Effective photojournalism interprets events through human values. (Photocritique).

Photojournalism involves more than superficially illustrating news stories and features. Effective photojournalists interpret, rather than record, the news by expressing values that all of us share as human beings.

Philadelphia freelance photojournalist Kim Weimer ([e-mail]) is such a photographer. Just out of art school in 1983, Weimer attended one of my workshops and went on to build a career in photojournalism based on her ability to interpret news and events by consistently capturing expressive human values on film.

Human values are expressed through gesture and body language, and Weimer is masterful at finding that moment in light, time and space that conveys human response as symbols of the values we share.

For example, Weimer covers a bingo game by anticipating a cry of victory, and gets it on film. Two arms raised in triumph, a face with eyes shut and mouth open, unequivocally tells us who won. We share the winner's moment of exultation. Winning (and, of course, losing) is a basic human value.

Weimer's portrait of a young orator expresses more complex human values. She calls this picture simply "Messenger". He flings his arm into the corner of the shot--his palm is open. In the other corner, he clutches a book to his body. Weimer underexposes to abstract the image, causing his body and arms to vanish into blackness, leaving only the palm, the book and a stoic, determined expression to communicate. This photograph expresses at least four profoundly human values. The subject seems to be a charismatic young preacher, bringing his message to others with self-confidence, authority and a touch of pride.

The third example, which Weimer captions "March Sadness," expresses loss. Five young women embrace each other in the wake of what appears to be a tragic event. They bond in their grief. Hands are pressed to faces, heads are buried on the shoulders of others. All wear sporting garments. "March Sadness" is a losing basketball tram. We can relate to loss. It's a comnon human value, and Weimer uses it to interpret and make her point abut the outcome of a sporting event.

Weimer's final example takes us to a flower show. Instead of showing us acres of flowers, she puts the flora out of focus and focuses on two people reacting to what they are seeing. The caption reads "Like mother, like daughter." Each raises forefinger to lip in identical gestures of thought. Through this incongruous set of responses, Weimer's interpretation expresses values unique to human beings--the ability to wonder, marvel and think about those special things we discover along the way.

In each of these examples, Weimer interprets events by capturing spontaneous natural gestures, linking them to evocative body language, and thereby expressing basic human values that all of us understand.

Philip N. Douglis, ABC, is director of The Douglis Visual Workshops, now in its 31st year of training communicators in visual literacy, Douglis, an IABC Fellow, is the most widely known consultant on editorial photography for organizations. He offers a comprehensive six-person Communicating with Pictures workshop every May and October in Oak Creek Canyon, near Sedona, Ariz. For current openings and registration information, call Douglis at 602-493-6709, or e-mail him at [e-mail]. He also welcomes tear sheets for possible use in this column. Send to The Douglis Visual Workshops, 2505 E. Carol Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85028.