By Alinafe Jonas
Malawi News Agency (MANA) journalists in Blantyre have completed a two-day photojournalism training aimed at enhancing their ability to capture compelling images that tell stories.
The training, which ran from June 24 to 25, was facilitated by one of the country’s leading photojournalists and Deputy Director of Photography in the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, Govati Nyirenda.
Speaking during the training, Nyirenda emphasised the important role photography plays in journalism, saying a good understanding of photography helps journalists communicate stories more effectively.
“Photography is a major component of journalism. If everyone understands photography, it becomes easier to understand journalism because pictures have the power to tell stories and communicate messages quickly,” he said.Nyirenda added that learning photography comes with exciting opportunities, including travelling abroad and gaining a competitive advantage in the workplace.
He further urged journalists to focus on capturing images that tell a story, noting that photographs often communicate key messages before people read the accompanying article.
“Think about what you want to capture, make a decision on how you want to go about it, and look beyond the obvious story. That’s what makes good photojournalism,” he explained.
One of the journalists who participated in the training, Pempho Nkhoma, said the skills he acquired will help him produce photographs that effectively convey messages to the public nothing that the training has broadened his understanding of photojournalism and improved his ability to use photography as a storytelling tool.
“I have learnt how to take pictures that are meaningful and relevant to a story. These skills will help me improve the quality of my work and better inform the public through visual storytelling,” he said.
During the training, the multi award winning photojournalist equipped journalists with various skills including camera handling, photography techniques, the use of Adobe Light room software and the ethical principles journalists must observe when taking photographs.
