9/25/2025

 Going deeper into the defined elements of visual storytelling, photographs should tell a story on their own. Therefore, a photographer must have a balanced mindset and take photos with a clear understanding and mind. In Beck Lettenberger's National Public Radio article, he gives five essential tips for making a better image. He shows that images require focus, involvement, and a willingness to be different than your traditional style. He says first, put down the mic and focus on visuals, get close to capture emotion, shoot a lot to ensure good options, change the perspective for variety, and be patient. He shows the true intentional elements of photography and how being persistent is key in creating a great image.

His advice is really interesting and shows the mental side to photography rather than just the technical elements. He teaches us that we should get out of our own heads and challenge our thoughts to see perspectives we didn't observe before. Prioritizing the moments is often something that is overlooked by college students. When we are often required to submit something for a grade, the perspective and mere moments of an assignment get overlooked or ignored. That is why it is important, especially in the photojournalism project, to discipline oneself into being within the moment and capturing as many perspectives as possible to create a well-rounded effect of the story. 

One of my questions is if there are any particular practices that professionals use to ground themselves that could also be effective for more amateur student audiences when tackling a large, ominous project?

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