18 Incredible Photojournalism Ideas & Examples

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18 Incredible Photojournalism Ideas & Examples

Photojournalism ideas will come in handy if you find yourself in a creative rut or want to develop your professional qualities and become better at what you specialize in.

Based on these recommendations, you can easily choose a place for your next shooting and produce truly eye-catching results. The photo narrative ideas you choose should always be interesting not only to you but also to the viewers, so you need to devote a lot of time to selecting the perfect place and scene.

Photojournalism Guide: 18 Tips & Ideas

Photojournalism uses photography as a basis for expressing emotions and feelings in a captivating way. Your pictures should always have the correct chronological order for an easy understanding of any event.

1. Photo of a Crowded Subway

crowded metro as an idea for photojournalism

Crowded places offer lots of possibilities to take bright and unusual shots. Actually, you can create a whole photo book dedicated to the life of the underground city, taking photos in an empty subway early in the morning and then at rush hour.

This is one of those photojournalism story ideas that require patience but then fully repay you with original images. While shooting underground, I recommend capturing emotion-evoking moments like the meeting of friends, crowds leaving the subway car, people smiling sincerely, some awkward moments and actually anything that is on the opposite side of “boring”.

Take photos from different distances and angles, and your works are sure to interest many viewers.

2. Summer Photographs at the Beach

photojournalism on a summer beach

When shooting on the beach, you get the opportunity not only to capture the vivid emotions of people but also practice seascape photography and snap images of marine life.

Don’t put your camera aside, because you never know when something interesting will happen and you need to be ready to document it. This refers to a child first seeing the sea, a lonely ship floating somewhere near the horizon line, dolphins showing up in the wave and what not.

Each frame will be filled with positive emotions and bright colors, and that’s exactly what people like to look at. Shoot at different times of the day, and then compile a chronology of the events.

3. Photoshoot with Fans

photo shoot with fans as an idea for photojournalism

During a football match, you can try focusing not on the game, but on the stands with the fans. You will be surprised by the vivid emotions people show when their favorite team scores a goal or when they see dishonest refereeing.

You can also photograph them when they dance and sing songs while supporting their club. Actually, returning home you will see that you can create interesting photojournalism stories out of all the images you’ve taken. This idea doesn’t relate only to a football match, you can choose any other game where hundreds of people come to cheer for their team.

4. Photo of a Fighter before the Fight

photo of a fighter before the fight as an idea for photojournalism

Try to get into the locker room of a fighter before the fight and you will be able to take rare shots of the last preparation before he goes to the ring. Instructions given by a trainer, putting on certain outfit, warming up, practicing blows are great moments to show in photojournalism photos.

You can document the process as it goes or ask a fighter to pose for several pictures. Take photos with a trainer and with the support group in the locker room.

5. Marathon Photo Report

photojournalism during the marathon

Love watching athletes running? Using the camera, you can become a participant in the marathon and immerse spectators in this atmosphere. Create a photo story from the very beginning of the race to the last seconds.

Begin your sports photo essay with images of the runners gathering near the starting line. I recommend taking such photos from a distance to fit all participants in the frame. The most impressive shots are waiting for you at the finish – a winner hitting the winning streak, tired but smiling runners, etc.

6. Educational Process

the idea of photojournalism in the educational process

One of the best photojournalism ideas is to organize a photoshoot at school. Go to the educational institution and discuss with a teacher the possibility to take pictures of the educational process. Try to be invisible in order not to distract students from what the teacher is explaining, but, at the same time interest, encourage them to be active.

I suggest you not to spend all your time in classes, but capture students during breaks, in the canteen, in the gym and chemical laboratories so that results look dynamic and can surprise your followers and models as well.

7. Take Off Child Growing Up

taking photos of a growing baby for photojournalism

If you are searching for sweet narrative photography ideas, I think that you should try documenting your kid growing up. It will take you quality a lot of time, but the amazing shots you will get can be combined into a photo mosaic. You can also follow the rules of triptych photography and create a mesmerizing triptych.

Shoot from the moment your child was born, and then capture the first steps and the first falls, games, walks, etc. The child won’t make you wait long to snap a good and funny shot.

8. Preserve the Beauty of the Morning Forest

take photos of the beauty of the forest for the idea of photojournalism

This is really a wonderful idea for environmental photography projects. To bring it to life, you need to go to the forest early in the morning. Following these forest photography tips you’ll be able to see the first sun rays, hone your golden hour photography skills and marvel at the nature waking up.

You can take photos of plants, flowers, mushrooms, berries and more until people disturb their peace. You can also bump into squirrels, hares, foxes and hedgehogs, or even bigger animals such as deer, roe deer and others. Your images are bound to look captivating.

9. Take a Picture of Calm Water

take calm water for a photojournalism idea

If you want to enjoy the shooting process, you can spend time near the lake early in the morning or late in the evening. At this period you can be one-on-one with wildlife and immerse yourself into its beauty.

You can catch the reflection of the rising sun in the water, water splashes, the animals that come to the watering hole and more. You can also focus solely on nature and show its pure gracefulness. Anyway, environmental photojournalism is becoming more and more popular and this is a good chance to practice it.

10. Fascinating Tulip Photo Shoot

fascinating tulip photo shoot as an idea for photojournalism

Many people love flowers, so your photoshoot won’t go unnoticed. You can start mastering flower photography taking images of home flowers that grow in flower beds and pots and then photograph larger areas.

The most adventurous photographers can visit Holland to take photos of the tulip field, which look absolutely awe-aspiring. You can photograph from a distance and take macro shots.

11. Take Pictures of Empty Streets

photographing empty streets as an idea for photojournalism

If you have free time in the late evening, you can spend it taking photos of the empty streets of your city. Such images are sure to attract a lot of attention from the audience, because they look very mysterious and unusual.

Many photojournalism photographers develop this idea even further, shooting deserted streets during rain, when lightning and thunder add atmosphere to the frame. Or, on the contrary, you can capture a beautiful summer evening and the radiance of streetlamps. You can also take a couple of shots with people, who go hand in hand or kiss.

12. Photo Report with Celebrity

photo story with famous people as an idea for photojournalism

If you are in the pursuit of unique images, you must be very inventive and find out about the event where many celebrities will appear. This can be a private party, any official ceremony or simply a welcome meeting at the airport.

It can be rather difficult, but it’s still worth trying to snap a shot where you are standing near a star. Alternatively, you can photograph a celebrity posing near a happy crowd.

13. Photographing Family History

photographing family history as an idea for photojournalism

Find old B&W photos of your relatives and lay them out in a chaotic manner. You can also hang these photos on a rope and start photographing.

You can also print your present-day photographs, which were previously turned into black and white and add them to the composition.

14. Work with Abandoned Places

photos of abandoned places for photojournalism ideas

Photojournalism today requires out-of-the-box thinking and boldest approaches. To stand out from your numerous competitors, you can look for abandoned places and take images there. Frankly speaking, there aren’t so many places forgotten by people, but do your best to find at least one.

Show all the beauty and power of nature that makes its way through stone buildings. Such photos also touch the most serious topics of environmental photography like how much people harm the environment and what the possible consequences of these actions are.

15. Night City

night city photo shoot for photojournalism idea

If you have free time in the evening, study these night photography ideas go to the very heart of your city. You can take pictures of large traffic jams, people who stand on a crowded bus more.

You can also take a taxi and shoot everything from the inside, completely immersed in the atmosphere of the city’s nightlife. The dynamics and hectic life depicted in your pictures will really resonate with many people, attracting them to your art.

16. Capture the Construction Process

capture the construction process idea for photojournalism

If you live somewhere near the construction site, you can use this view as a great basis for your photojournalism ideas story. Your photo session will take several months or even years, but the result fully justifies the time spent.

It is important to take photos every day, to immortalize the tiniest changes. When the building and your photoshoot is over, you can create a photo book, showing each stage of the process.

17. Photographing Famous Places

photographing famous places idea for photojournalism

Do you like traveling and are looking for photojournalism ideas to bring to life during your trips? Using these travel photography tips, you will easily understand how to photograph different landmarks and get unique results.

However, don’t concentrate only on tourists’ attractions, as there are many unknown but beautiful buildings that look amazing in photos.

Each city has something unique to offer, so be attentive to notice it. Experiment with angles and distances to present ordinary objects in a non-conventional way.

18. Тake Photo of Sakura Blossom

make photo sakura blossom idea for photojournalism

If you want to take rare shots that will definitely make viewers look at your photos with interest, then you need to go to Japan to capture Sakura blossom. The main thing is to be patient and have a good camera to capture all the bright details.

You have to shoot from different angles, take a close-up photo of the flower itself, etc. It is also possible to take pictures from afar to show the beauty of parks and streets that are filled with these amazing trees.

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Tata Rossi

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