Keeping it simple.

Though it might seem second-nature to the trained photographic eye, the reminder from Picture Hunt to keep the backgrounds and images simple was an important one for me. As Karen said in class, a picture that is easy yet interesting to view entices the reader to gaze down to the print story for further details; exactly the function of any good photojournalistic element that accompanies a news story. On the feature side of things, the guidelines seem much the same. The really good feature photographs can stand on their own and do the most important thing; capture moments. Following these principles, it is implied that a photojournalist's job is to capture moments and to keep their backgrounds simple. Lynda's point in class about keeping actual words and signs out of our photographs reinforces the notion of simplicity, but it is a simplicity that embraces capturing moments, rather than just static elements without a visual pulse. I think it's safe to say that we can tweak the old adage that "a picture speaks a thousand words." Rather, a picture should evoke a thousand words and leave the speaking to its caption.