Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach

Photojournalism, the professionals approach is an excellent introduction to photojournalism. Introduction doesn't quite do justice to everything this book covers. A person with a solid understanding of photography could put his knowlege to use immediately following an in depth read of this book. I suppose most people would want to cover the subjuct more solidly to really feel comfortable joining the ranks of professional photojournalist, but this will give the long time hobbyist the start he needs to get started working in photojournalism professionally. This book has great insightful tips from professionals currently working in the business. It goes in depth in most conceivable areas a photojournalist would want to work; It covers everything from how to track down and cover breaking news stories to how to design an interesting feature. It covers the legal aspects of copywriting your photos, signing legal contracts including legal jargon and pitfalls to avoid, and avoiding trouble with legal officials. It also covers where to find work and how you will be expected to perform when you get a job. It reads like it is designed for a university 'introduction to journalism' course. I read it outside of any official student activities and found it easy to follow and very informative. I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in pursuing a career in photojournalism. Happy reading, -Zsen

I'm a print reporter who creates weekly slide shows for two hyperlocal sites. (That's a fancy term for online only community news) I can take a halfway decent photo, but I wanted to learn to think like a photojournalist. I bought this book after having a photograph turned down by another company. The editor said the photograph "didn't tell the story." Time to pull out the credit card. I read all the reviews and they are accurate. This is a great book. It's given me much to consider as I head out to do my slide shows. There's good technical information on lenses, camera bodies, strobe, portraits etc., but I appreciate chapters 10, 15 and 16: covering the issue, ethics and the law. I also bought the "Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism." It's a faster read than this book, but they make a good pair. If you want to learn the artistry of photography, this book might not be for you. But if you want to make powerful photos, I'd invest in this book. It's a keeper.

As a student major in journalism and mass media communication, I was required to purchase this print version that was written by Kenneth Kobre, a professional photojournalist who has spent his life telling stories by taking photos. The book is divided into 18 chapters, including hard news, features, sports and portraits, along with introducing practical experience, current equipment and camera technology, and high-impact photographs to create a professional view on photojournalism. First of all, I didn’t enjoy reading the book because of the thickness and absolutely long-winded sentences, but I started to take photographing as a serious career after looking at the powerful pictures in each chapter. Those images are shocking and touching my heart. Even though it is a textbook, still I finished reading it in less than a week. A new learner on photographing like me may focus more on the technique of shooting and photo editing. What I found useful was that the book covers some basic materials for beginners to learn about camera, such as camera bag, photo editing and covering the issues. I personally enjoyed the chapter of photo editing, while author mentioned that everyone could create an image based on their own imagines. A person with a solid understanding of photography could also put his knowledge to use immediately following an in depth read of this book. There are also some chapters like spot news and illusion which caught my eyes. The author picked strong pictures as examples to illustrate the importance of camera angles and lead the path of being a professional photographer. People who desire to read articles like those in National Geographic may find disappointed with this book. Though there are multiple stories are interesting, the book is still designed to be a photographing textbook. Also, this updated version of the book is worth the price if you do not have the previous version. The DVD has added a Sports Illustrated section but the rest is repeats of prior version. Some of the sections have new pictures and paragraphs, but for the most part, it is a rehash of the old edition. Fairly speaking, if you want to learn the artistry of photography, this book might not be the best for you. But if you want to make powerful and compelling photos, I would highly recommend this book.

Great for Journalists.

Kobre is the expert it seems on Photojournalism, and what he doesn't know he finds out. This Text was a life saver in my Photojournalism class (a requirement for an Associates or higher degree in Photography), and a must have for the personal library of any Photography or Photojournalism professional. I purchased the text used, since my stipend didn't cover the price of a new book but I might as well have purchased new. The DVD was still in the book, and had a lot of extra material that was helpful in the completion of my course. Two thumbs op on the shipping and the vendor. Thanks Amazon for making my school needs so affordable!

I love this book. It is not only excellent for the course I am taking on Photojournalism, but is a wonderful read on its own. It also makes a beautiful coffee table book and an excellent topic of discussion for current events, as many of these images have never made it to the front pages of newspapers. The only critic I would give would be pertaining to the way it is mailed out. I would prefer that it be mailed out in a box instead of an envelope, as the corners and cover were crushed and damaged in mailing. It is a large enough book to warrant putting in a cardboard box to protect the cover and pages and prevent any damage during the mailing process. My cover is crinkled and bent due to the bending it took in the envelope. I am sure an appropriate sized box would have prevented this damage.

Great except shame on the postie for leaving the book out in the rain where it got wet. They are supposed to leave a note if you aren't home.

Photojournalism: The Professional's Approach is a near-definitive guide to the work of the photojournalist in the USA. 90% of the content — most notably excluding the sections on law and ethics — is applicable in the UK. It contains a wealth of information ranging from technical advice to the intangibles of being a photo editor, with extensive work on shooting news, photo stories and features, as well as a very helpful section on adding video to your working practice. This imprint is from 2013, but the publication date is 2007. Nonetheless, the sections most susceptible to change — digital darkroom and video — still represent good working practice. The main body of the text is unlikely to date, ever. This is a book for working photographers — photojournalists, news shooters, PR photographers and, to a certain extent, journalists wishing to expand their skills. It isn't about street photography or shooting for the sake of it: the clear focus is on creating images that make their way through the picture editor's desk to the pages of newspapers. Its pages are full of working practices, such as never shooting the last frame, which have proven themselves over many decades of the craft. One final word about the legal and ethics sections, which are about sixty pages. Many of the ethical questions discussed in the ethics section are relevant in the UK, though the Editors Code of Conduct comes to different conclusions in some places. The law section is very much at variance with UK law. Consult McNae's Essential Law for Journalists instead. Aside from that, an excellent book.

Good product

Ho comprato questo testo in quanto volevo approfondire l'ambito del fotogiornalismo e devo dirmi decisamente soddisfatto. Un libro molto completo con diverse dritte su come direzionare il proprio lavoro e come porsi al mercato; ricco di spunti e consigli. Scritto in inglese decisamente comprensibile.

Great book and fast service as always