John Estey
1. What do you look for in a photograph that might be posted in a newspaper or magazine article?
One must always find the heart of a story within the images they make for newspapers or magazines or for ones own photo album. What does this mean, it means the winning catch at a baseball game, a fireman holding the child he has just rescued, capturing the essence of a person in a portrait or catching grandma laughing at the grand kids. The images are their to help both illustrate a story as well as shed light on the elements the story doesn’t mention/the subtext.
2. What role do you think photographs play in a covered story?
Photos can make or break a story, much more than most word people think. Images are what people respond to first, so they are critical to good story telling be it print media or television. And let us not forget that great photojournalist images are often greater based on the event in which the image was made.... photos need context to tell stories and this means good captions!
3. What role does the photographer play?
A photographer is the filter for which we see the world through. It is actually a huge burden to be a photographer because subjects are depending on you to convey their story be it injustice to joy.
4. Do you think that a photograph makes the article stronger or does it distract the reader? - refer to above statements.
5. Are there different types of photographs that you use for different articles? For example a close up the object being photographed, a medium shot?
Every story needs it’s own unique approach, so the story dictates the image, the style and the technique used. For example, if you are talking about a woman who collects thumbtacks you’d probably want a macro lens in your bag where as a football game you’d want at least a 300mm f/2.8 with you. But perhaps the thumbtacks have covered a ten meter long wall and you want to shoot long to get the compression so you’d use the 300mm.... So really it all depends on your vision and the story you are telling.
6. How did you decide to become a photojournalist?
I was a plumber one summer in high school that taught me to follow my dreams.
7. Where do you see the field of photojournalism headed?
This is a very difficult question as things are rapidly changing. We as a society are over loaded with images and image makers are loosing value along with their work. In the next ten years you will begin to see the merging of video and stills in the world of photojournalism. This will be a new revolution in story telling and photojournalist must begin to adjust to this changing reality.
Josh Estey and his daughter on a motorcycle.
