Photos and Cutlines
Take many photos, and then choose 5-10 to upload. Include close-ups of interesting things or faces, medium shots showing what a person or small group is doing, and a few wide shots showing the entire event. Choose the best, clearest, most interesting photos. Do not send multiple photos of the same thing, but 5-10 different photos so that editors can decide what is best.
Photo editing
Per the National Press Photographers Association (see below), journalistic photos should be minimally edited. Practically speaking, you are limited to the following edits:
Cropping - You should crop out extraneous parts of the photo from the top, bottom and sides to focus more clearly on the subject.
Contrast/brightness - You can adjust contrast and brightness to clarify the image.
What you cannot do: "Photoshop" people or elements in/out of the photo.
Cutlines (captions)
The person who takes the photo writes the cutline. Do not submit photos without cutlines or expect editors to write cutlines!
Include a separate cutline for each photo. For photos in which five or fewer faces can be seen, you need the names of each person whose face can be seen. For students, get the name, age and major. For staff or faculty, get the name and position. Check spelling of all names.
In the first sentence of the cutline, describe in the present tense what is happening in the photo. Include the date and place where the photo was taken. You can include more information (in any tense) in an optional second sentence.
See examples of the Associated Press photos with present-tense cutlines here: Associated Press photos of the year
Typical La Voz News cutline examples:
Jeannie Nguyen, 19, music major, tunes up her cello as she prepares for the June 22 De Anza Symphony Concert at the Visual and Performing Arts Center.
A miniature Volkswagen illustrates the concept of inertia as part of a science project by Daniel Lopez, which he presented at the De Anza Math & Science Fair June 13.
From left, Maria LaVigne, 19; Teresa Than, 20, and Lauren Li, 20, demonstrate salsa dancing June 25 at the De Anza Dance Concert.
How to upload a photo in FLOW
Log into FLOW. Click on the assignment name. Choose the "Photography" tab to view instructions. When you're ready to upload your photos, click on the photo icon at the bottom of the window. Upload your image and add your name and cutline.
NPPA: The Voice of Visual Journalists
The NPPA (formerly National Press Photographers Association) https://nppa.org/ is the leading voice advocating for the work of visual journalists today.
Code of ethics: https://nppa.org/code-ethics