Photojournalism

Aim

This unit aims to develop learners' understanding of photojournalism and provide them with the skills needed to undertake professional photojournalism work.

Unit abstract

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words and photojournalists need to have a good understanding of the written copy their work appears with as well as the photographic techniques and processes needed to produce images that the market demands. They do more than simply photograph events and will often develop a story themselves, working on commission on a freelance basis to produce images that support the point being made within the text or the editorial position of the publication that their work will appear in. Photojournalists will also provide images for picture libraries and agencies.

Digital technology is rapidly changing the way in which photographic images are produced and distributed and many photojournalists will now shoot exclusively in a digital format, as demanded by the markets that they supply.

This unit introduces learners to the purposes and styles of photojournalism used in a range of publications. Learners will investigate how published photographs are shaped by the news values of different publications, the interests and tastes of the readers, and by legal, regulatory and ethical issues. Learners will investigate the processes undertaken by photojournalists and then use this knowledge and their photographic skills to create their own portfolio of work. They will then have the opportunity to critically reflect on their own photojournalism work.