Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "DJRN 199"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Photojournalism: On Location in Rome"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session II 2016

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Giulio Mazzarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 2:00PM 5:45PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a course in basic photojournalism on location. There will be both classroom sessions and classes off campus, held on location in Rome and the surrounding area, as well as visits to photographic exhibitions. Students will gain an understanding of the basic concepts of photography and photojournalism; how cameras and lenses work; image composition; lighting conditions and techniques; shooting on location; techniques for working as a photographer; editing and producing photographs; and building a portfolio of images. Class sessions will cover learning use of a camera, lights, composition, color, documentary and candid photographic techniques, photographic software such as Adobe Photoshop, and critiques. Classes on location include practical fieldwork.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This class is designed for beginning and intermediate photojournalism students exploring Rome and the surrounding countryside, concentrating on photojournalistic photography techniques including the “documentary” method and the dynamics of composition through the use of color and natural light. A variety of subjects will be covered, including how to shoot a photographic essay and prepare a portfolio, along with individual and group image critiques and field trips.

Students will gain an understanding of the basic concepts of photography and photojournalism; how cameras and lenses work; image composition; lighting conditions and techniques; shooting on location; techniques for working as a photographer; professional ethics; editing and producing photographs; building a portfolio of images; participating in individual and group critiques.

Pre-requisite for the course:

Students must provide their own 35mm DSLR or MFT (micro 4/3) mirrorless digital cameras with at least a 28-80mm zoom lens or equivalent. No film cameras. Camera needs to include the ability to function on Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or Program modes. Also required: a camera memory storage card (minimum of 2GB); a card reader and/or USB connection for camera to download images to computer; storage device such as a large flash drive (4 to 10GB) or a small external hard drive (20 to 50GB); a laptop computer with photography editing software is recommended. No cell phone cameras are allowed.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Increase students’ sophistication for making and viewing photojournalistic images

2. Understand what photojournalism is and what it entails

3. Increase sensitivity to ethics of making visual images

4. Develop creativity, critical thinking and problem solving skills

5. Produce a portfolio of photojournalistic images

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Photojournalism The Professionals' Approach, 6th Edition	Kenneth Kobre	Focal Press	978-0750685931

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number
Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism 2nd Edition	Brian Horton	Associated Press Handbooks	978-0071363877
Witness in Our Time: Working Lives of Documentary Photographers	Ken Light	Smithsonian Books	978-1560989486
Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision 1st Edition	David DuChemin	New Riders	978-0321605023
On Being a Photographer: A Practical Guide 3rd Edition	David Hurn - Bill Jay	Lenswork Publishing	978-1888803068

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Final Photographic Project		30
Photographic Assignments		40
Attendance/Class Participation	Students are expected to actively participate in discussions and be able to refer to readings and topics mentioned during the course. Up to 2 lessons missed for non official reasons are considered acceptable.	20
Research Paper		10

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

Lesson 1
Course introduction. What is photojournalism and the work of the photojournalist. Getting to know the camera. The exposure. The camera. Depth of field. Lenses. Films. Light and shadows. Exposure. Setting the camera manually. ISO. Aperture. Shutter speed. Use of available light. Short photo-assignment on location.

Lesson 2
The art of composition. Storytelling techniques and creation of photo-essays. Case Studies. Review of first photo-assignment.
Light and shadow. Critique and analysis of exemplary photographs and photographic projects from history. Photo selection and caption writing.
Professional use of artificial lighting. Photography software (Adobe Photoshop). Field work.

WEEK 2

Lesson 1
Color vs Black-and-White photography. Critique and analysis of exemplary photographs and photographic projects from history. News photography. Refined composition and camera techniques. Depth of field and image control. Professionals' Ethics. Field work.

Lesson 2
Food and still life photography applied to photojournalism. Photo bloggers' work.
Techniques of street photography. Finding and understanding natural light. Photography software advanced skills. Field work.

WEEK 3

Lesson 1
Controlling light. Linear versus wavy photographic essay. How to construct a photographic essay and translate a brief into a series of cohesive images. Portfolio building. Advanced discussion on editing, selection and creation of a photo-essay. Field work.

Lesson 2
Abstract photography - strategies for getting the abstract and fine art photography on location. Nature and landscape photography - strategies for getting the best landscape and nature photography on location. Field work.

WEEK 4

Lesson 1
Portraits: strategies for getting the best portraits and people photography on location – both indoor and outdoor. Tactics for combining multiple genres of photography that work. The image. Framing a subject. The subject. Creating concepts. How to construct a photographic essay and translate a brief into a series of cohesive images. Strategies of portfolio building. Field work.

Lesson 2
Visiting a photographic exhibition. Analysis of how photojournalism is used in print and online today versus historical use. Examination of the work of todays leading photojournalists, with brief written assignment that relates to their work. Analysis of the students’ progress.
The effect of direct and indirect lighting. Professional use of monopods and tripods. Field work.

WEEK 5

Lesson 1
Business skills for photographers. Future and new frontiers of photojournalism. Deciding the final personal project. Final fieldwork and assembly and preparation of their work. Critique and analysis by instructor and fellow classmates.

Lesson 2
Organizing and archiving students’ photographs. Review of all work done for final exhibition. Creating CD-ROM of students’ photographs to be left with the University. Individual portfolios' building. Presentation of individual portfolios. Talks and photographic-reviews with the tutor. Exhibition and summary of all progress done. Overall strengths and areas to work on. Conclusions.