ABSTRACT
This chapter applies visual aesthetic theories, including the golden mean, the rule of thirds, figure-ground, the decisive moment, and the interplay of structural and emotional composition to a selection of news photos and portraits chosen from the author’s portfolio. Each of the chapter’s photographic illustrations is examined from the point of view of the creator in the field, the subject, the reader, and the critic. The chapter discusses how the process of visual storytelling in photojournalism has changed since the post-World War II big picture magazines lost power to broadcast and digital publications. The chapter urges students to explore visual aesthetic theories by applying them immediately with their smartphone.
