Photojournalism - or- Documentary Photography
Photojournalism is a branch of the field of journalism characterized by the use of images to tell a story. The
images in a photojournalism piece may be accompanied with explanatory text, or shown independently, with
the images themselves narrating the events they depict. Photojournalists can be found working all over the
world, from the halls of the White House to the steppes of Asia, and they deal with a broad assortment of
situations on a daily basis. Many major newspapers have a photojournalism staff, and others rely on
photographs included in a press pool by freelance photojournalists.
People have been using images to depict events for centuries, from rock paintings to engravings in major
newspapers. The first big event to be captured in photography was the Crimean War, establishing the
groundwork for the professional field of photojournalism. Initially, photographs were often used to accompany
text stories to provide some variation and visual interest, but over time, images began to be used more
exclusively to narrate stories in the media.
The field of photojournalism is distinct from that of documentary photography. Although both involve taking
photographs which are objective, honest, and informative, photojournalism involves photographing specific
events, while documentary photography focuses on ongoing situations. A photographer who follows traditional
farmers in rural England is a documentary photographer, while a photographer who takes pictures of the
aftermath of a suicide bombing for publication in the news is a photojournalist.
 I want you to find a subject that is worthy of this topic (not sports) –
something with an emotional value (doesn’t have to be sad, it can be happy,
or inspirational, etc).
 You should have at least 6-12 final images to depict this “event”
 In your sketchbook include images and text that gives a story or the “why”
behind your subject and images.
Turn in:
 Sketchbook
1. “Pre” research – find photographers for direction
2. Sketchbook with “Post” that includes the story or the “why” behind
your subject.
3. Sketchbook reflection on your images (include F/stop and SS)
 6-12 images
 Rubric