J455

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOJOURNALISM
SPRING 2009
Tuesday 7 -9:50pm, MZ 213
Office hours: MZ 327 M 12-2, T 10-11AM
Tel: 818 677-3144
Email: david.blumenkrantz@csun.edu

LAB HOURS:
Mondays:
11:00am-1:00pm
Tuesdays:
9:00am-11:00am & 12:00pm-2:00pm
Wednesdays:
2:00pm-6:00pm
Fridays:
8:00am-10:00am

Syllabus (Word document)

Discussion Guide form

Model Release form

DOCUMENTARY HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY (PowerPoint)

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This lecture/lab course covers aspects of Documentary Photography, and its relation to photojournalism. Areas to be emphasized include: the historical role of documentary as a force for social change; the role of subjectivity in documentary as compared with photojournalism; the psychological, philosophical and practical approaches employed by prominent documentarians; the use of digital and electronic technology in the publication and dissemination of documentary work, including multi-media slide presentations with audio, and videography. Lectures will be accompanied by slide (PowerPoint) presentations, videos and DVDs, and guest lecturers.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Each student will work on a semester-long project of their choosing, documenting a social issue in the Los Angeles area. Students may work individually or in small groups. Students will be expected to make weekly visits to their project sites in the field; everyone’s work will be critiqued in class on a bi-weekly basis. Students will be responsible for creating online multimedia presentations using digital audio technology and the program Soundslides, and a soft-cover book. The best work from each student will be displayed in a semester-ending photo exhibition.

TEXTBOOKS

• Doing Documentary Work, by Robert Coles
• Witness in Our Time: Working Lives of Documentary Photographers, by Ken Light
• Writing War, The Best Contemporary Journalism About Warfare and Conflict From Around the World. Edited by Clint Willis

Students will be assigned readings and will be required to lead discussions. Use the Discussion Guide provided to prepare for your presentations.

• JOURNALISM 2.0
  (download PDF and read chapters 9 & 10 on shooting and editing video)

TECHNICAL CONCERNS
This course is geared toward the electronic and digital processing and dissemination of still images, video and audio. Digital SLR cameras are preferred. Fully automatic, fixed-lens “point and shoot” cameras are not allowed. Students are expected to prep their images using Photoshop, saving all photo files as JPEGs, and embedding caption information in “File Info.”  Students are required to open professional accounts on Flickr, and to post their work regularly for class critiques. The work posted on Flickr will also be used to self-publish books. Digital audio recorders will be used; some are available to check out, but it is recommended that students purchase their own. Audio editing will be done on GarageBand, though students are free to use other programs.

http://www.flickr.com/ (Open your account here)

http://www.flickr.com/people/kioko/ (Make me your contact as soon as you join)

JOURNAL/LOGS
Minimum one typed entry per submission. Each entry should cover:

• A brief synopsis of what you are trying to achieve, and your strategy for visual documentation
• New ideas for photographs that have come to you from what you’ve seen and learned so far
• Obstacles you’ve encountered, and your response to them
• Technical and artistic concerns
• Observations on your personal encounters with the subjects of your photographs

GRADING WILL BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA

• Five (bi-weekly) critiques in class: Each critique will result in a grade based on progress, effort, and the quality of images.
• Written documentation: Each student will keep a typed log/journal, detailing the technical and artistic concerns, and general philosophical observations about the process. Journals will be collected periodically.
• Final Presentations (in Soundslides format)
• War Photography assignment
• Participation in critiques, discussions; demonstration of having read the books. Students will lead discussions from chapters in both books.
• Attendance: Three tardies or absences lowers grade

Africa documentary By David Blumenkrantz

COURSE OUTLINE
The week-by-week schedule will remain flexible, determined by our progress in the field and the availability of guest speakers.

Jan 20:         Course Introduction: Documentary history; presentation format; Discussion of individual/group projects

Jan 27:   Presentation models

              FILM: James Natchwey, War Photographer

              Coles: Introduction pgs 1-18

              Light: Introduction

Feb   3:  Project ideas/proposals due

             FILM: The Meaning of Pictures

             Coles: Ch 1. The Work: Locations in Theory, pgs 19-48

             Light: Hansel Meith

Feb 10:  Flickr critique #1

             Coles: Ch 2.  The Person as Documentarian, pgs 49-65

             Light: Wayne Miller 

Feb 17:   Journal #1 due  

             Coles: Ch 2. The Person as Documentarian, pgs 66-86

             Light: Joseph Rodriguez 

Feb 24:  Journal #2 due

             Coles: Ch3. The Tradition: Fact and Fiction, pgs 87-115

             Light: Peter Magubane

Mar  3:   Flickr critique #2

             Coles: Ch 3. The Tradition: Fact and Fiction, pgs 115-145

             Light: Fazal Sheik 

             FILM: My Kid Could Paint That

Mar 10: Journal #3 due

             Coles: Ch4. Range of Documentary Inquiry, pgs 196-229

             Light: Matt Heron/Jill Freedman   

FILM: Born into Brothels

Mar 17:  Flickr critique #3

             LECTURE: Using Soundslides and GarageBand

            Light: Mary Ellen Mark

Mar 24: Journal #4 due

             Light: Susan Meiselas CENTRAL AMERICA

Apr 14:  Flickr critique #4, Flickr book designs due today.

             Light: Donna Ferrato DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Apr 21:  Journal #5 due; Submissions for photo exhibit due

             Light: Sebastiao Salgado WORKERS

             FILM: Salgado

Apr 28:   War Photography presentations; Photo exhibit hanging

May  5:  War Photography presentations; Flickr books due for grading

May 12:  Soundslides presentations

ORGANIZATIONAL NOTES

• Since this class only meets once per week, it is imperative that you attend class as often as possible. Remember, missing one class in this format is the same as missing an entire week of instruction in a daily class. More than three absences will definitely result in a lowering of your final grade.

• This is a laboratory class. Although you will not be expected to adhere to a formal lab schedule, you should treat each assignment as if it came from a publication, and remember that you have a deadline to meet. The work can be completed at your discretion, though you are advised not to leave your lab work until the last minute. Lab hours for independent work will be posted.

• Your lab fees go toward hiring lab techs, but you may incur additional expenses for film, paper and other incidentals. Although there are lab techs to assist you in the computer labs and darkroom, all students are expected to clean up after themselves. Common courtesy is expected, and appreciated. Failure to leave the workspaces in good working condition for others may result in a lowering of your grade.