The role of editorial photographers.
Editorial photographers produce images for publication usually in magazines. These are always accompanied by written articles. Often the writer and the photographer will collaborate on the project so that they have a coherent story. A graphic designer will then produce the layout using the images so that they can complement the written word that goes with the image.
Legal and moral restrictions including copyright.
What is copyright?
Copyright is a property right vested in works which authors have created.
The law of copyright…
...protects against unauthorised reproduction of works and entitles copyright owners to economic benefit whilst seeking a fair balance between the interests of authors and users of copyright materials.
What are moral rights?
These are:
- *the right not to have one’s work subjected to derogatory treatment
- *the right to be identified as the author of one’s work
- *the right not to have a work falsely attributed to oneself as author
- t*he right of privacy for photographs commissioned for private and domestic purposes
Copyright law originally came into being to ensure that individual craftsmen received proper economic compensation for the products of their craftsmanship. The problem for photographers was always that UK law excluded them from first ownership of copyright when work was commissioned and therefore denied them the protection and benefits afforded to composers, illustrators, writers and painters, etc.
Largely because of the lobbying of 19th century portrait painters who felt threatened by the advent of photography, the work of British photographers and engravers became treated as a copying technique and, unless it was agreed otherwise, copyright was vested in the commissioner rather than the author of the work.
This view of photography, apart from being basically unfair, was contrary to legislation in much of the rest of the world and has led to confusion at one time or another for nearly everyone involved, either as creator or user. The implementation of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 has done a lot to improve the situation although many people, including photographers themselves, still have to cope with rights in photography generated under legislation going back to 1862, which were left largely intact by the 1988 Act and now also have to deal with the complications produced by the copyright harmonisation measures brought in throughout the European Union and the European Economic Area. (Like the European Union, the European Economic Area is defined by international agreement and may vary over time. Readers needing to know the membership of the EEA are therefore advised to check on the latest position at the time their need arises).
Age of consent for photography.
If its a person under the age of 18, parental consent must be given. This can be done in the form of a legal document stating a parent. However this is only relevant for studio shoots. If in a public place it is legal to take pictures of people, however this must not constitue harassment or be inappropriate images of adults or children.
Police guidlines.
Members of the media are not only members of the public; they can influence the way the Metropolitan Police Service is portrayed. It is important that we build good relationships with them, even when the circumstances are difficult. They have a duty to report many of those things that we have to deal with – crime, demonstrations, accidents, major events and incidents. This guide is designed to help you take the appropriate action when you have to deal with members of the media.
Members of the media have a duty to report from the scene of many of the incidents we have to deal with. We should actively help them carry out their responsibilities provided they do not interfere with ours.
Where it is necessary to put cordons in place, it is much better to provide the media with a good vantage point from which they can operate rather than to exclude them, otherwise they may try to get around the cordons and interfere with police operations. Providing an area for members of the media does not exclude them from operating from other areas to which the general public have access.
Members of the media have a duty to take photographs and film incidents and we have no legal power or moral responsibility to prevent or restrict what they record. It is a matter for their editors to control what is published or broadcast, not the police. Once images are recorded, we have no power to delete or confiscate them without a court order, even if we think they contain damaging or useful evidence.
If someone who is distressed or bereaved asks for police to intervene to prevent members of the media filming or photographing them, we may pass on their request but we have no power to prevent or restrict media activity. If they are trespassing on private property, the person who owns or controls the premises may eject them and may ask for your help in preventing a breach of the peace while they do so. The media have their own rules of conduct and complaints procedures if members of the public object.
To help you identify genuine members of the media, they carry identification, which they will produce to you on request. An example of the UK Press Card is shown below.
Members of the media do not need a permit to photograph or film in public places.
To enter private property while accompanying police, the media must obtain permission, which must be recorded, from the person who owns or is in control of the premises. We cannot give or deny permission to members of the media to enter private premises whether the premises are directly involved in the police operation or not. This is a matter between the person who owns or is in control of the premises and the members of the media.
Giving members of the media access to incident scenes is a matter for the Senior Investigating Officer. The gathering of evidence and forensic retrieval make access unlikely in the early stages and this should be explained to members of the media. Requests for access should be passed to the Senior Investigating Officer who should allow access in appropriate cases as soon as practicable.
Advice and assistance in dealing with members of the media is available 24 hours a day via the Press Bureau at New Scotland Yard.
- The UK Press Card
All the UK’s professional reporters, photographers, and broadcast crews rely on swift public and official help to bring the news to Britain’s homes and business. And every one of them can get a genuine UK Press Card.
The official UK Press Card is an excellent way to identify newsgatherers in the aftermath of a major news event or at any other time. This is guaranteed by the UKPCA’s gatekeepers, who represent all the organisations which employ or represent Britain’s newsgatherers.
At the core of the scheme is a unique photocard and hotline system managed jointly by the gatekeepers. It has a number of security features and is recognised by the Association of Chief Police Officers for England and Wales (ACPO) and by its sister organisation in Scotland, ACPOS.
Each UK Press Card has a unique serial number. Each cardholder has a separate personal identification number or word. By using the hotline – 0870 8376477 – anybody can verify that the card is genuine and that the holder is a bona fide newsgatherer.
The card also has several secret security features in addition to the verification hotline. There are only revealed to the police or similar authorities. The card is produced using similar technology to the photo driving licence, with the photograph and design integrated into the structure of the card.
Every card carries the logo of the issuing organisation or the holder’s employer together with the holder’s name and the card serial number. And no card can is valid for more than two years, ensuring a periodic review of the holder’s right to have it.
- The UK Press Card Authority
The UK Press Card Scheme has been in operation since the early 1990s. It was set up to provide a single, national identity card for professional newsgatherers, following the abolition of a press card issued by the Metropolitan Police Service. It is managed by the UK Press Card Authority Ltd. A list of designated gatekeepers is available on www.ukpresscardauthority.co.uk or through the Press Bureau at New Scotland Yard.
Guidelines for reporters, photographers and news crews for dealing with police at incidents.
We are the eyes and ears of the public. The role of the police is to act as the law enforcement executive of that same public. It is our role to report on matters of public interest . The police are subject to the same laws as us. This guide has been designed to help you in dealing with the police at the scene of incidents.
1. If asked by officers to identify yourself always be prepared to show your UK Press Card. The police do have a verification line to check this against your press card PIN. It is your responsibility to make sure you know yourPIN. It is not necessary to tell police which publication, station or agency you are working for or if you are freelance. However a polite, cheerful conversation goes a long way to promote good relations.
2. If you feel you are being prevented from doing your job in contravention of the police guidelines then show the guidelines to the officer concerned. If this fails to resolve the matter ask to speak to a senior officer or a police press officer if there is one on scene and try to solve any problems that way.
3. If this facility is refused or is unavailable make sure you get the shoulder number of the officer(s) concerned. In the case of senior or plain clothed officers ask for a name and rank. Always remain polite and un-confrontational
4. With the above information contact your desk or your member organisations liaison officer and seek further help. (taken from http://www.epuk.org/Resources/819/acpo-police-media-guidelines)
Moral restrictions
Sometimes a photographer can find him/herself in a situation where he has a choice of if to intervene or not. Sometimes these can be when a persons life is in danger. This is most often encountered in war zones. While it may be instinct to try and save someone, it is often a bad idea as you would be directly involved and press are allowed a freedom of movement on a battlefield and are prohibited to be captured or injured by the Geneva Convention. By trying to save a persons life you become a direct part of the conflict and are allowed to be engaged by opposing forces, which would not only put yourself in danger by any other journalists and photojournalists working in the theater. It is imperative to stay professional in any high risk situation. This is why while there are many photographers, most chose not to work in high risk situations.
Staying impartial to any situation is important, even if it may mean putting the photographer life in equal or greater danger than those that are being photographed. It must be the outside looking inwards to get the greatest sense of the situation while being impartial.
File transfer systems.
A simple way of sending images is by using a method that allows you to upload images to specific websites. This is called a FTP (File transfer protocol). It allows those with the correct user name and password to upload images to a specific place on that websites server.
This shows how quickly images can be uploaded to an area of a website.
A more advanced method of adding images is Fotostation. This is a more advanced version of a FTP client. It allows detailed captions to be added. As well as date and time.
You can also use photoshop CS5 to add Metadata to photographs.
Types of editorial
Advertorial photography
Advetorial photography is when adverts are disguised as editorial content in order to add creditability to the adverts or make them seem more genuine. They can also be used in order to trick people into reading about them, before the realisation hits that it is in fact an advert. Car companies and aftershaves/perfume manufactures often use advertorial photography.
Doug Menuez
Doug Menuez does editorial and advertorial photography. It is perhaps because he does both that his advertorial shoots are so believable.
Moral issues with advertorial photography
There are several moral issues with using the advertorial photography. The first being that the advert is disguised to look like another page in a magazine and that you are inf act tricking people into reading into a lot about a product you are trying to sell to them. The second being you could write anything about the product and that it seems official and people may actual believe that the hard sell you are making is actually true. As each advert will be written in a way to make it seem better then it is.
The images are also manipulated in a way that may not be correct to the product. Or may be shot in a way that makes it seem that this product can be used in ways that it actually cannot. Although adverts are regulated and cannot show things that a strictly untrue, the nature of advertorial photography is that it seems more official and if it is approved in some way by the publication.
Fashion Editorial
Fashion editorial is a form of editorial where the basis of the article is some form of fashion or catwalk like story. These types of editorials are heavily picture orientated with details of the types of clothing etc used. Magazines such as Vogue use these.
Interview articles/editorials
These are where a magazines interviews a person and has a editorial story along with the interview. This can be told either with pictures or words. Usually both. This gives a greater depth to the interview.
Journalistic editorial.
This is where images accompany a story. The images will be as important if not more important than the written word as these images fill in gaps or help add a greater level of understanding of the story.
Sport editorial
Sports editorial is used in magazines like 4-4-2 and Manchester United magazine. These are action images accompanying a written article about that specific person, team or match being covered in the article. There is a great scope for the type of images that can be used with action shots being preferred however studio images/posed images are also used to great effect if called for.
More Magazine research.
Also used are graphics in place of images, these can also be adverts mixed in with them to appear as part of the article.
Editorial photographers.
Sean DuFrene
This image is shot in a studio and would be used to accompany an article which is not entirely serious. The image is a bit of satire based on the content of the article. Its quite a clever image with the roles being reversed and its the mother being a "big devil" instead of her little girl being the "little devil".
Moral issues with this photograph.
Here the little girl is seen to be the great role model for her mother. While it shows nothing overly controversial. It does show a irresponsable mother with a fire in the background near a child. This could cause some issues. But it is nothing overly serious.
Unnikrishna Raveendranathan
This image is a more serious one and would be used as a cover photo. It shows a man working in quite a poverty stricken area. The image works well in black and white.
Moral issues with this photograph.
The photographer here was an observer to someones daily life. It is important that he remain impartial to his subject in order to get full objectivity. Even though the man may be struggling he cannot interfere or he changes the dynamics of the situation and therefore the image fails to be a true representation of what is going on.
Tim Harris
This is another simple image that could be used as a over photograph. It is simple, but it shows clarity and relevance to the written word.
Kevin Truong
This is a hard hitting image shot with the magazine format in mind.
Tim Mantoani
"I hear photographers all the time say, "When I get (insert new camera, more money, a new portfolio, time, etc...here) I want to go shoot (insert dream project here)." Bottom line is that most of them never will go shoot what they want. I was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when I was 30. It showed me that you need to live your life NOW. So go do it. Make that first call, send that first email, take that first picture for YOUR personal project NOW. Stop reading and go do it or it will never happen. YOU have to make it happen. Take the risk, you will not regret it."
These images were taken for a person project of Tim's. He has got profesional photographers to pose with images they have selected. He has produced a large volume of work on a 22x24 Polaroid camera. These images show the people behind some of the most famous images ever taken and they give the viewer a rare chance to see the eyes behind the lens.
These images are shot in a more editorial style with the subjects being posed is such a way as to aid the story that is trying to be told. You can almost make a story from the images without the need for text.
Moral issues with these photographs.
In the first image permission should have been sought from the little girls parents. I find it hard to believe they were not in some way involved with the photograph. The second image just has to have been shot in a legal way, and so that in such a way as none of the road is blocked. Though it appears here nothing is done wrong.
Doug Menuez
Doug Menuez
These images are perfectly shot for a editorial shoot. They allow for captions but importantly are well shot images. They make good use of the rule of thirds.
Clive Lawrence
Clive is a Blackburn based photographer who works for the Lancashire Telegraph on a freelance basis. His work is mainly photojournalism, however it could easily be carried over in a editorial style.
The way we look at work
For the "way we look at work" article i choose to look a primary school teachers and was allowed into a school to get some images of teachers teaching as well as to produce images for the schools prospectus. As part of the start of the school year all children's parents give permission for them to be used in images, however for my article mock up the focus was the teaching so, no children's faces would be shown. The focus would solely be on the teaching, with any portion of a child's face being visible it would be blurred out. My layout mock up is below.
My images
THE funeral of Madison Allan will take place at Blackburn Cathedral on Thursday, January 5.
The seven-year-old died on Boxing Day after battling Neuroblastoma most of her life.
Final images
The horse drawn carriage carrying Madison arrives at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - I particularly like the composition of this image, with the only slight distraction being the one way sign in the background.
Three undertakers bring Madison to the Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This image really works for me as it shows the 3 undertakers on the horse drawn carriage arriving and shows how well dressed they are and how serious the job is to them.
Crowds gather to watch Madison arrive at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - I feel this image works very well as it shows Madisons casket in the carriage with the large amount of people who have show up to send their respects.
The driver of the horse drawn carriage looks on upon arrive at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This image is quite a nice portrait of the undertaker however i feel it is not one of the strongest ones taken that day. Though the depth of field does improve the image quality slightly.
Madisons's Mother and the vicar await her arrival at the Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This for me is a very moving image showing Madisons Mum in mourning next to the vicar.
Madison's Mother and her Aunt, look on from behind the undertaker, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This is another moving image with Madisons Mother in it, however her face is partially obscured by a hat. Though it still is quite a hard hitting image.
Madison enters the cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This image shows the casket and family entering the Cathedral. Although it has everyone back to you, it is quite moving showing them entering with the casket being carried.
The theme for the service was 'pink' even the horses wore pink, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This is just a simple image showing the pink theme though it is not a bad portrait of the two horses. I feel this would be a nice filler for the article.
A young mother and her son look at wreaths laid for Madison at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This again is a nice filler image showing a young Mother and her Son looking at the flowers left for Madison. However this would be a much more powerful image if the little boy was looking down at the flowers rather than at my camera.
After the funeral the casket is carried back out to be placed on the horse drawn carriage at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This is quite a moving image with the casket being lead out of the church.
After the funeral the casket is carried back out to be placed on the horse drawn carriage at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This shows the flowers being carried back out to the hearse, i quite like the people leaving behind however i feel that this is quite a weak image overall.
Coronation Street star ... was in attendance and a firm supporter of the charity.
Evaluation - This image shows a celebrity at the funeral, she is in Coronation Street and is showing off the pink theme again.
Friends and family wait at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This is quite a moving image with family and friends in mourning and shows the full depth of emotion at the funeral.
Many people turned out to say farewell to Madison at Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This is the herse leaving the funeral, i like the juxtaposition of the many people who have turned out to pay their respects.
The horse and carriage leaves Blackburn Cathedral, Thursday 5th January 2012.
Evaluation - This shows the horse drawn carriage leaving the Cathedral it is a good image of the carriage leaving with everyone behind watching. I feel this is quite a moving image with this being the last sight any of the people their will have of Madison.
500 word essay on ethics at the funeral
While photographing something a imitate as a funeral it is important that while trying to get some usable photographs that you dont in trying to achieve this impose yourself on the funeral or on the family members. You could very easily be too intrusive and get in the way, especially at such a high profile funeral such as this. A long lens was essential as well as getting a quick briefing off the vicar on where it was appropriate to stand and photograph during the arrival of Madison. Standing off and to the side was the best position to ensure you were out of sight. However given the high profile nature of the funeral and the high public interest it was difficult to remain fully unseen. However media coverage is to be expected at such a high profile event so it was my job to ensure that continued media coverage was maintained so as to allow the charities cause to be publicized. With being allocated an area of which to photograph from it was easy to stay out of the way of mourners and members of the public paying respects while getting the required images to tell the story. We would not be allowed inside during the service however this went without saying as that was to be a deeply personal family and friends affair. However anything outside was able to be photographed. Members of the public would be included to show how deep the story was run with everyday people. The important photographs would be the arrivage and removal of the casket and then any mourning images. The long lens would be useful as it would mean no intrusions into peoples personal feelings of grief. It would be then down to me to decide weather of not a image was too personal to be shown, the greatest care and respect would have to be taken with this in mind. No more than 1 or 2 images of anyone involved in the mourning with really 1 being the maximum except with regards to perhaps close direct family members and celebrities. It is unfortunate but necessary that pictures of any famous people who supported Madison and her charity are shown, as this would further serve to spread the message of the charity. During the service we were allowed to photograph the herse and the flowers that had been left, these would be greatly useful as filler images as well as establishing a narrative. As well as members of the herse party who were more than happy to allow us to photograph them as well as to open up their vehicles to allow us to photograph flower arrangements inside them. This was done during the service and they informed us of their plans and where best to get photographs from a distance from, as well as where they would pass. I decided to leave family members alone once they had entered the limo and allow them peace, however i did photograph the herse leaving as well as the horse drawn carriage carrying Madison.
