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What You’ll Learn
Chris Pietsch, director of photography for Gannett Newspapers in Oregon, shares tips on “making — not taking” better photos while previewing the sessions he will lead at StoryConnect in April.
Guest Speaker
Chris PietschShow Notes
Transcripts have been lightly edited for clarity and readability.
Intro: A production of Pioneer Utility Resources. StoryConnect, helping communicators discover ideas to shape their stories and connect with their customers.
Andy Johns: What are some things you can do to make yourself a better visual storyteller? That’s what we’ll be talking about on this episode of The StoryConnect Podcast. My name is Andy Johns, your host with Pioneer. And I’m joined on this episode by Chris Pietsch, who is the photography instructor at the upcoming StoryConnect Conference, as well as director of photography for Gannett Newspapers in Oregon, and a adjunct instructor of photojournalism at the University of Oregon. Chris, thanks so much for joining me.
Chris Pietsch: My pleasure. Thanks for having me, Andy.
Andy Johns: I’m excited to hear some of your sessions in Hood River in April at StoryConnect. It’s coming up quick, so just wanted to take a few minutes to get a little bit of a preview on that, and let folks who maybe aren’t going to be able to join us out in Hood River to hear a little bit about how they can make themselves a better visual storyteller. Let’s start then, and we were talking about a little bit beforehand just about the role that photos play in communications and marketing pieces in journalism. Is it fair to say that good photos matter now more than ever?
Chris Pietsch: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, My point of view on photography is, is that it’s such a great way to connect with viewers. There’s so much information can get conveyed by a photograph that might take, you know, a writer has to be pretty, you know, good at what they do in order to pull off what a photographer can kind of do, you know, almost by accident. But and, you know, obviously honing your skills and trying to figure out how to be most effective is what this class is about. And we’re going to have fun with that, I think.
Andy Johns: I think so. And, you know, one of the things that we talked about with this, with the training session, like the one at StoryConnect, is they’re going to be people that come in there that may be fairly accomplished photographers, that aren’t afraid to switch the dial over to manual and do some work there. They’re going to be other folks that that maybe just use a phone to shoot. But they’re I imagine with the experience that you’ve got, there are some basic things that anybody can do, no matter what their device is, to become a better photographer, a better visual storyteller. What are some of the things that that you advise folks, no matter what level that they’re at to focus on to be better?
Chris Pietsch: Well, when I’m talking to young people, particularly, I say, you know, if you just paid better attention to the light that’s in front of you, after this lecture, I will shed tears of joy.
Andy Johns: That’s a win. Yeah.
Chris Pietsch: Yeah, that’s a win right there. But of course, there’s all kinds of variables in play there for you to execute what you think you’re seeing as you’re standing there. The tool can get your road sometimes if you’re not proficient about it. But so it is a really interesting combination of technical stuff and esthetic judgments all in real time. So, you know, there’s a lot of challenges that are happening there. But I find it to be infinitely fun. You know, it never gets old. You know, I’m getting a little long in the tooth, but it still gets me jazzed to go out and make a nice picture. And so I’m looking forward to – you know, one of the things I felt for a long time is that mentoring is a form of teaching is, you know, much more effective. I feel like I’m better at that than just standing up in front of a classroom. And, you know, this setting is going to be ideal for that. It’s going to be very hands on. People are going to get a chance to make some mistakes and then, you know, make adjustments in real time to better what they’re working on. So, yeah, I think everybody’s going to learn a lot.
Andy Johns: Diving into some of the specifics, and we were talking about it a little bit before I hit the record button. But one of the tougher things to I know that we see on photos that comes in or just from the little bit of photography that I’ve done. One of the harder things, and you summed it up well, is thinking in 3D to produce a 2D image. So how do you go about when you come to a scene or something you’re going to photograph, how do you kind of train yourself to start thinking foreground, middle ground and background all into one image?
Chris Pietsch: Yeah, it’s kind of a left lobe, right lobe thing that can be a challenge. But yeah, you know, the classic thing is when, you know, you see these funny pictures where somebody’s got a tree behind them, and in the finished image it looks like they’ve got, you know, some kind of weird hairdo or something. You know, those are the most obvious ones that you know you need to be aware of. But just being situationally aware and feeling confident enough when you’re standing there that you can say to yourself, “Okay, I’ve got everything’s lining up the way I want, but I’ve got this one thing behind me.” And, you know, it could be a simple matter of just moving left or right six inches or something, you know? But you just have to be aware in that moment to do those kinds of things. For me, it’s, you know, there’s always going to be those moments of regret that you might learn from, you know, a past mess up or whatever. But hopefully during the course of these three days, we’ll get to the point where people are – the light bulb is starting to go on with people a little bit, and they’re going to have some confidence that they can make those kinds of adjustments in the moment.
Andy Johns: Some of the photos that we see that we love to share around and all that are ones that seem to be just right place, right time. There’s a lot that a skilled photographer can do to kind of put themselves in that right place, you know, generate a little bit of luck for themselves, as it were. What are some of the things that you’re thinking about when you go, whatever it is you’re shooting, whether it’s something for, you know, one of the newspapers, or the news outlets, or whether something you’re shooting on your own, what are some of the things that you’re thinking about before you even get to a location where you’re going to shoot?
Chris Pietsch: Yeah. I couldn’t agree with you more. You know, one of the things I say is that, you know, anybody can do photography when things are going well, but it takes a pro to land on your feet when there’s some obstacles, get in your road. And so hopefully we’re going to talk a little bit about that. And people have some confidence in themselves a little bit there. And the way I have run my, you know, sort of thinking process for some time now, is that I go in there with a preconceived notion about what I’m hoping to get out of it and what the boxes I know I need to check. And when I’ve got that in the can, that also, you know, if you’re dealing with a person or subject of some sort, it gives you some ice breaking opportunities there. And then I always try to ask myself, “Okay, is there something else I could be doing creatively? Have I had an idea in the past that I’ve thought about executing, and would this be a good opportunity to try that?” And use it, you know, almost as kind of a creative testing grounds for some of the concepts that you might have about trying to do interesting visuals. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but you almost always learn something if it falls short, for whatever reason. It’s like you had this vision, but there was something that got in the road of pulling it off. And then you can bring that – but you learned to bear, you know, the next time you have a similar circumstance that you know. But, you know, I think everybody will find themselves getting rewarded and end up making, you know, a picture that has that kind of je ne sais quoi quality, maybe that they didn’t really know they were going to get until they got it.
Andy Johns: Very nice. We don’t often speak French on this podcast, so that’s –
Chris Pietsch: That’s all I know.
Andy Johns: You’re classing up the podcast. I like it already. One of the things and I know from one of the first times, when I worked at the newspaper. I made the mistake of referring to the photographer as my photographer. And, I learned a lot that day about the relationship between the wordsmith and the photographer and then, of course, the graphic designer as well. If somebody is coming to this or is listening to this podcast who’s not a photographer, what are some things that either writers or graphic designers can learn and benefit from in their careers just by knowing a little bit more about photography?
Chris Pietsch: Yeah, well, one of my classic lines when I hear that is that I say the word reporter has the word “porter” inside of it, and then I hand him some gear to carry.
Andy Johns: As you should. As you should.
Chris Pietsch: Punish him a little bit for that. Yeah. I think, you know, if you are working with a reporter, as a photographer, you know, teamwork is everything. And, you know, I’m a strong believer in words and pictures packages. There’s a magic that can happen there if everybody’s on the same page that it’s the sum is greater than the parts when you finally put it all together. So you know that can be a challenge. You know, you’ve got some egos maybe at work there a little bit about what direction the story’s going. But when it clicks, it’s really amazing to me. And the same is true for designers. You know, I think if everybody’s on the same page, designer can make you look better. You know, they can mask over shortcomings or they can, you know, exalt, your successes. And, you know, it’s just good communication really is the key to that. And having respect for what each of the partners are bringing to the table there. And, you know, do some real listening, when the conversation is happening about those kinds of things, but then being willing to speak up for your yourself, you know, about what you feel. You know, it’s going to be different every single time and, you know, personalities getting involved and whatnot. But, you know, sometimes, I’m just really amazed and, as I say, the whole thing is so much better than it could have been as a result of that partnership that. You know, it brings me back to the interacting like that in the future, even if I have a bad experience once in a while.
Andy Johns: Makes perfect sense. Turns out relationships matter just about everywhere.
Chris Pietsch: Yeah, that’s absolutely true.
Andy Johns: Well, Chris, I appreciate the time with you. If I can close just one last question here for you. If there’s, you know, through the mentoring that you’ve done before, the students that you teach at the University of Oregon, if somebody won’t be able to attend the sessions at StoryConnect, but, they’re having some new photo responsibilities or trying to become a better photographer. What’s the one or two things that you normally always advise folks or pieces of advice that you give where folks can start becoming better photographers?
Chris Pietsch: Yeah, well, for me, the one thing that I always tell people is that I think they need to understand that they have to have some intention there. Like I say, I’m making a picture instead of taking a picture, because I feel like it kind of communicates that I’m a factor in, you know, how this thing is going to work out. And it gives me kind of a mindset that I’m, you know, not necessarily controlling the circumstances, but that I’m more responsive to whatever is unfolding in front of me there, and part of the dynamic. And so, you know, the other thing I would say is to, you know, be kind to yourself. You know, it’s a learning process. And, you know, I have gone out and, you know, I tell young people I’ve learned more from my mistakes over my career than I have from my successes. But you have to be willing to go back and kind of dissect where things went wrong for you, or what you could have done differently. And, you know, for me, it’s like a life lesson, really. And, you know, photography is just part of that. But I’ve found that, you know, really, has contributed to me, you know, growing as a photographer and a person over time. So, you know, fatherly advice, if you will, you know, but it never gets old. I love photography, and, you know, I’m getting up there in age, but it still is a reason for me to get out of bed in the morning that, you know, it would be hard to imagine ever giving it up.
Andy Johns: Yeah, yeah. And I think we are all going to benefit from those life lessons that you talked about from a lifetime of making photos, not taking photos. I think that’s well said. Well, Chris, thanks for joining me.
Chris Pietsch: Yeah, this was a pleasure. Thanks for bearing with me. My philosophical side conversations and whatnot, but it all makes sense to me. I’m like the Bill Walton of photography or something, I don’t know.
Andy Johns: I like it. I like it. And I can’t tell on Zoom how tall you are. So, you know, you may be the Bill Walton, I don’t know.
Chris Pietsch: Not as tall as him, unfortunately, my back is still working because that’s definitely key to being a photographer.
Andy Johns: That’s an important part. Well, if you have not registered for the StoryConnect Conference yet, when we’re recording this in kind of mid-February, we’ve got about eight spots left before we cap the conference at 100 to kind of preserve that intimate, close feel that it’s always had. So make sure that if you’re listening to this, and you haven’t registered yet, but you’d like to join us in Hood River, make sure you visit storyconnect.com. And that way you will you’ll be able to gain some of the wisdom from Chris and from our other speakers and presenters at the conference. Chris, thanks for joining me. And thanks for coming to Hood River with us.
Chris Pietsch: Yeah, it’s my pleasure. I’m really looking forward to it.
Andy Johns: He’s Chris Pietsch. He is the director of photography for Gannett Newspapers in Oregon, as well as an adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon. I’m Andy Johns with Pioneer. And until we talk again, keep telling your story.
Outro: The StoryConnect is produced by Pioneer Utility Resources, a communications cooperative that is built to share your story. StoryConnect is engineered by Lucas Smith of Lucky Sound Studio.