U of Maryland - Philip Merrill College of Journalism
JOURNALISM 668N Sections 0101
Advanced Photojournalism
Spring 2024
Section 0101
Wednesday 4pm-6:45pm
Room 2105/Knight Hall
Dates To Remember
Group Photo Story/Photo Essay Idea
Due no later than March 6th
Midterm Portfolio Presentations
March 13th
Spring Break
March 16th to 24th
Research Paper
Due before April 24th
Last Day of Class
Final Portfolio/Photo Essay Presentations
May 1st
Final Exams
Group Photo Story images due
May 15th
Instructor
Tim Jacobsen
tmjphoto@umd.edu
301-471-5887-cell
Mr. Jacobsen is a freelance multi-media journalist based in Frederick, Maryland. He works or has works consistently for The Associated Press, The Washington Post, American Style magazine, Philadelphia Enquirer, Frederick Keys Baseball, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, Niche magazine, the City of Frederick and other regional publications. He has over 30 years of experience as a still photographer and video journalist, and has taught photojournalism, multi-media journalism and photography for over 17 years at Hood College, the University of Maryland and Frederick Community College.
Office Hours: I am generally available immediately before class and after class. For students who want to schedule a more extensive appointment, I will work with your schedule and mine. Virtual options include talking on the phone or Zoom.
About the Course:
WELCOME: This course will provide a deeper dive into the storytelling medium of photojournalism. Students will learn the skills necessary to tell in-depth, long-term stories through the use of still photography. Topics of discussion will include the history of photojournalism, changing approaches to the photo story/photo essay overtime, how to approach a variety of potential subject matter and situations, finding long-term photo story projects and organizing images for a variety of digital and traditional formats.
OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to expand the students knowledge of the techniques and fundamentals of photojournalism. Upon completion of this course each student will have the ability to communicate with their target audience in a variety of visual manners. They will not only learn how to seek out meaningful, thought-provoking images in a wide variety of situations, but will also learn how to develop their own photographic and documentary style. Discussions on ethical standards and the dilemmas that come with working in a fast-paced, get it up immediately world will also be part of the curriculum. Time will also be spent on the ever changing ways that photojournalists capture and disseminate the news; ie. Twitter, blogs, Facebook, video capture, etc.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students will be able to demonstrate:
1. Competence with manual dslr/mirrorless camera functions and exposure options.
2. Ability to edit and ethically manipulate images using Adobe PhotoShop, Bridge, Lightroom and mobile editing apps.
3. Confidence to document a variety of events, situations and basic journalistic style assignments. This includes having the ability to write a clear and simple AP Style photo caption as well as a “gang” caption or short photo essay to accompany a brief series of images.
4. Clear understanding of rules, laws and ethical standards that visual journalist need to adhere to. This includes while on assignment and while editing.
5. Be confident to think creatively, react spontaneously and to understand what makes a visually appealing, storytelling set of images.
Equipment:
You must provide:
-A digital camera, with the ability to control exposure settings manually and has the ability to capture still photos and video clips.
-A tripod
-SD memory card. 32GB minimum.
-A hard drive or other external/portable data storage device
-Appropriate cords for attaching recording devices to lab computers.
Grading:
Total Course Points Available
Weekly Assignments 500
Mid-Term Portfolio 75
Final Portfolio 100
Class Participation 100
FINAL PROJECT 200
Mid-Term Portfolios: (March 13th ) A collection of no less then 12 and no more then 16 of your best images from the first half of the semester. These images should be ones not handed in as part of a previous assignment, but can be from any assignment handed out. They can also be images that you took on your own. A link to a Google Slides presentation, or similar presentation, will need to be uploaded to the class blog. (75 Points)
Final Portfolio/Photo Essay: (Due May 3rd)
Portfolio: A collection of your 25 best images from the semester. These images should be ones not handed in as part of a previous assignment, but can be from any assignment handed out. They can also be images that you took on your own. You can recycle up to 6 images from your mid-term portfolio. Your final portfolio must contain at least 3 portraits, 3 event photos, 3 sports related images and 2 feature style images that include people. A link to a Google Slides presentation, or similar presentation, will need to be uploaded to the class blog. (150 Points)
or
Photo Essay: A collection of images (10-15) with a common theme or subject matter. We will discuss options and ideas during the semester. (150 Points)
Final Group Photo Story Project: (Due on May 15th) As a class, as a group, but also as individual visual storytellers, we will document a topic of importance to the U of M community over the course of the semester from a unique viewpoint. The idea is to create a collection of images that reflect a common viewpoint with a relevant theme. Each student will be responsible for contributing a minimum of 10 images for the project. All images must be taken during the semester, but do not necessary have to be ones that you handed in as part of an assignment or portfolio. As editor (and with your input), I will pick the best 50 images to represent the project.
We also need to come up with a name for the project. (200 Points)
Research Project (Due before April 24th)
Write a paper describing an era of photography or a specific photographer that changed or had a significant impact on the field of photography. Choose from a provided list of photographers or have your own subject approved by the instructor. This is not a biographical paper. Instead it should be from your personal vantage point. Talk about the photographer’s images or style of photography. How do they impact you as a visual communicator?
-Minimum of four pages. Double spaced.
-Minimum of four distinctly different sources
-Must include at least three representative images
(75 points)
Grading Rubric
Adherence to assignment specifics 25%
Understanding of assignment techniques 30%
Grasp of the creative process 30%
Attention to details 15%
Grading Scale:
98%-100%=A+
93%-97%=A
90%-92%=A-
etc
Deadlines: Assignments are due at the end of each class/lab period unless otherwise noted by the instructor. Posting to the class blog will constitute handing in an assignment. Points will be deducted from the Class Participation Grade for late work.
Photographs should portray people, scenes and actions as they are in real life. With the exception of basic editing and color correction, no photographs, scenes or interviews may be staged, directed, falsified, coerced, or otherwise manipulated.
Whenever possible, students will not focus on friends, roommates or family members for interviews or shooting assignments, including the final project, unless they get permission from the professor beforehand.
Students will identify the subjects in their stories for assignments and for the final projects. No anonymous sources without prior permission from the professor.
Students will receive point deductions if they do not come to class with the necessary equipment when requested.
All homework will be turned in on the class blog.
Class Participation and Deadlines (CPD):
If you have a legitimate excuse for turning in an assignment late let the instructor know PRIOR to the class period . This is the only situation where makeup work is allowed. All students start with 100 class participation points. If a student misses class or hands in an assignment late, without the prior approval of the instructor, points will be deducted from that total. Below is the university’s policy on what constitutes an excused absence.
- Students must notify faculty members regarding any excused absence in a timely manner. Notification may be prior to class or as soon after the absence as possible. In the case of religious observances, athletic events, and planned absences known at the beginning of the semester, the student must inform the instructor during the schedule adjustment period.
- Students must provide appropriate documentation of the absence. For medically necessary absences, students may provide self-documentation once per semester. While faculty members may ask students for documentation of medically related absences, we ask faculty for some latitude during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Faculty members must provide students with an accommodation for an excused absence. The accommodation may take the form of a make-up exam or another assessment that covers the same material and at the same level of difficulty as the exam or assignment that the rest of the class completed. The makeup assessment must be timely and it must take place at a time and place agreed on by both the instructor and the student. Having a course policy to drop the lowest grade, and using that dropped grade as the accommodation for an excused absence, is not a best practice for ensuring fairness and timely feedback.
Participation:
Class participation is a part of the final grade. Each student starts the semester with 100 CPA (Class Participation and Attendance) points. Ten points will be deducted from this total for each unexcused absence.
Academic Integrity:
Academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and plagiarism, will not be tolerated. The college has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy on academic dishonesty. Any abridgment of the university’s academic integrity standards in a College of Journalism course will be referred directly to the dean. The dean will send all confirmed cases to the university's Office of Judicial Affairs with a recommendation of expulsion from the University. Please see Code of Academic Integrity and Student Honor Council for details.
Policies and Student Rights Links
http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html
Religious holidays:
There will be no tests or major assignments scheduled on religious holidays identified by the university. If you expect to miss a class due to a religious holiday, please notify the instructor in writing before the start of the second class.
Students with Disabilities:
Students with a specific disability (permanent or temporary, physical or learning) needing special accommodation during the semester should make an appointment to discuss their situation.
SCHEDULE
Note: This schedule is subject to change. The instructor reserves the right to modify the schedule at anytime to best fit the needs of the class. Check the class blog for the latest version and information about upcoming homework. The instructor will do his best to inform students about schedule changes. Updates to the blog and group e-mails will be the most used forms of communication.
Week #1 (January 24th )
-Introduction to class dynamic and student expectations.
-Get to know each other and our different cameras.
-Construct class blog and sign in all students.
-Discussion on the Final Group Photo Story Projects.
-Discussion on being prepared as a photojournalist for any given assignment.
Final Group Project Criteria: Start thinking about topic and a name for our project. Potential candidate names are due on March 6th. We will vote on the name as a class.
HOMEWORK:
Photo Assignment #1 (50 points):
Show me what you got. Take images during the upcoming week. Subject matter is open ended, but you should be thinking like a photojournalist. Find a variety of situations over different days to document. Bring all your unedited images to class next week. We will edit in class. You will need to post your best 4-6 images.
Week #2 (January 31st )
- Edit Photo Assignment #1. Go over basic editing workflow options in Bridge/PhotoShop or Lightroom.
-Ethical considerations when editing.
-Discuss sizing and posting instructions for posting to the Class Blog.
CLASS CRITIQUE SESSION-If time permits, we will view everyone’s images and have a class discussion on he styles and types of images you each created. Be ready to defend your own images and discuss those of your fellow classmates.
UNDERSTANDING MANUAL EXPOSURE-Discussion about what each of the three exposure elements mean and why are they important. What is the exposure triangle? How does filling up a bucket with water relate to proper exposure?
HOMEWORK:
Photo Assignment #2 (50 points):
Cover a campus or community event. This should not be an event that you are participating or are going to as a spectator. Think about visual diversity when documenting. Remember that you are the eyes for your viewers. You need to show them what the event was like, visually. You will need to post your best 4-6 images.
Week #3 ( Feb 7th )
-Edit and post assignment #2
-Discussion on environmental/journalistic style portraits.
In-class exercise: brainstorm ideas for different styles of portraits. Students will pair up and photograph each other in the location(s) of their choosing around Knight Hall. Edit your best 3 images.
CLASS CRITIQUE SESSION-If time permits, we will view everyone’s images and have a class discussion on the styles and types of images you each created. Be ready to defend your own images and discuss those of your fellow classmates.
HOMEWORK:
Photo Assignment #3 (50 points):
Portraits-Either take eight different portraits of the same person or take eight similar style portraits of eight different people. Think about light, location, environment, background. You may use friends for this assignment, but not necessarily. Maybe find some Merrill faculty members to document or other campus group/club members to document. Post your best images to the class blog.
Week #4 ( Feb 14th )
-Edit and post photos from assignment #3.
In-class exercise: Discuss and edit a real life assignment. Visual considerations. Publication considerations.
-Class discussion on covering news events like press conferences, political rallies, protests and election campaigns or even a carinal or county fair.
-Screen a documentary on a famous Photojournalist
HOMEWORK:
Assignment #4 (50 points):
Three is a magic number: Find an event, gathering, location or situation to document. Think about visual diversity. Take a variety of Overall, Medium and Detail style images. You will need at least two overall style images, six medium images and three detail style images to post to the class blog. Editing will be done in class.
Week #5 ( Feb 21st )
-Edit and Post Assignment #4
-More discussion on Manual Exposure. Why? Because its important. Why?
CLASS CRITIQUE SESSION-If time permits, we will view everyone’s images and have a class discussion on the styles and types of images you each created. Be ready to defend your own images and discuss those of your fellow classmates.
HOMEWORK:
Assignment #5 (50 points): “Mini-Photo Story”- Over the next week, find a subject that you can create a short photo story out of. You could profile a person, a local event, an artist or person of interest, etc. The idea is up to you, as long as there is journalistic merit to the story. Ideas: document a taping of a CNS, Left Bench or other campus broadcast, profile a local tattoo artist, spend some time at the farm, follow a cleaning staff member around. Stay away from friends if you can. Post your best 8 to 10 images. Write a short story that can accompany your photo story. Minimum of 300 words.
Week #6 ( Feb 28th )
Finalize group photo story idea
-Edit assignment #5
45 minutes editing time, max
Screening the documentary Finding Vivian Maier.
HOMEWORK:
Assignment #6 (50 points) : Street photography. Images inspired by those of Vivian Maier and other street style photographers. You will need at least one Viv inspired self-portrait style image. The Hipstamatic app is an option. Images need to be posted before the start of class on March 6th. Best 6-8 images.
Week #7 ( March 6th )
Lecture
-Shooting and editing on a digital device. Pros, cons and limitations of covering news with an iPhone/smartphone.
-Discussion on app options for cameras, editing and video. Posting via the Blogger app.
-Discuss Final Project proposals
-Documenting and editing with a smartphone. Possible camera applications to use and editing applications.
HOMEWORK: Assignment #7 (50 points): Conceive and shoot a short photo essay using only your phone. Editing should also be done using a smartphone editing app. Post your best 8 to 10 images to the class blog.
Images due before class on March 13th.
Week #8 ( March 13th )
Presentation of Mid-Term Portfolios. A collection of no less then 12 and no more then 16 of your best images from the first half of the semester. These images should be ones not handed in as part of a previous assignment, but can be from any assignment handed out during the semester. They can also be images that you have taken on your own during the semester. Display type can be a simple Power Point Presentation or Google Slides presentation. (75 Points)
Assignment #8 (75 points): Mid-Term Portfolio Presentations
Week #9 March 20th)
Spring Break
Week #10 ( March 27th )
-Edit and post images from assignment #7.
-CLASS CRITIQUE SESSION-If time permits, we will view everyone’s images and have a class discussion on the styles and types of images you each created. Be ready to defend your own images and discuss those of your fellow classmates.
-Discussion on Feature style photography. Sometimes called standalone photography, enterprise images or wild art, these are images that rely heavily on their instant visual appeal.
HOMEWORK:
Assignment #9 (50 points):
Feature Fiesta: Find a minimum of four different situations that are visually unique and that can stand on their own to tell a story. Think about the Spring season and events/places that you can go to that highlight the season. Editing will be done in class.
Week #11 ( April 3rd )
-Edit assignment #9
-Discussion on covering a sporting event. The action is just one part of the game. There is a lot of activity that goes on away from the playing field.
-Watch award winning film “One Shot-Photographing The Olympics” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmF3xyLPH2k
Assignment #10 (50 points)
Cover a campus sports event or local sporting event. The twist is that you cannot document the action on the field/court. Instead, look for storytelling images in the crowd, on the bench, in the press box or before the game starts. Your sporting event can be anything sports related. You can even document a training/practice session. And stick around after the game/match ends. You will need a minimum of 7 images.
Week #12 ( April 10th )
-Edit Assignment #10.
.
HOMEWORK:
Assignment #11 (50 points)
- Manual Exposure A Must: Find situations/compositions where DOF and shutter speed are prioritized to make the image visually pleasing. You will need four images that rely on shallow DOF or a deep DOF and four images that rely on a fast shutter speed and a slow shutter speed. That is 8 total images. Tripods can be checked out from the equipment room on the first floor of Knight Hall.
Week #13 ( April 17th )
-Edit Assignment #11.
-CLASS CRITIQUE SESSION-If time permits, we will view everyone’s images and have a class discussion on he styles and types of images you each created. Be ready to defend your own images and discuss those of your fellow classmates.
HOMEWORK:
Assignment #12 (50 points): You Assign it. Each student will come up with a self-generated photo assignment. This assignment can be campus or community related, but can be more than that. Think visually and creatively, but not to specific. The assignment can be based on a theme or composition style. Maybe its light or angle, perspective, portraits, colors, etc. Seven images need to be uploaded to the class blog.
Week #14 ( April 24th )
Screen documentary-Pete Souza
Week #15 (May 1st)
-Edit Assignment #12.
-Discussion on organizing and presenting final portfolios
-Uploading images for Final Group Project
Week #16 ( May 8th )
Presentation of Final Portfolios. A collection of your 25 best images from the semester. These images should be ones not handed in as part of a previous assignment, but can be from any assignment handed out. They can also be images that you took on your own. Display type can be a simple Power Point Presentation, Google Slides, Prezi or other digital display option. (100 Points)
Posting of Final Group Projects ( May 15th )
Final group projects images need to be posted to a Google Drive Folder (which I will create) before the end of the semester.
FINAL PROJECT (200 points)
University Academic Integrity Link
http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html
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