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J 330 Photojournalism
Weekly workshops provide students with the opportunity to refine their photojournalism skills with emphasis on the print media and practical applications of imaginative thinking in picture stories and essays. Students the basic principals and ethics of visual journalism, with an eye toward the diverse perspectives existing throughout the Los Angeles community. Students learn to use a camera, expose film, and shoot pictures of people and events in a documentary style that tells a story.
Weekly photo assignments are given with deadlines. A final picture package/photo essay for the purpose of publication is expected at the end of the term.
J 420 Advanced Photojournalism
Weekly workshops give students an advanced and comprehensive understanding of photojournalism. Personal photo essays, picture stories, and personal documentary projects are explored. The class also investigates photojournalists’ work that led to social and political change.
Students learn how to research issues and subjects, overcome technical problems, and bring their own personal vision to assignments. Use of camera functions and basic digital media, along with an intensive shooting schedule help students tell complex stories with their camera. Students are encouraged to develop a strong personal sense of style, content, and design.
Presentations, discussions, and exercises also cover ethics, truth, and honesty in photo reporting.
Deadline driven photo assignments are given. Three picture packages/photo essays for the purpose of publication are expected during the term.
J 421 Photo Editing for News Media
Photo Editing is a class for print and PR majors or anyone who will be working with photographs or photographers at newspapers, magazines, corporate publications, or websites. The emphasis of the class is to better understand photographs and how they work in concert with words and graphics to inform the public through photographic storytelling.
The class focuses on organizing photographic coverage, the implementation of that coverage, editing the results and ultimately the ultimate layout of the finished product.
The class develops the student’s understanding of the intuitive and intellectual elements of photographs.
Weekly hands-on workshops give students an advanced and comprehensive understanding of photo editing. Students are encouraged to refine a strong sense of style, content, and design using the latest photo editing software.
Presentations, discussions, and exercises also cover ethics, truth, and honesty in photographs. The course offers valuable insights into dealing with photographers, assignment editors, reporters, designers and word editors.
Editing assignments are given with deadlines. Six picture packages/photo essays for the purpose of publication are expected during the term. Digital photo story packages are provided for use in the classroom.
J 499 Visual Journalism
Analyze and explore the phenomenal increase of photographic storytelling in today’s media. Learn how to convey information quickly while developing your ability to spot visual potential in news and feature reporting. Learn the key skills today’s visual storytellers must possess in a world of converging media. Sense, select and perceive visual messages.
Students will develop visual storytelling projects, using words and pictures to produce stories with the potential to change societal attitudes. They will give a voice to people and tell stories that haven’t been told before. Topics may include class, race, culture, the environment, social, economic and political themes. The goal is to understand the meaning and ethics of images we make, see and use.
Students will be encouraged to concentrate on the type of assignments they want to specialize in as professionals.
The course will also explore display presentation and ethical behavior in the professional media world.
This class is designed for print and broadcast journalism and public relations majors. No prerequisites.