Photoshop remains the top photo editing and graphics program for pros. Among the newest version’s most notable features is the Content-aware Fill Tool, demonstrated here, which allows users to remove unwanted elements from an image as effortlessly as the result is seamless.

For photojournalism the implications of this tool are pretty chilling. Not because digital manipulation of photographs is anything new, but because CS5 makes it just so darn easy.

In 2005 Stephen Colbert introduced the term “truthiness” during the debut episode of the Comedy Channel’s Colbert Report to describe much of the political dialogue in and media coverage of Washington DC. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary made truthiness its Word of the Year in 2006.

In a New York magazine interview Colbert described truthiness this way: “We’re not talking about truth, we’re talking about something that seems like truth – the truth we want to exist.”

For visual journalism does CS5 mark a leap forward in the advance of “realishness?”

Sure, images were manipulated long before Thomas Kroll, a graduate student at the University of Michigan at the time, invented Photoshop so he could view grayscale images on his Mac Plus. What’s at issue is the proliferation of manipulated images and the impact on credibility among a public already skeptical of what it sees in the media.

Just last month, before the current version of CS5’s release, World Press Photo disqualified 2010 third-place winner Ukrainian photographer Stepan Rudik from its annual competition for digitally manipulating an image.

The World Press Photo rules state: “The content of the image must not be altered. Only retouching which conforms to the currently accepted standards in the industry is allowed.” But what does “accepted standards” mean? They vary a lot based on publication type, topic and nation of origin. It’s worth noting that the image was not disqualified for its radical crop or the high contrast black & white toning, but for the removal of a compositionally distracting foot from the background.

Another humdinger of recent memory is a photo filed by Los Angeles Times staff photographer Brian Walski in 2003, who was covering Basra during the Iraq War. Walski joined two images together and submitted the final product as a single photo. He was fired as a result.

Ethical guidelines from the L.A. Times (available as PDF here) are much more explicit than the WPP’s: “We do not add color, create photomontages, remove objects or flop images. We do not digitally alter images beyond making minor adjustments for color correction, exposure correction and removal of dust spots or scratches required to ensure faithful reproduction of the original image. Exaggerated use of burning, dodging or color saturation is not permitted.”

Neither photographer contested that his image was manipulated. Walski copped to his bad judgment and blamed exhaustion and his desire to make memorable images of the war. Rudik maintains that as the “author” of the image he should be free to interpret a scene as he sees fit.

So what does the public make of all this? Studies that examine viewer trust of digital photography specifically, and of media accuracy generally, suggest that things are bad and getting worse. The core issues seem to be the perception of increased partisanship in the media and the growing influence of big money.

Yet at the same time, people are capable of applying a very canny kind of calculus when evaluating the veracity of a news image. They assess the credibility of the publication in which the image appears and take into account the coverage of other outlets. They weigh the significance of the story against any controversy surrounding how it is being reported. They also factor in their own familiarity with the issue as well as previously published images they may have seen.

The take-away is that audiences can and often do hold top-tier news publications to higher standards of veracity than partisan websites—or fashion magazines.

As increasing numbers of crowd-sourced images, images produced by semi-pros and images from the blogosphere work their way into the media — not to mention inconsistent standards among established professional outlets — how are we to fight against the creep of increasing realishiness into the news? News organizations and visual journalism educators need to establish clear standards that at the same time acknowledge the of the changing tools. We also need to promote dialogue about the impact of these changes on our industry. And we need to embrace transparency about process – especially when mistakes are made. Pretty much the same tools we’ve used all along — only updated to respond to these new realities.

While doing research for this post I was surprised by how many major news outlets had not updated the code of ethics for photography in more than a decade. Here are two examples of news organizations that have. The National Press Photographers Association provides some discussion and resources on the issue of digital ethics in photography. The organization Editorial Photographers of the United Kingdom and Ireland lays out a clearly defined graduated scale for understanding the manipulation of images, acknowledging purely editorial photo ends and where photo illustration begins.

What do you think?

A photograph is no exception.  Metadata is information embedded in a digital photo file about the photo itself. Metadata can tell you when the photo was made, on what type of camera it was made and how the camera was set up – exposure, white balance and the focal length of the lens used.

This image shows the EXIF data field in Adobe Bridge. It displays shooting data collected at the time the image was made.

Metadata can also include information input by a photographer or photo editor during post-production (editing). Information such as a caption, keywords associated with the image and copyright restrictions, for example.  It can event track any adjustments in exposure or color made to the original image during post-production.

This image shows caption information as EXIF data input by the photographer while editing the image in Adobe Photoshop under 'File info.'

Metadata for photos is typically written in one of several formats or languages readable by most contemporary computers and photo software programs. These formats are largely interchangeable. Meaning, most photo editing programs and photo content management systems (CMS) will recognize all of them.  In other words, Metadata written in Adobe Photoshop, for example, is embedded in the image and will travel with it and be readable by Photo Mechanic or  Adobe Lightroom or Flickr or SoundSlides or Apple’s Aperture on other computers.

Below are some of the most common acronyms for  and types of metadata:

IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council) – IPTC information is text information that can include both shooting information embedded in the photo by the camera as well as text information (caption, etc.) input after the photo was taken.

EXIF (Exchangeable image file format) – EXIF is typically shooting data embedded in the image by the camera itself. Embedded information such as ISO, date. Focal length F/stop etc.

XMP (Exchangeable image file format) – XMP is an Adobe proprietary format for metadata and is much like EXIF but it can also include post-production information such as profiles of changes made to the original image’s size or color or exposure or white balance.  NOTE: XMP data is sometimes stored as an independent file associated with an image. The arrangement – XMP sidecar – is most often true of RAW image files. You need to be careful not to delete the XMP files associated with an unprocessed image or all the changes will be lost.

Most photo CMSs will allow you to batch process metadata. Meaning, you can tell the computer to apply EXIF/XMP information/changes to groups of images in addition to individual images. Your name, copyright information, desired image size and color adjustments, for example. Each CMS does this a bit differently. Sometimes this feature is called a ‘template’ or sometimes a ‘script’ or sometimes an ‘action’ or ‘profile.’  Batch processing of metadata can be a real time saver if you’re working with large numbers of images or working on deadline. You’ll have to figure it out for the CMS you use, but know it’s there somewhere.

This image shows the batch processing template for Metadata in Adobe Bridge.

So why is metadata important to photographers and photojournalist in particular?

First, news photos need to be captioned. News organization need to have basic information about when, where and under what circumstances the image was made. I’ve addressed caption writing in a previous post.  Accurate caption information is essential in the news world. Editors, who may be thousands of miles away from the story and have no direct contact with the photographer, need to know where, when and by whom the image was made.

Second, IPTC information is a great learning tool. It provides basic shooting data that can help the photographer identify, track and solve problems.  The IPTC information will show the photographer if his or her shutter speed was too slow, if white balance was off or, in some cases, if the camera is not working properly.

Third, search engine optimization (SEO). The software search engines use to scour the Internet and rank or categories images on sites like Google and Flickr can’t ‘read’ the image itself  — at least not yet. Search engines depend on the text  — the EXIF/XMP data — associated with the image to know what the image is, where, when and who made it, not to mention any restrictions on use. It is important photographers include a name and other important key words in the metadata to improve online ranking or just recognition.

Remember to include important contextual words or phrases related to your specific story in the caption and keyword field. ‘New York’ for a Bryant Park Fashion Week story or ‘health care’ for a story on diabetes. Google’s Adword will show you the ranking of particular terms related to a huge variety of topics. Try and weave the related big-hitters into your caption/keywords.

Captioning and other metadata management seems like a lot of work until you get used to it. You need to figure out a good way to figure it into your photo workflow.  In addition to the reasons listed above, metadata is also an important part of keeping you photo archive organized and accessible. A small amount of time on the front end can save you hours on the back end.

One last point about metadata. EXIF data in Adobe Photoshop  (and some other programs) can tell you the number of shutter actuations – the number of pictures taken – by a camera.  The shutter in any camera has an expected lifespan. To find the lifespan for your camera, try ‘expected,’ ‘actuations’ and your camera’s name a model as a Google search. This information can be very important if you’re thinking about buying a used camera or curious when it might be time to think about replacing the camera you have.

Open a recently made and unprocessed image in Photoshop. To retrieve the number of actuations in Photoshop, go to ‘File’ in the menu and then ‘File Info’ in the drop down menu. Then select ‘Advanced’ the fourth choices down in the drop box will read: http://ns.adobe.com/efix/1.0/aux.  Click on it. ‘aux/ImageNumber:XXXX is what you’re looking for. NOTE:  Some people dispute the accuracy of this number – if the camera has been refurbished or reconditions, for example.

After you have uploaded your edited images to your Flickr photo stream, you need to create a set. A set is the most basic unit Flickr uses to organizes/display a selection of images. To create a set click on ‘Organize’ and then ‘Sets’ This will open the ‘Organizr’  window. If you’ve never created a set before, you will be prompted to create your first set. If already you have sets, click ‘Create a set.’

This is what the Organizr window in Flickr looks like

You need to name the set in the field to the left. Drag the images you wish to include in your set from the photostream filmstrip to the middle of the window.

You can add captions/tags when you first upload image to Flickr or by clicking on images once included in the set. Flickr also will retain IPTC metadata (caption info) input from other photo content management systems (Adobe Bridge, Photoshop, Photo Mechanic, etc.)

Click the ‘Arrange’ tab to order the images. If you select ‘Randomly’ from the drop-down menu, you can drag the images into the sequence you wish.

Once your set is created and the images are captioned/tagged, you then need to copy the URL for your set to paste into FlickrSLiDR. This can be a bit tricky because Flickr can display a variety of temporary URLs while you’re working with your set. Make sure you are not in your set or editing your set. Best to click on ‘Your  photostream’ and then select the set you wish to use from the thumbnails on the right. The URL should looks something like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8074851@N08/sets/72157622501628050/

Note that in the URL above the second to last folder is the ‘sets’ folder and the last is the serial number of a specific set folder (yours will be different).

Note the URL in the address field

Now go to  FlickrSLiDR. Paste the URL in the top field (you’ll be replacing the sample URL already displayed).  Unless you have Flickr Pro, you will not be able to add tags or full text in the displayed fields. You will probably wan to delete the sample tags.

You then need to change the Slideshow with and height. I suggest a width of 600 px and a height of 525 px. Depending on the blog theme you use and the dimensions of your photos, this may change.

This is the FLickrSLiDR page

Now click ‘Create Slideshow!’  FlickrSLiDR will then generate code for you drop into your blog. It will also generate a preview (you may have to scroll down to see it).  You can see thumbnails by moving the cursor to the bottom of the slideshow window. You can display the text/caption by clicking on either the image or thumb.

If you’re happy with the preview, copy the code from the window and go your blog post  (in admin/edit mode). Make sure the ‘HTML’ tab is selected rather than the ‘Visual’ tab. Paste in the code at the place in your post where you want the slideshow to appear.

Note the HTML tab is selected.

Viola!

This is what it will look like:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

THINK NUMBERS

One of the most common afflictions of beginning photographers is that they don’t shoot enough frames. The results can be fatal when it comes to producing a good slideshow.

Pro photographers shoot A LOT of frames to get a few good ones.  It is not uncommon for a photographer to take hundreds of photos with the expectation of producing a couple dozen really strong images.

Here are two extreme examples to illustrate the point:

‘The Whale Hunt’  – This experimental project by Jonathan Harris includes more than 3,000 images that can be sorted and displayed in a variety of ways along a timeline.

‘Iraqi Kurdistan’  – Done by Ed Kashi and produced by Mediastorm.org, this project features thousands of images presented in flipbook style.

The point is this: shoot now, edit later. Take pics that will give you the most options when you are putting your piece together.

THINK VARIETY

In addition to simply shooting a large number of images, it’s important to shoot a selection of images that will make the slideshow work on two levels: it must provide the viewer a logical, visual narrative through which to understand the story and it must be graphically sophisticated enough to be pleasing to watch.

On the graphic level, plodding sameness from image to image can kill a slideshow. Be sure and vary your images  –  Wide shots, close-up, left-facing, right-facing and angle of view.  This will provide some visual and emotional modulation through the slideshow.

Note: for photo stories in print photographers shoot a selection of both horizontal photos and vertical photos as part of creating variety. But, in the online world horizontal images are heavily favored because the skins or themes in which slideshows play are designed for horizontal presentation.

On the narrative level, slideshow has to be more than a random assortment of pictures. It has to have a clear narrative structure or arch — a beginning, middle and end. It has to tell the story.

If it’s a process story, it should illustrate the important steps in the process from beginning to end. You don’t have to be too literal. Good photography is as much about how a place or event or process feels as it about the literal step by step.

‘The Lourdes of Twang’ photographed by Tim Schaffer of the New York Times takes the viewer through how the renown Martin guitar is made – from beginning to end.

If it’s a story about a conflict or social issues it will seek to illustrate cause, relationships and effect or maybe the core conflict and its resolution – if there is one.

‘Gun Nation’ by Zed Nelson examines America’s love affair with guns. He shows where they are purchased, their role in communities and, ultimately, their impact.

If it’s a personal profile, chronology might be the structure.

‘Recreating Himself, One Album at a Time’ by New York Times photographer Todd Heisler is a
day-in-the life profile of Rap Artist Bones Don.

Andrew DeVigal, the multimedia director at the New York Times, says that he encourages the Times photographers shooting slideshows to shoot lots of detail shots and transition shots.

Detail shots may not carry a lot of narrative weight, but they work well to highlight or dramatize a specific element of the story and are very effective in advancing the visual story.

Transition shots work to move the viewer from on place to another or from one idea to another.  In the ‘Recreating Himself, One Album at a Time’ we visually escort Bones Don from home to Union Square and back home again.  A transitional photo (and text) also are used when the character moves away from talking about his music to talking about his past.

THINK PRESENTATION

The two pillars of good presentation are timing and sequencing. Seven seconds is often an effective working number for the length of time a single image can be displayed in a slideshow. You can then game out how many images you will need if the length of time is a consideration, as is the case with audio slideshows.  To be sure, this number can vary a lot, even within a single slideshow: flipbook sequencing on one extreme and complex, atmospheric photos that take more time to understand on the other.

As mentioned above, a slideshow needs some sort of narrative structure.  This is usually the primary consideration for how images are sequenced.  The need to change up images on a graphic level – move from a wide-shot to close-up to portrait, etc. – is a close second.

The transitions (the term is used here to mean something different than when we talk about a transitional photo) between images — dissolves, cross-fades, etc. — are also important, both in terms of style and pace. A slower, moodier piece might use longer dissolves, while an upbeat high tempo story might use a push or straight cut.

Two other quick points on presentation:

Viewers like to be able to control the rate at which images are display. If the images are tied to audio viewer still like to be able to review images after they’ve played the piece.  Slideshow programs like Soundslides or SlideShowPro both have a preview scrubber that allows the viewer to see thumbs of individual images during or after a slideshow plays. Use this tool.

Many of the software programs in which slideshows are produced have lots of bells and whistles that allow the producer/photographer to do lots of snazzy things  with colors and functions. Resist the urge.  Simple elegance and ease of  use will win the day.

‘One in Eight Million’ by New York Times photographer Todd Heisler is a series of very atmosphere stories about New Yorkers. Note the sophistication and functionality of the presentation.

THINK AUDIO

The main thing to consider with audio is that you have a selection of appropriate images to cover the material being presented in the audio both in terms of length and subject. You don’t want to send your audience in one directly with the visuals and another with the audio.

With some stories the images can be more atmospheric and do not need to correspond directly to the audio.  The images can be used to illustrate the overall theme or to give an emotional sense of the issue.  This is true of most of the ‘One in Eight Million’ Segments.  In some slideshows the photos may match with the audio only at certain points and then drift off again. For example, it is smart to display a portrait when a new character is introduced in the audio. Keep in mind places can be characters too.

On the other hand, with some stories – news stories or process stories, for example — the viewer will want to see specifically what’s being presented in the audio. Not only that, if your working on a process feature about an ocularist and he spends 25 seconds explaining exactly how he makes a blue iris for an artificial eye, you may need enough images specific to that element of  the story to ‘cover’  that amount of time.

Next week I will present some examples for using text in combination with images in a slideshow format.

Image size is typically expressed by the number of pixels along both the horizontal and vertical edge of an image. For example 3800 x 2600.  Even small point-and-shoot cameras are now capable of producing magazine quality image, images 2000 pixels or more along the longest edge (the horizontal edge if it’s a horizontal image, the vertical edge if it’s a vertical image. The shorter edge will vary proportionately).  We often talk about image size in terms of the number of pixels along the longest edge. For example, you might say, “make the image 1000 pixels along the longest edge.” The shorter edge will be automatically size in proportion in Photoshop if you follow the steps below.

Computer screens require images of a much smaller size than do magazines or newspapers for good reproduction. For NYCity News Service IMAGES SHOULD BE 1000 PIXELS ALONG THE LONGEST EDGE.

Here’s how you size an image in Photoshop:

With the image open go to IMAGE in the menu at the top of the screen. Scroll down to IMAGE SIZE and the dialogue box below will appear. Type 1000 into the PIXEL DIMENSIONS field (note: the field might be set up to measure in inches or even centimeters. You can click on the up/down arrows to the immediate right of the field to change the measurement to pixels). The small chain link icon to the right of the field indicate that Photoshop will automatically change the shorter edge of the image proportionately.  Don’t worry about any of the other field even if the numbers appear to change when you change the pixel dimensions. Remember the longest edge is the horizontal edge for a horizontal image and the vertical edge for a vertical image.

Change the number and then hit OK.

You need to change the number in the pixel dimensions field to 1000

When sizing a .jpg in Photoshop you will also need to tell it how much you’d like the image to be compressed. As with audio files .jpg files are compressed when closed to make them more efficient to store and to send. The great the compression, the greater the loss of image quality. When you save a .jpg in Photoshop for the first time, you will get the dialogue box below.

When selecting compression for a .jpg, opt for higher image quality.

Either change the number in the box or use the slider to select either high or maximum quality.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you think you may someday want a version of your photo at a higher resolution for printing, you need to save a version of the image BEFORE you reduce the pixel dimensions. You can always make in image small in Photoshop but you can’t make it bigger. To do this go to SAVE AS under FILE in the menu before you resize. You can then create (and name a copy) of the image at the original resolution.

Many photo assignments are one-shot assignments. Meaning, the photographer can assume that no more than one (or maybe two) pictures likely will be used. For more tips on shooting the individual images, see the post entitled: Five Nifty Tips for Better Photo. However, online slideshows are a popular feature on most news websites, which do not have the same space constraints as print.

Today photographers have to approach any assignment as if it be used as a slideshow. A good photo slideshow is more than a random series of images. Each picture should provide a unique bit of information to move the story forward.

Photo stories fall into two distinct categories: A narrative story and a series. Below is a description and an example of both.  Some topics will naturally lend themselves to one approach or the other. Other topics may require you to choose based on access issues, time constraints and the role you want the photos to play in a multimedia presentation.

There are a few things common to every good photostory: Technical strength, good composition and a strong human angle.  A little pre-planning can go along way toward a successful photostory. Be realistic about the amount of time it will take to photograph your story. Schedule your shoot when your subject is most active as it relates to your story. Plan for the lighting conditions and other potential technical obstacles.

The narrative photostory

As the name suggests a narrative photo story tells a story often with a clear beginning, middle and end.  For small photo stories, images in a narrative story often fall into one of four categories:

1) The signature photo: This often the photo that carries the most narrative weight. If only one photo were to run, this would be the one. This is the image that best encapsulates or illustrates the overall story.

11 January, 2007 -- New York -- Shoppers young and old check out Kidfresh, which opened this week on Manhattan's upper east side. The store features its own line of organic prepackaged meals and other health-conscious products for children. It also offers a dessert bar, 'kidchen' where the meals are prepared and a seating area. Photo Credit: John Smock/SIPA Press

2)  The close-up: Closes-ups are used to dramatize or highlight a specific element of your story.  These are often the b-roll of still photo.

11 January, 2007 -- New York -- Kidfresh, which opened this week on Manhattan's upper east side, features its own line of organic prepackaged meals in addition to other health-conscious products for children. The store also offers a dessert bar, 'kidchen' where the prepackaged meals are prepared and a seating area. Photo Credit: John Smock/SIPA Press

3) The establishing shot: Usually a wide-angle shot, the establishing image provides some context to your story, often helping the viewer better understand the environment in which the story is taking place.

11 January, 2007 -- New York -- Shoppers young and old check out Kidfresh, which opened this week on Manhattan's upper east side. The store features its own line of organic prepackaged meals and other health-conscious products for children. It also offers a dessert bar, 'kidchen' where the meals are prepared and a seating area. Photo Credit: John Smock/SIPA Press

4) The environmental portrait: Most stories are character driven and it’s important to introduce your viewer to you characters. Environment portraits, meaning a portrait that also shows surroundings or other contextual material, are often a good way to do this.  In some cases a posed portrait me work. In other cases an action shot is better.

11 January, 2007 -- New York -- Shoppers young and old check out Kidfresh, which opened this week on Manhattan's upper east side. The store features its own line of organic prepackaged meals and other health-conscious products for children. It also offers a dessert bar, 'kidchen' where the meals are prepared and a seating area. Photo Credit: John Smock/SIPA Press

For longer photostories, like those that appear in magazines such as National Geographic, there are several additional categories (a ‘how-to’ shot, an interaction shot, etc). You may have more than one photo in each category. Or, it may not be clear to you which category – exactly – you photo belongs to. This is not a problem as long the photo works in a way that logically advances the story. You should always figure out a way to work a good photo into your story. The important thing is this: Understanding the principle behind the formula above will help you to create a slideshow that offers visual variety (sameness is boring) and to think through the role each photo plays in advancing your overall story.

The photo series

If a narrative story is driven visually by variety, a good series is driven visually by consistency. A series is often used to make a comparison or demonstrate a theme common among the subjects photographed.  Portrait series are a common example of this kind of photo story.

8 April, 2007 -- New York -- Parishioners outside Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Easter Sunday display a variety hats for the occasion. John Smock/SIPA Press

8 April, 2007 -- New York -- Parishioners outside Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Easter Sunday display a variety hats for the occasion. John Smock/SIPA Press

8 April, 2007 -- New York -- Parishioners outside Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Easter Sunday display a variety hats for the occasion. John Smock/SIPA Press

8 April, 2007 -- New York -- Parishioners outside Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Easter Sunday display a variety hats for the occasion. John Smock/SIPA Press

8 April, 2007 -- New York -- Parishioners outside Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on Easter Sunday display a variety hats for the occasion. John Smock/SIPA Press

A series is often a good use of photography in a multimedia piece in which video will tell the narrative story. The series can be used to illustrate or highlight one element of the story presented as video.

Digital Storage Space

The school provides each student with server space where you can store media that you and viewers can access through a blog or a website. Last week we used Fetch, an FTP client program, to access digitalstoragespace.com. Fetch creates a direct and secure network connection that allows you to upload and download files to and from your digitalstorage.com folders. For a refresher check out the wiki link. Special note: be sure to set up four folders (audio, video, photo and soundslides) within your folder (indicated by your last name) at digitalstoragespace.com. Also be sure and set up your permissions properly and respect naming conventions.

This is the Fetch FTP login page

This is what the folders in your (last name) digitalstoragespace.com folder should look like

Audio

Your audio should be formatted as an mp3. If your audio is in another format –.wav or .aif, for example, you can convert the file in either iTunes or Switch (the school will soon have instructions for this on the wiki).

After you have your .mp3 audio file, follow the wiki instructions to embed it in your blog post. You can make the audio available as text link or as an audio player (scrubber). You can also link to pieces of audio stored on digitalstoragespace.com (or other domains) Read the wiki instructions carefully.

An audio file can be displayed like this:
Moon Light Sound

Or like this:

Moon Light Sound
[audio:http://blogs.journalism.cuny.edu/johnsmock/files/2008/10/moonlight-sound6.mp3]

Video

Videos (with sound) are larger files and cannot live within your blog. However, you can link to videos from a variety of hosts  — YouTube or Flickr, for example, that will display within your blog. Follow the wiki instructions. Be sure and activate the Viper Video plug-in in WordPress. We will talk about hosting smaller videos stored on digitalstoragespace.com later in the semester.

Embedded video looks like this:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG71klJSPPI[/youtube]
Soundslides

Soundslides is a great program for creating audio slideshows. But, embedding a Soundslides slideshow into your blog takes a few steps.

Once you’ve finished your slideshow in Soundslides, you need to export it by clicking on the export button in the lower right of the Soundslides work screen. A folder called ‘publish_to_web’ will be created in the folder in which your photos for the project are stored. Sometimes Soundslides will create the folder elsewhere. You may need to do a search (apple key + F). Using Fetch or another FTP program, put THE ENTIRE publish-to-web folder in the Soundslides folder within your folder (designated by your last name) at digitalstoragespace.com. You can change the name of the publish_to_web folder to better describe the project and distinguish between slideshows.

This is the soundslides workspace. note the export button in the lower right.

This is where things get a bit tricky. Soundslides has a page that you can use create the lines of html code you will need to embed your project in your page.

You will need to tell Soundslides where to exactly were to find the project on digitalstoragespace.com. Note the folder hierarchy of the URL for class my sample:

http://digitalstoragespace.com/09/smock/soundslides/publish_to_web

You will need to substitute your one folder (designated by your last name) and drop this into the field at the top of the Soundslides/WordPress embed page then press Continue.

The EXACT address to your slideshow needs to be placed in the URL field. Note the 09 (for class of '09) folder.

You then need to tell Soundslides the correct size at which to display your slideshow. Soundslide’s default size is larger than the post area of our blogs. The width should be 500 and height 400. The fields for this are located below the embed code. Enter the correct dimensions and then press Modify.

Once Soundslides has successfully located your slideshow, the first image will appear. Note the fields below the embed codes in which you must put the correct width (500) and height (400) for our blog page dimensions (the numbers in the demo above are incorrect).

Soundslides will have generated the html embed code you need to cut and paste that code into your WordPress post. Be sure have the html tab (as opposed to the visual tab) selected in WordPress when you paste in the code.

Here's the page in WordPress. You can see that the html tab is selected.

Here’s what it will look like:

That about covers the basics.

2 – Think story: A good photo tells a complete story. Like the opening of a written article, a news photo presents both subject and context. Are you taking a picture of a person? In your photo you might include some environmental information about that person relevant to your story — home, job, hang-out — give the viewers a sense of who your subject is. Are you photographing a sign, storefront or object? Be sure and show the broader surroundings to provide viewers with a context to better understand the image’s significance.

3 – Work the layers: Photographers often think of a photo in terms of two or three (sometimes more) distinct graphic layers or dimensions: foreground, middle-ground, and background. A trained photographer will use each layer to make a photograph work in a narrative way, as mentioned above, or on a graphic level, as presented below. Make a two-dimensional image work as three dimensions by using each layer to advance a specific element of your story or simply to make an image that is more visually interesting.

4 – Think on a graphic level: In addition to telling a good narrative story, good photos work on a graphic level, almost like an abstract painting. Photo editors like photos that are composed to be eye-catching. To be sure, a good subject or story is an important part of a compelling photograph, but photos also convey a message or a tone on a graphic level. Graphic photos are visually stimulating. Think patterns. Think light. Think about how relationships between colors and shapes work to convey an idea. Think declining perspective. Think angle of view.

5 – Look for peak action: Good news photo is about human drama. Human behaviors and facial expressions convey this drama, both the overstated and the intimate. Look for the most visually dramatic moments in your story and catch them in your frame. Henri Cartier-Bresson called this the decisive moment. An animated or expressive subject is always more interesting to look at.