Photojournalism Practice I

Gain valuable journalism experience by publishing photos for a student publication.

This course takes you through the processes of selection and publishing for a specific publication, submitting work for publication, and meeting the requirements of an editor and publisher. Under the guidance of a mentor (a photography/publishing tutor), you will learn to write according to specific criteria, deal with a publisher, and communicate effectively with others involved in the publishing process. And, you will come away with at least one published work (maybe more), which will set you on the path to a career as a writer. No matter what you want to write, you will find this a great learning experience.

Prerequisites

• A writing or publishing course (e.g. Freelance Writing, Publishing I, Editing I) or equivalent
• Medium level computer skills, or higher (e.g. Competence with Photoshop or similar software)
• Photo Practice, or equivalent  

Lesson Structure

There are 11 lessons in this course:

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
   • 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

Aims

• Discuss the nature and scope of photojournalism
• Explore the issues of ethics in photojournalism and develop an understanding of your own biases.
• Explore the composition of photographs and associated legal issues.
• Revise basic terms used in photojournalism.
• Explain 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

How to Get Work as a Photojournalist

Employers and customers decide who to employ based upon many things, including:

• Knowledge and skills
• Experience
• Speed and Accuracy
• Attitude and Enthusiasm
• Problem Solving Abilities –systemic and lateral thinking
• References, Endorsements –What past employers say about you
• Uniqueness –being a little different
• Contacts/Networking –Who you know
• Formal Qualifications

No single thing will ever ensure success in a job interview, or engagement of your services.
Learning and building all of these things is a life long endeavour. People who grow these assets will grow their careers and be successful in good times and bad.

Do not make the mistake of thinking it is as simple as getting a qualification and being set for life. Qualifications can help get the attention of an employer; but they have very little long term impact on your career.
The long term impact comes from what you learnt when you studied; and how you built on that after studying.

WHY STUDY WITH ACS?

There are lots of reasons why you should sign up to do this course with us, including:

• The course is detailed to ensure that you have the level of knowledge required to apply the practices in your own work, whether that's as a business employee or as a self employed freelancer
• Within each lesson you have the opportunity to apply your learning to activities which enables you to practice different concepts and expand your own research in areas of interest
• Knowledge of these key areas will enable you to stand out from other applicants when it comes to applying for jobs, it will also give you greater confidence
• Having the knowledge of different techniques will enable you to work in many different sectors and business types, giving you flexibility now and in the future
• Our subject specialist tutors will be there to support you throughout your course, they are only too happy to share their industry knowledge and experience with you
• When studying with us you set your own deadlines, meaning you study at your own pace enabling it to fit around other commitments

TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND ENROL NOW!

You can enrol on the course now, but if you have any questions about the content of the course or studying with ACS, then please get in touch with us today - use our FREE COURSE COUNSELLING SERVICE to get in touch with our expert tutors. They will be pleased to help you!