Wednesday 30 March tabloid writing

Please read the following article from Time Magazine. A Brief History Of: Tabloids!! By Kate Pickert

When John Edwards admitted what the national Enquirer had been saying for months--that he had had an affair with a campaign videographer--it was only the latest in a string of high-profile scandals broken by the supermarket press. But politicians' foibles weren't always the target of choice for the tabloids. In the 1950s, their pages were splashed with bloody car accidents and gruesome mutilations. Enquirer owner Generoso Pope dialed down the gore in an effort to appeal to housewives in the checkout aisle, replacing it with alien abductions and medical oddities. Celebrity gossip took over by the late 1960s, as the Enquirer and rival Globe feasted on Chappaquiddick, Jackie Kennedy's remarriage and the death of Elvis. (The Enquirer paid a Presley relative to snap a picture of the King in his coffin.) Rupert Murdoch's Star joined in soon after. Weekly World News, billing itself "The World's Only Reliable Newspaper," carried on the mantle of the weird, covering miraculous cancer cures and zombie sightings. "When we inform people, it's usually by accident," admitted its editor. Tabloid circulation peaked in the 1980s, but the O.J. Simpson trial prompted a rapid--and ironic--reversal of fortune. Broadcast coverage of the spectacle eclipsed anything that could be done in print, setting a template for sensational TV journalism that would drive the tabs' circulation down 30% by the mid-'90s. Celebrity print media has bounced back in recent years, thanks to Britney and Paris, although mostly in the glossy magazine format that Star switched to in 2004. And as it is with most papers, the Internet is impinging on tabloids' turf. The new medium has already claimed Weekly World News, which folded in 2007--but readers looking for the latest on the ALIEN BABY LOVE CHILD can still find it online.

ASSIGNMENT: Part 1- DUE the end of class on Monday.

Irresponsible journalism-what you don’t want! Go to the link below http://www.toptenlinks.com/cat.php/News:Newspapers:Tabloids If you have trouble with this, here is a list of tabloids. 1, National Enquirer2. Star Magazine 3. Weekly World News 4. New York Post 5.The Mirror 6.The Sun 7.New York Daily News 8 Globe Magazine 9. Tabloid 10. Mega Star

Read 4 articles from 4 different tabloids. In approximately 200 words, respond to this question: What commonalities do you find within these articles? What ethical problems do you note? What purpose do these writings serve.

Part 2 of the assignment; due Thursday 7 April.

Now write your own tabloid article: length approximately 300 words. Must include an image at the top of the article. Possible topics:

mythology / folk / fairy tale characters. The Three Bears Cinderella Little Miss Muffet The Return of Odysseus Robin Hood The Trojan Horse Davy Crocket at the Alamo George Washington and the cherry tree The Old Woman and the shoe Johnny Appleseed Casey Jones Aladdin Little Red Riding Hood The Little Mermaid Snow White The Three Little Pigs Anything else that appeals to your imagination. Don't forget to apply the who, what, where, when and how to your article. Be prepared to share these Friday 8 April so make sure to put them on your flash drive.

Wednesday 16 March photo analysis and project

Please read everything! Note this blog for all work for the next week.

Firstly, the personal photo reponses, the ekphrastic writing assignments, are the best this year. They resonate authenticity and sincerity. As well, there is a sophistication of language coupled with mature language style. These are a pleasure to read. Great work.


Tomorrow we will be in a classroom looking at how to photograph buildings, landscapes and people. Take your time to read the following information. First is a description of your personal project.


ASSESSMENT PROJECT: Due Thursday 24 March.
You are creating your own photojournalism project. There is no assigned topic, but your images should have a thematic or narrative unity. As well, they should demonstrate you understand the fundamentals of composition. You should have 15 photos. Keep in mind that with the computer, you have some flexibility to improve your images. However, limit this to cropping or simple light adjustments. Be prepared to explain your photos: what were trying to accomplish or even what did not succeed.
NOTE: although you are only showing the class 15 pictures, you may need to take significantly more.

Basic requirements: Your pictures should include at least two varying levels of close-ups and two with people, two interior and two exterior. What is meant by a thematic or narrative unity is that your photos should tell a story or reflect an idea, much like a thesis statement does in your writing. ON THURSDAY MARCH 24, everyone will turn in an outline that will include an introductory statement explaining the purpose of the photos, that is what was your objective. Discuss any obstacles or frustrations your encountered in terms of achieving this objective. These could be limitations posed by your equipment, weather, light or subject. Following the above, please simply list your 15 photos, labelling where and when each was taken and the type of shot. Do not forget that you need at least one interior, one exterior, two varying levels of close ups and two that include people.

WEDNESDAY (today 16 March) in class work. Please read the following. Keep this in mind when taking your own photos, not just for this project, but for whenever you wish to imbed a moment.

What Makes a Great Shot by Andrew Hudson

Photography is the perfect companion to travel. It encourages us - as travelers - to discover an area; it provides tangible memories of the trip; and it is an enjoyable way to express ourselves in art.
A camera is really an excuse to delve deeper into a place than we otherwise would. Looking for a good shot forces us to seek out the unique features and scenic beauty of a location, to explore further, and to interact with our surroundings. When you press the shutter release, you're making a personal connection to the place and it's people. You are there. Photographs preserve the memories of our trip. We can show others the exciting places we've been, the wonderful scenery, and the great people we met. Our minds are triggered by images and reviewing our photographs helps everyone on the trip relive its adventures and misadventures. Taking pictures is also a very accessible artform. With a little thought and effort you can create captivating images of your own creation and interpretation.
The Secret of Photography
Fortunately, taking good photographs has little to do with owning expensive equipment and knowing technical data. The secret is in seeing. Ask yourself: What do I look at, and how do I see it? A good photograph has qualities that display the skill, art, interests, and personality of the photographer.
What Makes A Good Photograph?
A photograph is a message. It conveys a statement ("Here we are in ..."), an impression ("This is what ... looks like"), or an emotion. You are an author trying to convey this message in a clear, concise, and effective way. But how?
Like any message, you first need a subject. This may be your traveling companions, a building, a natural vista, or some abstract form. The subject is the central point of interest and is usually placed in the foreground of the shot (towards the viewer). Now we compose the message by including a second element, a context, which is often the background. The context gives the subject relevance, presence, location, or other interest. It is the combination of the two elements - subject and context, foreground and background - that tells the message.
Just as important as knowing what to include, is knowing what to exclude. Anything that isn't part of the subject or its context is only a distraction, cluttering up the image and diluting the message. So eliminate extraneous surroundings - usually by moving closer to the subject - and make a clear, tidy shot. A painter creates art by addition - adding more paint - whereas a photographer creates art by subtraction - removing unnecessary elements.
The recipe for a good photograph is:
"A foreground, a background, and nothing else."
What Makes A Great Photograph?
A great photograph is piece of art. It captures the spirit of a subject and evokes emotion. Bob Krist calls it "The Spirit of Place." You are an artist that can use subtle tricks to appeal to your viewer's senses. Let's see how.
A picture is a playground, with places for our eyes to wander and investigate, plus spaces for them to rest and relax. When we first see something, we are defensive. Our eyes instinctually find light, bright areas, and look for people, particularly their eyes and mouth. Do we know the people in the picture? What are they feeling, and how does this relate to us? Are they drawing attention to something? If so, do we recognize it (a building, a landmark) and what does it look like? What is this picture about? What is the main subject or objective? How big is the subject? We determine scale by comparing elements to something of known size, such as a person, animal, or car. Once we've checked for people, we turn our attention to more abstract features.
We first notice the subject's color or tone. Firey red, calming blue, natural green, foreboding black. Then we see shape. Soft curves, hard edges, sweeping lines. How the light strikes the subject gives subtle hints as to its three-dimensional form. You, as a photographer, can manipulate this by searching for shades and shadows, shifting intensities of tone and hues. How is the eye drawn into the picture?
Form leads us to texture, how the subject might feel to the touch. Is it soft, is it smooth, hard, or rough? Does it have character and warmth? The way the elements are juxtaposed and affected by the same light, makes us consider their qualities and interrelation. Balance draws our eye from one element to another, investigating their unity, contrast, and detail, each item adding pleasure to the next. What is the relevance of everything?
The overall composition, the proportions of layout, denotes importance of the elements. As the artist, you can decide which features appeals to you, and how best to emphasize them.
The recipe for a great photograph is:

"Consider how the parts interrelate with the whole".


IN CLASS WORK FOR Friday 18 March and Monday 21 March. DUE at the close of class on Monday 21 March. Please send as an attachment.
Next Tuesday and Wednesday 22 /23 March you will have time in class to edit your photos and write up the response due for Thursday 24 March.


You will find 15 images below where you will demonstrate your understanding of photo composition and lighting techniques. In a word document, write a short paragraph for each of the 15 images. Begin with a description of what you see in terms of people, place, time of day. Be very descriptive. Taking your time with this will help you visualize your own photos. Next analyze the photo as to why it works. Note depth of field (what is in focus), use of a fast or slow shutter, fill in flash, shadows, focal points and how movement is captured on a flat plane. This is writing assignment, so take your time. You may use any handouts I gave you.
CHOOSE 10 of the photos only.

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6.

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15.

Tuesday 15 March photo techniques

As the Murray write up was due last Thursday, at this point it is only worth 50 points. Yesterday was the last opportunity to turn in your own ekphrastic photo response for full credit. This was the last grade for this marking period.
MOVING ON...today we are looking at photo composition with the objective of you creating your own photo narrative.
Below is a copy of the handouts.

How to Photograph Anything

Buildings
To minimize the angular distortions of looking upwards, always look for a high viewpoint. Ascend stairs, stand on top of another building or the crest of a hill. If you can't get high, stand far back.

Use the widest angle you have (24-30mm). Bright blue skies are to offset the gray of the building. A polarizer cuts down on window reflections. Try to include people for scale and human interest.

Look for interesting details, often around the doorway, columns or windows. Zoom in and isolate the detail. Here the diffused light of an overcast day works best.
Interiors
Stand well back or shoot from outside through a window. The low-light dictate a long exposure, so load up with fast film. Bring a tripod if they're allowed or, if not, find a support (a wall, your friends shoulder, or lean against a doorway). Use a cable release, or the self-timer to avoid moving the camera.

Remember to switch off the flash if it is not allowed. If it is, you can bring up dark areas by firing a hand-held flash into them while the shutter is open. Natural lighting casts shadows for a tranquil atmosphere. Expose for the highlights.

Landscapes
Always have something in the foreground. This gives depth and scale - using a person also adds human interest. Look for a high vantage point such as a hotel balcony, roof-top restaurant, or wall. Late afternoon is usually best. Use a polarizer to enhance the sky. Haze increases with distance and this aerial perspective gives a subtle impression of distance and depth. Ansel Adams declared landscape photography to be the supreme test of the photographer.
Water
With sprayed water, use side- or backlighting for a translucent look. This also works well with smoke, grass and leaves.

Experiment with a slow shutter speed, perhaps 1/30 to 1/4s so that the rushing water creates a soft, romantic blur. I like 1/8s. A tripod or other support is necessary. Be careful with a polarizer - it can enhance the colors but it also removes reflections that you may want.

Sunsets
The best times are when the sun is just about to touch the horizon, and the afterglow 10-30 minutes after the sun has set. Usually automatic metering works fine, but with high contrast, meter off the brightest part of the sky. Try adding a person in the foreground (they'll appear as a silhouette) for human interest, depth and character. Either include a reflection from the ocean, or eliminate the scenery and keep the horizon low in the frame. A zoom lens is useful and you'll need a tripod or wall for support as the shutter speed will be slow.
Dusk and Night Shots
Dusk shots are best about 15-30 minutes after sunset, when there is still some color in the sky. To add depth, shoot from one end of a bridge or find some other feature coming towards you. A tripod is a necessity. Auto exposure usually works fine but also try manual exposure using a cable release and the 'B' (bulb - open) setting. Take several shots with 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16 seconds. Use an FL-D magenta filter to overcome the effect of tungsten lights on daylight film, and to add a pink to the sky.
In Bad Weather
Bad weather doesn't mean bad photographs, it just changes your options.

Overcast skies reduce contrast and are preferred for trees and foliage. Colors may appear cool and bluish so add an 81A, B, or C filter to warm up the image. If the sky is boring, disguise it with an overhanging tree, or exclude it completely by raising the horizon in your frame. When low clouds or rain reduce color saturation, try black and white film to emphasize the range of gray tones. You may need a faster film (ISO 200 or 400) since there's less light.

Storms and heavy rain add drama and power to an image. Dusk shots are improved with reflections of neon lights in puddles. Clouds create moving patterns of interesting highlights, particularly when a storm is clearing. Fog makes lakes, rivers and valleys look ethereal and primordial.

Rain or snow makes people, kids especially, wear colorful clothing. Cover your camera with a coat, umbrella, or even put it in a plastic bag. In snow, give a slight overexposure (slower shutter speed or '+1') to keep the whites free from appearing dirty gray.

How to Photograph People

There are several factors to consider when photographing people:
Location
The first thing to do is find your location. Choose a spot with a simple, medium-toned background. Tree foliage, grass or the ocean works well. For darker skin, look for a similarly dark background to keep the highlight (and thus the camera's exposure) on the face.

Minimize patterns, shapes and colors. Keep that background simple, or include a famous landmark.
Lighting
Get the sun behind you and to one side. If it's bright, put people in the shade (harsh, direct sunlight washes out the face). If it's dark in the shade, use the fill-flash feature to brighten up the face.

The best time is the late afternoon as it gives a nice, warm, golden glow. At other times, with an SLR camera, you can simulate this glow with an 81B or C filter.

A popular technique is to put your subject in the shade, then use fill-flash to lighten up the face. Bring a small reflector or white card reflect sunlight into the harsh shadow areas.

Occasionally, having the sun shine from behind the subject (backlighting) looks good as it creates a halo through the hair, showing form and drawing the face out of the background.

If you're shooting indoors with an SLR, 'bounce' the flash off a wall or ceiling for more natural lighting. A separate hand-held flash is best and can be positioned far enough away from the lens to avoid red eye.

Lens
If you have an SLR, use a 135mm or similar lens for the most pleasing perspective. Use the widest aperture (lowest f-number) to blur the background and highlight the face for a movie-like look. If the background is important, use a small aperture (high f-number) to get everything in focus.
Positioning
Get close. Don't include their full body but zoom straight in to the face. For close ups, crop out the top of the head and overfill the frame. Being at eye level usually works best, so for children, kneel down.
Proportion
Generally try to keep the eyes, not necessarily the head, in the center of the frame. If the person is looking slightly to one side, add extra space to that side.

If your subject is to one side and there's a lot of contrast in the shot, you might need to control the exposure. To do this, zoom or close in on your subject (perhaps a person's face) then press the exposure lock button. Keep this button pressed down while you recompose and take your shot.


Relax Your Subject
Get your subject relaxed and happy. For friends or family, remind them of a silly event. With children, give them something to play with. For local people, ask them about the location, their job or skill, or complement their clothes. People hate waiting while you adjust your camera so always plan the shot and adjust your camera first, before asking people to pose.
Fun Shots
To add fun and action to a shot, hold the camera at an angle - 30 degrees with the right side up works well. It looks as though the photographer was caught off guard, emphasizing danger and action, and is great for parties! Stage a joke shot by pretending to interact with a statue. Or use a wide angle lens to distort the face.
Action
If your subject is moving (on a cable car or bicycle), deliberately blur the background to emphasize speed, excitement and urgency. Track the subject with your camera and, if you have an SLR, use a medium to slow shutter speed (1/60s). This will blur the background and, optionally, also your subject. Using the flash (particularly a 'rear-curtain sync' feature if your camera has one) helps freeze the subject in a moving background.

Monday 14 March last day to turn in ekphrastic response

Ekphrasis is using one art form to respond to another. Friday's assignment was respond to your photo, much like Murray did in his essay The Stranger in the Photo. Please review the details on Friday's blog. The assignment is due at the end of class today. It is the last grade for this marking period.

Reminder: the photo goes at the top of your document. Don't forget your caption.

Marchal Duchamp's Nude Descending a Staircase and X.J. Kennedy's poem, which follows, by the same title is to illustrate how ekphasis is used in poetry.

enjoy

Nude Descending a Staircase

Toe upon toe, a snowing flesh,
A gold of lemon, root and rind,
She sifts in sunlight down the stairs
With nothing on. Nor on her mind.

We spy beneath the banister
A constant thresh of thigh on thigh--
Her lips imprint the swinging air
That parts to let her parts go by.

One-woman waterall, she wears
Her slow descent like a long cape
And pausing, on the final stair
Collects her motions into shape.

Friday 11 March- ekphrastic writing

Putting yourself into the picture. Ekphrastic writing. One particular kind of visual description is also the oldest type of writing about art in the West. Called ekphrasis, it was created by the Greeks. The goal of this literary form is to make the reader envision the thing described as if it were physically present. In many cases, however, the subject never actually existed, making the ekphrastic description a demonstration of both the creative imagination and the skill of the writer.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Everyone needs a picture of him or herself that is at least five-years old.
Using yesterday's essay by Donald Murray as a general model, look at your photo. Take time to study facial expression, the body postion and gestures. What is the context? Project yourself back to that moment. Where were in your life? What were your expectations- for the moment for the long run? Maybe your long run was only a month away. Compare this to where you are now. This is not a goal oriented essay, as in what would I like to be when I grow up. Ask yourself honestly, who you were then? To make it interesting, use vivid imagery and other figurative language devices such as metaphors or similes. Make the reader connect with this photo, much as Murray did. Careful with the tone. Murray offers no regrets, rather he creates a world into which the reader may step. This should be about 400 words.

When you have finished, create a caption. Submit it by mail, inserting your photo at the top. THE COMPLETED ESSAY IS DUE AT THE END OF CLASS MONDAY. (Last grade for this marking period)
Suggestion: some folks could not scan their picture, so they took a picture of it with their phone and then sent it to themselves.

Thursday 10 March

Your photojournalist presentations are done. Everyone had an opportunity to present in class. If you were not prepared, you may come either 6th period to the second floor lab or after school today or next Tuesday. All outlines were due this past Monday. These counted as a quiz grade, which is now a 0, if you chose not to turn yours in.
This marking period ends next Friday. A couple of folks have not turned in their initial resumes or cover letters. Your names have been forwarded to an administrator. As well, there are a few people who still need to turn in their revised cover letters and resumes. The senior exit interviews, which are a graduation requirement, along with the resume and cover letter, will be held on Wednesday 30 March. Details will follow when I know more.

REMINDER: you need to have a picture of yourself taken at least five years ago for class tomorrow.

IN CLASS TODAY: You were to have read the essay by Donald Murray that was handed out in class earlier this week.
Please respond to the following based upon the reading and send as an attachment. These are due at the end of class. These need to be fully fleshed out responses.
1. What textual and contextual elements indicate this column's particular audience?
2. Identify what you believe to be Murray's central argument.
3. How does Murray's comment on our "ability to stop time in the way" mesh with the inclusion of the photograph? How does the comment deepen our understanding of his argument?
4. Examine the photograph. How does the presence of the photograph itself contribute to Murray's effort to communicate? How, if at all, would the absence of the photograph change the essay's argument?
5. Speculate how would the absence of a caption alter your reading of or response to the essay?
6. Respond: how would replacing the existing caption with each of the following cations affect your reading?
a. "Paratrooper Donald M. Murray, 1944"
b. "The Stranger in England, 1944"
c. "A soldier in rakish disregard..."

Below is a copy of the essay handed out in class.



The Stranger in the Photo Is Me by Donald M. Murray

I was never one to make a big deal over snapshots; I never spent long evenings with the family photograph album. Let’s get on with the living. To heck with yesterday, what are we going to do tomorrow? But with the accumulation of yesterdays and the possibility of shrinking tomorrows, I find myself returning, as I suspect many over 60s do, for a second glance and a third at family photos that
snatch a moment from time.

In looking at mine, I become aware that it is so recent in the stretch of man’s history that we have been able to stop time in this way and hold still for reflection. Vermeer is one of my favorite painters because of that sense of suspended time, with both clock and calendar held so wonderfully, so terribly
still.

The people in the snapshots are all strangers. My parents young, caught before I arrived or as they were when I saw them as towering grown-ups. They seemed so old then and so young now. And I am,to me, the strangest of all.

There is a photograph of me on a tricycle before the duplex on Grand View Avenue in Wollaston I hardly remember; in another I am dressed in a seersucker sailor suit when I was 5 and lived in a Cincinnati hotel. I cannot remember the suit but even now, studying the snapshot, I am drunk on the memory of its peculiar odor and time is erased.

In the snapshots I pass from chubby to skinny and, unfortunately, ended up a chub. Looking at the grown-ups in the snapshots I should have known. In other snapshots, I am cowboy, pilot, Indian chief; I loved to dress up to become what I was not, and suspect I still am a wearer of masks and costumes.

It would be socially appropriate to report on this day that I contemplate all those who are gone, but the truth is that my eyes are drawn back to pictures of my stranger self.And the picture that haunts me the most is one not in costume but in the uniform I proudly earned in World War II. I believe it was taken in England from the design of the barracks behind me. I have taken off the ugly steel-framed GI glasses, a touch of dishonesty for the girl who waited at home.
My overseas cap with its airborne insignia is tugged down over my right eye, my right shoulder in the jump jacket is lower because I have my left hand in my pocket in rakish disregard for the regulation that a soldier in that war could never, ever stick a hand in a pocket.

The pockets that are empty in the photograph will soon bulge with hand grenades, extra ammunition,food, and many of the gross of condoms we were issued before a combat jump. This GI item was more a matter of industrial merchandising than soldierly dreaming—or frontline reality.The soldier smiles as if he knew his innocence and is both eager for its loss and nostalgic for those few years of naiveté behind him.

I try once more to enter the photograph and become what I was that day when autumn sunlight dappled the barracks wall and I was so eager to experience the combat my father wanted so much for me. He had never made it to the trenches over there in his war.When that photograph was taken, my father still had dreams of merchandising glory, of a store with an awning that read Murray & Son. I had not yet become the person who had to nod yes at MGh when my father asked if he had cancer, to make the decision against extraordinary means after his last heart attack. When this photo was taken, he had not yet grown old, his collars large, his step hesitant, his shoes unshined.

Mother was still alive, and her mother who really raised me had not died as I was to learn in a letter I received at the front. The girl who wrote every day and for whom the photo was taken had not yet become my wife, and we had not yet been the first in our families to divorce two years later.I had not yet seen my first dead soldier, had not yet felt the earth beneath me become a trampoline as the shells of a rolling barrage marched across our position.

I had no idea my life would become as wonderful or as terrible as it has been; that I would remarry,have three daughters and outlive one. I could not have imagined that I actually would be able to become a writer and eat—even overeat. I simply cannot re-create my snapshot innocence.I had not had an easy or happy childhood, I had done well at work but not at school; I was not Mr. Pollyanna, but life has been worse and far better than I could have imagined.

Over 60 we are fascinated by the mystery of our life, why roads were taken and not taken, and our children encourage this as they develop a sense of family history. A daughter discovers a letter from the soldier in the photograph in England and another written less than a year later, on V-E day. She is surprised at how much I have aged. I am not.I would not wish for a child or grandchild of mine to undergo the blood test of war my father so hoped I would face as he had not. In photos taken not so many years later I have a streak of white hair. It is probably genetic but I imagine it is the shadow of a bullet that barely passed me by, and I find I cannot enter the snapshot of the smiling soldier who is still stranger to me, still innocent of the heroic harm man can deliver to man.

—The Boston Globe, August 27, 1991

Friday 4 March photojournalism

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO TURN IN YOUR FINAL COPIES OF THE COVER LETTER AND RESUME.

FINISH UP YOUR PROJECTS ON YOUR SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHER.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND OUTLINE ARE DUE MONDAY AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS. This counts as a quiz grade. Send this along, if you are absent.

Thursday 4 March photojournalism

Reminders: next Monday, 7 March, you will turn in your outline, which is based upon the power point you have created on your selected photojournalist. This counts as a quiz grade. Once again: you should have approximately 100 words about your photographer that are relevant to his having become interested in taking pictures. That could include where he or she grew up or educational and social experiences. Before putting anything on paper, ask yourself if the material is pertinent. Next you will list your photos. Where and when were they taken.

All outlines are due at the beginning of class for a quiz grade. Send them along, if you are absent- before!

Also: everyone needs to find a childhood picture of him or herself that is at least five years old. You should have a digital image, so you might scan one in and send it to yourself. You'll need this next week for the second part of the photojournalism project.

VERY IMPORTANT: tomorrow is the last day to turn in your final copies of the resumes and cover letters.

Wednesday March 2 photojournalist selections

Below are you photojournalist selections. There are no duplicates.
1. Check Monday's blog for details on the assignment.
2. To summarize the above: you have a total of 7 slides on a power point. The first shall consist of a photo of your photographer with his or her life dates. Please make this attractive, that is no plain-white background, a large enough image, so that someone in the back of the room can see it clearly and legible font. DO NOT include any other biographical information on the slide. You may, however, speak on the photographer's philosophy, experiences and camera objectives.
3. The next six slides should consist only of large images, the exception being a location or date.
4. You should, however, know where and when the photo was taken, as well as if there was a particular purpose behind the image. This information should be spoken, not written.Your power point must be on a thumb drive, as it takes too long to open up everyone's school drive.

IMPORTANT:
On Monday, everyone will turn in an outline of your project. This will obviate any procrastination in completing the project. What should the outline consist of? 1. A short bio on your photographer. This is not to be copied from a wiki site, but put into your own words. 2. A list of your photos, which should include dates, places and a brief description. 3. A 100 word response as to why this individual is significant. NO OUTLINES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER CLASS ON MONDAY. These will count as a quiz grade.

Period 5 journalists;
Deidre- Hansel Mieth
Shanay-Jim Richardson
Medina- Lee Miller
Willie-Gordon Parks
Celia- Kevin Carter
Zach-Eadweard Muybridge
Savannah- Timothy Allen
Nautica-Zoriah
Rachel- Andre Kertesz
Fiona- Carol Guzy
Kristian-Robert Cap
Sebastian-Alfred Eisenstaedt
Angelee-Sergio Dorantes
Elean-Melissa Springer
Tyrese- James Vanderzee
Bonita-Altaf Qudri
Elaine- Sam Abell
Conor- Spider Martin
Jack-Jacob Riis
Corinee- Pablo Barthomew
Shaniqua-Stephen ?
Amanda- Addison Scurlock
Chris Jim Brandenburg
Louis -Ansel Adams


period 7
Joe- Kevin Connolly
Rodrigue- Paul Couvrette
Meredith- Dith Pran
Vincent-Roman Vishniac
Micah- Spider Martin
Adrianna- Melissa Spinger
Shawn- Marcus Bleasdale
Ajani- Galen Powell
Molly- Margaret Bourke-White
Thomiqua- Timothy Allen
Taaquia- Russell Klika
Merique- Deborah Kogan
Kristina- Ansel Adams
Linh- Stephen Alvarez
Mahogany-Lee Miller
Precious- Enrico Martino
India- lucian Perkins
Leah- Zoriah
Brianna- James Nachwey
Malka - timothy O Sullivan
Danielle-Jim Richardson
Justin- Kenji Nagai
Spenser-Danny Lyon


Period 9
Katie-Jim Brandenberg
Dominique-Oscar Reylander
Shaquille- Art Wolfe
Amone-Zoriah
Marina-Liu Bolin
Hannah- Steve McCurry
Eliza- Dorothea Lange
Erin- Mark Moffat
Shana- Lucian Perkins
Morghan- Melissa Springer
Cady- Spider Martin
Atinuke- Gilles Bensimon
Zach- Robert Capa
Boston- Reza
Michael- Gordon Parks
Sage- Peter Funch
Ashley- Sergop Dorantes
James- Louis Hine
Jasmine- James Nachwey

Monday 7 March Photo history presentations

I have been a witness, and these pictures are
my testimony. The events I have recorded should
not be forgotten and must not be repeated."

-James Nachtwey-









Presentations begin today; this is by random numbers. In order to make this more equitable, everyone's outline is due at the beginning of class. This will serve as a quiz grade.

HEADS UP: Make sure you have read the following for Thursday. There will be a short response assessment / reflection. As well, you need to bring in a childhood photo of yourself. It would be best to have a digital image, as these are going on the blog.


"

The Stranger in the Photo Is Me by Donald M. Murray


I was never one to make a big deal over snapshots; I never spent long evenings with the family
photograph album. Let’s get on with the living. To heck with yesterday, what are we going to do
tomorrow? But with the accumulation of yesterdays and the possibility of shrinking tomorrows, I find myself returning, as I suspect many over 60s do, for a second glance and a third at family photos that snatch a moment from time.

In looking at mine, I become aware that it is so recent in the stretch of man’s history that we have been able to stop time in this way and hold still for reflection. Vermeer is one of my favorite painters because of that sense of suspended time, with both clock and calendar held so wonderfully, so terribly still.

The people in the snapshots are all strangers. My parents young, caught before I arrived or as they were when I saw them as towering grown-ups. They seemed so old then and so young now. And I am, to me, the strangest of all.

There is a photograph of me on a tricycle before the duplex on Grand View Avenue in Wollaston I hardly remember; in another I am dressed in a seersucker sailor suit when I was 5 and lived in a Cincinnati hotel. I cannot remember the suit but even now, studying the snapshot, I am drunk on the memory of its peculiar odor and time is erased.

In the snapshots I pass from chubby to skinny and, unfortunately, ended up a chub. Looking at the grown-ups in the snapshots I should have known. In other snapshots, I am cowboy, pilot, Indian chief; I loved to dress up to become what I was not, and suspect I still am a wearer of masks and costumes.

It would be socially appropriate to report on this day that I contemplate all those who are gone, but the truth is that my eyes are drawn back to pictures of my stranger self. And the picture that haunts me the most is one not in costume but in the uniform I proudly earned in World War II. I believe it was taken in England from the design of the barracks behind me. I have taken off the ugly steel-framed GI glasses, a touch of dishonesty for the girl who waited at home.
My overseas cap with its airborne insignia is tugged down over my right eye, my right shoulder in the jump jacket is lower because I have my left hand in my pocket in rakish disregard for the regulation that a soldier in that war could never, ever stick a hand in a pocket. The pockets that are empty in the photograph will soon bulge with hand grenades, extra ammunition, food, and many of the gross of condoms we were issued before a combat jump. This GI item was more
a matter of industrial merchandising than soldierly dreaming—or frontline reality.

The soldier smiles as if he knew his innocence and is both eager for its loss and nostalgic for those few years of naiveté behind him. I try once more to enter the photograph and become what I was that day when autumn sunlight dappled the barracks wall and I was so eager to experience the combat my father wanted so much for me. He had never made it to the trenches over there in his war.

When that photograph was taken, my father still had dreams of merchandising glory, of a store with an awning that read Murray & Son. I had not yet become the person who had to nod yes at MGH when my father asked if he had cancer, to make the decision against extraordinary means after his last heart attack. When this photo was taken, he had not yet grown old, his collars large, his step hesitant, his shoes unshined.

Mother was still alive, and her mother who really raised me had not died as I was to learn in a letter I received at the front. The girl who wrote every day and for whom the photo was taken had not yet become my wife, and we had not yet been the first in our families to divorce two years later.

I had not yet seen my first dead soldier, had not yet felt the earth beneath me become a trampoline as the shells of a rolling barrage marched across our position. I had no idea my life would become as wonderful or as terrible as it has been; that I would remarry, have three daughters and outlive one. I could not have imagined that I actually would be able to become a writer and eat—even overeat. I simply cannot re-create my snapshot innocence.

I had not had an easy or happy childhood, I had done well at work but not at school; I was not Mr. Pollyanna, but life has been worse and far better than I could have imagined. Over 60 we are fascinated by the mystery of our life, why roads were taken and not taken, and our children encourage this as they develop a sense of family history. A daughter discovers a letter from the soldier in the photograph in England and another written less than a year later, on V-E day. She is surprised at how much I have aged. I am not.

I would not wish for a child or grandchild of mine to undergo the blood test of war my father so hoped I would face as he had not. In photos taken not so many years later I have a streak of white hair. It is probably genetic but I imagine it is the shadow of a bullet that barely passed me by, and I find I cannot enter the snapshot of the smiling soldier who is still stranger to me, still innocent of the
heroic harm man can deliver to man.

—The Boston Globe, August 27, 1991

Tuesday 1 March photojournalism: part 1 history

REMINDERS: at the close of class I need your list of three possible photographers. Please put your name and whether you are in periods 5, 7 or 9.

RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS:

if you have had yours returned for correction, the final copy is due this FRIDAY.

If you have yet to turn one in, I must have them by tomorrow. Otherwise, I need to make a call.