Photojournalism

Course Expectations

Instructor: Jeff Coleman Room 107 720 423-7146

The best way to contact me is e-mail: jeff_coleman@dpsk12.org

Office hours: 7:00 AM-7:20 AM, 2:45 PM-3:15 PM daily

Overview: In this course we will explore the basic techniques of black and white photography , color photography, and videography as they relate to journalism and the arts. In the photography portion of the course students will learn to operate digital cameras to capture images and will use Adobe Photoshop to process their photos. The video component will involve learning to operate a video camcorder, do basic editing, and generate some simple special effects. The course will require considerable writing in the form of articles, captions, scripts, storyboards, etc. Throughout the course the focus will be on moving away from the production of snapshots and "home" video and moving toward the production of well composed photographs and video productions that will have an artistic quality beyond their content.

Textbook: None. Written material will be distributed in the form of class handouts.

Homework: While there will be little in this class that resembles traditional homework, students will be expected to spend considerable non-class time taking photos, shooting video footage, writing scripts, storyboards, and articles, and working on the computers to do photo processing and video editing.

Grading: Students will be graded on a number of tests, quizzes, and many projects. Point values will be given with each assignment or quiz. Mid-term and final grades will be based on a percentage of the possible points earned using the following scale:

93-100 =A 90-92=A- 87-89=B+ 83-86=B 80-82=B- 77-79=C+ 73-76=C 70-72=C- 60-69=D 0-59=F

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Photojournalism - Photo Assignment #1 - Composition

Date Due: Friday, September 5, 2008

Total Points Possible: 400

Photo requirements: Shoot 80-100 digital photos using the Panasonic Lumix cameras (100 pts.). There should be many examples of each composition technique studied among the photos taken:

Rule of Thirds - Divide the picture area into thirds vertically and horizontally, creating a tic-tac-toe grid, and center the subject of the picture at one of the intersections created by those imaginary lines.

Framing - Use an object in the foreground, like a tree branch or doorway to frame the subject.

Leading Lines - Use lines to create the illusion of depth in your two-dimensional photos. Diagonal and curved lines are especially effective.

Balance - Don't weight the picture to one side.

Simplicity - Keep one clear subject and an uncluttered background.

Mergers - Avoid having objects that are not connected look like they are connected.

Download the photos to the hard drive of your computer and choose the three best representations of each composition technique (50 pts.) Process the photos in photo shop to make them 480 pixels (h) by 640 pixels (w) or if they are vertically oriented 480 pixels (h)(100 pts.). Place the images into a PowerPoint presentation that includes a title slide, three slides for each composition technique, and a credits slide that identifies the photographer (100 pts.).

Written requirements: An explanation of each composition guideline included on the PowerPoint slides and titles that introduce each section of the slide show. (50 pts.)
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Photo Assignment #2 - Environmental Portrait /Manual Exposure

Deadline:
Points possible: 400

Overview: Shoot 80 frames of people using manual exposure settings on the camera. Download and process them in Photoshop for screen presentation. Select the best five for presentation in Powerpoint. Prepare the one best portrait for display as a 5” by 7” print at 300 dpi.

Rubric:
30-40 photos taken using manual exposure settings (50 pts)
Photos downloaded and five best processed in Photoshop and presented in PowerPoint (50 pts)
Best portrait prepared for print (50 pts)
Lighting (50 pts)
Sharpness (50 pts)
Contrast (50 pts)
Interest of subjects, including background and expression (100 pts)

Web Resources:
Anatomy of an Environmental Portrait:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/09/AR2006050901061.html
Environmental Portraits by Russ Burden: http://www.takegreatpictures.com/Articles/Details/params/object/10114/default.aspx
Henri Cartier-Bresson: http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/cb/index.htm
Jodi Cobb National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/biographies/cobb.html
Jodi Cobb PDN Gallery: http://www.pdngallery.com/cobrand/nikonnet/masters/jodi_cobb/

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Photo Assignment #3 - Landscape/Architecture - Manual Exposure Settings

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Deadline:
Points possible: 400
Overview: Shoot 80-100 frames of landscapes and/or buildings using manual exposure settings. Download and process them in Photoshop. Select the best five for presentation in Powerpoint.

Rubric:
80-100 photos taken using manual exposure settings (50 pts)
Photos downloaded and processed in Photoshop and presented in PowerPoint
Color Balance (50 pts)
Saturation (50 pts)
Contrast (Levels/Curves) (50 pts)
Composition (50 pts)
Lighting (avoid backlighting) (50 pts)
Focus (50 pts)
Interest of subjects, including background (50 pts)

Web Resources:
Ansel Adams - http://www.anseladams.com/
Jack Dykinga - http://www.dykinga.com/Site/Welcome.html
John Fielder - http://www.johnfielder.com/index.php
Galen and Barbara Rowell - http://www.mountainlight.com/

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Overview: You will create Photoshop images using parts of at least two separate photographs. You may use more than two photos if you wish. Model your work on that of Scott Mutter. Images should be combined so that they create the illusion of a single image. Use the Panasonic Lumix camera to shoot at least 50 frames. Plan your shoots so that you get consistent lighting in photos that you plan to combine. You will create at least three of these combined images. You may work in color or black and white or both.

Photo requirements: Shoot 50 frames. For this assignment you may check out cameras overnight, on weekends, and on holidays. Cameras are due back in room 107 by 7:25am of the next school day. Failure to return cameras on time will result in a loss of project points. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Photoshop requirements: Process your photos for print. You should finish with at least three different images of 8” by 10” at 300 dpi. The final products should be flattened JPEG files. The best of these three images will be printed for display. All of your class time should be spent either taking pictures or working with Photoshop. You should spend much of your time experimenting with Photoshop and discovering its capabilities, even those that don’t specifically apply to the project you are working on.

Written requirements: You will write a one paragraph explanation of the process of creating the photos and any symbolism or meaning behind each of your three finished images. Total for all three images 1 page, word-processed, spell-checked, Times 12 point, double-spaced, 1” margins.

Fifty frames shot and downloaded 50
Consistent use of classroom time for photographing and processing 50
Three completed combined images, including one print (100 ea. photo) 300
• For each print are the photos sharp and well-lighted with good contrast? (25 ea)
• Is the image well-composed? (25 ea)
• Does the image look seamless or is it obvious that multiple images were
combined? (25 ea)
• Are the light and shadows consistent in all parts of the image? (25 ea)
Visual interest of subject matter 50
Written explication of the process and meaning of the images 50

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still life n., pl. still lifes. 1. Representation of inanimate objects, such as flowers or fruit, in painting or photography. 2. A painting, picture, or photograph of inanimate objects.

Overview: Shoot 80-100 frames of inanimate objects. Shoot half of your frames using Manual Exposure settings and the other half using Macro exposure settings. Download and process them in Photoshop. Select the best ten for presentation in Powerpoint. Prepare the best one for print.

Rubric:
50-60 photos taken (50 pts)
Photos downloaded and processed and 10 presented in PowerPoint (50 pts)
Best photo prepared for print (50 pts)
Effective management of classroom time (50 pts)
Lighting (50 pts)
Sharpness (50 pts)
Composition (50 pts)
Interest of subjects (50 pts)

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Overview: Shoot 50-60 frames of circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, or trapezoids. Shoot all of your frames using Manual Exposure settings. Download and process them in Photoshop. Select the best five for presentation in Powerpoint.

Rubric:
Project completed on time (25 pts.)
50-60 photos taken using Manual exposure settings (25 pts.)
Efficient use of class time (25 pts.)
Photos downloaded and processed and 5 presented in PowerPoint (25 pts.)
Lighting (25 pts.)
Sharpness (25 pts.)
Composition (25 pts.)
Interest of subjects (25 pts.)

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Overview: In this lesson you will use photographs taken of parts of your subject and then reassembled to address the concepts of time, motion, and narrative in still photographs. These photocollages or “joiners” are influenced by cubist painting and show some resemblance to cubist works. The objectives are:
• To gain a new perspective on the capabilities of still photography for expressing motion and three-dimensionality.
• To expand your technical skill with the Panasonic Lumix digital camera.
• To expand your knowledge of and facility with Adobe Photoshop.
• To begin to develop a sense of the quality of your own work by self-evaluation.

Activities:

1) You will select a subject and photograph it in parts using the Panasonic Lumix digital camera.
2) You will download your photos to the hard drive of your computers and process them for printing using Adobe Photoshop. Photos should be processed to approximately 3” by 5” at 300 dpi and converted to CMYK color TIFF files.
3) You will import your photos into a 12” by 18” Adobe Photoshop document, arrange the photos to express time, narrative, or three dimensionality, and print the final product on 13” X 19” glossy photo paper
4) You will evaluate your own work and that of your peers.

_____ Project completed on time (50 pts.)
_____ Consistent use of class time for shooting photos and working in Photoshop (50 pts.)
_____ At least 60 digital photographs taken on Manual exposure and downloaded (50 pts.)
_____ Photos processed in Photoshop to approx. 3 X 5, 300dpi, CMYK, JPG files (50 pts.)
_____ Exposure (light and contrast) (50 pts.)
_____ Sharpness (50 pts.)
_____ Composition (50 pts.)
_____ Photos placed and arranged in a 12” by 18” Photoshop document (50 pts.)
_____ Final product prepared for print on 13” X19” photo stock (50 pts.)
_____ Creativity and interest of subject (50 pts.)

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