TOP PHOTO: HN Reader photo sent in by Dillon Johnson…
 

CENTERVILLE – Barnstable Police are investigating an earlier morning rollover/2 vehicle crash which sent at least one person to CCH.
 
The crash happened at about 8:00Am on Main Street near the intersection with Linden Avenue.
 
The patient was taken to CCH for evaluation and injuries were not considered “life-threatening,” according to COMM Fire Captain Thomas Burchell.
 

HN NOTE: If you document emergency scenes, please feel free to send your images to rjbastille@yahoo.com to possibly be published on HN! Please indicate whether you want your name published in the photo/video credits.

 
A HN REVIEW REGARDING READER PHOTOS:

Citizen and professional photojournalists are a valued part of our community, as scenes like the one above need to be documented during all phases. It’s okay to photograph the entire scene from wherever one has the right of access in public… and it’s also usually okay in private in most cases where the public has access, until told not to do so by the person in charge of the private property (but usually people will allow you to photograph on or from private property when you’re polite about it, and with their permission…). HN will edit reader images appropriately upon publishing them. But photos of crime and accident scenes are of value to the justice system as well…. and in some cases they may be useful to the victim’s legal team, ect. You have a right to document these scenes as long as you do not interfere with the scene. Basically, if you can legally see it, you can document it.

THE POWER OF AN IMAGE: The Napalm Girl (below) is a prime example of why photojournalism is extremely important. The Pulitzer Prize-winning “Napalm Girl” photo was taken by Nick Ut. Although most modern publications do not find it necessary to publish graphic content these days, this photo changed public sentiment regarding the Vietnam War, causing pressure to end the war, saving countless lives…

One never knows what good a responsibly published photo will do. Sometimes when part of you says “turn away,” that is precisely the time to document… HN has sold countless images worldwide for various reasons; I leave it up to each responsible news agency to make their own decisions regarding what to edit in and out. HN has also voluntarily furnished photos and video to the justice system, and they have proved useful all the way up to our Superior Court.

Cell phones can be powerful photojournalism tools, as the best camera is always the one that is on your person at the time of the scene…

HN’s Basic Cell Phone Photojournalism Tips:

– Turn cell phone sideways to capture a landscape style image.
– Where possible, “zoom” with your feet… (images come out better when one can walk up close to a scene, rather than relying on the camera’s zoom feature…)
– Take multiple wide, medium, and close up (or “tight”) stills of the entire scene. Remember, you are trying to capture the entire story.
– Be steady. Cell phones are powerful tools, but one must have a steady hand. Use the scene to help stabilize your shot. An un-involved car fender or sign post can be used to help steady your shot.  HN uses multiple powerful professional-grade cameras, but I still find the need to occasionally “hug” a sign post while shooting, especially after having too much coffee 😉

– In low light situations, time your shots with the headlights of passing motor vehicles…
– Do not be shy! Ask questions when it’s not distracting to do so. Most Cape Cod police and fire officials are very helpful at scenes once the scene has calmed down and is stable. It behooves officers to help get appropriate and accurate information out to the public, especially when it concerns public safety.
– Feel free to send all photos to HN, and if possible, I will give you suggestions as the scene unfolds. Photos may be sent in a private message on the HN Facebook page (don’t forget to “like” and follow HN on Facebook if you haven’t already) … or to HN’s email at rjbastille@yahoo.com … or as a text message to 508-280-7374. If your photos are worth money (as they may be in some cases), I’ll let you know…
– Rent and watch the movie “Nightcrawler” with Jake Gyllenhaal…  It’s a bit sensationalized, but in some scenes it realistically shows some of the difficulties and challenges new photojournalists encounter in the field. But the money for footage depicted in the movie is not realistic and financial stability doesn’t come that easy…. if you want to try this work, don’t quit your day job.  Photojournalism is not a field where one makes a lot of money (at least not in the first years…). It’s long hours and hard work.  Also, do not manipulate scenes… as happened in the movie where the lead character moved a body to get a better angle.  Aside from being sensationalized and ridiculous at times, it’s a good movie, showing a thin, almost starved Jake Gyllenhaal, which is accurate in that new photojournalists/news “stringers” need to be hungry like wild Coyotes in order to survive in what is, and always has been, a very competitive, and often risky field, where there are no guarantees…

… with most emergency scene TV news stringers knowing full well there are far worse things that can happen than not getting paid.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Photojournalism would not exist without light.

~ HN

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