:: PHOTOJOURNALISM WITH SPEOS

Photojournalism and documentary photography have evolved with the tools and the technology currently used by professionals: digital cameras, laptop computers, wireless telecommunications, high-speed networks, and the Internet. The course work explains how to embrace these changes in modern photography as practiced by photojournalists covering stories in the field for media clients - newspapers, magazines, and Internet content users.		© Christophe Dahdah

-> News Photography :

Paris-based assignments include events, places and themes to challenge students visually to report on stories in various domains photojournalists encounter: social, political, sports, cultural, documentary, features and the portrait.

© Gyrithe Lemche		The process of how to cover such stories is explained in detail: Researching and collecting of information from various sources: radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Recognition of subject matters, which could be of interest to various media - general news, specialty magazines, target markets, either local or foreign. Making contact with editors to explore interest and with organizers or authorities to gain access to ensure the proper coverage as a photojournalist.

Camera Work: How to approach the subject matter with an eye to illustrate the story for a given media: Notions of framing, point of view, lens, sensitivity to the subject matter, camera controls of speed and aperture; How to relay information (a photojournalist combines photography with journalism) in a well-constructed, readable image that transmits information and emotion; How to condense in one image action, the important players, the context, and the importance of the event.

Image choice: Learn how the properly edit your image files to construct a coherent story by selecting your best images.

Image treatment: How to correctly describe or caption your images following the international IPTC standard used by news agencies. Once prepared, the transmission of images via Internet to meet client deadlines is emphasized.

Image management: How to incorporate a simple method of files management and storage on media to enable archive retrieval.

© Yian		-> Documentary Photography : To complement a photojournalist approach, students explore the foundation of documentary photography and its approach to recording elements and themes of contemporary society. Again, notions of context and point of view are explored. Images from the history of the subject are presented and discussed. Students are encouraged to develop a distinct photographic signature as weekly class presentations and critiques of work in progress are screened in a dynamic exchange between the instructor and class.