1. "Be in the right place at the right time" aka The Zapruder Rule. If you can stay on the right side of this rule you can ignore many of the others. However much TV photographers howl there is a compelling logic to the notion that for breaking news coverage the quantity of camera crews you field can often be as important as the quality.
2. "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough" - Robert Capa. This has metaphorical as well as literal significance for journalists. The more immersed you are in the subject the better the story - authenticity and commitment. Read Capa's wiki for clues as to what made him the 20th century's pre-eminent photojournalist.
3. The right camera is the one you have in your hands when you need it. Would Abraham Zapruder have got more money for his footage if he'd had a 35mm camera instead of an 8mm Bell & Howell? Possibly. But $16,000,000 for 24 seconds of footage works out at $700K per second. Why quibble? If you still aren't convinced go read Ken Rockwell.
4. Learn to shoot without a tripod. Even if you have the time and the space confining the camera to a tripod is a crippling restriction. Ten years ago no-tripod was a sure sign of an amateur, today the situation is reversing. Movies like Children of men, and Lords of Dogtown are creating an aesthetic that sets us free. So what do I do with my $2000 Vinten? I use it of course! Just because we've been set free doesn't mean we have to run round naked all the time. Nice to know we can do it when we want to though.
5. Rule 5 contains material of a graphic and somewhat shocking nature – so I’ll leave it until next time.
Digg it