ASSIGNMENT #06 Covering a Live Event

ASSIGNMENT #06

(Due Monday  3/30/15 (three weeks)

Live Event (Multiple Pictures)

PART 1

READING:

Guide to Photojournalism

By Brian Horton

Read pages 54-77

“News: Sensitivity, Thinking, Instinct and Curiosity”

Read pages 131-152

“Lessons; Horst Faas, J.Pat Carter, Alan Diaz”

PART 2

HISTORY OF PHOTOJOURNALISM

Please read the following DOC’s:

1. DOROTHEA LANGE
2. FSA PHOTOGRAPHERS
3. JACOB RIIS & LEWIS HINE

PART 3

Cover a Live Event / Multiple Pictures

Select a scheduled public event and photograph all aspects of the event in the form of a photo essay. Be sure to shoot various scenes, including overalls and details, and illustrate what the event is about. Get photos of all the important people and subject matter.

Select a carefully chosen event to shoot, thus you have three weeks to plan.

Suggestions; news event, parade,  rally, protest, performance, etc.

Do not shoot a sporting event, a press conference, fair, etc.

Check newspaper, campus fliers, and magazine listings for a schedule of events in your area.

Select an event that will be visual, not something static like someone standing at a podium talking. Think of some of the work reviewed in class. Your event selection is key, give it some thought and planning.

Be prepared to use your flash if necessary. Keep in mind some of the elements of good composition, avoiding; cluttered and distracting backgrounds, objects appearing behind heads, dead space, etc. Fill the frame, making interesting photographs that have impact. Composition, positioning, background, and lens selection should all be taken into consideration. Photos as a collection should illustrate what the event is about. Make the photos relevant, avoid repetition.

1. Select (8) different images must be submitted.
2. Be sure to include people in at least (6) photos.
3. Include (1) over-all, scene setter.
4. Include (1) detail or close up. Can be of a person. Make it relevant.
5. Include (1) vertical photo
6. Do not select repetitive photos.
7. CAPTION: be sure to get subject’s names and brief description of what they are doing,; who, what, when, where, why. Missing names will hurt your grade.
8. SLUG PHOTO AS FOLLOWS:

Last name_live event1.jpg Last name_ live event2.jpg

EXAMPLE: franklin_ live event1.jpg

franklin_ live event2.jpg

9. Place images in the “drop folder.”

Sp '15 Week 4

photo by  MAGGIE NAGLE

Agenda for today's classs

1.  Let's look, ASSIGNMENT #3   SELECTIVE FOCUS
2. Lesson; Video History of Photography
3. History of Photo Timeline, Roger Fenton
4.  Lesson; Composition
5. The Visual Language, also see PPP 
6. ASSIGNMENT #4, Composition
7. Photo essay; “"Bound to El Norte: Immigrant Stowaways on the Freight Trains of Mexico," by Don Bartletti



8. Steve McCurry; Magnum -good examples of composition
9. William Albert Allard -good composition
10. Coney island in Winter -by Yunghi Kim / Contact Press Images

ASSIGNMENT #04 Composition

ASSIGNMENT #04

(Due 3/9/15)

Composition

PART 1

READING:

National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide

Read pages 82-95, 160-165

Guide to Photojournalism

By Brian Horton

Read pages 79-101“Features and Portraits; Seeing the World Around Us.”

PART 2

HISTORY OF PHOTOJOURNALISM

(1)   Mathew Brady (see Photographer’s Bio’s)

PART 3

Good blog post on composition:
http://tomjungphotography.blogspot.com/2011/11/understanding-basic-composition.html

PHOTO 1: Make an environmental portrait of a person using “Rule of Thirds.

Subject: Make well-composed, expressive environmental portraits of a person in their place of work environment. Photo should give insight into what the person does. The environment should be obvious and explanatory. Make photos of subject in different positions, locations, with special emphasis on positioning.

Keep in mind:

YOU ARE IN CONTROL, this is a passive assignment.

There should be obvious foreground & background.

PHOTO 2: Make well-composed action photos of a person at work in their place of work environment using one of these compositional techniques: Framing.

This is an active assignment.

PHOTO 3: Make well-composed action photo, or portrait, of a person at work in their place of work environment using: Silhouette.    

This is an active or passive assignment.

This should be a Graphic Photograph. One that is visual and emphasizes the relationship between the lines, shapes and forms produces an aesthetically pleasing visual presentation.

Graphic elements are as important as the story-telling content with this assignment.

Keep in mind:

*Students must complete:
1. Select (1) best photo of each. (3) total.

2. Follow “Basic Photoshop”, use outline provided if needed.

3. Type complete caption in FILE INFO field in Photoshop, see instructions.

****CAPTION MUST STATE WHICH TECHNIQUE YOU ARE USING!

4.SLUG PHOTO AS FOLLOWS: 

Last name_ framing.jpg, Last name_ ruleofthirds.jpg, Last name_ silhouette.jpg

5. Place image in the “drop folder”

(remember to save a copy for yourself to you folder)

Sp 15 Week 3

"Self Portrait" -photo by Laura French

Saw some very nice photos from Week 1, strong self-portraits with self-expression. Let's keep up the good work.

Agenda for today's class

1. Let's look, ASSIGNMENT #2, Depth-of-field and Motion
2. NPPA Code of Ethics  -Be sure you've read this
3. Photo Basics PART II; Cameras, also see PPP.
4. Photo Basics PART III; Lenses, also see PPP.
5. ASSIGNMENT #3 Selective Focus
6. Photojournalist Paper assignment
7. Matt Rainey; After the Fire

Housekeeping:

• CAPTIONS!!!  please follow caption format and instructions, otherwise lose points.
• when reviewing the Powerpoint presentation, copy the PPP file to your HD then open from there. (Opening a large file like that across the server will put a drain on server, and in some cases -crash)
• Do NOT put folders in the DROP folder, just drag and drop the images solo. Thank you.
• be sure to slug each photo correctly, otherwise 1pt will subtracted from each assignment.
• Do not forget to do a complete and properly formatted caption, -1pt.
• check file size before submitting photo to DROP, 1-2MB per photo.
• check the Graded Folder.
• if you miss and assignment be sure to make it up and submit to drop ASAP.

Discussion:

• World Press Contest 2015
• NPPA comments on disqualified entries in this year's contest
• TIME WPP disqualifies 20% of all entries
• "And while World Press Photo believes there were no attempts to deceive or to mislead, the organization’s independent experts “found anomalies in a large number of files and presented their findings to the jury,” says Boering. “According to the contest rules, only retouching of files that conforms to currently accepted standards in the industry is allowed, and the jury is the ultimate arbiter of these standards.”
• Matt Rainey; After the Fire

Photojournalist Paper

Photojournalist Paper

Due 3/31/15

Each student will be required to select and contact a working photojournalist, conduct an interview and write a paper on the experience. The project will require research and preparation, and the ability to contact the photojournalist. Every effort should be made to try and accompany the photojournalist on an assignment. This will require planning and coordination.

*WEDDING & COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE NOT PERMITTED. **ONLY WORKING PHOTOJOURNALISTS & NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS!

***SELECT SOMEONE WITH REAL EXERIENCE –at least 5 years.

The goal of this assignment is for students to learn something about the field of photojournalism, which is undergoing cataclysmic changes, from a working professional who can offer personal insight. In addition to the list of questions below, students should prepare their own set of questions. Research on photographer’s background should be completed BEFORE interview session.

Be inquisitive. Get their advice. Get a sense of the photographer’s attitude, style, and perspective. This is a unique opportunity to get some real career insight, even in photojournalism is not in your future. There is much that can be learned from professionals in related fields.

1. The written paper should be minimum 2000 words (2-3 pages, no more), and written in the student’s own words... DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.

The written report must be a WORD document.

-12pt font, single-space, and submitted to the DROP FOLDER.

2. Shoot your own photo of the photojournalist, hopefully in action.

-Copy and paste 2-3 photos of photographers work into WORD document.

-Copy and paste 1-2 of your photos into WORD document.

3. The paper MUST follow this outline:

I. BACKGROUND

-Why was photographer selected?

-What is the photographer’s background?

-How did they get interested and started?

-Etc.

II. PHOTOGRAPHY WORK

-What type of work or projects is the photographer known for?

-List examples, and gives description.

-Copy and paste at least 2 photos into WORD document.

-Who do they work for now, in the past?

-Describe their job/assignments.

Etc.

III. JOB

-Describe their job/assignments.

-What aspects of their jobs are most satisfying? Least satisfying?

- What aspects of their jobs are most difficult?

-What advice do they have for young journalists?

-What are the most important skills to have to be a successful photojournalist?

-What changes in the business have they experienced?

-What does the future hold for photojournalists?

DO’s AND DON’Ts:

-Do not wait until the last minute to contact the photographer.

-Do not expect the photographer to get back to you immediately.

-Be persistent and assertive, and don’t wait for returned calls. Be proactive.

-Do research BEFORE contacting them. Impress them with what you already know about them. This will most likely lead to a better interview, and will show respect for their time.

-Ask for help in making initial contact.

-Make every opportunity to accompany them on an assignment.

Where to find a photojournalist?

-Get in the habit of looking for credits under published photos.

-your local newspaper

-Visit photojournalism web sites:

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/?_r=0   (NY Times Lens Blog)

www.nppa.org (National Press Photogs Association)

www.sportshooter.com (not just sports)

http://www.aphotoaday.org/ (a photo a day web site & blog)

www.njppa.org (New Jersey Press Photogs Association)

-NJ.com

-The Record northjersey.com

-The Asbury Park Press

-The Herald News

-The NY Times

-Review the PPP’s.

ASSIGNMENT #03 Selective Focus

ASSIGNMENT #03

(Due 3/2/15) Selective Focus

PART 1

READING:

National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide, pages 44-82

1. Focus; 76-82

PART 2

Photographer’s Bio’s:

2. History of Photography Timeline

3. History of Photojournalism; Roger Fenton

PART 3

SELECTIVE FOCUS is a technique in which one portion of a photograph is in focus, while other elements are blurred out-of-focus. The photographer makes the choice. Remember, the viewer's eye is naturally drawn toward the part of the photo that is in sharp focus. This is achieved by careful focus and employing shallow depth of field through the use of a wide aperture. The subject is isolated from its surroundings, through focus and depth-of-field.

Photo 1 

Photograph a person holding (or with) their favorite object, with obvious foreground vs. background. 

Demonstrate your understanding of "selective focus."  This is a creative and technical assignment. Make strong expressive photos! Shoot different angles, work the subject.

• Compose a photograph focusing on the object. 
• Only the object should be in sharp focus, NOT the person.
• Use depth-of-field and selective focus to try to isolate the subject from its surroundings.
• Create a clean, sharp image. 
• Be mindful of the technical issues we’ve discussed in class. 
• Review examples shown in class.

Photo 2

Photograph a person in a favorite room or place, with obvious foreground vs. background. There should be a connection between the person and the place.

• Compose a photograph focusing on the person. 
• Only the person should be in sharp focus. The room or place should not be in sharp focus.
• Use depth-of-field and selective focus to try to isolate the subject from his/her surroundings.
• Create a clean, sharp image. 
• Be mindful of the technical issues we’ve discussed in class.
• Review examples shown in class.

*Students must complete:

1. Select (1) best photo one of each.

2. use Photoshop to edit images.

3. Be sure to include a caption

4.SLUG PHOTO AS FOLLOWS:

EXAMPLES: yourlastname _ focus_person.JPG

***photos must be slugged correctly, -1pt

5. Place images in the “drop folder” (remember to save a copy for yourself to your folder) 

Sp 2015 Week 2

photo by THOMAS e. FRANKLIN / NorthJersey.com        northjersey.com/heroinreport

1. WORKFLOW  PHOTOSHOP   CAPTIONS
2. ASSIGNMENT #01 Self Portrait
3. Intro to Photojournalism (see PPP)
4. Photo Basic's PART I (see PPP)
5. Assignment #02 Depth of Field & Motion

REMINDERS:

• Do not email me assignment work;  docs, papers or photos, put in DROP
• Please do NOT print-out PowerPoint presentations
• Do NOT open PowerPoint presentations across SLICE server. Copy to your WORK drive
• remember to check email regularly
• be sure to LOG-OUT at end of class each week
• bring camera, to class each week with charged batteries,  instruction manual
• keep all 'out-take' images in your SLICE folder
• you are responsible for all material on the BLOG and in the Powerpoint, even if we do not cover all the material in class. (OFTEN WE WON'T GET TO EVERYTHING IN CLASS
• very important that you read & follow assignment instructions carefully!
• -be sure to caption & slug images correctly BEFORE placing in DROP folder
• -be sure assignment number and description is included in caption

DISCUSSION:

• northjersey.com/heroinreport
• Can PhotoJournalism survive in an Instagram era? MotherJones