The role of photography in a journalistic material is increasing, and images become more and more used in print and online media. It often happens that the reader first notices the image and only then reads – or does not read – the text. How do we frame a story in images? How do we capture the moment and draw the reader’s attention? These are the questions which the SAJ students answered at the course of Photojournalism. The secrets of successful photography were revealed by trainer Nicolae Pojoga.

The course of photojournalism, which is a practical one, lasted five days, during which students learned various photography techniques and tools. Lessons began with studying the technical features of a camera and the elementary operations with it. Then, students learned the principles of editing a photo, found out about composition, framing, cropping, caption, tonal balance, color balance, tonal surface and other things.

One of the most important topics discussed at the course was ethics in photography. Students spoke about the effect of manipulation through images; learned how readers can be misinformed; took note of the categories of people who should never appear in photos; and discussed, after viewing several examples, about such principles as respect for privacy and dissemination of shocking, violent or morbid images.

“Photojournalists, like reporters, need to take into account and abide by the rules of ethics and deontology. Be fair to yourselves and don’t chase sensations. Always consider the temporary benefit and the negative effect a photo can have on readers,” Nicolae Pojoga noted.

The course ended with the first “exam” – each student presented a photo they made by following all editing techniques and principles. Photos were shot during a visit to Colonita village of Chisinau municipality.

On Monday, the School of Advanced Journalism starts a new course – the News.