Question for PJ's or newspaper photographers

[simon]

I did a shoot a few days back and did an unmentionable - I forgot my notepad and pen. I didnt take my normal bag which has all these things.

I took ~ 60 shots and had the dreadful feeling of not knowing who I was taking and the details of the specific situation (it was a ceremony)

So - when I go to submit to a newpaper, the editor asks me to give details of the shots. B i i i i i i i z t - sorry I havent got details of the shot.

How do newpaper or PJ photogs associate pics (say 100 shots) with the details (names, details etc) of a specific shot ?

--

• Simon, Sydney

 

[Dave Harpe]

If you have a D100 with the battery grip you can use the voice annotation feature. It's a pain to go through afterwards, but it works well in a pinch...

Dave
---

I did a shoot a few days back and did an unmentionable - I forgot
my notepad and pen. I didnt take my normal bag which has all these
things.

I took ~ 60 shots and had the dreadful feeling of not knowing who I
was taking and the details of the specific situation (it was a
ceremony)

So - when I go to submit to a newpaper, the editor asks me to give
details of the shots. B i i i i i i i z t - sorry I havent got
details of the shot.

How do newpaper or PJ photogs associate pics (say 100 shots) with
the details (names, details etc) of a specific shot ?

--

• Simon, Sydney

 

[Ger Bee]

How do newpaper or PJ photogs associate pics (say 100 shots) with
the details (names, details etc) of a specific shot ?

.................. obviously one must have the note book and a few pens and collect data as they go. Occasionally one will have a PRO who may know every body - but 100 pics stretches this a bit.

Actually one hundred shots is quite a lot, I have a pretty major task with about 45~50 for what I’d call a big shoot. Usually it is about a dozen per event, but then there could be several events during the day and night.

A strict use of the notebook is required in the first instance, starting with N0.1 under the event heading, date, day, location and time.

These are then retyped in word and after a selection from the shoot, 3 or five shots may be taken for every unique, the selection should match all the way dawn. To assist in this I usually make a marker shot, like shoot the floor or ceiling deliberately and mark the previous caption “marker shot next”.

As I use PS and usually do a slight levels I will add each caption then in the file info. If it is a corporate affair I will use FotosStation so as I can add the captions to blocks of shots at a time.

Is this what you are asking?

 

[Group Idiot]

How do newpaper or PJ photogs associate pics (say 100 shots) with
the details (names, details etc) of a specific shot ?

Olympus makes the best (and most expensive) DVR's on the market. You can get 3+ hours out of them. They're light, fast, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive (~$100 for a decent one).

Good ones are voice-actuated, so all you have to do is plug a mic into one -- something like an over-ear or small mic that will only pick up your voice -- and it'll record only when you speak into it.

Brendan
--
If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, I'm the world's most dangerous man!
Bunch of new photos at: http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

 

[Bob Morrison]

Two points if you do use a voice recorder:
1. Spell Names
2. Budget time after the shoot for listening.

Actually, I believe the notebook is the best way (unless you can afford an assistant to record shot information!)

For a publication worth its salt, a photo without accurate caption information is almost always useless. I know of free-lance photographers who failed to get a second assignment because their caption information was missing or unclear.
It is part of the job.
--
^^^Bob^^^

 

[Pete Biro]

go to http://www.robgalbraith.com and in "forums" scroll down to "photojournalism" and ask there.

 

[squash]

Gary Trudeau's "Mega Memory".

I did a shoot a few days back and did an unmentionable - I forgot
my notepad and pen. I didnt take my normal bag which has all these
things.

I took ~ 60 shots and had the dreadful feeling of not knowing who I
was taking and the details of the specific situation (it was a
ceremony)

So - when I go to submit to a newpaper, the editor asks me to give
details of the shots. B i i i i i i i z t - sorry I havent got
details of the shot.

How do newpaper or PJ photogs associate pics (say 100 shots) with
the details (names, details etc) of a specific shot ?

--

• Simon, Sydney

 

[Ger Bee]

......... tried that voice thing too --

If it ever gets perfected it might be good, but right now - the plain old humble notebook still reigns supreme.

Two points if you do use a voice recorder:
1. Spell Names
2. Budget time after the shoot for listening.

Actually, I believe the notebook is the best way (unless you can
afford an assistant to record shot information!)

For a publication worth its salt, a photo without accurate caption
information is almost always useless. I know of free-lance
photographers who failed to get a second assignment because their
caption information was missing or unclear.
It is part of the job.
--
^^^Bob^^^

--
What's a photographer without a New Logo?

 

[thomas coyne]

The fast way for a scored event.. like in gymnastics, I take a photo of the name on the scoreboard before the athlete performs. I use that as an index. takes memory but it can be deleted and makes a quick file note

 

[Don Christolear]

I have always been a big fan and admirer of the work of many PJ's.

That's what I would be doing right now if I didn't have the worst timing in the world.
My question is this:
When in the field, what type of control do most PJ's take over their camera?
All manual? Ap. priority and let the camea set the shutter?
All auto?

My curiosity is due to the timing aspect. On fast action, such as a war, I would think that you might miss a shot if your fiddling with the controls.
I'm mainly curious about fast action situations.
Thanks,
Don

 

[BKKSW]

Don -

I used Aperture Priority cameras (Olympus OM-3/4ti) for years as a PJ.. I'd only use manual mode for special lighting conditions when time permitted..

BKKSW

I have always been a big fan and admirer of the work of many PJ's.
That's what I would be doing right now if I didn't have the worst
timing in the world.
My question is this:
When in the field, what type of control do most PJ's take over
their camera?
All manual? Ap. priority and let the camea set the shutter?
All auto?
My curiosity is due to the timing aspect. On fast action, such as a
war, I would think that you might miss a shot if your fiddling with
the controls.
I'm mainly curious about fast action situations.
Thanks,
Don

 

[BKKSW]

Simon -

I've been reading this thread with interest.. It amazes me that PJ's would be taking the time to use a notepad.. I did this for years and never did.

My film was sent to me in numbered cannisters, different types of films as requested, etc.. I was also sent tons of mini-cassettes. I was required to record the cannister number (by voice) and then as time permitted continue a narrative of frame by frame or roll by roll, time permitting.

I'd even record my stories at the end of an assignment which ALWAYS got edited anyway, so getting the germane facts and cooresponding photos were the main points. I'd then FEDEX my tapes and cannisters back and that would be the last I'd see of my work unlless I'd recognise my images or story in a mag or newspaper.. Snce they were distributed world wide, it was rare to catch my own work.

This was the way I worked till I came back to the states 15 months ago. Most of my work wasn't time sensitive, mostly long term assignments, studies, etc.. On the occasions when I did luck into a time sensitive story I'd get the film processed locally, scanned, and sent by a local pro lab, or sent overnight courior..

I still use the same method today, except I have my CF cards marked 1-12 when I use digital, and I'm sitting here marking film cannisters in anticipation of my upcoming trip weekend after next.. Since I went Nikon I use Photosecratray to DL my shooting info from my F5 which I find useful for evaluating my work.. Something that's new to me also. And yep, I have plenty of tapes and my old Olympus Pearl recorder ready to go.. except I'm thinking of buying a digital recorder with a download port, so I can run m tapes through a voice-text program.. I'm not sure if technology is at the point yet for good results this way, but I might go buy one and give it a try..

BKKSW

I did a shoot a few days back and did an unmentionable - I forgot
my notepad and pen. I didnt take my normal bag which has all these
things.

I took ~ 60 shots and had the dreadful feeling of not knowing who I
was taking and the details of the specific situation (it was a
ceremony)

So - when I go to submit to a newpaper, the editor asks me to give
details of the shots. B i i i i i i i z t - sorry I havent got
details of the shot.

How do newpaper or PJ photogs associate pics (say 100 shots) with
the details (names, details etc) of a specific shot ?

--

• Simon, Sydney

 

[simon]

It appears that the good 'ol notepad and pencil holds true. As embarassing as it is to say, even although I do have the MB-D100, I had forgotten completely about the voice annotation feature - I brought it primarily as a better way to hold the body (portrait and landscape modes)

1. Notepad and Pencil
2. Recorder
3. MB-D100 (for D100's only)
4. Assistant

btw: I didnt get any of the shoot published as I could not provide details of the shots - a lesson learnt !

--

• Simon, Sydney

I did a shoot a few days back and did an unmentionable - I forgot
my notepad and pen. I didnt take my normal bag which has all these
things.

I took ~ 60 shots and had the dreadful feeling of not knowing who I
was taking and the details of the specific situation (it was a
ceremony)

So - when I go to submit to a newpaper, the editor asks me to give
details of the shots. B i i i i i i i z t - sorry I havent got
details of the shot.

How do newpaper or PJ photogs associate pics (say 100 shots) with
the details (names, details etc) of a specific shot ?

--

• Simon, Sydney