Eyetracking Photojournalism Research by Sara Quinn
Published in: Art & Photos
Transcript
- 1. Eyetrack:Photojournalism What makes a photo worth publishing? S A R A Q U I N N M E D I A @saraquinn ! Research for the National Press Photographers Association
- 2. “What can you tell me about photojournalism from Poynter’s eyetrack research?”
- 3. Documentary photos get more attention than static or posed photos. ! Faces attract a lot of attention—often the first thing looked at, in a photograph. ! Mugshots get only a fleeting glance— purely informational, unless there is strong, supporting information in the presentation. E A R L I E R P O Y N T E R S T U D I E S
- 4. What makes a photo worth publishing?
- 5. Eyetrack:Photojournalism What makes a photo worth publishing?
- 6. Eyetrack:Photojournalism Exploratory research to start conversation about news photography.
- 7. Howdiscerningare peoplewholookat journalisticphotos?
- 8. Whatdotheyvalue?
- 9. Whatdotheyvalue? Whatdotheyremember?
- 10. Dotheytrust whattheysee?
- 11. Whatmakesthemwant toshareanimage?
- 12. Doesqualitymatter?
- 13. Whatis“quality?”
- 14. Weaskedthem.
- 15. Wewatchedthem.
- 16. Andweanalyzed thewaytheylooked at200photographs.
- 17. Fifty-twopeopletookpartinourstudy inMay2014,attheUniversityofMinnesota. ! ! ! THE STUDY Female Male50% 50%
- 18. “Digital Natives” “Printnets” ! 18-30 years old 45-60 years old51% 49% Wetestedtwo,distinctagegroups. ! ! ! Born into a digital world. One foot in the print world, one foot in digital. THE STUDY
- 19. Peopletookpartinfiveelementsoftesting duringanhourlongsessionwithselected photographs. ! ! ! THE STUDY
- 20. 100 photos contributed by the public (user generated content) 100 photos taken by professional photojournalists + 200 photos shown randomly between pro and UGC
- 21. THE STUDY All images had been published by news organizations. 200 photos shown randomly between pro and UGC
- 22. We recorded eye movements to see what subjects looked at, at any given time.
- 23. We recorded eye movements to see what subjects looked at, at any given time. 1. Eyetracking
- 24. An invisible, infrared camera captures the gaze of the eyes.
- 25. Our eye tracking gear created a video that revealed the gaze of the eye.
- 26. THE STUDY We asked subjects to rate the quality of each image. 2. Quality rating
- 27. THE STUDY We asked subjects to rate the quality of each image. And the likelihood that they might share it. 3. Probability of sharing
- 28. “Was this photograph taken by a professional photojournalist, or not?” 4. Presumption of source
- 29. 5. Exit Interviews
- 30. Captions appeared as originally published, including the photographer’s name, though we excluded the publication name.
- 31. PhotojournalistsamonghardesthitbyU.S.jobcuts 2000 2005 2010 2012 Reporters, writers ! ! ! ! ! Copy editors, layout editors, online producers ! Photographers, videographers, artists 25,593 ! ! ! ! 10,901 ! 6,171 17,422 ! ! 7,980 ! 3,493 Pew Research Center, American Society of News Editors, 2013
- 32. PhotojournalistsamonghardesthitbyU.S.jobcuts 2000 2005 2010 2012 Reporters, writers ! ! ! ! ! Copy editors, layout editors, online producers ! Photographers, videographers, artists 25,593 ! ! ! ! 10,901 ! 6,171 -32 ! ! -27 ! -43 Pew Research Center, American Society of News Editors, 2013
- 33. Major findings
- 34. 100 photos contributed by the public (user generated content) 100 photos taken by professional photojournalists + 200 photos
- 35. People spent 50 percent longer with the professional photographs in the study FINDINGS User-submitted news photographs Professional photojournalism
- 36. People were able to identify a professionally taken photo 90 percent of the time. ! ! ! FINDINGS
- 37. Average time spent looking at professional photographs in the study: FINDINGS Faces 36% 33% Captions
- 38. Average time spent looking at professional photographs in the study: FINDINGS 14% Bodies Faces 36% 33% Captions 10% Details 7% Other
- 39. FINDINGS Each of the highest rated photographs in the study was taken by a professional photojournalist.
- 40. FINDINGS Of the 25 highest rated photos: ! ! ! ! ! ! Women, particularly older women, were most likely to give a photo the highest rating. Older men were most likely to give a lower rating. Younger men least likely to give either the highest or lowest rating. ! News ! Features ! Sports 11 ! 9 ! 5 professional ! professional ! professional
- 41. FINDINGS Professional photos in the study were twice as likely to be shared.
- 42. What were people likely to share? FINDINGS
- 43. Social media, e-mail or, “Hey, you have to see this!” FINDINGS
- 44. … Emotional, relatable photographs. FINDINGS
- 45. This dog, “Otto,” was the only UGC photograph to make the list of most shareable photos. .
- 46. OBSERVATIONS: People were drawn to faces, first, even in a complex image. People were drawn to faces first, even in a complex image.
- 47. OBSERVATIONS: People were drawn to faces, first, even in a complex image.
- 48. OBSERVATIONS: People were drawn first, to faces.
- 49. OBSERVATIONS: People were drawn first, to faces.
- 50. OBSERVATIONS: People were drawn first, to faces.
- 51. FINDINGS EarlierPoyntereyetrackfindings…inlieu ofadominantelement,facesdrewattention.
- 52. FINDINGS EarlierPoyntereyetrackfindings…inlieu ofadominantelement,facesdrewattention.
- 53. FINDINGS EarlierPoyntereyetrackfindings…inlieu ofadominantelement,facesdrewattention.
- 54. FINDINGS EarlierPoyntereyetrackfindings…inlieu ofadominantelement,facesdrewattention.
- 55. FINDINGS EarlierPoyntereyetrackfindings…inlieu ofadominantelement,facesdrewattention.
- 56. FINDINGS Test subjects showed great interest in interactions between people in a photo.
- 57. They were also interested in the interaction between people in the frame. FINDINGS “Emotional” content was often cited as making a photo most interesting.
- 58. FINDINGS Captions were well read in the study.
- 59. FINDINGS The longer or better-developed a caption, the more likely the photo itself received attention.
- 60. OBSERVATIONS:
- 61. People look back and forth between caption and image, establishing context.
- 62. FINDINGS Captions in our survey of user-generated photographs tended to be poorly-developed.
- 63. Mostmemorable?
- 64. FINDINGS Each photo cited as “most memorable” was a professional image.
- 65. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “My gosh, this told a story. And, it immediately drew me in.”
- 66. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “The one of the two ladies leaving the dance floor. You could tell that they were happy. The picture, itself, told a good story. Not the caption—just the picture itself.”
- 67. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “The two guys hugging. It captured emotion. It was being in the right place and capturing the photo at exactly the right time.”
- 68. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “A girl being happy and young and carefree over this very, very somber place. It was just a great picture.”
- 69. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “The little girl—there’s obviously the contrast between life and death. It was a natural photo that represented some very interesting ideas. And the moment that it captured … it seemed very genuine.”
- 70. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “I’m not a sports person, at all. But … it’s a high quality photo, catching the moment—the guy being called out on whatever base it was. I remember the emotion in the moment.”
- 71. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “A dramatic, human moment. Something that can tell the story on it’s own. Something I don’t see. Like, the firefighters getting the bus driver out … without that picture we would never have that perspective.”
- 72. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “There was like a split second where she let go of the golf club — and it was crystal clear. It was up close. It caught a big moment. That’s the kind of stuff I like to linger over, and just marvel at.”
- 73. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “Rich and beautifully colored. Technical perfection. Clarity of focus.”
- 74. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “The guy with a flamingo wrapped around his head. It was such a fun, unexpected picture.”
- 75. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “The photographer would have had been laying on the ground! And, this is what we’ve all been feeling here in Minnesota. Ready for spring.”
- 76. MOST MEMORABLE PHOTOGRAPHS: “It’s not that it’s rare, it’s that someone has decided to see it!”
- 77. What is quality?
- 78. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: People weren’t shy when describing what they didn’t like: — nothing of interest in that photo to me, personally — just the backs of heads — just another, every day moment — just someone smiling at the camera, posed — just a crowd shot — just another snapshot — just a cell phone picture — a line-up of people, rather than a moment — PR pictures, social media pictures — too far away from the subject — cropped funny — no story to it — not enough information
- 79. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: People weren’t shy when describing what they didn’t like: — nothing of interest in that photo to me, personally — just the backs of heads — just another, every day moment — just someone smiling at the camera, posed — just a crowd shot — just another snapshot — just a cell phone picture — a line-up of people, rather than a moment — PR pictures, social media pictures — too far away from the subject — cropped funny — no story to it — not enough information
- 80. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: People weren’t shy when describing what they didn’t like: — nothing of interest in that photo to me, personally — just the backs of heads — just another, every day moment — just someone smiling at the camera, posed — just a crowd shot — just another snapshot — just a cell phone picture — a line-up of people, rather than a moment — PR pictures, social media pictures — too far away from the subject — cropped funny — no story to it — not enough information
- 81. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: People weren’t shy when describing what they didn’t like: — nothing of interest in that photo to me, personally — just the backs of heads — just another, every day moment — just someone smiling at the camera, posed — just a crowd shot — just another snapshot — just a cell phone picture — a line-up of people, rather than a moment — PR pictures, social media pictures — too far away from the subject — cropped funny — no story to it — not enough information
- 82. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: People weren’t shy when describing what they didn’t like: — nothing of interest in that photo to me, personally — just the backs of heads — just another, every day moment — just someone smiling at the camera, posed — just a crowd shot — just another snapshot — just a cell phone picture — a line-up of people, rather than a moment — PR pictures, social media pictures — too far away from the subject — cropped funny — no story to it — not enough information
- 83. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: People weren’t shy when describing what they didn’t like: — nothing of interest in that photo to me, personally — just the backs of heads — just another, every day moment — just someone smiling at the camera, posed — just a crowd shot — just another snapshot — just a cell phone picture — a line-up of people, rather than a moment — PR pictures, social media pictures — too far away from the subject — cropped funny — no story to it — not enough information
- 84. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: People weren’t shy when describing what they didn’t like: — nothing of interest in that photo to me, personally — just the backs of heads — just another, every day moment — just someone smiling at the camera, posed — just a crowd shot — just another snapshot — just a cell phone picture — a line-up of people, rather than a moment — PR pictures, social media pictures — too far away from the subject — cropped funny — no story to it — not enough information
- 85. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Poor quality” “TV stations that say, ‘Hey, send us pictures from your backyard!’ ” ! ! ! !
- 86. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “A few grip-and-grins, and people holding up fish.” ! ! ! ! ! “Poor quality”
- 87. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: Words to describe “less than quality” photos: “A few grip-and-grins, and people holding up fish.” ! ! ! ! !
- 88. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “I can see them going in, to get the glasses for the eclipse … but, it would have been great to see the glasses.” Lowest quality ratings:
- 89. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Just a bunch of people, standing in a line.” Lowest quality ratings:
- 90. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “I just don’t care! I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what’s going on in the game. It doesn’t seem newsworthy. Maybe with social media … but news, no.” Lowest quality ratings:
- 91. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “I looked and looked, but a photo of a dock where a boat floated away isn’t much of a photo.” Lowest quality ratings:
- 92. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “The subject of this is barely in the picture.” Lowest quality ratings:
- 93. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Quality” photos: — tells me a story vs. just capturing a scene ! — the right place at the right time ! — kismet, in terms of the moment ! — subject matter that has some currency or relevance ! — capturing the exact moment that’s crucial to the action — dramatic, human moments ! — makes you say “wow” ! — a perspective I might never see ! ! !
- 94. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Quality” photos: — tells me a story vs. just capturing a scene ! — the right place at the right time ! — kismet, in terms of the moment ! — subject matter that has some currency or relevance ! — capturing the exact moment that’s crucial to the action — dramatic, human moments ! — makes you say “wow” ! — a perspective I might never see ! ! !
- 95. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Quality” photos: — tells me a story vs. just capturing a scene ! — the right place at the right time ! — kismet, in terms of the moment ! — subject matter that has some currency or relevance ! — capturing the exact moment that’s crucial to the action — dramatic, human moments ! — makes you say “wow” ! — a perspective I might never see ! ! !
- 96. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Quality” photos: — tells me a story vs. just capturing a scene ! — the right place at the right time ! — kismet, in terms of the moment ! — subject matter that has some currency or relevance ! — capturing the exact moment that’s crucial to the action — dramatic, human moments ! — makes you say “wow” ! — a perspective I might never see ! ! !
- 97. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Quality” photos: — tells me a story vs. just capturing a scene ! — the right place at the right time ! — kismet, in terms of the moment ! — subject matter that has some currency or relevance ! — capturing the exact moment that’s crucial to the action — dramatic, human moments ! — makes you say “wow” ! — a perspective I might never see ! ! !
- 98. FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “Quality” photos: — tells me a story vs. just capturing a scene ! — the right place at the right time ! — kismet, in terms of the moment ! — subject matter that has some currency or relevance ! — capturing the exact moment that’s crucial to the action — dramatic, human moments ! — makes you say “wow” ! — a perspective I might never see ! ! !
- 99. What makes a photo worth publishing?
- 100. SELECTED COMMENTS FROM EXIT INTERVIEWS: “(A photo where) someone’s recognizing the detail in something. If I feel like I’m actually seeing what they’re seeing.” ! ! ! !
- 101. Here’s why this was worth your time.
- 102. Peopleclearlyrecognizethequality ofprofessionallygeneratedphotos. HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 103. Themostmemorablephotosin thisstudyweretakenbyprofessionals. HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 104. Peopleequatequalityphotography withcontext,emotionandstorytelling. HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 105. Peopleshowinterestininteractions betweenpeopleinaphoto. HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 106. Moreattentionisdrawntophotos ofrealpeople,doingthingsinrealtime —ratherthanstaticorposedphotos. HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 107. Goodcaptionsmatterforcontext. HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 108. Captionswithprofessionalimages aregenerallymoredevelopedthan UGCimages. HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 109. Moretimeisspentwithphotographs thathavestrongcontext: ! a genuine moment ! interaction/relationships ! emotion ! well-developed caption ! rare perspective ! storytelling ! HERE’S WHY THIS IS WORTH YOUR TIME
- 110. Some photos are purely informational.
- 111. Others show us time, place, moment and story.
- 112. Questions? @saraquinn ! #eyetrackphoto nppa.org
- 113. Questions? @saraquinn @kmcbride