Showing the Story with Pictures

This semester I am in photography and graphic design classes, so I have been working with lots of pictures. I spend many hours critiquing photos. I even find myself critiquing photos that are not my own, such as the photos used in our university’s newspapers.

My Findings in the March 17th edition of the Daily Illini…

The largest photo on the front page was an Irish folk band. The photo did the five things I recommended a few weeks ago in my blog. The picture had no wasted space. The photographer told a story with action. It was apparent that all three people were playing an instrument at a bar. The picture was interesting and told a story. (A thumbs up.)

The second largest photo was focused on a pole with a flyer. The picture tried to tell the reader about the Mumford House, but I only understood that from the headline, not the picture. If I only looked at the photo I see several people standing behind a pole talking. The cutline for the photo said people were protesting the university’s plan to relocate the house, but this was not portrayed in the photo. Eight people were talking not protesting. (A thumbs down)

A few recommendations I have for the photo:

1. Show us what the Mumford House looks like, not a pole.
2. If the word protest is in the cutline and headline, show people protesting.
3. Get closer and fill the frame. Part of the photo is of the ground which does not help tell the story.

The third and final photo of the page was unimpressive as well. Although the photo took little space, the space was basically wasted. The article headline read, “Airports won’t fly as shelters for homeless, authorities say.” The picture: A man dressed in a business suit carrying his luggage. In the background, two men are sitting in chairs that look like they are waiting for their flights. The cutline says they are homeless. When readers look at the photo, they cannot see homelessness in the photo. The picture has little composition and it looks like my eight year old sister snapped a picture at the airport. (A thumbs down)

A few recommendations I have for the photo:

1. Use a different photo or no photo at all.
2. Get a picture of the homeless, not a businessman.
3. Somehow show the location of the picture is an airport.

Improving the quality of photos can help improve the Daily Illini. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy reading the Daily Illini everyday. In fact, I rely on it to give me campus news each day. However, if the photos were more effective, especially on the front page, more students may be interested in picking up the paper.