FOUNDATIONSOF

PHOTOJOURNALISM180.3

Stop, [Levinas] seems to be saying to the man hurrying along in the rushing crowd. There beside you is another person. Meet him. This

sort of encounter is the greatest event, the most vital experience of all. —RYSZARD KAPUSCINKSI

PROFESSOR: PHYLLIS B. DOONEY

E: phy919@email.unc.eduP: 302.465.6154

OFFICE HOURS

M/W: 1:30 - 2:30

I do not have a consistent office space, so please contact me ahead of time to setup a

time/place to meet (ideally within the above office hours). I’m happy to do it.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre, 7th Edition

The Other by Ryszard Kapuściński

NOTES

This syllabus is flexible.Be prepared for change.

Show up for each other. Be on time.

Please turn off and put away phones.Please use laptops and class computers for

in-class exercises only.

Photo©Ed Kashi/VII Photo

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Learn how to effectively use your 35mm cameras. 2. Understand what makes a good photograph in terms of (1) content; (2) composition/aesthetics; (3) technical quality. 3. Acquire and develop the intellectual, technical and analytical skills of visual journalismcommunication. 4. To help you understand the essential contribution of the idea(s)to the photograph—the criticalelement that separates the picture taker from the picture maker.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT + MATERIALS

• A 35mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR) digital camera that allows you to manually set the f/stops andshutter speeds. • A lens (a 35mm is a common photojournalist’s lens and a 50mm lens is a standard lens).• Portable/external hard drive to archive your photography.• At least 1 camera data card, at least 16 GB (these are not available from Equipment Room).

NOTE: The Equipment Room has some equipment available for checkout (Canon Rebel Kits) and uses Con-nect2 for checkout.

http://jhelp.web.unc.edu/files/2017/08/Equipment-Room-Policy.pdf

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENTS

All assignments are due at the beginning of class on their due date. You must 1) upload your edit onto OneDrive (Adobe RGB, JPGs, 300 dpi, 2000 pixels wide/tall (longest edge)) before class begins and 2) must be present with your edit on an external hard drive in class to receive a grade. Any as-signments turned in after that will receive a grade of 0. This will be strictly enforced with no ex-ceptions. If you must miss a class (for legitimate excuses cleared by me first) you must turn in your assignment the day it is due to receive a grade.

The first section of class is designed to get you comfortable with your camera and explore technique. There are 4 shooting assignments. Experiment. Play. Fail. Think of these as exercises—there is no such thing as failure if you demonstrate that you spent time on them and tried different approaches. Edits are expected to be approx. 10 images.

During the second section of class we work towards more intentional photographic assignment stories. There are 2 shooting assignments that you will have. I encourage you to maintain the mindset of ex-perimentation from section 1, however, these edits are expected to contain more thought provoking and polished images. Edits are expected to be approximately 15 images.

The remaining assigned photography for the class will be reserved for you to shoot your final proj-ect. This stage begins on March 18—from there on out, you will be shooting for your project regular-ly and expected to bring in work (photographs and fieldwork) to show on “Final Project Update” days.

RE: Editing. Editing is a critical part of the photography process. Take the time to sit with your images and pick your selects to bring to class. Of course, shoot a significant amount more than your actual class edit. Sequencing, likewise, is vital and will be integrated as the semester progresses.

RE: Captions. Captions are an essential element in the storytelling process. This begins in the field—take notes while you are shooting. Do not rely on memory. In this class we will be using AP style caption standards.

Important—no photographs taken before the semester begins will be accepted. You must shoot the as-signments during the 1-2 weeks that is allocated before the due date. Also, this is a documentary photography class. That means—except for still lifes and portraits—you may not “set up” pictures; no “posing” subjects; no photo manipulation, in any images.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Any written assignments are due at the beginning of class on their due date. Please print out your assignment, bring the hard copy to class and turn it in to me at the end of class in order to receive a grade. This includes what I call “essays,” “response summaries,” “pitches” or “ideas” in the syllabus. When I give a word count, it is an approxima-tion within 50 words.

ATTENDANCE + CLASS POLICY

While in class, all cell phones need to be silenced (vibrate does not count as silent) and put away. All class computer screens must be on sleep mode unless we are working on them. Laptops must stay in your book bags; note tak-ing must be done with paper and pen. A critical aspect of photo-journalism is learning how to fo-cus and listen and we will prac-tice this kind of attentiveness and respect in class. Screens are like second hand smoke; they are not simply distracting to you, they disturb those around you. This class policy is not flexible and will affect your grade.

Photo©Leonard Freed

ATTENDANCE + CLASS POLICY (cont.)

The field of journalism is going to require more of your mind, body and spirit than you can even fathom at this point. Think of yourself as an athlete-in-training and be prepared to work with en-durance, focus and commitment. If you bring your grit we will have loads of fun and go through a breathtaking journey together. It is critical that you attend every class. You cannot miss a class in order to shoot an assignment. You must be in class to present your work for critique; turning in an assignment on the server alone does not count.

Part of your grade evaluation will include participation. This includes discussions during critique and on any reading materials. We need each other.

You will be allowed 1 unexcused absence; after that 1 percentage point will be deducted from your FINAL GRADE. If your semester average is 91% and you miss 3 classes, your final average would be 89% and so forth. The exception to this will be a serious medical condition.

BEGIN ANYWHERE

—JOHN CAGE

CLASS SCHEDULE (subject to change)

WEEK 1

W: Jan 9Introductions, review syllabus, basic camera me-chanics (bring your equipment to class).

WEEK 2

M: Jan 14 Lecture: F-Stop, Shutter Speed, ISO, Menu Set-tings

DUE: Black + White Photography by Henry Horen-stein.

W: Jan 16

Lecture: Light

DUE: Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre (Chapters 1-4).

WEEK 3

M: Jan 21 >> NO CLASS (MLK DAY)

W: Jan 23

DUE (Critique): Shoot a day in your own life (morning through night) utilizing the follow-ing different camera settings: Shutter Speeds 1, 1/30, 1/250, and 1/1000 and F-Stops 2.8 (or 4), 11 and 22, with everything at ISO 400. Play with depth of field and blur/motion. Shoot indoors and outdoors. Bring an edit of 7-10 (with the varied

specified camera settings) on an external hard drive or on your SD/CF card. It is OK to shoot in JPG mode for this.

NOTE: This is the first and last time you will shoot JPGs or arrive to class with your images on your camera’s data card. From here on out you will be shooting RAW images, in Adobe RGB, and bringing in your edit (JPGs converted from the original RAWs, 2000 pixels wide/tall) to class on a thumb drive or external hard drive for cri-tique.

WEEK 4

M : Jan 28

Demo/Workshop: The Digital Workflow, From Camera to Computer

Lecture: Composition, Layers and “The Decisive Moment”

DUE: Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre (Chapters 1-4).

W: Jan 30

DUE (Critique): Shoot for LIGHT in an edit of approx. 10 images that capture a range of light-ing situations. For example, 2 backlit, 2 fron-tal lighting, 2 side lighting, 2 low light, 2 found artificial light, etc.

WEEK 5

M: Feb 4

Lecture: The Portrait

DUE: Find an issue of a local newspaper (past or present) and pick out an article. Write about the images that were selected to accompany the prose in an essay of 300-400 words. Describe how the photographs fail or succeed. Assess the images’ power and technique. Write critical-ly: avoid first-person (“I think...”) and instead talk about what the photos do (“The photos add a dimension...”).

W: Feb 6

DUE (Critique): Shoot street photographs for composition and layers. Fill up the frame with static and moving parts. Look for “The Decisive Moment” in your images. Capture a variety of fo-cal points. Bring in an edit of approx. 10 imag-es.

WEEK 6

M: Feb 11

DUE: Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre (Chapter 5), Notes from the Mar-gin of Spoiled Identity – The Art of Diane Arbus (1988) by Gary Badger: https://www.americansub-urbx.com/2012/07/diane-arbus-notes-from-margin-of.html

W: Feb 13

DUE (Critique): Shoot a portrait. Capture a va-riety of environmental portraits that reveal something about your subject. Get intimacy and

information. Get a variety of distance-to-sub-ject. Bring in an edit of approx. 10 images.

WEEK 7

M: Feb 18

Lecture: TBD

DUE: Research an event in the area, a sport-ing event for example, write a short pitch (100 words) on your plans/ideas to shoot it (“Local Event Assignment”). The event must take place before Feb 25 when the images are due.

W: Feb 20

Lecture: Assignment Work by visiting artist, Jeremy Lange

DUE: Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre (Chapters 8-9)

WEEK 8

M: Feb 25

DUE (Critique): Local Event Assignment. Bring in an edit of approx. 15 images.

W: Feb 27

DUE: Go to Sohp.org >> oral histories >> search the interview database. Pick an oral history to listen to, write a short summary and pitch (200 words) on your plans/ideas to shoot it for an Oct 9 deadline.

WEEK 9

M: March 4

DISCUSSION: Bring reading materials (from the entire semester) and be prepared to discuss.

DUE: Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre (Chapters 7 + 10)

W: March 6

DUE (Critique): Oral History Response Images

WEEK 10

>> NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK)

WEEK 11

M: March 18

Discussion: Ethics

DUE: The Other by Ryszard Kapuściński.

W: Mark 20

Lecture: The Picture Story

DUE: Go to >> https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/fsawr/fsawr.html#shooting >> shooting scripts and read over the various “shooting scripts.” Concept and research for your final project. Write down 3 pitches (100 words each) and bring to class. Refer to “pitch_guidelines.doc” in Sakai for format.

WEEK 12

M: March 25

Lecture: Editing + Sequencing

W: March 27

DUE (Critique): Final Project Update

WEEK 13

M: April 1

Lecture: Visiting Artist (TBD)

DUE: Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre (Chapter 11), Ways of Seeing: The Contemporary Photo Essay by Phil Bicker (Parts 1-5): http://time.com/3626915/ways-of-see-ing-the-contemporary-photo-essay/

W: April 3

DUE (Critique): Final Project Update

WEEK 14

T: April 8

Screening: Hondros by Greg Campbell

DUE: Photojournalism: A Professional’s Approach by Ken Kobre (Chapter 15).

W: April 10

DUE (Critique): Final Project Update (graded)

WEEK 15

M: April 15

DUE: Find a photography series that inspires your work, specifically your final project. Pre-pare an 8 min talk and slideshow on your findings and assessment of the photographer and this par-ticular body of work.

W: April 17

DUE: Continuation of previous class.

WEEK 16

M: April 22

TBD

W: April 24 >> Final Class

DUE: Final Project Pitch/Artist Statement (400 wds).

FRI: Equipment Return

FINAL EXAM

T: May 7, 8AM

DUE: Final Project and Presentations.

GRADING RUBRIC

A (94-100), A- (90-93), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D (60-69), F (0-59)

Your final grade will be determinedout of a 1000 point scale:

PHOTO

*4 Exercises: 402 Assignments: 100Final project progress report (April 10): 501 Final Project: 400

WRITTEN

*Local Paper Story Assessment (300-400 words): 10*Oral History Pitch (200 words): 10 *Local Assignment Pitch (100 words): 10*3 Final Project Pitches (100): 10*Final Project Pitch (250 words): 10

Final Project Artist Statement/Pitch (400 words): 100

PRESENTATIONS

*Inspiring Photo Series (8 min): 10Final Project (10 min): 50

PARTICIPATION / EFFORT: 200

*NOTE: These assignments automatically receive a 10 for completion (alternatively, a 0 for incom-pletion).

THESHORTEST DISTANCEBETWEEN

TWO PEOPLE IS A GOOD

STORY.—PAULBAILEY

Photo©Jonas Bendiksen

CRITIQUES

Our goal: to discover what makes a good picture, to draw attention to the strengths and weakness-es in your edit, and to prepare you to go out and make imag-es that communicate more power-fully the next time. Critiques are essential to growth. Be hon-est, thoughtful and constructive. When receiving a critique of your work, appreciate it—you want feedback in order to grow. Don’t be so connected to your work that you lose sight of how it could be better. We are each others’ best critics and supporters. We will all experience the arc of not-so-great results along with high-light moments.

HONOR CODE

Students will operate within the requirements of the honor code. All work must be your own, must be done specifically for this class, and should be done with the high level of honesty and integrity that this University demands.

ACEJMC

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s accrediting body outlines a number of values you should be aware of and competencies you should be able to demonstrate by the time you graduate from our program.

Learn more here: http://www2.ku.edu/~acejmc/PROGRAM/PRINCIPLES.SHTML#vals&comps

No single course could possibly give you all of these values and competencies; but collectively, our classes are designed to build your abilities in each of these areas. In this class, we will address a number of the values and competencies, with special emphasis on points 5-10 and 12, under “Professional values and competencies” in the link above.

PHOTONIGHTS

PhotoNight is a monthly speak-er series that is held usually on the last Tuesday of every month. Presentations are from 7:30 pm – 9pm. Attendance at PhotoNight is considered part of the class and is mandatory and will be record-ed. Attendance will count accord-ing to the guidelines above. http://mj.unc.edu/photonight