Photojournalism

During Bruce Squiers’ presentation, I learned a lot about photojournalism. One of the first key points he mentioned was the term ‘visual literacy.” Squiers described this as the images that come to mind when one thinks of certain things. He also said that this is something that requires active watching and interpretation. The observer should ask the question, “What am I looking at, and why?” in order to improve visual literacy. Another way to improve visual literacy is by challenging one’s own limits, and elevating awareness of surroundings.
Another one of his key points was how to determine the “decisive moment,” the point in time in which all of the elements in the picture come together and everything is in sync. Henri Cartier Bresson further described this moment as the time where “The eye, the mind, and the heart must be aligned.”
Squiers then went on to define the four elements of photography. The first element is light, referring to control and use of light. Next, the photographer must have a sense of composition, meaning one must learn a detachment from his work and remain focused on the job. This element comes with experience. Form is the third element, which describes the certain balance that you notice when you look at a picture. The last element of photography is perspective, or wherever the photographer is when he is taking a picture. Squiers also emphasized that “You can be anywhere in the world and do great photography.” He also stated that good pictures speak for themselves, and do not require an explanation or caption to define it. I used these points to take the following picture:


UAlbany students enjoy lunch and the Springtime warmth outside at the univertsity's Campus Center Friday afternoon.