Question - news photographers (Page 3): I see a whole lot of Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L when they are grabbing the close ups.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

dieseldave wrote:

I was watch the tube - one of the channel news networks and I noticed that most of the photographers have large, and fairly long lenses, but they are all clamoring to get closer to the subject. Are thedy using telephoto lenses, or something else? Why?

I see a whole lot of Canon 24-70mm f2.8 L when they are grabbing the close ups.

gwilliams6

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

Some of the lenses you have observed may be ZOOM types- they are outwardly physically long but enable many focal lengths- some even include the wide angle range.

Many press photographers work with multiple bodies and lenses for fast access to prime focal lengths without having to change lenses when working quickly.

Oftentimes, at certain events, the press photographers are confined to a certain area at a distance from the main subject, action, ceremony or event and they require telephoto lenses to fill their frames with the action or subjects at hand. They can't walk onto the field at an athletic event, for obvious reasons and regulations, or get onto the track at a horse race or a motorsport event.

Even when they are working in close to the action, the may want to fill their frame and focus in on some detail, faces in the crowd, reactions, or the may have to cover something that suddenly happens at a further distance. Sometimes they are allowed to get in close but are the asked to step away or disperse and have to take up a distant vantage point. Also, you don't want to work in too close at a riot, a raging fire, an insurrection or armed combat in a war zone.

When you are watching on TV or as a spectator at some distance, those big white Bulkley lenses stand out but I am sure the press photographers are packing smaller ones as well. These lenses have become the kinda "badge" of the professional photographer but they are simply tools of the trade.

Many years ago, in the day of the large format press cameras and fixed lens medium format cameras among the press corps, credentialed press photographers were allowed to move around events, cross police and fire lines, more freely and take up their own positions etc. As security measures became more stringent, the rise of the Paparazzi, the armies if press that attends many events, again, the photographers are oftentimes confined to a set area and would be seriously disadvantaged without their long lenses. Back in the day, many sports events were photographically covered from press boxes up in the rafters of stadiums with enormous telephoto lenses on large format SLRs nicknamed "Big Berthas"- 1,000 to 1,200mm were average telephoto focal lengths for 4x5 and 5x 7 film cameras.

I worked on staff for a news organization for a couple of years and still cover many events on commercial assignments. I have many lenses and focal lengths to choose from but the go-to focal lengths that get me out of trouble when I am too close or too far away are the 300mm and the 24mm on a full frame body.

Some of the lenses you have observed may be ZOOM t... (show quote)

gwilliams6

E. L. Shapiro was pretty dead-on here. As a photojournalist for over 40 years,I have read some of the posts here with multiple misconceptions about our profession and confusing legitimate news photographers with "paparazzi", a very different animal.

gwilliams6

As news photographers (photojournalists) we simply use the right gear, cameras and lenses to cover whatever subject we are reporting on. I have used everything from a 8mm fisheye at the top of the mast of an America's Cup boat, to a 2000mm mirror telephoto lens to cover a sporting event from atop a stadium. Those white lenses are Canon telephoto lenses and also now Sony telephoto lenses. They are white to differentiate them from Nikon telephoto lenses which are black. Simply a way of advertising what brand you are using, with nothing to do about one being cooler or better.

My credentials to post in this thread:

I have been a photojournalist for more than 40 years and an adjunct professor at Rowan University since 2009. I am a photojournalism, film and TV graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA degree (with honors). I also hold a M.A. degree (summa cum laude) in Digital Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design.

In the 70's I worked as an Assistant Director for WTTG-TV News in Washington D.C., as well as a staff photographer at Newsday Newspaper in New York, before moving to the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper as a staff photojournalist in Oct. 1979.

During my nearly 29 years as a senior staff photographer at the Philadelphia Inquirer, I was the recipient of over 150 international, national and regional photo awards. Between my Newsday and Philadelphia Inquirer tenures ,I have received seven Pulitzer Prize nominations. I have also been nominated for the Overseas Press Award in Photojournalism. I was honored to be elected to and served on the Executive Board of NPPA and its Board of Directors. During my four years on the NPPA board, I was the recipient of NPPA's Sam Mellor Award for Outstanding service to NPPA (The National Press Photographers Association).

Since 2009 I have been an Adjunct Professor at Rowan University teaching Photojournalism and Digital Photography, while continuing my freelance photography.

My work has been published in numerous books, newspapers, magazines including Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Paris Match, Der Spiegel, Good Housekeeping, Car and Driver and others. Many of my photos have been distributed worldwide by Associated Press, and other Wire Services, and have been exhibited in museums and permanent collections in several countries. Some of my subjects included professional sports, breaking news, celebrities, heads of state, royalty, and five Nobel Peace Prize laureates among others. As a compassionate photojournalist I have covered the ravages of war, and documented the human condition in several countries, with my photos making a positive difference.

https://www.facebook.com/GSWilliamsPhotography/

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Thrawn John wrote:

A longer fast lens is also used to reduce Depth of Field - helping to make the subject "pop" out from a bunch of other people who are also in the frame.
(e.g. With four important people at a desk - you can go round the side and get a profile pic of each, nicely isolated but in context.)
One of the reasons a 70-200 f2.8 is such an indispensable bit of kit.

With blur command in Photoshop, I can do the same thing a 2.8 lens can do with my f5.6 lens. Large aperture lenses are not the only thing that can blur backgrounds anymore.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

gwilliams6 wrote:

As news photographers (photojournalists) we simply use the right gear, cameras and lenses to cover whatever subject we are reporting on. I have used everything from a 8mm fisheye at the top of the mast of an America's Cup boat, to a 2000mm mirror telephoto lens to cover a sporting event from atop a stadium. Those white lenses are Canon telephoto lenses and also now Sony telephoto lenses. They are white to differentiate them from Nikon telephoto lenses which are black. Simply a way of advertising what brand you are using, with nothing to do about one being cooler or better.

My credentials to post in this thread:

I have been a photojournalist for more than 40 years and an adjunct professor at Rowan University since 2009. I am a photojournalism, film and TV graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA degree (with honors). I also hold a M.A. degree (summa cum laude) in Digital Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design.

In the 70's I worked as an Assistant Director for WTTG-TV News in Washington D.C., as well as a staff photographer at Newsday Newspaper in New York, before moving to the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspaper as a staff photojournalist in Oct. 1979.

During my nearly 29 years as a senior staff photographer at the Philadelphia Inquirer, I was the recipient of over 150 international, national and regional photo awards. Between my Newsday and Philadelphia Inquirer tenures ,I have received seven Pulitzer Prize nominations. I have also been nominated for the Overseas Press Award in Photojournalism. I was honored to be elected to and served on the Executive Board of NPPA and its Board of Directors. During my four years on the NPPA board, I was the recipient of NPPA's Sam Mellor Award for Outstanding service to NPPA (The National Press Photographers Association).

Since 2009 I have been an Adjunct Professor at Rowan University teaching Photojournalism and Digital Photography, while continuing my freelance photography.

My work has been published in numerous books, newspapers, magazines including Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Paris Match, Der Spiegel, Good Housekeeping, Car and Driver and others. Many of my photos have been distributed worldwide by Associated Press, and other Wire Services, and have been exhibited in museums and permanent collections in several countries. Some of my subjects included professional sports, breaking news, celebrities, heads of state, royalty, and five Nobel Peace Prize laureates among others. As a compassionate photojournalist I have covered the ravages of war, and documented the human condition in several countries, with my photos making a positive difference.

https://www.facebook.com/GSWilliamsPhotography/

As news photographers (photojournalists) we simply... (show quote)

Gerald, I am very impressed with your Facebook page. I am now following you.

gwilliams6

bpulv wrote:

Gerald, I am very impressed with your Facebook page. I am now following you.

Thanks

Bill P

billnikon wrote:

With blur command in Photoshop, I can do the same thing a 2.8 lens can do with my f5.6 lens. Large aperture lenses are not the only thing that can blur backgrounds anymore.

Not in newspapers you can't or the traditionalists will scream like stuck pigs.

Thrawn John Loc: Scotland

Or you could use Microsoft Paint and get anthing you want in the pic.