WASHINGTON, DC, 17 October 2010 — Participants at the four-day Backpack Journalism Workshop in Washington, DC, work to finish their mini documentaries as the evening deadline approaches. (Photos by Bill Gentile) Below, assistant Kelly Donnellan works with American University professor Simon Nicholson on his project. Below, Theresa Bucci (left) and Rebecca Byerly work on their […]
Participants of the latest Backpack Journalism Workshop With Bill Gentile review work they produced on the first day of the four-day event.
WASHINGTON, DC, 7 October 2010 – I was pleased but not surprised. Not even when she dropped me e-mail messages or phoned from places like Kabul or Kashmir. I became accustomed to it. To her success, that is. I knew Rebecca Byerly would be successful the first time I met her. She came to my […]
WASHINGTON, DC, 30 September 2010 — Learn to document your story as it moves from one scene to another. Always shoot the journey, be it by foot, car, plane or train. Shoot your character’s feet hitting the pavement, hands on the steering wheel, face in the rear view mirror. Shoot through the windshield for the […]
WASHINGTON, DC, 27 September 2010 — Get accustomed to using the eyepiece instead of the display screen. You’ll be better able to tell when your subject is in focus, especially when there’s a backlight, which is a big issue with many of these hand-held cameras. Keep both eyes open. Otherwise you lose peripheral vision on […]
WASHINGTON, 26 SEPTEMBER 2010 — Backpack journalists use tripods on a very, very limited basis. The whole idea is to cut down on gear, to be mobile and to be unobtrusive. So learn how to turn your body into a tripod. Turn your left hip toward your subject. With your left hand as a base […]