INTERVIEWING

23 tips for photojournalism students HERE.

13 techniques for interviewing HERE.

10 tips for interviewing HERE.

...more tips HERE.

The Situation Room photo.

An interesting dissection of the photograph HERE.

The Power of a Photograph

Image via The White House

An article about this photograph at The Atlantic HERE.

CNN Video HERE

An interesting article about body language and perceived power HERE.

And the inevitable photoshopped memes HERE.

WANTED: Dead or Alive...or Photoshopped?

Here is another example of why, in this age of instantaneous news - and the ability of anyone with a computer to make an image (!) - you must look, read, and think critically when digesting news. New York Times link HERE.

Photos can be falsified.
News can be reported with a bias.
You, as a thinking human being must be vigilant, aware, and not simply eat what is fed to you just because someone put it on the plate on the plate.

Photographing Conflict

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/21/conflict.journalists.bang.bang.club/index.html

RIP: Tim Hetherington & Chris Hondros

Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, photojournalists, were killed today while covering the conflict in Misrata, Libya.
Story HERE.
and HERE


Tim Hetherington



Chris Hondros

Hetherington's site HERE

Hondro's site HERE

HISTORY PRESENTATION

FORMAT:
1. Powerpoint
2. Slides: Seven minimum/Ten maximum
3. Pictures, pictures, pictures.
4. Timeline of life with major events/photographs noted

Robert Capa
Margaret Bourke-White
Gordon Parks
Alexander Gardner
Mathew Brady
Dorothea Lange
Henri Cartier-Bresson
W. Eugene Smith
Weegee
Alfred Eisenstaedt

Plus one person from this list HERE

Points to make:
1. Life
2. Focus of work
3. Noteworthy photographs
4. Major events in his/her life
5. Why is this person important?
6. Their legacy

SEVEN NEWS VALUES: Review

Coming through in flying colors, Hindu devotees celebrate Holi, the festival of color, dance, and crowds, at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, about 87 miles from New Delhi, on March 18. Vrindavan is a famous place for Holi celebrations. (Kevin Frayer/Associated Press) (courtesy The Big Picture (Boston.com))



On the most basic level, photojournalism is telling stories with photographs. But on top of that, the stories created must follow the rules of journalism. We will discuss stories throughout the semester; using examples of how to do a relevant, sound, creative, and interesting photo essay. Seven news values are used to determine the worthiness of a story: impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, bizarreness, conflict, and currency.

We often speak of seven news values held by news media gatekeepers – impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, bizarreness, conflict, and currency.

Impact: The number of people whose lives will be influenced in some way by the subject of the story. For instance, a bakery strike may have less impact than a postal strike.

Timeliness: Recent events have higher news value than earlier happenings. Of particular value are stories brought to the public ahead of the competition. These are known as scoops.

Prominence: For the same occurrence, people in the public eye have higher news value than obscure people. For example, we cared that basketball pro Magic Johnson and actor Rock Hudson had AIDS, while an ordinary citizen with AIDS would not have commanded the attention of the national news media.

Proximity: Stories about events and situations in one's home community are more newsworthy than events that take place far away. For example, journalists assess the value of a news item reporting tragic deaths by comparing the number of deaths with the distance from the home community. For instance:
if 1,000 persons drown in a flood in a faraway country, the story has about the same news value as a story describing how 100 persons drowned in a distant part of the United States.

In turn, that 100 person story has about the same news value as a story concerning 10 flood victims within our own state.

Finally, a story about those ten victims has about the same value as a story describing a flood which drowns one person in our local community.

Bizarreness: A classic example of this is dog-bites-man vs. man-bites-dog. Man-bites-dog is more bizarre. Dog-bites-man usually is not news.

Conflict: Strife is newsworthy. War. Public anger or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues.

Currency: More value is attributed to stories pertaining to issues or topics that are in the spotlight of public concern rather than to issues or topics about which people care less. Stories come and stories go. For example:

At the beginning of the 1990s, there were stories about the First Gulf War, the Savings and Loan Crisis, and Senate confirmation hearings on Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court.

As time passed, those stories became less interesting and were replaced by the Los Angeles Riots, the Miami hurricane, the new World Wide Web, a comet colliding with Jupiter, World Trade Center bombing, Unabomber life sentence, and the presidential elections.

In turn, those stories were replaced by Somalia, Bosnia, O.J. and Haiti.

In 1997, the death of Princess Diana, the Hong Kong handover, Pathfinder on Mars, cloning, the Oklahoma City bombing, and Big Tobacco money.

In 1998, start of the swine flu pandemic, California smoking ban

In 1999, JFK Jr. dies in a plane crash, the Clinton impeachment trial, Microsoft monopoly, war over Kosovo, Columbine school shooting, and the Y2k millennium worries.

In 2000, the arrival of the millennium, the dot-com bubble burst, the gun control debate, W elected president.

In 2001, George W. Bush inaugurated, the September 11 attacks, war in Afghanistan, Russian space station falls into the Pacific Ocean, Timothy McVeigh executed, stem cell research.

In 2002, SARS, U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Andrea Yates guilty of drowning her 5 children, the Queen Mother dies, Mars Odyssey finds water ice, American Taliban pleads guilty, Beltway snipers arrested, Department of Homeland Security formed.

In 2003, Iraq disarmament crisis, the war and occupation of Iraq, bird flu, sons of Saddam Hussein killed by U.S. military, The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, Human Genome Project completed, Bush "Mission Accomplished" speech, Eric Rudolph captured, Staten Island Ferry crash, last Concorde flight, Green River Killer confesses, mad cow disease in Washington state, Strom Thurmond and Johnny Cash die.

In 2004, the stream of earlier stories were replaced by the Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami, the President's vision of travel to Mars, same-sex marriage, the hanging of American contractors in Iraq, evidence of water on Mars, the Madrid train attack, the Iraq prison abuse scandal, the 9/11 Commission findings, hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, the Olympics in Greece, high gas prices, Fallujah, W re-elected president.

In 2005, George W. Bush inaugurated, Hurricane Katrina, Huygens lands on Titan, Kyoto Protocol, Abu Ghraib prison scandal, non-stop solo flight around the world, BP oil refinery explosion in Texas, Pope John Paul II and Rosa Parks die, Live 8 concerts, Kashmir earthquake, Saddam Hussein trial, first human face transplant.

In 2006, Saddam Hussein hanged, NASA returns dust from a comet, Indonesia earthquake kills 6,000, Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, Pluto downgraded from planet, North Korea's first nuclear test.

In 2007, the Virginia Tech massacre, Live Earth concerts, last harry Potter book, Writers Guild strike, Benazir Bhutto assassinated.

In 2008, $100-a-barrel oil, markets plunge, the Great Recession begins, Fidel Castro resigns, Dmitry Medvedev is president of Russia, Bill Gates retires, first bionic eyes implanted, Beijing Olympics, Barack Obama elected.

In 2009, Obama inaugurated, Michael Jackson and Walter Cronkite die, the health care debate, H1N1 flu pandemic, Iranian student riots.

In 2010, Haiti earthquake, Chile earthquake, China earthquake, volcanic ash from Iceland disrupts Europe, Pakistan monsoon, tallest man-made structure opened in Dubai, Poland president killed in airplane crash, actor Tony Curtis dies, Deepwater Horizon oil platform explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Wikileaks, North Korea sinks South Korean warship and later shells South Korea, school bullying.

And so on...

ETHICS #1

NPPA CODE OF ETHICS
The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Code of Ethics (HERE) offers nine ethical standards to member journalists. The basic premises of the NPPA's nine standards are:

1. Accurately represent subjects
2. Do not be manipulated by staged photos
3. Avoid bias and stereotyping in work; provide complete information and context
4. Show consideration for subjects
5. Avoid influencing the actions of the photographic subject
6. Editing should not give the wrong impression of the subjects in the photograph
7. Do not compensate persons involved in photographs or in getting a photograph
8. Do not accept gifts or other favors from those involved in a photo
9. Do not purposely interfere with the work of other journalists

These guidelines provide a framework for not only members of the NPPA, but for other photojournalists as well. In addition to the nine standards, a preamble and seven ideals are also outlined in the code, which further explain the NPPA's expectations regarding ethical photojournalistic reporting.

SITUATIONS IN PHOTOJOURNALISM ETHICS
Though the list of ethics from the NPPA listed above may seem clear-cut, it can become difficult to decide where to draw the line. Every situation is different, and the answer may not be as obvious as it may seem.

Each newspaper, news group or press association you may belong to as a photographer may have its own rules and regulations regarding ethics in photojournalism. If you want to become a photojournalist, it is important to understand how ethics play in your role in reporting the news.

PHOTO EDITING
The point at which editing becomes an ethics violation is a fine line. For instance, the NPPA took both an artistic edit and a montage edit to task in 2006 (Details HERE). In one instance, the photograph's colors were altered to create a more stunning visual. In the other, two photographs were fused together to create a photo that never really took place. Although the second incident is clearly an ethical violation, the first is not quite as clear, because it was color manipulation. Yet both are breaches of ethics, because they alter the way the events actually looked.

Similarly, the altered photograph of Iowan septuplet mom Bobbi McCaughey that appeared on the cover of Newsweek in 1997 drew much criticism for appearing to have straightened her teeth. Photojournalists need to take care that when they edit photographs, they do it for technical issues and not for the purpose of altering the actual image.

PHOTO CONTEXT
Explaining the context of the photograph is just as important as taking an accurate photo and presenting it with as few edits as possible. Celebrity gossip magazines and paparazzi are frequently accused of manipulating context of photographs. Hypothetically, a photographer could capture two stars standing near each other, appearing to smile at one another. However, the context of the photo may be that each celebrity is smiling at someone who is off camera. Presentation of the photo as "Celebrity X and Celebrity Y greet each other" would be misrepresenting the context of the photograph, and therefore be considered an ethical violation.

PRIVACY AND VIOLENCE IN PHOTOGRAPHS
Figuring out where to draw the line when it comes to the privacy of the public, especially in violent or emotional situations, is often difficult for photojournalists. Camping outside a private citizen's home just to get a shot of a returning disabled veteran from war is often considered a privacy intrusion, whereas photographing the solider returning home at a public celebration is not. Similarly, shooting ambulances racing to the scene of an accident, or passenger-free wreckage is usually considered necessary for a story. However, images of injured victims should be carefully reviewed before publication.

AVOID ETHICS VIOLATIONS
Photographic tampering and ethical violations have been around almost as long as the camera itself. The history of photojournalism includes many examples of ethical breaches. Learn about famous digitally altered photos HERE. Photos discussed include the famous President Lincoln photo, a photograph of Adolf Hitler and that of a National Geographic cover featuring Egyptian pyramids, among others.

The best way to avoid an ethics violation is to uphold truth in photojournalism. If you want to manipulate image colors or a subject's look, make sure the caption indicates that the image is a "photo illustration" or "artistic interpretation." Similarly, label stock images as such and make sure you note whether a photo was staged.

Taking a photojournalism ethics class is another excellent way to avoid breaching ethics. If you ever have a question regarding a photo you want to use, bring it to the attention of your editor, supervisor or boss.

A good rule to follow when it comes to truth in photojournalism is one of several espoused in the Society for Professional Journalist's Code of Ethics: Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations. By following this rule and those of the NPPA, photojournalists should be able to avoid most ethics violations. The full Code of Ethics can be found (HERE). Photojournalism ethics is a topic that should stay in the forefront of every photographer's mind when he or she snaps a photo and presents it as the truth.

PROJECT #3: A DAY IN THE LIFE

Ian Fisher: American Soldier (CLICK HERE).

Due for developing/contact sheeting on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 (ten points).

Directions: Choose a person(s) and tell the story of their day in five photos. You will turn in a contact sheet with a minimum of 36 images, but you can (and probably should!) take more than this.

Rule: Your subject cannot be a member of your immediate family (Parent, sibling, friend).

Photographs may be more memorable than moving images, because they are a neat slice of time, not a flow. Each still photograph is a privileged moment turned into a slim object that one can keep and look at again. - Susan Sontag, On Photography by Susan Sontag

A photograph is not an opinion. Or is it? - Susan Sontag, On Photography by Susan Sontag

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: The Falling Man

Richard Drew, September 11, 2001.

The Falling Man image and documentary wiki page HERE.

For our discussion on Tuesday, read and ponder the following questions:
In your opinion...
1. Do we need to know who he (the falling man) is?
2. Why were people angry, and why did society "recoil" from this image? (Why did "heroic" images prevail?)
3. What exactly is the (specific) controversy regarding this picture?
4. Some have said that this image tells an integral part of the events of 9/11 and that it must be told/seen. Do you agree?
5. Do you see this image as an image of "bravery?"
6. Is this image "too personal" to be shown? (Is it now 'safe' to view this photograph because it is now history?)

7. The woman at the end of the documentary says, "I hope we're not trying to find out who he is, but rather who we are." What does she mean by this?
8. She continues by saying, "The power in the photograph comes from not being able to identify him." What does she mean by this?

9. Richard Drew says, "The camera is a filter for me." What does he mean by this?

10. This photo disappeared when news agencies/publications self-censored their coverage of 9/11. This brings up a larger question: If events are censored, who decides the history that we learn? Is self-censorship an acceptable practice in journalism?

As a comparison, here is the image that has come to define 9/11 in our public consciousness. It's placed next to the well-known photograph of the US soldiers:

BASIC CAPTION WRITING

How to write a Caption Correctly the First Time

A caption is a title, short explanation, or description accompanying an illustration or a photograph.
The importance of a caption is to relate to the reader what the picture or illustration is and how it ties into the article.
Writing a caption takes knowing when the picture was taken or what the artist of the illustration was going for as far as what they wanted to relate to their reading audience.

I. Write out the questions every reader/viewer normally asks:
Who (Who did it?)
What (What did they do?)
When (when did they do it?)
Where (Where did they do it?)
Why (Why did they do it?)
How (How did they do it?)
So What (Why should this be considered news? The six classic news values: Proximity, Prominence, Timeliness, Conflict, Impact, Novelty.)

III. Unite the questions and answers into a single paragraph-like form.

IV. Clean up the paragraph making coherent sentences.

SIMPLE SIZZLIN' SUGGESTIONS FOR CAPTION SCRIBING
Photo captions are an integral part of newspaper storytelling, but they are often the most underdeveloped element in the mix of words, graphics, and photographs in a newspaper. A poorly executed caption can destroy the message of a photo or the story package of which it is part. The reader/viewer expects nothing less than accurate, complete, and informative information, including captions. Here are a few suggestions to follow when writing captions.

-Check the facts. Be accurate!

-Avoid stating the obvious. "Dennis Rodman smiles as he kicks a broadcast photographer in the groin."

-Always identify the main people in the photograph.

-Don't let cutlines recapitulate information in the head or deck or summary.

-Avoid making judgments. "An unhappy citizen watches the protest..." Can you be sure that he is unhappy? Or is he hurting. Or just not photogenic. If you must be judgmental, be sure you seek the truth.

-Don't assume. Ask questions in your effort to inform and be specific. Be willing to contact and include the visual reporter.

-Avoid using terms like "is shown, is pictured, and looks on."

-If the photograph is a historic or file photo, include the date that it was taken. Mayor David Dinkins, 1993.

-A photograph captures a moment in time. Whenever possible, use present tense. This will creates a sense of immediacy and impact.

-Don't try to be humorous when the picture is not.

-Descriptions are very helpful for viewer. The person dressed "in black," "holding the water hose," "sulky from chagrin," or "standing to the left of the sofa, center" are helpful identifying factors. (Photographers must ferret out this kind of material.)

-Be willing to allow for longer captions when more information will help the reader/viewer understand the story and situation.

-Use commas to set off directions from the captions to the picture. "Kachira Irby, above,..."or "Kennetra Irby, upper left..."

-Quotes can be an effective device, be willing to use them when they work.

-Conversational language works best. Don't use clichÈs. Write the caption as if you're telling a family member a story.
(from http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4355)

Readers love captions, so it’s important to get them just right. They are often the ‘entry point’ – the first thing a reader looks at on the page. Captions should simply say exactly what is in the picture and when it was taken.

They should also have a ‘slug’ or ‘kicker’ no more than one or two words long. Don’t underestimate the power of these words – a funny or clever kicker adds professional polish to the finished product. For example: 'Hair we go: Fundraisers shave their heads for charity'.

National Women's Day

Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma
After 15 long years under house arrest in Burma, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was finally granted freedom in November 2010, even as her country and the cause she's been fighting for sank deeper into political imprisonment under the military junta's repressive rule. Known as "the Lady" to millions of Burmese citizens who consider her more of a goddess than a rebel, Suu Kyi has been the foremost leader in the effort to democratize the Southeast Asian nation as well as a courageous advocate for human rights and peaceful revolution. The daughter of an assassinated independence hero, Suu Kyi seemingly fell into her role as Burma's icon. After spending much of her life overseas in India, the U.S., Japan and England, where she married and had two sons, Suu Kyi returned home in 1988 to care for her ailing mother. While there, protesters gathered to call for the ouster of a regime whose mismanagement had caused a sweeping economic downturn. The army fired on the assembled group of students, monks and workers, and for the first time, the Lady stepped forward to address the people. Suu Kyi founded the National League for Democracy in 1989, and the party secured a decisive victory in the 1990 elections, which would have effectively made Suu Kyi Prime Minister. Instead, the junta refused to hand over power and enacted a constitution that forbade Suu Kyi from ever serving as Burma's leader. Despite this obstacle, the Lady and the Burmese people are not ready to give up. Since her release, Suu Kyi has sought to negotiate with the junta that imprisoned her for all those years, but so far it has ignored her. "I wish I could have tea with them every Saturday, a friendly tea," the Lady told TIME after her release. And if not, "We could always try coffee." —Erin Skarda

16 of History's Most Rebellious Women HERE.

CHRIS JORDAN

In Katrina's Wake: Portraits of Loss from an Unnatural Disaster
&
Midway: Message from the Gyre

Chris Jordan's site HERE.

"Where Knees Go Weak"

Piotr Redlinski for The New York Times

NY Times "Where Knees Go Weak" (Valentine's Day 2011 at Rockefeller Center NYC) click HERE.

PROJECT #2: SPORTS

Sports photography tips HERE.
...and some great tips HERE.
...some good ones HERE.
...and even more HERE.

There are many more places for tips and ideas besides these four.

TO DO

1. Email your list of five to ten events you will photograph this semester.
2. Email your question response by Monday at midnight.
3. Email your blog address
4. Post your Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph and reason for having chosen that photograph.

QUESTION

How are emotions raised by a photograph different from typical human emotions? (For example, is a "sad" photograph different from another experience of sadness? If so, how?)

EMAIL your answer by midnight, Monday, February 21, 2011.

WORLD PRESS PHOTO 2011

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/is-this-the-best-news-picture-in-the-world/

http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_calendar&task=view&catid=94&selectedItem=316&Itemid=#316

HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON (1908-2004)

Henri Cartier-Bresson
Behind Saint-Lazare Train Station
(1932)
(C)Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos


Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century (Guardian (UK))

Henri Cartier-Bresson's lens captured more than a moment (Washington Post)



Definition of leitmotif (CLICK HERE).


"In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little, human detail can become a Leitmotiv." - Henri Cartier-Bresson
Definition of leitmotif (CLICK HERE).

Bresson (August 22, 1908 – August 3, 2004) was a French photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism, an early adopter of 35 mm format, and the master of candid photography. He helped develop the "street photography" or "real life reportage" style that has influenced generations of photographers that followed.

A 2003 interview with Bresson HERE.
Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson HERE.
Henri Cartier-Bresson at Magnum HERE.





Quotes by Bresson HERE.
A few images by Bresson HERE.

PROJECT #1: A PROCESS

DIRECTIONS: Choose a simple process. Photograph that process in such a way that your final images tell the 'story' of that process. For example, if you photograph the process one takes to get ready for school in the morning, what substantial steps in that process would you photograph so the viewer has a clear picture of what it takes to go through that process?

What steps would you photograph to tell the 'story' of baking bread? Brushing teeth?

Your photographs having to tell a beginning, middle, and end.

The roll is to be developed on Monday, February 14, 2011 (5 points).

WHAT IS PHOTOJOURNALISM

What is a photojournalist?
A photojournalist is a visual reporter of facts.
A journalist tells stories. A photographer takes pictures of nouns (people, places and things). A photojournalist takes the best of both and locks it into the most powerful medium available - frozen images.
Photojournalists capture "verbs."

What makes a photojournalist different from a photographer?
Photographers take pictures of nouns (people, places and things). Photojournalists shoot action verbs ("kicks," "explodes," "cries," etc.). Photojournalists do shoot some nouns. These nouns can be standard photos of people (portraits), places (proposed zoning areas or construction sites) and things (name it). However, the nouns we seek still must tell a story.

The difference between photography and photojournalism?
Verbs.

Although photojournalists can take properly exposed and well composed photographs all day long, they hunt verbs. They hunt them, shoot them and show them to their readers. Then, they hunt more.

A photojournalist has thousands of pairs of eyes looking over his shoulder constantly. The readers are insistent: "What are they doing?" "What did you see?" and "What happened?".

The readers wake photojournalists up at night. They keep photojournalists awake. The eyes always want to know what they missed. Readers can't see what they missed with a noun. It works if the question is specific enough (what did the condemned building look like?), but most answers require verbs.

To tell a story, a sentence needs a subject, a verb and a direct object. News photos need the same construction. Photojournalists tell stories with their images. Also, words are always used in conjunction with photojournalist's images.

The words below a photo are called a cutline. This will require the photojournalist to keep a record of where, when, why, who, and any other details of the event that they have captured.

To be a photojournalist, we must understand the relationship between the image and these basic elements of language (all languages - worldwide).

The girl hits (or misses) the ball. There are no other options.

The girl is easy to photograph. The ball is easy to photograph. The verb is the hard part.

As a servant of the citizens, it's the photojournalist's OBLIGATION to capture the entire sentence involved in EVERY event. There are no excuses. It's hit or missed. Some photographers don't care. They have a picture of the bat. "Hey, that's what tried to hit the ball." Those photographers do not get it.

SEVEN NEWS VALUES

On the most basic level, photojournalism is telling stories with photographs. But on top of that, the stories created must follow the rules of journalism. We will discuss stories throughout the semester; using examples of how to do a relevant, sound, creative, and interesting photo essay. Seven news values are used to determine the worthiness of a story: impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, bizarreness, conflict, and currency.

We often speak of seven news values held by news media gatekeepers – impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, bizarreness, conflict, and currency.

Impact: The number of people whose lives will be influenced in some way by the subject of the story. For instance, a bakery strike may have less impact than a postal strike.

Timeliness: Recent events have higher news value than earlier happenings. Of particular value are stories brought to the public ahead of the competition. These are known as scoops.

Prominence: For the same occurrence, people in the public eye have higher news value than obscure people. For example, we cared that basketball pro Magic Johnson and actor Rock Hudson had AIDS, while an ordinary citizen with AIDS would not have commanded the attention of the national news media.

Proximity: Stories about events and situations in one's home community are more newsworthy than events that take place far away. For example, journalists assess the value of a news item reporting tragic deaths by comparing the number of deaths with the distance from the home community. For instance:
if 1,000 persons drown in a flood in a faraway country, the story has about the same news value as a story describing how 100 persons drowned in a distant part of the United States.

In turn, that 100 person story has about the same news value as a story concerning 10 flood victims within our own state.

Finally, a story about those ten victims has about the same value as a story describing a flood which drowns one person in our local community.

Bizarreness: A classic example of this is dog-bites-man vs. man-bites-dog. Man-bites-dog is more bizarre. Dog-bites-man usually is not news.

Conflict: Strife is newsworthy. War. Public anger or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues.

Currency: More value is attributed to stories pertaining to issues or topics that are in the spotlight of public concern rather than to issues or topics about which people care less. Stories come and stories go. For example:

At the beginning of the 1990s, there were stories about the First Gulf War, the Savings and Loan Crisis, and Senate confirmation hearings on Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court.

As time passed, those stories became less interesting and were replaced by the Los Angeles Riots, the Miami hurricane, the new World Wide Web, a comet colliding with Jupiter, World Trade Center bombing, Unabomber life sentence, and the presidential elections.

In turn, those stories were replaced by Somalia, Bosnia, O.J. and Haiti.

In 1997, the death of Princess Diana, the Hong Kong handover, Pathfinder on Mars, cloning, the Oklahoma City bombing, and Big Tobacco money.

In 1998, start of the swine flu pandemic, California smoking ban

In 1999, JFK Jr. dies in a plane crash, the Clinton impeachment trial, Microsoft monopoly, war over Kosovo, Columbine school shooting, and the Y2k millennium worries.

In 2000, the arrival of the millennium, the dot-com bubble burst, the gun control debate, W elected president.

In 2001, George W. Bush inaugurated, the September 11 attacks, war in Afghanistan, Russian space station falls into the Pacific Ocean, Timothy McVeigh executed, stem cell research.

In 2002, SARS, U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Andrea Yates guilty of drowning her 5 children, the Queen Mother dies, Mars Odyssey finds water ice, American Taliban pleads guilty, Beltway snipers arrested, Department of Homeland Security formed.

In 2003, Iraq disarmament crisis, the war and occupation of Iraq, bird flu, sons of Saddam Hussein killed by U.S. military, The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, Human Genome Project completed, Bush "Mission Accomplished" speech, Eric Rudolph captured, Staten Island Ferry crash, last Concorde flight, Green River Killer confesses, mad cow disease in Washington state, Strom Thurmond and Johnny Cash die.

In 2004, the stream of earlier stories were replaced by the Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami, the President's vision of travel to Mars, same-sex marriage, the hanging of American contractors in Iraq, evidence of water on Mars, the Madrid train attack, the Iraq prison abuse scandal, the 9/11 Commission findings, hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, the Olympics in Greece, high gas prices, Fallujah, W re-elected president.

In 2005, George W. Bush inaugurated, Hurricane Katrina, Huygens lands on Titan, Kyoto Protocol, Abu Ghraib prison scandal, non-stop solo flight around the world, BP oil refinery explosion in Texas, Pope John Paul II and Rosa Parks die, Live 8 concerts, Kashmir earthquake, Saddam Hussein trial, first human face transplant.

In 2006, Saddam Hussein hanged, NASA returns dust from a comet, Indonesia earthquake kills 6,000, Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, Pluto downgraded from planet, North Korea's first nuclear test.

In 2007, the Virginia Tech massacre, Live Earth concerts, last harry Potter book, Writers Guild strike, Benazir Bhutto assassinated.

In 2008, $100-a-barrel oil, markets plunge, the Great Recession begins, Fidel Castro resigns, Dmitry Medvedev is president of Russia, Bill Gates retires, first bionic eyes implanted, Beijing Olympics, Barack Obama elected.

In 2009, Obama inaugurated, Michael Jackson and Walter Cronkite die, the health care debate, H1N1 flu pandemic, Iranian student riots.

In 2010, Haiti earthquake, Chile earthquake, China earthquake, volcanic ash from Iceland disrupts Europe, Pakistan monsoon, tallest man-made structure opened in Dubai, Poland president killed in airplane crash, actor Tony Curtis dies, Deepwater Horizon oil platform explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Wikileaks, North Korea sinks South Korean warship and later shells South Korea, school bullying.

And so on...

REQUIRED PROJECTS

PROJECTS
2 Sport events
1 Profile (of someone of a different culture/ethnic background) - assembled in the style of NYTimes videos.
1 Profile (of someone else) - assembled in the style of NYTimes videos
1 A Day In The Life Of...(someone over 25)
1 of the following subjects: human interest, lifestyle, fashion, editorial)
1 News story (Conflict) (Local or State related)

*If you choose digital, double the number of projects in each category.

Sports
Sports photography is a specialized version of general news. It involves high action and the photographer must have an excellent sense of timing. In sports photos, you want to show conflict and emotion. This usually means having players from both teams in the photo and the thing they're fighting for (typically a ball). The emotion comes by showing the faces of the players. That can be difficult because of flailing arms or helmets, but the best sports shots don't just show action, but show the emotion, too.

Spot News
Spot news is, in some ways, the opposite of general news. Spot news is an unplanned event like a car accident or fire. During these types of assignments, information is the most important thing. You need information to stay safe and to make the photo that best tells the story. You need reporting skills to get the information about who was involved in the situation and what actually happened. Being skilled at dealing with law enforcement or emergency rescue crews are often required in these situations. You can see a spot news photograph later in this tutorial.

Portraits
Photojournalists also shoot portraits. While they usually never pose photographs, portraits are the exception. Journalistic portraits usually show a person in their environment; a judge in their office, a painter in their studio. The subject is usually looking directly at the camera so the viewers know that it is a portrait. The subject isn't usually doing anything, again because the viewer should not be confused as to whether the photo is a posed portrait or a real, documentary piece of journalism.

The Photo Essay
The last type of assignment is the photo story or long-term documentary project. This type of work requires the photographer to spend an extended period of time documenting the actions of a subject. Photo stories usually involve multiple photos which flow together. An example would be following a family of refugees or documenting the life of a family with a sick loved one.

SPRING 2011 SYLLABUS

BEHAVIOR
If you choose to be in my classroom, you choose to be nice to your fellow photographers. I maintain a zero tolerance policy for the following: verbal and physical bullying, verbal and physical abuse, intimidation, passive bullying, sabotage, hate speech or behavior, and slurs based on gender, race, ethnic background, sexual preference, economic status, religious affiliation, political affiliation, or any other affiliation that sets a person apart from the mainstream. No student will be marginalized in my classroom, and anyone making that student feel unwelcome will be be asked to leave temporarily or permanently. This is not negotiable, and applies to all students.

SAFETY
Photography includes a handful of standard classroom processes and it is imperative that all students follow stated and posted procedures in the classroom and darkroom. Failure to do so will result in a verbal reminder on the first occasion, and a reduction of 10% of the student’s current project final score for each of the following occasions. If a situation/event is such that the education environment and/or other student’s learning/progress/safety is compromised, the student will be removed from the class permanently. Due to the use of chemicals, this policy will be adhered to strictly and without exception.

IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION POINTS
Photographer/students will be scored daily on IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION and WORK for a total of THREE POINTS. These points will be added on a weekly basis. If a student is on-task, focused, and behaving appropriately, the total earned for that day will be three points. Actions that will cause a student not to earn the three points will be making calls on a mobile phone, texting, Facebook'ing or other on-line social networking, using the web for nefarious/inappropriate means, not bringing photographic materials (negatives, paper, etc.), sitting and doing nothing, working on assignments for other classes (this last one, in particular, is incensing so please refrain from it), etc. Basically, if you are engaged and working, and do not waste yours or my time in class, your participation score will be fine.

ATTENDANCE/MISSED WORK/LATE WORK POLICY
Your success is dependent upon your physical and mental attendance during each class period. If you are tardy or absent, please enter the classroom with a pass from your originating location. If a pass is not presented, the tardy is unexcused (no exceptions). Excused absences provide you with a grace period of how many days you were absent to complete the assignment(s). Work that is missed due to an unexcused tardy or absence cannot be submitted for credit, but must be completed in order to meet basic course requirements and a passing grade.

Cameras are small and portable, and can be brought on vacations, trips to the beach, weekends at a parent's house, extended stays in the hospital, etc. 'Not having time' to complete a project will NOT be accepted as an excuse for work not completed, as obviously, one can take their camera with them to most places/functions.

If the assignment is web-based (email to Hohman, research, reading, etc.) the classroom is yours for the using. You are welcome to come in before school, at lunch, and after school to complete these types of assignments. For example: Not having web access at home on a Sunday night for an assignment due on Monday is not a valid excuse. Do not wait to the last minute, as that is not a valid excuse. That is a choice, and one must accept that that choice may not have been the best available when prioritizing school and personal life. As long as you remember that A REASON IS NOT AN EXCUSE, and that ‘reasons’ will not be accepted as a pass for late work, you will free both of us from having to engage in what will probably be unpleasant conversation resulting in the ‘reason’ not being accepted as an excuse.

ESIS.
It is expected that you check the ESIS STUDENT: (http://parents.nwpartnership.org:7778/NWPSA/jsp/starter.jsp) calendar for assignments you have missed, and for your academic progress.
Parents are encouraged to check the ESIS PARENT site at: http://parents.nwpartnership.org:7778/NWPPA/jsp/starter.jsp

MAKE-UP WORK
Other than the final project, and assembling of the final portfolio, all Incomplete assignments for the semester must be completed by Friday, May 27, 2011. After this date, no late work will be added to your cumulative semester grade. No exceptions.

TARDIES:
You must be inside the door at the bell - with all your photo materials (negatives, paper, etc.). If you must leave the class to retrieve photo materials, you will be considered tardy. No exceptions.
Every TWO unexcused tardies will drop your final semester grade by 3%. Example: If your semester total on the last day of class is 90%, but you have been tardy two times, your total for the semester will drop to 87%. No exceptions. This does not apply to excused tardies with a pass from your originating location.

CLASS EQUIPMENT, AND CHECK OUT of THAT EQUIPMENT
If a student is using in class, or has checked out equipment (camera, tripod, enlarger, darkroom equipment, computers and peripherals, memory cards, scanners, cables) for a any period of time, that student is responsible for the care and/or replacement of that equipment if said equipment is damaged, stolen, or returned in less-than working order. Given that food/drink are not allowed in the class, if food or drink is spilled and renders classroom equipment unusable, that student is responsible for the care and/or replacement of said equipment.

MATERIALS NEEDED:
-35mm SLR film or digital camera
-8-10 clear plastic sheet covers
-3-ring binder
-Fine-point permanent marker

READINGS & RESEARCH
Regular student readings will be given in class, or as take-home reading for discussions we will have in class. We will discuss issues relating to the role of photojournalism in our world culture, the ethics of photojournalism, past/current/future controversies in photojournalism, the history of photojournalism, and other topics as they arise.
We will have daily discussion/writing about a photo essay, photograph, or other subject matter.

SCORING AND GRADING OF CLASS TIME
Daily participation is earned by being involved in, verbal and communicative, and mentally present during the class period. Up to 3 points for each class period will be earned based on quality and thoroughness of your participation in the class activities.

Photographic work will be scored by two measures.
First, the quality of the prints will be scored by the general rubric that you have become familiar with in either Photo 1 or Photo 2 course. Secondly, and since this course deals with story telling, each project will have an overall grade earned for the quality of the story component. (This rubric will be published to you once we are underway for the semester)

SCORING & GRADING OF EACH PHOTOGRAPHIC STORY/PROJECT
Each project will be worth 100 points and include the following:
Five photographs (each worth up to ten points based on the rubric) = 50 points
A score earned for the narrative value of the photo essay = 50 points.
Total per project: 100 points

HOW YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE SCORED FOR QUALITY:
5………….EXCEPTIONAL
The photograph is exceptionally well exposed, developed, printed, and presented (no defects of any kind).
The range of value is exceptional (beyond 10 tints/shades of gray) and includes an unmistakably deep and rich absolute black, white, and middle gray)
The composition is exceptionally composed and obviously follows the rule of thirds, symmetrical or asymmetrical balance, or can be verbally justified as to why it does not.
A combination of the elements of design (line, shape, form, texture, space, and value) are not just present, but it is clear that the photographer uses the devices in an intentional and deliberate manner, and has a firm handle on their ability to unify a composition.
The photograph has that ‘something extra’ – apparent either through subject matter, careful attention to detail, or methods of photographing - that raise it to the category of aesthetically exceptional. In other words, the photograph stands-up to the best of all high school level photography that is being done.

4………….VERY GOOD
The photograph is very well exposed, developed, printed, and presented (no defects of any kind).
The range of value is beyond 10 tints/shades of gray, and includes an unmistakably deep and rich absolute black, white, and middle gray
The composition is deliberately and very well composed and obviously follows the rule of thirds, symmetrical or asymmetrical balance, or can be verbally justified as to why it does not.
A combination of the elements of design (line, shape, form, texture, space, and value) is present, and it is clear that the photographer uses the devices in an intentional and deliberate manner, and has a firm handle on their ability to unify a composition.
The photograph commands attention and stands above others as a work to aspire to.

3………….GOOD
The photograph is mostly well exposed, developed, printed, and presented, (Defects or blemishes are apparent, but minimal)
A range of value is present, and includes an absolute black, white, and middle gray.
The composition is mostly composed and follows the rule of thirds, symmetrical or asymmetrical balance, or can be verbally justified as to why it does not.
A combination of the elements of design (line, shape, form, texture, space, and value) is mostly present,
The photograph is pleasing to look at and holds the viewer’s sustained attention.

2………….COMPETENT
The photograph is somewhat well exposed, developed, printed, and presented, (Defects or blemishes are present).
A small range of values is present, and an absolute black and white are present.
The composition is somewhat composed, but may appear haphazard or accidental.
A combination of the elements of design (line, shape, form, texture, space, and value) is mostly present,
The photograph holds the viewer’s attention for a few moments.

1…………NEEDS WORK
The photograph is not well exposed, developed, printed, and presented, (Defects or blemishes are plentiful.)
A range of value is not present – absolute black and white are missing.
The composition is not composed using the rule of thirds, symmetrical or asymmetrical balance,
The elements of design (line, shape, form, texture, space, and value) are not present.
The photograph does not hold the viewer’s attention.

0...........INCOMPLETE
Did not complete the assignment fully, or did not demonstrate enough skills, product, work to be scored.


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FEBRUARY 7 EMAIL ASSIGNMENT FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM STUDENTS:
Due by midnight, Friday, February 11, 2011.

IN ONE EMAIL:
1. Once you and your parent/guardian have read the above syllabus and expectations, send a confirmation email to THEPHOTOLOUNGE@hotmail.com from THE STUDENT'S EMAIL ADDRESS.
In the subject line put your name and period, like this: "JOE PHOTOGRAPHER - B1" (of course, using your own name and period)
In the body of the email list the parent's name that reviewed this syllabus with you, and that the two of you agree to the terms. Until this email is received I cannot allow a student to use classroom equipment.

REMEMBER:
If you are purchasing film and paper through me, please bring a check or cash for $50 payable to TuHS Photo. The bulk order will be placed on Wed, Feb. 9.