Syllabus for Spring 2012

Syllabus for Photojournalism Spring, 2012    397P-01          SEM 69304           Location: Fine Arts Center 444

Dennis Vandal, lecturer and photojournalist

The best way to reach me is at dennisvandal@gmail. If you must leave a telephone message anywhere, please call Donna Vanasse at the UMass Journalism office at 413.545.5931.  I check e-mail very often.

Brief overview

We’ll meet twice weekly and we’ll take a comprehensive look at photojournalism and its impact our society. The course will cover three areas: the history of photojournalism and its present trajectory, the legal and ethical considerations of photojournalists on the job and practical photography and how to make better pictures. This is also a fine opportunity to introduce you to web-based multimedia production methods.

 

What do I need for the class?

A digital camera: Just about any digital camera is fine, but you’ll get better results with a better camera such as a DSLR. If you don’t have the owner’s manual, retrieve it from the manufacturer’s website. Some assignments will be filed via zipped folder to umassfoto@gmail.com. A computer capable of downloading and using software is also essential.

Free GMail account: Because photographs tend to be relatively large files, you’ll need an email account that can send them easily. A free Gmail account is virtually essential because of its 20 megabyte transmitting capacity, so you might want to go to Google.com and sign up for one if you don’t have one already.

Free YouTube or Vimeo accounts: You’ll  need a YouTube account to upload assignments so please sign up for a free account if you don’t already have one.

Free software and software you may not even know you own:

  • Picasa, a free photo editing program from Google, is very helpful if you want to lighten, darken, tone and crop your photos. http://picasa.google.com/
  • PC users may also choose to combine sound and still images with Windows Movie Maker.  You can usually find it in the “All Programs” listing or in the “accessories” folder within the programs listing.
  • Apple users may also use iMovie to assemble still images and sound. It is already installed in Apple computers when new as a part of the iLife suite.
  • Audacity is a permanently free sound recording and editing program. http://audacity.sourceforge.net. It is also an industry newsroom standard.
  • You’ll also learn to use Soundslides, an industry standard for on-line audio slide presentations. You may use the trial version for about one month. Please do not download it until later in the semester.

 

The class blog is https://websites.umass.edu/dvandal and it is the place where you can find many valuable course-related tutorials and other things. Please bookmark it and check in regularly.

Dennis Vandal’s email address is dennisvandal@gmail.com

The class project email address is umassfoto@gmail.com.

The textbook “Photojournalism: A Professional Approach” by Ken Kobre, SIXTH edition is optional and very highly recommended. A copy of it is available in the reserves section of Dubois Library.

Attendance and courtesy

Attendance and punctuality are very important.  Please be ready for the class on time. More importantly, please refrain from using electronic devices such as cellphones and laptop computers. Ideally, learning is a communal experience and I need all of you to be present and involved. Expect to participate!

Grade structure

One third of the grade is based on the combined average of four quizzes, one third is based on approximately six photo assignments and the final third is based on the final photo essay project. Class participation is very important to keep the flow of ideas going. Please be prepared with readings to participate because it will become a consideration in the grading process. There is no final exam.

Final project deadline

The final assignment/photo essay must be on one CD or DVD submitted to me in class on April 30, at 6 pm.  The disk must contain the following:

  • One folder containing approximately 100 photographs, all in jpeg format.
  • One folder containing your 10 favorite copies of the original 100 photos
  • One folder containing a Word document with the captions for the 10 final photographs. There must also be one Word document, which should be a two-page, double-spaced story.
  • One folder containing the multimedia presentation and the link to the presentation posted to YouTube or Vimeo. There is no limit to the number of photos or time duration for the multimedia presentation.
  • Be sure to test your DVD/CD before you submit it.

Please bring your camera to class on Wednesday, January 25 !!!

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