I have a closet full of add-on lenses and gadgets too. They’re fun, but I’ll only address the basic as-is cell phone camera today.

Base Information

All photography composition rules apply to cell phone cameras.

A basic iPhone view roughly equates to a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera. It’s considered to be a wide-angle of view. “Normal” is 35mm to 50mm on a 35mm camera system.

This means there will be edge distortion and objects will appear farther away and smaller than normal on an iPhone. It also means the depth-of-field will be greater (more things in the photo will appear to be in focus). You will want to get very close to the main subject if you want it to dominate the frame.

Shooting Suggestions

This section will cover the basics of how to use the iPhone. Other brands of cell phones may have more or less of these features. Please check the user manual or online.

Swipe on lock screen

By the time someone wakes up the camera, unlocks the screen, finds the camera app and tries to make a photo, the moment is normally over. Here’s the fastest way to get shooting.

Wake up the camera with the wake/sleep button on the right side or the home button on the bottom of the screen face. Then, swipe left to open the camera screen without unlocking the screen.

You’re now ready to shoot without searching for the camera app.

Use volume as trigger

The two buttons on the left side of the iPhone control volume. Additionally, either of these buttons function as triggers while in camera mode. They also work in burst mode (see below).

In low-light situations, it’s best to use these buttons to minimize camera shake. You may still have rotation if you don’t stabilize the phone, but it rotates in fewer directions than pushing on the face of the phone.

To avoid any rotation, you can attach your EarPods (hardwire) to your iPhone, stabilize the phone (see below) and use the EarPod volume as a remote trigger. This ensures there is no camera rotation or shake from user interaction. This feature doesn’t work with AirPods (wireless).

Select focus and light balance

The iPhone is designed to “average” a scene for focus, color balance and exposure (amount of light included). It will ALWAYS BE WRONG with extreme scenes (white snow, black coal, monochromatic scenes of most colors, etc.). This can be corrected if you pay attention while you shoot.

You can select where focus will be by touching that area of the frame and holding your finger on the phone's screen. A yellow bounding box will appear to let you know the area where you have chosen for focus and exposure.

Adjust exposure

If the exposure is too light or dark due to the subject (snow or coal), you can adjust the exposure. When focus and exposure above are selected, a yellow dot with tiny radiating lines also appears. This is a sliding exposure scale. Change the exposure of the whole scene by sliding your finger up and down near the sunshine dot.

AF/AE lock

AF means Auto Focus and AE means Auto Exposure. These can be locked to a specific distance and exposure.

Choose the distance you want to focus and the exposure you want and press the screen where focus/exposure should be. The bounding box mentioned above will appear. Continue to hold until the box becomes larger and “AF/AE LOCK” appears in a yellow box at the top of the screen. Now, you can recompose your camera without affecting the focus or exposure.

It will remain locked until you put the screen to sleep or otherwise leave the camera mode. Every photo you make will be at the same focus distance, exposure and color balance. If you have an adjustable color-temperature and lumen desk light, you can easily see the difference it makes.

Trick color balance

When shooting some monochromatic scenes (detail shots of roses for instance), the phone will try to “correct” the color of the scene. It often ruins the entire photo beyond what can be repaired with iPhoto edits.

To avoid this, you can view a “normal toned scene” (typically something white) with the phone. Then, lock or rapidly recompose the scene on the desired location and immediately shoot. Both have the same effect of tricking the camera into using the previous color balance in the new location.

The major difference between the approaches is focus. If the AF/AE is locked, the subject needs to be focused at the same distance. If the rapid recomposition approach is used, the iPhone sets a new focus before shooting the new scene – however, it won’t have time to change the color balance to the new scene.

Shoot too many

If your best shot is the last frame, you should have shot more.

The basic rule is to always shoot three to get one (pro ruleis 10:1 minimum). Something will happen each time photos are made. Shutter lag, camera shake, subject movement, blinked eyes, wrong exposure, wrong focus, bad color balance and more can ruin a single frame. It’s best to make several alternatives to ensure one works.

Hold down for burst mode

iPhones are notorious for “shutter lag” (the time between trigger actuation and the camera response). It isn’t a big deal with a photo of your lunch, but it’s a huge issue with anything involving action.

To give us a fighting chance at a decent shot, the iPhone has a “burst mode.” This feature makes about 10 frames per second while the trigger is held down. It doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a baseball on a bat, but you can get part of someone blowing out their birthday candles.

The vital part of this feature is selecting which frames to keep. Before you transfer and delete photos from your phone, you need to select which images you want to keep from the burst.

Tap the photo in your library. You will see a shadow box at the top-left of the screen that states, “Burst (7 photos)” or a different number. At the bottom of the screen, you will see an additional editorial feature labeled “Select…” Press that option.

You’ll be able to move left and right through the entire burst sequence. In the bottom-right corner of each photo is a small empty circle. Press that circle to select the images you want to keep. The circle will turn blue with a white check mark if it’s selected.

After you have selected images to keep from the burst, choose “Done” in the upper right-hand corner. It will give you the option to keep everything or only those selected. If “only selected” is chosen, all others will be deleted to save memory space.

“Chimp” before leaving

The term “chimp” means to look at your photos on the viewing screen after you shoot. While it has a negative connotation, it’s still a good idea to ensure you have more than one useful shot before you leave a scene (or eat your meal). Unless you checked each frame with a magnifier before you leave, you might have a bad surprise when you prepare images later.

Zoom to check focus

When you have a photo from your library displayed on your screen, you can touch it with your thumb and finger. As you increase the distance between those to points, the photo will zoom into more detail. As you decrease the distance between those points, the photo will zoom out to the full photo.

While you are zoomed in, you can look at the focus to ensure the image is sharp. If not, shoot it again. Then repeat.

If the shot will be vital, consider carrying a lupe in your car or bag. This will let you look at the image in minute detail to ensure it’s useful.

Stability

I’ve written an entire post about eliminating camera shake, so I won’t go over it again.
However, let’s address how to manage it with a phone that doesn’t have a post hole.

Love or hate them, everyone has seen “selfie sticks.” These are basically extra-long arms so more people can fit into a selfie or more of the background scene can be included in the frame. They are ubiquitous because they’re cheap.

While I’m too ugly for selfies, I still purchased a cheap, discontinued one to repurpose it. The part of the selfie stick that holds the camera also mounts on a tripod (or other ¼-20 screw). It holds the phone in a stable position while it is attached to any other regular camera mount screw (including flexpods and clamps).

Top Settings

Across the top of the photo screen are five additional buttons. The lightning bolt is flash, HDR is for high dynamic range, “live” records a tiny (.MOV) video rather than a still photo (.jpg), the clock is for delayed timer, and the triple balls are for different color filtration variations.

Flash

iPhones have a tiny light next to the camera lens. It’s typically used in dark forests to search for masked murderers in horror movies or to find keyholes in the dark by everyone else.

It can also discharge a brighter blast of illumination (flash of light) for photos in a dark area. It can be turned On, Off or Auto.

Before reaching for the flash, understand color quality is poor compared to camera flash units. It also can “blow out” (overexpose) parts of a subject or scene.

Leave it “Off” most of the time. The camera is fairly good in low light for casual uses.

Turn it “On” when you know the scene is too dark OR when the subject is backlit or in severe sunlight that casts bad shadows.

Use “Auto” while frequently moving from indoors to outdoors. While it hurts many images, it’s an effective safety net for extreme light situations.

HDR

HDR means “High Dynamic Range.” It has more stops than the normal 5-stop dynamic range. This setting is used when you want to add texture to the darkest shadows or the brightest highlights.

For simplicity, let’s say HDR photos are basically several photos superimposed on each other to utilize the best parts of each. It’s more complicated, but I don’t want to slow us down.

You will see in the HDR photo that there is detail in both the highlights and shadows, which wouldn’t be possible with a direct photo.

However, this magic comes with some tradeoffs. For instance, the contrast tends to be muted. Also, if there is any phone or subject motion while the camera is recording the frames, there will be “ghosting,” subjects may appear translucent in several places rather than solid in one place within the scene.

Timer

The primary purpose of the timer is to let the photographer frame the image, set the time, and race into the scene to be part of the photo. It functions fine in this mode as long as the phone is stabilized (on a tripod or leaning against something immobile).

The secondary use is to avoid camera shake (blur). It’s an image-saving technique during low-light situations. Camera and/or subject shake is most likely in low light because it takes longer for the camera to collect the correct amount of light to make a properly-exposed image.

Choose your scene, stabilize the camera, instead of pressing the shutter, use the timer on a reasonable time (3 second delay). This ensures the iPhone isn’t rotating or still vibrating from your touch while the image is recorded. It’s sharp.

Filter

I’m not a fan of specialty filters. If you’re into permanently destroying your originals, that’s your choice.

If you desperately want to use software filters on your images, send the original photo to yourself as an email, save the emailed photo (it will have a new name now), and apply after-filters to the second image. If you make images with a permanent filter, there’s no reasonable way to “undo” it.

Enough for now,

Please see Part 2: Editing 
             or Part 3: Storage

Know Your Rights as a Citizen Photojournalist

video, narration, beats by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com
photos by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com, The Beaumont Enterprise and/or The Dallas Morning News

Do you know your rights as a photojournalist?
Please watch “Know Your Rights as a Citizen Photojournalist.”


Please share and subscribe to the NewsEagles YouTube channel (it’s free and easy). Please follow this link, sign in to YouTube (or create an account) and hit SUBSCRIBE at www.youtube.com/newseagles
Enough for now,

What Is A Photojournalist?

video © Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com
photos © Mark M. Hancock, The Beaumont Enterprise or Mark M. Hancock and The Dallas Morning News

This presentation is an updated version of a speech given at the New York Press Association Annual Convention in 2008. This presentation is intended for non-photojournalists and especially students considering photojournalism as a career. To see more videos, please visit and subscribe to the NewsEagles channel on YouTube. More to come. 


Enough for now,

E-newspapers may become reality in 2009

Earlier this week, we considered newsroom problems. These problems are job losses (human connections) and promotion as well as paper and fuel costs. These issues must be addressed before other significant problems can be resolved.

The recent stock market nosedive made fuel prices drop, but doesn't resolve the fuel problem as much as it temporarily relieves the pain.

However, the company Plastic Logic may cauterize the wounds of the newspaper industry. It recently introduced a (currently unnamed) lightweight, plastic electronic newspaper reading device.

This device may directly address the issues of fuel, paper costs and ad revenue while allowing newsrooms to breathe easier - but not until later next year after most newsrooms have been gutted.

In a video demonstration of the device, Richard Archuleta, CEO of Plastic Logic, says the device is about the size, weight and thickness of a pad of notebook paper.

It features a 13-inch diagonal screen (8.5 x 11 dimensions). This is 2.5 times the size of similar e-book readers such as Sony's eReader and Amazon.com's Kindle. It can be wirelessly updated throughout the day and facilitates layout and design to mimic the look of a traditional newspaper page.

Additionally, it may incorporate touch-screen technology and a pop-up keyboard. The battery life is measured in days. The screen can be read easier in bright daylight. It can also hold hundreds of PDF and text pages.

The technology used to actually manufacture the product reduces weight, cost and improves durability.

A press release about the company's new German plant states, "Plastic Logic's core technology solves the critical issue in manufacturing high-resolution transistor arrays on flexible plastic substrates using a low-temperature. The process is simpler than conventional glass silicon processes, and produces active matrix displays that are thinner, lighter and more robust than glass."

The New York Times reports the current model was shown at an emerging technology trade show in San Diego in September. Its price, brand name and a list of participating newspapers will be announced in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Hearst Corp. and The New York Times appear to have vested interests in the product.

The current version can display multi-shaded, black-and-white pages on a lightweight, durable plastic screen. Prototypes are reported to already display colors and work continues to include video capabilities. Flexibility and stylus interactivity are also being considered as a favorable attributes for future versions of the device.

While this isn't anywhere near as cool as surface computers, it's got potential.

Future potential
Because of its low cost, high durability, interactivity and wireless capabilities, this product could be a boon to newspaper and magazine owners.

Therein lives the problem.

If billionaire media companies can deliver newspapers and magazines to these devices, so could anyone else. I doubt the behemoths want this to happen. The cost of a high-quality, high-capacity press is prohibitive to almost anyone wanting to exercise "freedom of the press."

This device could allow anyone with a graphical computer to produce news products equal to or better than existing media companies.

While PDF delivery would allow ad revenue generation to continue at currently acceptable press-run rates it also eliminates the barrier between the Web and the press. Current online-only publishers would have an opening to expand and challenge traditional media.

This could usher the return of city and niche publications. A small-scale, mobile newsroom staff could produce publications without most overhead expenses associated with traditional publications.

Again, media executives won't be excited about this and are likely to find ways to stop it. So, don't get too excited yet.

The most likely scenario would be to subtly convert current subscribers to e-subscribers by offering "free" e-reader devices. The cost of the devices would be initially absorbed by the publication and spread over the course of the subscription.

I'd suspect these publication-supplied e-readers would be wired to limit reception to only the publications' products. However, if there's a wireless fee (and FCC regulations) associated with the product, the media companies may not see the value of this approach.

This could open the door for everyone else with fast feet and InDesign skills.

Stay tuned, this could get interesting soon. The current products are set to begin delivery in early 2009.

UPDATE: 24 Oct. 2008
A company representative said the product will be available to new, small publications. This is good news for my current project. It means the project can move forward. It also means there could be a flood of new community papers that need Fair Trade content and/or wire services.

Enough for now,

Surface computing could change newsrooms

Who said broadsheet layout was dead?

Fayrouz sent me a link and said she wants a surface computer for her birthday. I told her we need to wait until next year (at $10K, I probably need to win the Lotto first).

It's a new form of computer by Microsoft code-named "Milan." See the Popular Mechanics presentation.

This table-sized unit incorporates an array of infrared cameras to identify a multi-touch interface with a large, high-resolution tabletop screen. Rather than the standard one or two input locations associated with mouse and electrostatic interfaces, this allows each finger touchpoint to track unique coordinates.

This also allows interaction with objects on the surface because the cameras recognize the objects and interface with them. Furthermore, the surface computer allows content to be wirelessly transferred between these objects by dragging the information across the table.

While it looks cool as the "must have" gamer table, it has major real-world applications for newspapers.

If a newspaper invests in a few of these and places them strategically at universities, bookstores and trendy, all-night coffee shops, they could generate significant income.

Brand recognition / subscriptions
Traditionally, newspapers include logos on the sides of the tables to embed brand recognition. It should still be done, however it's now more of a secondary function. Somewhere on the table would be a permanent interactive form to order a subscription to the newspaper as well. Although this is interactive, it's again a minor piece of the puzzle.

What makes this really rock is programming the table to automatically display a fully-integrated broadsheet newspaper edition. It could be programmed to always refresh to the newspaper every few minutes (keep those wandering eyes on the paper).

This way, the tables could be known for the newspaper and could be called "The XYZ News" table (if publishers jump fast enough). This is precisely what publishers want.

Editorial applications
Because the table is large enough, it could easily hold the entire (two page) broadsheet layout. Additionally, the extra computing horsepower would allow the paper to directly download high-res (but protected) versions of all content including layout, images and videos that would play in real-time with original resolution (ja-la-peño, ja-la-peño, ja-la-peño).

Viewers can turn pages with a touch, enlarge images, view videos and read stories - at whatever size they desire. Because it's linked directly to the paper, the layout would be "live" and change as news happens. Breaking news could create an alert, and the paper could change. Videos could be displayed in areas where a still frame would normally go (just like in Harry Potter).

When readers touch the jump link, they're taken directly to the page and the jump headline could flash a few times to identify the correct story. This helps readers stay focused on the story when they might have gotten lost at the jump in traditional pulp papers.

Interaction
Where the table becomes futuristic is through its interactivity. Some of these suggestions should make traditionalists squirm, but roll with it. The world changed and continues to change faster than we particularly desire.

Most online outlets have moved toward a "good enough" approach. Information is processed until it's "good enough" to present. Then, it's displayed on the Web until the final version is ready and replaces the original post. This approach can lead to errors and wasted time, but it's important from a branding and revenue point of view.

In blunt terms, scoops still matter and are measured in seconds (and ad dollars) rather than days now.

The best way to know what's happening around town is to enlist readers to interact with the newsroom. This must be done in realistic terms rather than mere lip service. When a newspaper reader reports (legitimate) news, action must be taken. Sometimes, the action may be citizen-generated content.

The table itself communicates with digital cameras, cell phones, laptops and other digital devices through infrared technology. As such, a citizen might see a fire and shoot it with a cell phone. Then, they'll know to go to the bookstore (or wherever) to instantly and wirelessly download it to the local paper.

Although this may sound like it's eliminating PJs, it's not. It's actually allowing us to cover the news as it happens rather than rushing to get "anything" onto the Web and missing the actual dramatic moments. Because the paper gets the CJ images first, they have "something" for the Web while we get to work the event for the best image.

Later, the CJ image is replaced by pro images. The paper had "something" before everyone else. The CJ had a moment of glory. The PJ got to work the scene without transmitting and missing the key moments. The readers get immediate information followed by quality information. The finished, historical product hits doorsteps with the best of everything. Everybody wins. The biggest winner is the advertising department, but we'll get to that in a moment.

Additionally, podcasts and freebie MP3s from local bands can be wirelessly copied from the newspaper to iPods, phones and other portable players.

Involve readers
Let's talk a little more about this interactivity. The goal of the table is to compel readers to interact with the newspaper in real ways. They can suggest changes and see the results.

The retired teachers, librarians and professional know-it-alls can point out grammatical and factual errors all day. These can be changed on the fly (when warranted). The end result is a higher quality product for the pulp readers.

Likewise, the readers could interact with reporters before the story goes to print to include unexpected interviews. Anyone sitting at the table can interact with the newsroom.

Who knows, a criminal might be dumb enough to admit something via the comment section. Reporters can get an exclusive interview until the cops arrive. ;-}

Moreover, there could even be a special section just for these coffee table interactions. Reporters could solicit comments and story ideas. Readers could post photos and videos. It could be a community-based porthole into the newsroom. Not only would the newsroom benefit from the interactions, the community could feel an "ownership" of the newspaper's content. This alone could translate into higher circulation and ad rates.

Cool, but how's it paid for?
Simple, each table is located at a specific location and has a specific niche of clients. The university table has the most-coveted male demographic. The bookstore captures a large percentage of the upwardly mobile. A trendy all-night coffee shop caters to both of the above.

This is valuable information for advertisers. They know Page 4A was opened 25 times an hour at the bookstore. So, their ad was seen 25 times. How much is that worth? A buck each? Sure.

For those doing the math, that's $25 per hour times the number of display ads on the page. Even if there are only two ads, that's $1,200 per day. The table is paid off in less than 10 days. More likely, one new table could be purchased per day simply from "temporary ads."

Here's where it gets interesting. Each ad is also interactive. If a reader wants to enlarge an ad, they touch it and stretch it to whatever size they choose. What's that worth? Another two bucks, maybe three?

OK, that's penny and nickel stuff. Where's the real cash? Fine. Let's say the reader wants to purchase the advertised item right there, right then. They whip out their debit card, lay it on the table or swipe it under the table, confirm their info and the advertiser just sold a $5,000 bedroom set. What's that worth? Oh, now we see.

Even if they simply order a pizza to be delivered to the table because they found a coupon, the information about the ad itself is priceless to advertisers.

Let's say the newspaper only got $5 for each sale (although a small percentage plus transaction fees would be a better operating procedure). Either way, the advertiser got a confirmed sale from a reader in a specific location at a specific time.

This is what both businesses want. Advertisers want sales and publishers want advertisers to make those sales. This table gives newspapers the ability to deliver what advertisers have wanted all along. Advertisers will pay for this.

Wise publishers can reinvest this income (easily doubling each month) into more tables until there's enough scattered throughout the city. After the tables are paid off, maintenance and service fees continue, but the rest is profit.

Another option is temporary, targeted ads sent to specific tables. These would also cost advertisers a premium fee and might have a limited number of coupons at a specific (higher) price per coupon. The ad would be replaced with a house ad once all the coupons are claimed.

This could involve including some receipt printing mechanism for only these coupon ads. Again, this is a very powerful computer. It can handle minor functions such as printing receipts.

Newsroom applications
Layout
While papers below 50K probably couldn't save enough time to justify the expense of these tables, the 50K+ dailies could.

The most obvious application would be in composition. With the ability to manually manipulate text and graphic elements, layout designers could rapidly design pages and make changes. This would save time and allow for more frequent updates.

Online production
Online producers must coordinate all online content simultaneously. Using a traditional screen is fine to check the user interface, but more organizational space surely would help. This table is perfect for the job.

Baskets track incoming alerts, stories (wire and staff), images, videos and CJ/reader input. The producers can use both hands to make changes, piece together content, package it for the Web. Major changes would only take seconds.

Ready or not, news gathering is heading toward "live." These tables speed along the process, preparation, delivery and interaction.

Advertising department
The ad department needs a table as well to see how their products look. This table can't be connected to the stat counter for obvious reasons. However, it would also make paste-up simple and easy as other departments. As video ads are becoming more important (and lucrative), these tables make sorting and editing fast and painless for both the ad side and the newsroom.

Photo desk
At very large metro papers, the photo desk could use the table to edit multiple contact sheets (PhotoMechanic) simultaneously. More importantly, an interactive map would let assignment editors know the locations of all on-duty shooters. Cop shop reporters (and/or alert services) could report the locations of breaking news.

These alerts could appear on an interactive map and allow assignment editors to send two or three of the closest shooters to the location. Simply press the PJ's location icon and the cell phone is dialed. If the PJ isn't sure how to get to the location, the map is handy and large enough to provide turn-by-turn directions.

VJs
VJs could also rapidly edit videos on these tables. Manual cropping tools and ability to display clips like the old slide sorters would make editing fun again. Scoop the video together, add an end tag and post. Yeah baby. :-)

Enough for now,
 

CJ likes TV too

While Citizen Journalism (CJ) is having fun with print PJ lately, Justin DeYoung found a story in our sister paper to make the TVPJs consider their options as well.

The TVCJ idea sounds about as promising as the newspaper CJ movement. However, Clear Channel must also deal with FCC regulations as well as TVCJ's lack of training. At least there's network programming if the local option doesn't work. If it does work, I'm sure the poor executives at Clear Channel would be happy to lay off more TVPJs and make more money.

Please read The San Francisco Chronicle story by Joe Garofoli.
FYI, copy editors commonly write headlines. Since this story's headline isn't accurate, I doubt the reporter wrote it.

Enough for now,

What's "replacing" PJs?

CyberJournalist.net ran a press release from The Associated Press yesterday announcing the wire service's partnership with www.NowPublic.com, a "citizen journalist" site.

In the release, AP states,

The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information...

I'm confused. Is AP wanting to remove the words "unbiased" and "trusted" from their self description? As we found in Lebanon, even paid stringers have agendas. Does anyone believe an unpaid, untrained citizen journalist (CJ) is going to also be unbiased?

I don't.

However, I wanted to see what is being produced by CJs that should intimidate the pro PJs. So I looked through their Most Recent Photo section. I understand it'll be different each time someone looks at it so there's no point in discussing specific sets of images (when I looked it was mostly dogs in costumes). But, I can immediately see a trend, which creates some problems for AP.

Let's assume some poor AP editor is tasked with digging through the mud to find the diamonds. Once one is located, the editor reads the cutline. There's the first problem. Most turned-in images don't have cutlines. However, some photographers expressed why they made the images or what they were thinking or feeling when the image was made. That's nice.

The site's developers thought this through and provide an e-mail address to contact the photographer. Cool, one e-mail and AP has a cutline.

Gosh, there might be the second problem. What if the person who made the image doesn't check their e-mail very often? What if the image was actually shot last week or last year?

Let's have a happy day and let the CJ answer the e-mail and call the local bureau. All is cool now. Unfortunately, the photographer was snapping pictures and didn't write down any names. BUT, they do know the name of the person that's pretending to be arrested.

We need a clean up at editing desk four please.

However, let's be honest. There are times when any image is better than none. There are even some CJs who can hold their own against PJs. I have no problem with (semi-trained) CJs. But, I don't approve of anyone giving content away for free. I'm happy to compete against cheap and inexperienced.

Nobody can compete against free.

The worst part is CJs are paying to provide content. They pay for the equipment, they pay for fuel, they may purchase access to an event, they pay an Internet Service Provider to transmit images. Any way we look at it, the CJs are paying to have their images taken from them.

If someone has a desire to "let their name be known" for cheap, at least go to a micro-stock agency like Shutterstock.com and get your quarter-per-download. It'll start to pay for the cost of acquiring images. If a CJ is really good, s/he may make a profit. Good for them.

Until this happens my dear pro PJs, list your dits and 400mm lenses on Ebay. Forget all that rubbish about f-stops and accuracy. AP replaced us all with "trusted and unbiased" (free) CJs. They'll soon be taking us inside prisons and riding out hurricanes to let us know which pet fashions are hot this season.

Enough for now,

What the Duck?

Aaron Johnson of What the Duck? fame sent me a note about his "Citizen photojournalism" comic (WTD 130). I told him I like "Money Talks" (WTD 126) better.

I should have brought up the comic long before now. I'm a fan. So, I've added his site to the sidebar under "Blogs of interest" and included his Photo Contest #2 in the contest calendar (the deadline falls between the Pulitzer Prize and Best of Photojournalism).

If you've never seen it, What the Duck? is about the trials and tribulations of a pro photographer, who happens to be a duck. Since Aaron is a pro shooter himself, there's an authenticity to the comic strips.

BTW, he does take suggestions. However, he prefers the concept to be complete and adapted to his three-panel format. So, if you need a break from contest season, or you simply needed another contest to make your life complete, What the Duck? could help.

Enough for now,
 

PJs require a background check

When parents and teachers use their point-and-shoot cameras to make images, they call themselves photographers. When scumbag p*rnographers do the same, they also call themselves photographers. Because PJs use the same tool – a camera – the logic follows that we must also be photographers and therefore p*rnographers.

Consequently, parents and teachers want to shoot the school function and submit the (out-of-focus, poorly-framed, etc…) photos for publication. But, by this logic, doesn't this make the parents and teachers p*rnographers as well?

Never mind the fact that most PJs have college degrees and extensive police background checks. Actually, most of us have Secret Service clearances to cover national and international politicians (presidents, prime ministers and such).

The fact is, PJs are required to be great citizens. They must pass and exceed every social scrutiny test. School board members are held to some (but not all) of these same standards because they're elected officials. Parents, teachers and school administrators aren't held to these same standards. If they were, we'd have a lot less news to cover.

Keep your background clean

In blunt terms:   Those with legal convictions need not apply.

Newspapers have access to perform criminal background checks. They do so for all politicians and all new (newsroom) hires. If a PJ has a felony or even a misdemeanor, their resume is removed from the pile. The same isn't true for politicians.

When a PJ is restricted from certain activities because of previous behavior, the PJ is worthless to a news organization. There are plenty of applicants with clean backgrounds and access to everything. Editorial publications won't waste their time on a PJ with access limitations.

Some young people don't completely consider the ramifications of their actions. Until they're 18, they believe they're legally bulletproof. They're not, but they think they are. Some also think they're immortal and omnipotent, but that's a post for someone else. :-)

However, it's critical for future PJs to keep their police records clean. The easiest way to accomplish this is to be a good person and don't break laws. Feel free to fight to change the laws, but don't break them.

Yes, during emergencies PJs "bend" laws severely, but we don't absolutely break laws on a daily basis. We know it would limit our ability to cover our community. We also understand it's impossible to make deadline in a jail cell.

Proof?
When was the last time a working PJ actually did something heinous? I don't personally recall anything. I did a quick search on Google for "photojournalist convicted," and I only found links for Hiroki Gomi, the Japanese PJ for Mainichi Shimbun, who caused the death of Sgt. Ali al-Sarhan, a Jordanian air security official, when a "war souvenir" exploded after it was discovered in his luggage on his way home from Iraq.

He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to 18 months in jail for "illegal possession of explosives that led to an unintentional death." King Abdullah II pardoned him and sent him home. He was fired from the newspaper.

Conflicts
PJs cover folks breaking laws. Our images document conflicts. The actions of our subjects don't make PJs criminals by proxy. The actions of the subjects make them criminals to those making the law of the land. Depending on the location, sometimes those making the laws are criminals in other countries.

PJs don't get to determine which law is correct. We must obey the law of the land, fight to correct unwarranted laws, and document those who break and/or enforce the law.

Conclusion
This would be a long-winded way to say most PJs undergo more serious background checks than most elected officials. We also often deal with more substantial issues than those trying to limit our access.

Enough for now,