DIRECTIONS: Your final (due in June) will be a photographic essay. You will be telling a story through photographs. That story needs to be either a news-related or human interest subject.
"OBJECTIVE": not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion.
You are going to walk a line between strict photojournalism and reportage. The difference is minute, but in a nutshell:
Photojournalism is strictly a telling of what happened without a personal bias.
Reportage is a telling of what happened, but with a bit of personal perception/experience thrown into the mix. Think of it as creative non-fiction.
It may help you to think of your photo essay, literally, like a written essay:
But it doesn't necessarily have to be that literal.
When choosing your reportage/photojournalism project, keep in mind the following:
Your subject matter (place, event, organization, process, person(s), etc.) should be timely.
Your subject matter should be photographed with objectivity, but you can be - should be - creative in the composition and arrangement of the photo.
Looking at your final five (10 or more) photographs, the viewer should have a sense of a narrative about what you have photographed.
Timeliness — the images have meaning in the context of a recently published record of events.
Objectivity — the situation implied by the images is a fair and accurate representation of the events they depict in both content and tone.
Narrative — the images combine with other news elements, to make facts relatable to the viewer or reader on a social, political, entertainment, or cultural level.
Begin looking:
James Nachtwey speaks...
James Nachtwey & Time Magazine
James Nachtwey at FKG Gallery
James Nachtwey "Shattered" (Time)
James Nachtwey.com
James Nachtwey at VII Photo
5 Questions with James Nachtwey
James Nachtwey at PBS.org
International Center For Photography
A photo essay on Martin guitars (click here).
The accompanying article.(click here).
Oregon Photographer Herman Krieger's site. (click here).
Herman Krieger's profile @ Profotos.com (click here).
Magnum Photo Essays
NY Times Photo Essays
Time Magazine Photo Essays
Getty Reportage
Getty Reportage
Reportage.org
Google: Photo Essays
SUBJECTS
USED IN PREVIOUS SEMESTERS:
1. A day in the life of...hair salon
2. Living in a nursing home
3. Preparing for a game (athlete rituals)
4. Making ice cream
5. Homelessness
in Portland
6.