| mark e. johnson photojournalism lecturer |
grady college of journalism & mass communication |
university of georgia |
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| photojournalism | photography | photo college |
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JOUR3710 :: Advanced Photojournalism Course Overview This is an advanced course in visual communication. “Communication” is the key word for this class – all of the images that you create need to communicate an idea, event or moment to an audience outside of this classroom. Photographs and stories need to resonate with readers – this is not a class for artists, no fuzzy pictures of trees allowed. (Hurricane coverage, maybe, excepted from this rule.) This course is designed to help you build upon the skills you already have and learn new ones. Content will be the most important factor, although we will spend time working on location lighting and exploiting technologies for the betterment of our readers. Since the end result of your academic life should be the beginning of a successful professional career, this class will mirror many aspects of the working world. You will learn how to pitch your ideas and stories to editors through written proposals. You will learn to work with an editor and you will get a glimpse into the business side of the industry. You will also spend a significant amount of time shooting and much of the class will be spent critiquing your work. Reading assignments will be given out from time to time and you are expected to read the Athens Banner-Herald and The Red & Black on a daily basis. A class blog has been created for you to check and contribute to. There’s a strong argument to be made that the photograph is the most powerful of human creations. It packs information and emotion, it has the power to change lives and the ability to alter the current of history. It is a tool that must be wielded wisely and purposefully, and we will explore it thoroughly. This can be a class of frustrations – there are a lot of things that can go wrong. And, to be honest, there are a lot of things that will go wrong. What separates the great photojournalists from the clerks at the one-hour photo counter is their professionalism and perseverance, their desire to tell a story. Please leave your ego at the door – critiques will be constructive and strong. No one walks into this class with an A – if you knew everything already, you wouldn’t be here. You will be able to – and you should expect to – redo almost every assignment in this class. Learn to learn, that’s why you’re here. Topics of Discussion We will discuss a wide variety of topics and, depending on the needs and desires of the class, we may modify this listing:
Technicalities Deadlines are sacred. Therefore, any assignment not turned in by the assigned deadline will not be accepted and will be given a grade of zero. For assignments with electronic submissions, please budget your time accordingly. The intent of an education is to learn, not to just earn a grade. Because of that, any assignment that is turned in on time can be redone for a different grade. Redos are due two weeks after the graded work is returned to the class. (The final portfolio is excepted from this policy.) Grady College is a “professional” school and a high degree of professionalism is expected in this class. Attendance is mandatory, for as in the real world, work is done by those who show up. Not showing up for class will greatly affect your ability to succeed. Each unexcused absence will result in a one-half letter grade reduction in your final grade. Photojournalism takes commitment – commitment of time, commitment of mind. Nowhere is it written, or implied, that if you come to class and do the minimum amount of work, you will master the material. Every image must have a caption attached to it. The majority of your assignments will be submitted electronically and those images need to have a full, AP style caption attached to it that includes contact information for you. Images with missing captions will not be accepted and will be treated as a missed deadline. Grades will be based on a combination of factors.
Deviations from this syllabus may be necessary and will be announced in class. Supplies & Equipment You will be assigned a camera kit on the first day of class and additional equipment will be available for checkout throughout the semester. As this is a shooting class, you should bring your equipment every week. In-class exercises and shooting assignments will happen. Be prepared. You will need to purchase compact flash cards for use throughout the semester. Recommendations will be made in class. It is not advisable to store anything on the lab computers – they are not backed-up and they are not protected. Take everything home with you, every night. You will need to have business cards made within the first four weeks of class. A set of over-the-ear headphones will be very helpful for the audio assignments, though ear buds will work. We will use Kenneth Kobré’s Photojournalism: The Professionals’ Approach as a text book. It is also strongly recommended that you pick up Dave LaBelle’s The Great Picture Hunt 2. It contains a wealth of ideas on how to build contacts within communities and how to enterprise stories of value. Also recommended is Howard Chapnick's Truth Needs No Ally – anyone serious about photojournalism must read this book. Assignments
Other assignments may be added, including group projects, as needed. Workshop On Saturday, September 26, there will be a motorsports workshop at Road Atlanta, a race course in Brasleton, Ga. The American Le Mans Series will issue credentials to the class and visiting editors and we shall cover the eleventh running of the Petit Le Mans, a 10-hour long sports car endurance race. Details will be discussed in class. Grading
Academic Integrity All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” Each student is responsible for informing themselves about these standards before performing any academic work. The only reason readers continue to support newspapers is because they believe they are credible. All work done for this course must be your own and done this semester. If you are assisted during a shoot, it is advisable to note such help in your captions. Special Needs Students The Disability Resource Center provides academic services to eligible students who have a documented physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more life activities. Students with a disability or health-related issue who need a class accommodation should make an appointment to speak with the instructor as soon as possible.
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| e: mejohnso@uga.edu t: 706-542-5026 | © 2005-2009 mark e. johnson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||