P3: Storytelling

Background
Photography is a very effective medium for storytelling and visual engagement. A photo essay is very simply a collection of images that are placed in a specific order (or not) to tell the progression of events, emotions, and concepts. Photo essays are directly related to the history of photography and have been used for many years by photojournalists, videographers and filmmakers.

Phonetography
“Your best camera is the one you have with you.” — Chase Jarvis

Digital Photography is available anywhere, anytime today, as cameras are incorporated into phones, mobile devices, tablets, etc. You don’t need to carry heavy gears with you (lenses and camera bodies), a point-and-shoot camera can be as effective as expensive DLSRs. Edit your photos, or sometimes it is fun to use built-in filters.

Criteria/process

1. Choose a word-theme: this can be a simple word as “motion” or a concept such as happiness, time, travel, etc.
2. Take as many photos as you can: increase your chances to have more options for your final selection
3. Select 8-10 final images, no more than 12

Deliverables:
1. Print in a book format of your choice: either in color or B&W. Be creative and experiment with booklet size options.
2. Digitally (PDF): follow template below

Note: this project is to be done with smart-phones only. Although you are allowed to use any photo-app, feel free to take photos with simple camera app or apply minor effects.

You will be graded on:

• The contextual quality of the information you present in your photo essay: content
• The technical quality of your images: exposure, focus, composition
• The quality which you present this information: cleanness, organization

Calendar

Oct 7: project brief, discussion
Oct 9: workdays, have images ready for in progress critique (either on phone or on computer)
Oct 14: final selection of images, printing, mounting, finish digital presentation PDF
Oct 16: Final Presentation (works must be ready at the beginning of class)

Template: title page, one image per page (unless the image is composed by multiple ones)

Professional Samples

iPhoneography NYC

Chase Jarvis (check out “Photos” under “Best Camera” gallery)

http://thebestcamera.com/

Student Samples

by Ashlee Justice: Out of Place

by Ahsley Hall: Eyes

by Chelsea Patillo: Movement

 

by Bryan Couchman: The Journey

by Shawn Ogden: Shadows

by Anna Pinson

by Sara Beth Almquist: operations

by Erika Ito

by Hannah Henderson: perspective

Kelsi Williamson

Michael McCarty

Becky Durham: Dissociative Identity Disorder – a case study

Sample 1 by Nil Santana

Sample 2 by Nil Santana