SJ4009 - An Introduction to Photojournalism Practice (2019/20)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2019/20 | ||||||||||||||||
| Module status | DELETED (This module is no longer running) | ||||||||||||||||
| Module title | An Introduction to Photojournalism Practice | ||||||||||||||||
| Module level | Certificate (04) | ||||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 30 | ||||||||||||||||
| School | School of Computing and Digital Media | ||||||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 300 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2019/20(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
This year long module provides a comprehensive introduction to the practices of contemporary photojournalism. The module is intended for students at all levels of experience with photography. It will equip students with a range of elementary and intermediate camera skills and an understanding of photographic processes within a digital environment. The module will also consider the deployment of these skills within contemporary photojournalistic practice and students will develop a first portfolio of images of publishable quality. Students will be encouraged to publish their work, both inside the university website and outside, and to develop a network of contacts and a portfolio of personal work. Field trips and guest speakers will enhance the students’ understanding of contemporary photojournalistic practice.
Students will be assessed through in class presentation of work in progress and by way of the production of a portfolio of images, relevant to a photojournalistic context that demonstrates a varied range of photographic skills and abilities. Use of social media, particularly Instagram, Flickr and such sites will enable students to develop their networks, as will use of mobile phones.
The practical and intellectual skills gained through this module are all transferrable and highly relevant to future employment.
Syllabus
A comprehensive programme of workshops and practice sessions will introduce students to a range of different photographic techniques that will enable them to consistently visualise and produce high quality images relevant to various photojournalistic contexts. LO 1,2
Further practical workshops will cover editing and sequencing of images in preparation for the production of a portfolio and for presentation in a variety of different contexts. LO 2,3
Students will also be encouraged to develop a network of contacts within the industries and to engage in peer review of their work-in-progress, and to exhibit, distribute and show their work both inside and outside the university LO 1,2,3
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
In class teaching and activities:
90 hours, 3 hours a week for 30 weeks (27 taught weeks plus 3 enhancment/news weeks)
Guided Independent Study
160 hours
Preparation of material for assessment (including photography and final preparation for presentation)
50 hours
Students will be encouraged to make full use of online resources, to engage with the tutor via electronic communication methods such as skype. Students are expected to maintain a reflective, critical approach to their work.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this module, students who actively engage with the reading, practical and theoretical exercises will be able to:
1. Consistently produce high quality images, demonstrating a range of photographic skills, using a DSLR in manual and semi-manual modes
2. Organise and sequence images into a portfolio for presentation
3. Present a coherent body of work suitable for exhibition or publication
Assessment strategy
Formative and summative assessment will be through two separate in-class presentations of students’ work in progress (one in each semester). Students will be given immediate oral feedback which will they will be able to discuss with the tutor in class and which will be consolidated by written feedback given to students electronically. This feedback, insofar as it is formative, will specifically address areas that students can work on in preparing for the final summative assessments.
Summative assessment will be by way of the portfolio, which should be of publishable quality and should demonstrate development in relation to work in progress presented for formative assessment.
A marking scheme will be included in the module handbook to ensure students are familiar with the criteria by which their work will be assessed
Bibliography
Identify core and additional reading
Liaise with Library Services to confirm availability of on-line licenses in academic year
Where possible, the most current version of reading materials is used during the delivery of this module. Comprehensive reading lists are provided to students in their handbooks. Reading Lists will be updated annually.
Textbooks:
Core Text:
Wells, L. ed. (2009) Photography: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge
Other Texts:
Faris Belt, A. (2012) The Elements of Photography: Understanding and Creating Sophisticated Images. 2nd Edn. London: Focal Press.
Modrak R., with Anthes, B. (2011) Reframing Photography: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.
Journals:
Photography and Culture. London: Routledge
Websites:
Magnum
https://www.magnumphotos.com
Photographers’ Gallery
https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk
British Association of Journalists (apply for student membership)
http://bajunion.org.uk/index.php/students/
UK Press Card Authority
http://www.presscard.uk.com
Martin Parr Foundation
http://www.martinparrfoundation.org
W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund
http://smithfund.org
Royal Photographic Society
http://www.rps.org
British Journal of Photography
http://www.bjp-online.com
Self Publish Be Happy
http://selfpublishbehappy.com
TJ Boulting Gallery
http://www.tjboulting.com/home
Trolley Books
http://www.trolleybooks.com
Getty Images
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk
Alamy (stock agency)
http://www.alamy.com
Shutterstock
https://www.shutterstock.com/home
iStockphoto
http://www.istockphoto.com/gb