Reminder

Just a reminder that everything is due by 4pm tomorrow.

You can leave your material on the table in the digital darkroom that we have been using (between the computers and extra posters on the shelf) anytime before then.

As we don't have class this week I'll just be swinging by at 4pm to pick everything up. I will have it back on the table by Friday afternoon for you to pick up.

In case I don't see you, have a good summer.

Too much Photoshop?

A story about a Danish photo contest that requested the original RAW files to see how much work was done.

Weeklies

I see a few assignments on Flickr that have been there almost a week or more with no captions.. don't forget to do them!

Last lecture

Ethics

Magazine alters Obama photo for cover.

Class, etc.

Reminder for this week: Work day Tuesday, last lecture on Thursday.

Illustration due on the 28th (you can hand it in then or leave it anytime on our table in the digital darkroom, just drop me an email that you left it there).

Everything else (sports, arrangement/narrative, weekly assignments, clip book, extra credit illustration or paper) due May 7th by 4pm. Again, you can leave it on the table or turn it in before then. I'll be there May 7 from about 3:30 to 4:30 to pick everything up. You can pick your work up Friday after 2pm, same place.

April 21: Work Day
April 23: Lecture
April 28: Work Day / Illustration due
April 30: Work Day
Nothing else until May 7, everything else due by 4pm.

History

Selling your photos

Good advice for selling your stock photos

Weegee's World

Photography of "Weegee"

Multimedia slideshow examples

Kingsley's crossing

Homesless in NJ

Following Obama

Law

Selling stock photos

Here's a story Tami found on selling stock photos on the side.

Quiz info

The quiz will be Thursday March 26. It will cover mostly the chapter and lecture on law (16) but also ethics (15), the camera bag (8), and a little bit on writing captions, illustrations and sports. It will be multiple choice and true/false and worth 25 points. You might want to review:

Where it is legal to take photos/where you need permission
Photographing children
Ethical principles/guidelines
What is allowed in Photoshop
When do you need a model release
What does a Shield Law do
Defamation... what is, what is the defense
Invasion of privacy
Trespassing
Shooting in privately owned but public places like restaurants
Copyright
F-stops and depth of field
Shutter speed and basketball
Advantages of RAW
Conceptual illustrations vs docu-dramas
The essentials of writing captions

Lowdown on the Orphan Works Act

If you've heard other Photographers worry about the Orhaph Works Act (or if you have yourself), you might want to read this.

Best photo websites

Judge for yourself

Extra credit option 2

Either a 3-4 page double spaced research paper about a photojournalist or a subject in photojournalism (copyright, ethics, history, etc.) or a 10 minute power point presentation to the class about the topic. Be sure to include a works cited page for either one. (up to 20 points)

Due on the last day of regular class for the presentation (April 30) or you can turn the paper in by May 7 classtime.

Berenice Abbott

The work of Berenice Abbott.

Exra credit...

Here's an extra credit opportunity:

Up to 20 points to do a 2nd illustration assignment. Here are a couple more categories to chose from for extra credit (or you can use one of the original categories)

Investigating haunted house/ghosts
Are you a morning person?
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

Illustration assignment

Photo Illustration Assignment

8x10 color or b&w (Due April 28) -- with headline.

Your task is to illustrate a concept through photography, and, if you want, Photoshop.

You can pick from these ideas:
Crime on college campuses
College students trying to live on a small budget
Computer frustration
Avoiding getting sick
Anger management
The stress of parenting
Kids playing too many video games
Getting in shape
Living environmentally conscious

You can illustrate a specific issue based on one of these ideas: for example, with "Computer frustration," you could illustrate too much email spam and someone being frustrated by it. Then you could have a headline like, "How to cut spam out of your computer diet."

Think about these ideas from different angles and use wordplay. For example, for living on a budget, you could try to convey the concept of literally "pinching pennies." You get the idea. Use a visual metaphor (see p. 342 in the book) or an archetype (e.g., Mother Nature, knight in shining armor) as a visual shortcut.

Carefully select your colors and lighting. Does it call for high key light? Moody shadows? A backlit alley? You'll have to say a lot with your image for the reader to understand your point quickly and clearly.

Your background will also add to the mood of the scene. You can use a simple backdrop or even use a composition in Photoshop. Remember, if you use Photoshop, don't incorporate someone else's work.

Picking the right model and props will also be key. Make sure your props are accurate enough (if you need to fake it, that's fine if we don't notice!). Like a good actor in a movie, your model should make sense in the role.

See p. 345 for thinking creatively. Brainstorm with a friend or classmate. Play with words and puns. Don't rely on overdone cliches. Try to put a new spin on them.

Photo story assignment

One quick note.. since we won't be able to print at school because of the budget, we'll make the photo story/arrangement assignment prints 5x7s to save some costs. Remember, it should be 5-7 photos.

Updated schedule

Week 7
Tuesday February 24
Chapter 14: Illustration
Assign: Illustration Due April 28

Thursday February 26
Digital Darkroom (workday)
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Week 8
Tuesday March 3
Digital Darkroom (workday)

Thursday March 5
Chapter 15: Ethics
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Week 9
Tuesday March 10
Chapter 16: Law

Thursday March 12
Scoop/Spot News assignment due (bring to class, we'll share)
Quiz
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday March 17 SPRING BREAK - NO CLASS

Thursday March 19 SPRING BREAK - NO CLASS
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Week 10
Tuesday March 24
Portrait assignment due
Digital Darkroom (workday)

Thursday March 26
Chapter 9: Strobe
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 11
Tuesday March 31
Digital Darkroom (workday)

Thursday April 2
Chapter 12: Multimedia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 12
Tuesday April 7
Digital Darkroom (workday)

Thursday April 9
Chapter 13: Video
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 13
Tuesday April 14
Digital Darkroom (workday)

Thursday April 16
Chapter 17: History
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 14
Tuesday April 21
Digital Darkroom (workday)

Thursday April 23
Chapter 18: Turning Pro
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Week 15
Tuesday April 28
Photo Illustration due
Digital Darkroom (workday)

Thursday April 30
Digital Darkroom (workday)
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[Finals Week May 4-8] No class May 5

Hand in portfolio on Thursday May 7 during class time
Portfolio will include:
All 8x10 prints (I will hand back your portrait and scoop prints) with captions

Also, all 15 weekly assignments will be handed in by this time on Flickr or CD

Lastly, your 70 clips from newspapers (10 of them with a short critique)

Portrait assignment

Portrait assignment

2 color or b&w 8x10 (printed on 8 1/2 x 11) with 1-2 sentence caption telling about the subject.

Due March 24

One candid in their natural environment (home or work)

One "posed" portrait

Each should give an indication of the story or character of your subject. For the posed shot, you'll want to include a prop or two to help illustrate why the reader would be interested in your subject.

Tips:

• Make small talk to put the subjects at ease.
• Try using a remote shutter release or cable release to maintain a connection with the subject.
• Lighting is key: Think about if you want high key (few shadows) or low key (moody, dark lighting), or something in between (maybe using some kind of pattern).
• If you're setting up lighting, remember the standard three point lighting setup (key-fill-backlight). The key and fill should be at about a 45 degree angle off the camera. The fill should be about 1/3-1/2 the power the key. The backlight adds a halo affect around their head.
• You can also use "glamour" or "butterfly" lighting with the light in direct line of sight of the subject and camera, raised slightly above eye level (this really only works with soft light, hard light with this method won't be flattering).
• Usually soft light is best (especially for the fill light), but also consider hard light.
• Be on the lookout for locations that have interesting lighting without having to do any setup
• Sometimes a reflector is called for to add some fill light. You can use anything from a white sheet of paper, foam core, aluminum foil, or a (real) store-bought reflector. Attach to a stand for added control.
• Avoid busy backgrounds; Use open apertures and/or telephoto lenses to blur the background (a 50mm f1.8 is a nice portrait lens)
• To make your background more out of focus, pull your subject away from it.

World Press Photo

World Press Photo winners for 2008.

Class next Tuesday

No class 2-17, we'll be heading up to Boone for the game. Email me if you'd like to ride up in the van.

Some best of photos from SFGate

2008.

2007.

2006.

For Tuesday

Remember to bring in a shot (news) to share with the class (and talk about) on Tuesday!

Obama poster

Associated Press alleges copyright infrintement over "Hope" poster. What do you think? Could it fall under Fair Use?

Arragement assignment

Photo Arrangement /Essay/Documentary/ Story assignment

For this one you'll turn in: 5-7 photos printed 5x7 color or b&w
Due: Finals Week

Your task is to tell a story through photos. Much of the time, photojournalists have to try to capture the story in just one image. For this one, you can tell the story with the best seven photos to bring as many angles you can (literally and figuratively) to the reader.

Find someone with a story. Maybe you know someone with an unusual (and photogenic) job. Maybe it's someone who faces an everyday struggle. Maybe it's someone who is trying to make a difference. Think human interest. Conflict. Complication. Inspirational. Struggle. Unusualness. Humor.

Coordinate a shooting schedule once you find someone. Maybe you will follow them around for a day. Maybe you'll stop by over the period of a week or a couple weeks. It depends on the timeline of your subject story.

You don't have to follow a single subject, either. Your story could be a certain issue or problem that affects different people. Keep an eye out for stories about trends in the paper, maybe you shoot one person as an example of a trend.

Do whatever research you can to plan how much equipment you'll need with you (a flash? telephoto lens? tripod?)

Remember to include descriptive captions for each image. Feel free to break the typical 2-sentence length. Type up and print out each caption and include it with each photo.

Each photo should be of a different "event" or "moment." For example, you wouldn't include a photo and then another one taken a few seconds later from a slightly different angle. Pick the best one to represent that moment. Think of each photograph as a different chapter of a book.

You'll want to mix close-ups, medium shots and wide shots.

Arrange the shots in the sequence that makes the most sense. It's not always chronologically how they were shot.

If it's between the less perfect shot that better tells the story or a nice shot with less story, pick the one that best tells the story.

Use a title for your photo story.


And remember to edit and crop all images as needed.

Photo story tips and examples

Some photo essay tips.

Photo stories and essays:

Arrow of Time

Time Photo Essays

Life in the Googleplex

What the World Eats

Jan Sochor

The Oxford Project

Game Wednesday

There is another basketball game this Wednesday, I'd like to try to take a group. It's a 7pm game so we'd leave at 6pm. We can meet 5:55-ish at our classroom this time to make it easy. We'll try to be back by 9-9:30.

The first 6 people that reply have first dibs on a spot in the van! We can make another trip if you miss out.

Impressive setup

So, you're a retired electro-mechanical-hardware designer and you want to take photos of insects flying. The solution? This thing. He says his setup allows for super fast shutter releases (50ms is way too slow for him.. try 10ms) with an electromagnet to activate the shutter, which, by the way, is triggered by laser beams. Results here.

His "Waterfigures" are impressive, too.

Ready for anything

Do you think this guy has enough gear?

Beatles

Beatles' Final Performance photo essay.

Can I take a photo of a copyrighted painting?

...yes. Well, kinda.

I'm not a lawyer so bear with me.

If it's for your own private collection, it should fall under fair use. Fair use can also cover you if you want to critique or comment on the work. If you wanted to sell the photo or even publically display it, you would need permission from the copyright holder. Some works of art will fall under public domain, especially those old enough that the original artist has been dead for a long time.

It also depends how much of the work you photograph. If you are standing far enough back that the work is not by itself, or is even simply in the background, you are okay.

It is tricky when you're taking a photo of a painting, sculpture, or a product. It comes down to whether the photo is a derivative work. If too much of the original work is copied, the original copyright holder can sue the creator of the derivative.

This article seems to summarize that yes, a photograph will be a derivative of a work, even if you are creating a 2-D photography from a 3-D sculpture. (You couldn't go the other way, either, say, making a 3-D sculpture from a copyrighted photograph). This means whoever made the copyrighted thing that was photographed will retain the rights.

Newspapers usually will have fair use -- if it's "news" you will have leeway to report on copyrighted material (If Jay Leno does a monologue about Des Moines, the Register could reprint part of it even though Leno's monologue is copyrighted). So, fair use will also depend on the amount of the original work used. Again, comment and criticism will give you some leeway, too. As long as you don't use too much of the original. And make sure to credit the creator.

More helpful info here.

So, to sum up, shoot away when it comes to copyrighted material, but if you're going to reproduce or publically display it, be careful who owns the copyright of that sculpture.

Can I take out red eye?

We had some mention about whether it is okay to remove red eye this week.. in the best case scenario, you are shooting in a way that red eye won't happen in the first place. This means not using your flash or bouncing it off a wall or ceiling. If you end up with red eye you can either make the photo black and white or remove the red eye. There is no hard and fast rule that says you can't remove red eye, although a small number of editors out there might not want you to do it, and just prefer to make it black and white to avoid the issue.

Today..

Today we talked about the workflow in the labs. We also talked about histograms, so it would be a good idea to check out this site... even if you were in class, it is pretty helpful.

Keep those weekly assignments going. We'll be using lab class every day here on out to work on those assignments.

Remember to only upload your 10 best on Flickr. When I see you have the photos with captions up, I will start grading. If you don't want me to grade them yet, leave the captions/description blank. Remember to crop and ajdust your white balance, etc.

Thursday we'll talk about Chapter 4.

Shooting basketball.

Check out this discussion on Flickr with some good examples of shooting basketball games.

One tip is to bring a flash, but to set it at a lower power (say, 1/8th power) so it serves as a nice fill light (without making it look too "flat" lighting) but it doesn't overpower the scene (or blind the players).

Photoshop and photojournalism

Tuesday we're talking a bit about photo editing, so I just wanted to give you a couple links. Different papers will have different standards when it comes to exactly what you can and can't do, but here is a story of a photojournalist who was fired for over-manipulating his photos.

The NPPA code of ethics is pretty vague: As journalists, we believe that credibility is our greatest asset. In documentary photojournalism, it is wrong to alter the content of a photograph in any way (electronically or in the darkroom) that deceives the public.

1,474 megapixel image from the inauguration. More info.

Chapter 3 lecture

Chapter 2 lecture

Another take on 1/20

Video and story here.

Photos from yesterday's big event...

...in D.C. and around the world.

Portfolios

Another note: I guess Michael's doesn't stock portfolios anymore. If you can find a decent scrapbook or photo album that isn't too huge and can fid 8 1/2 by 11, that would work. Otherwise you can try Hobby Lobby.

Scoop or spot news

Scoop or Spot News: one printed 8x10 color or black and white with caption (typed, paper clipped or in portfolio sleeve) due March 12

If you happen upon some spot news -- an accident, fire, crime scene, cat being rescued in tree -- anything unpredictable an "on the scene" as it happens or right afterward, your task is to cover the scene as a photojournalist. Get lots of photos. Get enough information from the police or whoever else is on the scene to write your captions. Sometimes you'll need to ask who is in charge. Sometimes you'll have to follow up and find the publicly available police report to get names of those involved.

If you happen to cover more than one spot news event, use your best one for this assignment and anything else you can use for your "weekly" assignment.

Since coming across a piece of spot news isn't guaranteed, you'll have the option to create a photo illustration of a major "scoop" -- a an exclusive photo of a newsworthy scene.

For the scoop alternative:

Your newspaper is doing a story about the birthday of a celebrity. Actually, a dead celebrity. Your task is to illustrate their last birthday. You'll want to recreate the scene as it might look in your head and what would make sense to the reader; it doesn't have to be historically accurate.

You could use a celebrity or politician/leader from any era, but you'll want to pick one that people will immediately recognize based on what props you include in the scene. Maybe the person has a memorable silhouette you could try to recreate on a wall.
Some ideas:
Charlie Chaplin
Marilyn Monroe
James Dean
Jimi Hendrix
Marlon Brando
Princess Di
Napoleon
Elvis
Einstein
Lincoln
Shakespeare
Mr. Rogers

You don't have to include someone in the shot, but if you do, use lighting, framing, or selective focus to obscure the person's face. Since it's a photo illustration, you can use whatever effects you need to in photoshop. Using the studio is optional, but you need to reserve an hour for it if you do.

Sports assignment

Sports: one printed 8x10 color with caption (paper clipped or in portfolio sleeve) due Finals week (day to be announced)

I want to assign this one early since we have DMACC Bears basketball games going on right now through February. Here is a list of the home (Boone) games:

Women:
1/28/2009 Wednesday Southwestern Boone, IA 5:30 pm
2/3/2009 Tuesday Central JV Boone, IA 6 pm
2/11/2009 Wednesday Iowa Central Boone, IA 5:30 pm
2/18/2009 Wednesday Southeastern Boone, IA 6 pm
2/21/2009 Saturday AIB Boone, IA 2 pm

Men:
1/20/2009 Tuesday Morningside JV Boone, IA 7 pm
1/28/2009 Wednesday Southwestern Boone, IA 7:30 pm
2/4/2009 Wednesday Kirkwood Boone, IA 7 pm
2/11/2009 Wednesday Iowa Central Boone, IA 7:30 pm
2/17/2009 Tuesday Simpson JV Boone, IA 7 pm
2/21/2009 Saturday Clinton Boone, IA 4 pm

Again, pick your best sports photo for this assignment. You can use this as one of your weekly assignments, include your 10 other best shots from the game. If you don't get a shot you're happy with, you can use it as a weekly assignment and go to another game to try to get one you'd be happy with being in your portfolio.

You'll want to get a variety of shots, but the best location will probably be under one of the baskets, to the right. That way you can get those right-handed lay-ups and dunks without hands in the way of their face.

Make sure you take a photo of the scoreboard at the beginning and end of the game (if you stay for the whole thing), and after any big play. I would recommend staying at least half the game.

The DMACC Bears website lists all the player names and numbers (with a photo, too, so you can make sure you have the right person in your captions!)

Try to figure out if there are any stars on the team and try to focus on them throughout the game. Watch for interesting interactions with the referees or the bench, or any interesting characters in the crowd.


You don't have to cover the DMACC Bears, you could also go for the Des Moines Buccaneers, the Iowa Chops, a high school game, etc.

First Lecture PowerPoint

Des Moines police scanner

Here is a link to the Des Moines police. You can listen to their scanner live if you'd like to find spot news! I added a link to the side, too.

Surfing Lake Superior

Photo series of surfing Lake Superior.

Plane crash

You don't need a great camera to do great photojournalism. Wow.

A good roundup of the story here.

A couple notes (this should be in your email)

Just a reminder, now that we've talked a bit about the "weekly" assignments, you should start on them as soon as you can. If you have any questions, or if you're not sure an event would be suitable to cover, let me know. I posted today's handouts on the website as well.

Remember, we aren't printing these "weekly" assignments, just handing them in through Flickr or CD as you complete them. We will be printing the five assignments, so you will need a portfolio book (a simple one from Michael's will do, 25 pages is plenty). I'll let you know if you need photo paper for that.

If you want to start joining Flickr, I created a DMACC Photo group. It's private, so just hit join group and let me know who it is, if your member name is different from your real name.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/976394@N20/

Read Ch. 2 for Tuesday!

"Weekly" assignment info

For these assignments (15 of them), you'll need to find newsworthy events. Check City View, the Des Moines Register, or our class website for ideas. Possible ideas:
• Press conference
• Groundbreaking
• Award ceremony
• DMACC concert or play (or practice)
• Other DMACC entertainment events (comedian, mentalist, etc)
• Scenes from DMACC culinary, automotive, or other photogenic program ("slice of life" / feature photo)
• Sports event (DMACC or other)
• Other special events around town
• Spot news (accidents, fires)
• Fundraisers, unusual auctions
• Feature photos (ice skating, Botanical Center events, Salsa dancing, weather events)

Keep in mind:
For some events you'll need a press pass. If it's something where you can't just show up and start taking photos (like a concert at Wells Fargo or a sporting event -- you'll want to be close to the action) you'll have to contact media relations and ask if you can cover the event. You can say you are shooting for The Campus Chronicle, DMACC's weekly newspaper. Usually they just leave a press pass for you, or the media relations person will meet you somewhere. If they don't want to give you access, let me know and we can see what we can do.
Other events, like for concerts, they will only let you stay for a limited time (sometimes 2-3 songs).

What to turn in
• You'll turn in your 10 best shots from the event. Shoot liberally: it's easy to shoot over 100 frames at an event. For
• You'll have a main caption that will be submitted with your "overall" shot and probably a few more.
• You should include at least 3 photos where you include names in your captions.
• Flickr free account limits you to 200 photos. 10 x 15 assignments = 150, so you should be okay. Upload your photos to Flickr to "turn them in." I'll try to comment on them so you know I've seen them. If you are opposed to creating a Flickr account, you can turn your assignments in on a CD after you finish each one (if you use a CD, please include as many shots on the CD as you can... put the best ones in a different folder). I'll give you feedback for next time.
Another note: I will expect you to process the contrast, brightness, saturation, crop, etc. to your liking on your 10 best shots. If you use Flickr you can write the captions in the "description" box. If you turn it in on CD you can put the caption in the EXIF data in the photo itself. We can talk about how to do this in class.

Limitations
• Please don't take more than 7 of any one style (sports, entertainment, feature, media event, etc, etc), unless it's spot news. Take as much spot news as you can!
• Because it's easier to just shoot people you know, you can only use one assignment on a relative and one on a friend/acquaintance.

Grading
• 20 points total. I'll be looking at newsworthiness, technical merit (exposure, color, etc.), overall impact, and caption information/writing. Granted, there are usually only 1-2 *great* shots from any assignment, and I will keep that in mind.

Tips for getting caption info

When talking to your sources, always get:
Name (make sure they spell it)
Where they are from (hometown)
Age (If they are resistant, do your best. Always get kids.)
Contact info only if needed
Other information that might be helpful:
Remember this acronym: GOAL
It stands for:
What are your Goals?
What Obstacles have you faced along the way?
What Awards have you won?
and, how did you use your Life experiences to get here?
...but don't be limited to these. If you're covering a hot dog eating contest, ask the winner: is it your first contest? what's your personal record? do you like hot dogs? etc., etc. You might hit on a very interesting nugget of info to put in the captions.

...some subjects you won't need to get much information, just the basics. But for others, where you think some of the background information will make the photo more interesting, it's always good to get it for the caption/cutline.

Develop a method for writing notes
For example, write down subjects' names always left to right so it is easy to identify who is who when you go to write the caption.
It also helps to add notes about what the person is wearing to remind yourself.
Don’t let them write (bad handwriting could do you in)
Write your cutlines (captions) as soon as you’re done with the shoot so the information is still fresh in your mind.

What if they say "no"?
If they don't want to give their name, let them know you can’t publish it without their info.
If they don't want their photo taken, maybe they have a good reason (like they aren't supposed to be there!) ... try to feel them out. Push back but don't upset them.
Assure them it is a good photo.
Let them see the photo, if needed.
...and no, we don’t pay people for their photo!

Photos of Earth from satellite

Earth, observed. From The Big Picture. Pay attention to how the captions are written (and how it's difficult to make sense of it without them).

Note about mats

We won't be doing photo mats this semester, so don't worry about getting two-sided tape, etc. Please seek a portfolio to hand in your 5 assignments at the end of the semester. Curt says you can find them at Michael's Arts and Crafts. I'll show you an example in class.

DMR Photos

Photoes of the year - Des Moines Register. Any favorites?

Common Sense Journalism on why the AP needs help captioning (don't we all?)

Syllabus

Photojournalism
Syllabus • ART 289


Instructor: Andy Langager
Email: andylangager@gmail.com
Cell: 319-290-8229
Office: 3W Room 02 (the office on the left inside)
Class meeting:
Text: Kobre, Kennth. Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach (6th Ed.)

Course Objectives:
Students will learn basic visual and technical aspects of photojournalism, using a digital camera, while photographing a series of general news, feature, performing arts, sports and community events.

Equipment:

Required: DSLR Camera that can shoot RAW, 2 gig memory card (at least), reporter's notebook, photo portfolio, lens tissue and fluid, Q-tips, Rocket

Recommended (roughly in order of importance):
• Print supplies: 2-sided scotch tape, acid free "art" tape, sharpie, photo paper (type will be announced), photo mats, foam core board for arrangement assignment
• extra memory cards
• Travel bag
• External flash (Canon Speedlight, for example)
• Tripod or monopod
• Small tripod or beanbag
• UV filter (to protect lens)
• Wide angle lens
• Telephoto lens (135mm or longer)
• 50mm (f1.4 or f1.8)or 35mm (f1.4 or f2) recommended for low light situations, although image stabilizing lenses and higher ISO settings with lower noise make these less needed
• Battery grip and/or extra battery
• Point and shoot camera (as a backup)
• 3-ring binder for handouts


Attendance:
Attendance is required unless otherwise noted as an optional work day. Much of the work we do will depend on you being in class. Please try to make it on time to class. If you cannot make it, please try to email or call me to let me know ahead of time. If you have an excuse (note from doctor, etc.) please bring me a copy.

If there is an assignment opportunity during class time, please just let me know ahead of time.

Class and computer etiquette:
Please only use the digital darkroom computers for work related to our class. Checking your school email and uploading assignments to Flickr is fine, checking your Facebook is not. Also, no texting during lecture, please. If you need to use your phone, please leave the room.


Grade breakdown:
15 Events 20 points each 300 points
5 Assignments 25 points each 125 points
Quiz 25 points
Clip book (70 items) 50 points
Chronicle work/Attendence 25 points
Total 525 points

Late assignments: Five points off per day (that's two full letter grades on a typical assignment!). I'll try my best to give you reasonable deadlines. If you know you will be late with an assignment because of extenuating circumstances, please talk to me and we can try to arrange something that is fair. Unless otherwise stated, assignments are due at the beginning of class.

Project Assignments (25 points each):
Arrangement (Photo essay)
Illustration (Studio or other)
Portrait (Candid and studio)
"Scoop" / spot news
Sports (DMACC Bears or other)

"Weekly" Assignments (20 points each):
In addition to our five project assignments, you will be responsible for 15 other assignments of your choice throughout the semester. You can shoot sporting events, concerts, performances, media events, spot news, protests, or anything else newsworthy. If you are unsure whether it's newsworthy, talk to me! But if time is limited, shoot first, ask questions later.
You should turn these in on a CD at the end of the semester, each assignment in a different folder. The folder should have a slug (one or two word description of the story) and the date. For example: DMACC CHOIR 4-12-09
All weekly assignments are due the day of our final. It is strongly recommended you finish 9 by spring break.
Flickr will be another option for your assignments. We'll talk about this.

Clip book:
To keep up with what local photojournalists are doing, I'd like you to clip photos, along with their captions (cut lines), and paste/insert them into an album to hand in at the end of the semester. You'll need a 3-ring album that has the full-page static cling style pages (not the 4x6 pockets) and has enough pages to fit 70 clips (usually 1 clip per page). You can find clips in the Des Moines Register (you can get a free paper with a gas refill at Kum and Go), Des Moines Juice (free), CityView (free), Datebook (free),or any other local paper.

I'd like you to critique 10 of the photos positively or negatively according to what we've studied in class. You can paperclip or insert a short (150 words or so) typed critique next to the photo.

If you clip 5 photos per week, you'll spread the work out through the whole semester. Don't leave it to the last minute! (tip: if you know anyone who gets the Des Moines Register, ask if you can have their old copies)

Flickr:
I'd like you to turn in your "Weekly" assignments in via Flickr (or, if you have another photo service like Picasa or Photobucket, that is okay too). If you already have an account, great. If not, it's free to sign up. The free account is limited to 100 MB per month, but that should be enough. Add me as a contact or send me the link to your profile so I can bookmark you. Then, all you have to do is upload your weekly assignments and add a slug and caption. No hassles with CDs. If you don't want your photos public, you can set the privacy level, just make sure to add me so I can see them. Note: if you do have a pro account, be aware of your copyright settings and sizes that people can download your photos. If you want, add your classmates and share what you've done.

Expectations:
Come to class. Do the assignments on time. Please contact me if you will miss class or are struggling to meet a deadline. I try to be flexible but above all fair to all students.

Calendar:
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Week 1
Tuesday January 13
Introduction/syllabus

Thursday January 15
Chapter 1: Assignment
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Week 2
Tuesday January 20
Chapter 2: Spot News
Assign: "Scoop" / Spot news due March 12

Thursday January 22
Chapter 3: General News
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Week 3
Tuesday January 27

Thursday January 29
Chapter 4: Features
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Week 4
Tuesday February 3
Chapter 11: Photo Story
Assign: Arrangement due March 24

Thursday February 5
Chapter 6: Sports
Assign: Sports due Finals week
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Week 5
Tuesday February 10
Chapter 7: Photo editing

Thursday February 12
Chapter 5: Portraits
Assign: Portrait due March 24
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Week 6
Tuesday February 17
Chapter 8: Camera bag

Thursday February 19
Chapter 10: Covering the Issues
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Week 7
Tuesday February 24

Thursday February 26
Chapter 14: Illustration
Assign: Illustration Due April 28
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Week 8
Tuesday March 3
Chapter 15: Ethics

Thursday March 5
Chapter 16: Law
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Week 9
Tuesday March 10
Quiz

Thursday March 12
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Tuesday March 17 SPRING BREAK - NO CLASS

Thursday March 19 SPRING BREAK - NO CLASS
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Week 10
Tuesday March 24
Chapter 9: Strobe

Thursday March 26
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Week 11
Tuesday March 31
Chapter 12: Multimedia

Thursday April 2
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Week 12
Tuesday April 7
Chapter 13: Video

Thursday April 9
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Week 13
Tuesday April 14
Chapter 17: History


Thursday April 16
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Week 14
Tuesday April 21
Chapter 18: Turning Pro

Thursday April 23
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Week 15
Tuesday April 28

Thursday April 30
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[Finals Week May 4-8]
Portfolio due