Features and Portraits Assignment

UPDATED SEPT. 26, 2018
Photojournalism

Features and
Portraits

Assignment

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Required reading for this assignment:
Read Chapter 4, Features, and Chapter 5, Portraits
Photojournalism:  The Professionals’ Approach

View Feature Photos, Jannet Walsh Portfolio
View Portraits Photos, Jannet Walsh Portfolio

View Portraits and Features from NPPA
http://competitions.nppa.org/best-of-photojournalism/portrait-series-4/
http://competitions.nppa.org/best-of-photojournalism/feature-2/
http://competitions.nppa.org/best-of-photojournalism/sports-feature-5/
http://competitions.nppa.org/best-of-photojournalism/pictorial-3/

View POY
http://www.poyi.org/

Procedure and requirements – Everything listed below is required unless mentioned as optional.
The following procedure and requirements will be used during the semester for all assignments.  Additional requirements will be added as needed.  You are responsible for all items listed.  If you don’t understand, get help in class.

Work from this Semester ONLY
All work for this assignment and during the semester must be your personal work, and  taken or created this semester.  If you are submitting something created earlier than this semester without permission for an assignment, or have misrepresented your submission as taken this semester, please see the syllabus for academic dishonesty.  (This does not include photo galleries you have as part of your portfolio from previous semesters, internships, freelance or work.)

Reference for WordPress and Photoshop

Screen Shot 2018-09-18 at 8.02.16 AM

WordPress support now! https://en.support.wordpress.com/

Topics for Features and Portraits Assignment 
You are on assignment as a photojournalist and must select a topic your assignment.  You will need to look for feature photos and portraits . Tell a story with your photographs as a visual journalist, with a variety of photographs on one topic.

  • Features – Photos area timeless, there is not an urgency to publish immediately like news or general news.   Photos are a slice of daily life, universal emotions.  Read Chapter 4, Features,  for complete details
  • Portraits – Portraits tell the story of a person visually.  Read chapter 5, Portraits.

*****Topics related to St. Cloud State University and St. Cloud 
Your assignments must be about St. Cloud State University and St. Cloud community.

What is the story you will tell with photos?

Visual Variety for assignment
You will be shooting a variety of photographs for all assignments in this course as a photojournalist.   See list below.
Please see full list and examples of Variety for Photojournalists
https://multimediatoolkit.me/visual-variety-for-photojournalists/

Required photographs to tell story visually – For each assignment during semester

  • Overall Shot – setting the scene
  • Medium shot – tells the story in one photo, usually have several elements with people, the scene, action
  • Close-up shot – Detail
  • High or Low Angel Perspective
  • Wide Angle Shot – Wider than normal perspective, also panoramic view
  • All these shots apply also to video (Not included in Introduction Assignment)

PHOTOSHOP, CAPTIONS

Photographs processed with Adobe Photoshop, all require AP Style captions

Photojournalism Ethics– You are not creating or setting up photographs, but recording what is happening in front of you as photojournalist on assignment. (See AP Photo for Ethics and NPPA https://multimediatoolkit.me/photojournalism/ )

Processing Images (10 to 12)

  • 10 to 12 images – Select your best images, no less than 10 and no more than 12, including the required variety of photos, see able. You will  edit your work to from 10 to 12 images.  ONLY your best work to tell a story visually.
    Save your entire photo shoot as you might need to reference it later for different photos during the editing process. You are required to back up your work in at two locations, see syllabus.)
  • Place all images in a Folder:  Label with the date your name and topic
    Example:  091418JaneSmithIntro
    Save folder in on your portable hard drive, back up in a second location
  • Each image – You are doing basic edits to improve images for use on internet and publication.   You are never removing or adding layers of images or creating a composite of several images.
    Cropping images:  Crop images as needed, adjusting horizon lines, adjusting exposure, correcting color, exposure, contrast and brightness.  Follow directions for tutorials and get help in class.
    Naming images, saving in your project folder – All photographs will be named in a systematic way for each assignment.  Files not properly names (-1 deduction for each photograph)
    Naming photos for each assignment:  Date Your name assignment 01
    Files not properly names (-1 deduction for each photograph)

Example:
091418JaneSmithIntroAssign01

Next photographs for same assignment:
091418JaneSmithIntroAssign02
091418JaneSmithIntroAssign03
091418JaneSmithIntroAssign04
and so on for each photo submitted.

  • File Content and Photo Captions  – Inside Adobe Photoshop – Each photograph you submit will require a  photo caption and with metadata (FILE Info) submitted for assignment, no exceptions. You are writing Associated Press (AP) Style captions included in the File Information required in this area. (See next step for AP Style Photo captions.)
  • File Information, Adobe Photoshop – See how to enter information in Adobe Photoshop
    https://multimediatoolkit.me/adobe-photoshop-file-content-caption/
  • Required AP Style Photo Captions
    See complete details https://multimediatoolkit.me/ap-style-photo-captions/
  • Example of AP Style Caption:  
    St. Cloud State University President Robbyn Wacker addresses faculty and staff in Ritsche Auditorium, located in Stewart Hall, during the Fall 2018 Convocation in St. Cloud, Minn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2018. (Photo/Jane Smith)
  • Tips for writing photo captions – You might consider writing captions in Word before writing in Adobe Photoshop.  You will need your AP Style photo caption also for the required photo gallery in WordPress.
    (-1 deduction for each image missing required information)

WORDPRESS

Create Blog post or Portfolio entry for assignment

  • Create Post – Inside WordPress Dashboard, go to Post, then create new.  A post will always have a date and time it was create.  Suggested – Call headline what the photos are about, NOT the name of assignment.  Introduction Assignment will have no meaning latter on.  If the topic is Touring St. Cloud State University, make that your headline.
  • Portfolio entry – Inside WordPress Dashboard, to Portfolio, create new entry, see above for naming assignment.
  • Create Photo Gallery with your 10 to 12 images
    Photo gallery, see how to create at WordPress https://en.support.wordpress.com/gallery/
  • Enter AP  Style photo captions for each photos, not one for all 12 images. 
    Enter information in the Caption area in WordPress for each photo. You wrote your captions earlier on a Word document, it will be easy at this point to enter.
    Details to enter caption information in WordPress
    (-1 deduction for each missing photo caption, along with spelling and style)
  • About Photographs Text and Gear list – Minimum of 200 more words, about summary of assignment. (This is not a photo caption, but about the assignment.)
  • Under each photo gallery, or above, write about the photo assignment.
    Include the basics of journalism in this summary statement.
    Who
    What
    Where
    When
    Why
  • Gear List – List all camera, audio, tripod, or other equipment in a separate paragraph.  List all Adobe applications or other, computer – be specific.  If you shot a panoramic view for a wide shot, be specific about smartphone.

Additional Information
Names, emails, City/State person lives, possibly phone numbers –  You will need to get the name, correct spelling (Have person spell first and last name or have them write it and make sure you can read it) of first and last name, city person lives (NOT WHERE THEY ARE FROM), email, and possibly a phone number for your photo captions if you are featuring one person in a photograph.  If you have more than one person, two to four, then also try to get everyone that is identified able.   If you want to be a photojournalist, the person you identified needs to be named if featured in a photo for publication.  Carry a notebook and pen to get all information. Gather details to go with the photograph for the caption.  Are they a student, faculty?  What are they studying?  What else can you add to the photograph.  Points will be deducted in future assignments if you do not have complete details.

Checklist Before Submission

  • You have a Visual Variety of Photographs, 10 (Minimum) to 12 (Maximum) images
  • All photos have required File Information in Photoshop
  • All photos are in a compressed folder, uploaded to D2L (Only compressed folder accepted, not individual uploads.  Grade of Incomplete issued if image not submitted in compressed folder.)
  • Direct link to portfolio or blog post of assignment (Visual link, not dashboard link)
  • Assignment contains a Photo Gallery (Photos move together, not individual images), with each image containing required AP Style captions
  • Headline appropriate for assignment
  • Text for assignment posted in WordPress– Minimum of 200 more words, an about summary of assignment.
  • Text for assignment posted in WordPress – List all cameras, audio, tripod, or other equipment in a separate paragraph. List all Adobe applications or other, computer – be specific. If you shot a panoramic view for a wide shot, be specific about smartphone.
  • Checked spelling, AP Style
  • Additional Information, Names, emails, City/State of individuals identified in each photograph included in photo captions. (Submit emails or photo numbers in the text area in D2L, not in the actual blog post.)

SUBMISSION, D2L

Required items for submission

1.  Submit compressed folder with all process 10 – 12 images, complete with required File Information and Captions.  Use the naming method listed above in assignment for folder.  (JPEG)

Compress folder, Apple – Click on Folder, right click, select Compress
or

Select folder, Got to File, then Compress
From Apple, compress folder https://support.apple.com/kb/ph25411?locale=en_US

NOTE:  Your images will not be accepted if not in a compress folder.  You will receive an Incomplete, assignment will not be graded until updated.

2.  Submit direct link to Portfolio page or entry or Blog Post
Submit the direct link needed to view the page.  This is the link anyone can see, not inside your dashboard.

Grading for assignments

  • Photo captions and writing – accuracy and AP Style, 35%
  • Digital still image or video quality – file size and resolution, density/contrast, color balance, image stability, 25%
  • Visual impact – composition, use of depth of field, use of shutter speed, 25%
  • Journalistic significance – news value, decisive moment, emotion, 20%