Units
Photojournalism
Unit code: KJP420
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
Digital media increase the communication opportunities and challenges confronting creative professionals. This unit provides both an understanding of this changing communication environment and the application of digital photography principles and digital photography skills to enhance communication practice with visual design elements.
In this unit students develop and apply digital photographic skills to explore this rapidly changing communication environment. Students enrolling in this unit should have a fundamental working knowledge of an SLR digital camera.
Classes will explore technical approaches to digital photography, including press photography, photojournalism, documentary photography, landscape and portrait photography.
* KKP420 has been recoded KJP420 from 2013.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 2 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Changing digital technologies have resulted in increased demands and expectations for creative professionals to have appropriate digital visual skills. Creative professionals are increasingly expected to understand and apply digital visual principles and possess the ability to employ and include visual elements in their work such as photo-essays, and photojournalism projects. In this unit students will advance their fundamental digital photography proficiency and analyse styles of visual communication and the photographic medium.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to provide you with knowledge and skills of digital photography principles and techniques. These skills will include composition, story-telling and editing, plus strategies to react and adapt your expertise to location and contextual conditions. You will also apply and implement associated professional communication skills.
Objectives
On completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Use digital photography skills to produce photographic images for photojournalism and photo essays;
2. Analyse photographic work using an appropriate theoretical approach;
3. Use digital photography software at a prefatory level;
4. Communicate professionally in the context of digital media.
Content
This unit addresses content such as:
1. Employ digital camera skills
2. Produce photojournalism, press and documentary photography using available light techniques
3. Use visual editing software
4. Analyse visual communication and the photographic medium
5. Implement professional communication skills for digital media environments
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
This unit is delivered in intensive mode by a combination of seminars and tutorials/workshops. These learning activities will provide an introduction to essential practical skills and design concepts required for the production of quality digital images and their composition for photojournalism and documentary projects.
Assessment
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
An assignment submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked. If you are unable to complete your assignment on time, you should submit on time whatever work you have done.
Faculty Assessment Information
To access complete Creative Industries Faculty Assessment Information please refer to the Blackboard site for this unit.FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
You will receive formative feedback on your progress in this unit during tutorials and discussions throughout the semester.
You will be awarded a final grade on a 1 to 7 point scale.
Assessment name:
Analysis of photographic works
Description:
(Formative and Summative) You will analyse photographic works within one of the three forms of photography: photojournalism; press photography or documentary; utilising an appropriate theoretical approach. Length 1800 words plus images.
Relates to objectives:
2, 4
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Early-Mid Semester
Assessment name:
Creative portfolio
Description:
(Formative and Summative)
Each student will produce an individual portfolio of work that they have developed over the course of the unit.
Relates to objectives:
1, 3
Weight:
60%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
End Semester
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Highly Recommended Texts
Cohen, Sandee.(2011). InDesign CS5 for Windows and Macintosh. Berkley, CA: Peachpit Press
Recommended References
Farkas, D., & Farkas, J. (2001). Principles of web design. London/New York: Longman.
Garrand, T., (2001). Writing for multimedia and the web (2nd ed). Boston, MA: Focal Press.
Johnson, M. (2002). Problem solved: A primer in design and communication. London: Phaidon.
Nielsen, J. (2000). Designing Web usability. Indianapolis, IN: New Riders Press.
Rosenfeld, L., & Morville, P. (1998). Information architecture for the World Wide Web. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly.
Schriver, K. (1997). Dynamics in document design: Creating text for readers. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Technical Communication. (2000). Special issue on information design. 47(2).
Tufte, E. (1997). Visual explanations: Images and quantities, evidence and narrative. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press.
Risk assessment statement
There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks for this unit.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 25-Mar-2013
