PHOTOJOURNALISM PRACTICE I -BPH302

Study the taking photos for a specific publication, submitting work for publication, and meeting the requirements of an editor and publisher.

With so many would-be photographers around, publishers can afford to be very choosy. Most will only accept work from photographers who have already been published, but getting that first work published can be a daunting and difficult task. Many very good photographers just never get published at all.

 

This course provides our students with just what they need: an opportunity to get work published. An average student can successfully complete this course in 100 hours. If you pace yourself and spend that amount of time, you will probably be working to an expected level. You may spend more or less time, as this is a general guideline only.


Course Content and Structure

This course takes you through the processes of taking photos for a specific publication, submitting work for publication, and meeting the requirements of an editor and publisher.

1. A Short History of Photojournalism

2. Ethics and Photojournalism

3. What Should I Photograph?

4. How Should I Photograph It?

5. Photo Stories / Editing Images

6. Publishing Opportunities

7. Working to Specification / Problem Based Learning

8. Publishing Using Online Management Systems

9. Taking Photos and Submitting Images

10. Writing Articles and Captions to Accompany Your Image

11. Revising Submitted Work

Under the guidance of a mentor (a photography/ journalism tutor), you will learn to produce images to specific criteria and upload them to an online student magazine. You will come away with at least one published photo story and possibly an accompanying article. No matter what you want to photograph, you will find this a great learning experience.


Course Duration: 
100 hours


Aims

  • Discuss the nature and scope of photojournalism
  • Explore issues of ethics in photojournalism and develop an understanding of your own biases.
  • To explore the composition of photographs and associated legal issues.
  • To revise basic terms used in photojournalism.
  • Understand the photo story and the effect of editing and placement on the meaning of an image.
  • Research International web sites for publishing and looking at work
  • Explain publishing specifications, and apply that understanding to specific photography tasks.
  • Develop an understanding of online management systems.
  • Improve your Photography Style and submitting images for publication
  • Develop your writing abilities to accompany your images.
  • Revise your Submitted Work

Photojournalism differs from other kinds of photography in that the emphasis is on the tenants of journalism, namely timeliness, accuracy, fair representation of facts and the context of the event and accountability to the public.

Photojournalism is slightly different to other forms of professional photography in that it adheres to the principles of journalism, which are –

  • Accuracy
  • Timeliness
  • Fair representation of the context of events
  • Reporting of facts
  • Accountability

For example, a portrait photographer is also documenting an event, but their responsibility is to the client and what the client wants to see. A journalist, on the other hand produces news for the public, and should be accurate.

A photojournalist also has a responsibility to put things into context. For example, one man throwing a brick through a shop window can look like one act of criminal behaviour. But if we widen out the image, we may find that there is actually a riot with many people throwing bricks and harming property. So to only show the one person wouldn’t give an accurate reflection of actual events.

WHAT IS IN EACH OF THE LESSONS?

  1. A Short History of Photojournalism
    • Overview
    • History of photojournalism
    • Famous photographers
    • Margaret Bourke-White
    • Gordon Parks
    • Diane Arbus
    • Nick Ut
    • Larry Burrows
  2. Ethics and Photojournalism
    • Hypothetical
    • What is ethics
    • Schools of Philosophy
    • Utilitarianism
    • Rationalism
    • Humanism
    • Kant
    • Socrates
    • Other philosophers
    • Digital manipulation and ethics
    • How ethical is digital manipulation
    • Real life
    • Codes of ethics
    • Guidelines for making ethical decisions
    • Ethics in practice
  3. What Should I Photograph?
    • Composition
    • Things to consider
    • Camera techniques to help with composition
    • Principles of photographic composition
    • Qualities of the components
    • Effects of different angles on the subject
    • Legal issues
  4. How Should I Photograph It?
    • Terms to learn and understand
    • Depth of field
    • Digital vs conventional photography
    • Shutter speed
    • Development of photographic style
    • Equipment and materials
    • Sensitometry
    • Lighting
  5. Photo Stories / Editing Images
    • Overview
    • Ethics of digital manipulation
    • Controversy of fairy photos
    • Correctly interpreting photos
  6. Publishing Opportunities
    • Overview
    • Portfolio
    • Online portfolio
    • Direct portfolios
    • Slide portfolios
    • CD's
    • Using flash
    • Music
    • Standing out
    • Writing a cover letter
    • Your resume
    • Creating a job hunt database
    • How to get work
    • How to find a job
    • What type of clients do you want
  7. Working to Specification / Problem Based Learning
    • Overview
    • Photography specifications
    • Consistency
    • PBL Project to develop and draft submission specifications for an electronic publication and then shoot a photo story which meets these specifications. You firstly need to identify two possible subjects for a photo story for that publication, and then follow one of these stories for an extended period of time. You will then select and edit your images - to meet the specifications created for that publication.
  8. Publishing Using Online Management Systems
    • Types of digital files
    • Publishing online
  9. Taking Photos and Submitting Images
    • Portraiture vs photojournalism
    • Sports photography
    • Freezing action
    • Blurring movement
    • Panning
    • Sports photography using a digital SLR
    • Photographing an event
    • Submitting images for publication
  10. Writing Articles and Captions to Accompany Your Image
    • Overview
    • Sentences and phrases
    • Writing effective sentences
    • Choosing effective words
    • Paragraphs
    • Punctuation
    • Newsworthy articles
    • News values
    • Storyline
    • Writing a news article
    • Writing captions
  11. Revising Submitted Work
    • Overview
    • Tips to improve your work