This assignment is about creating photo compositions that capture a specific time and place. Viewers should immediately see, ideally without even looking at the caption, when and where the photo was taken. Your challenge is to think about what is distinctive in the environment to give these visual cues. Like most photo assignments in this class, this assignment includes both a photo portion and a written portion to submit.
Points: 20
Due Date: Sunday, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m.
Grading: Successfully completing the requirements is worth 17 points. Work may earn an “A” for original thought and effort that demonstrates thorough engagement with the activity.
Submit: Three image files (.jpg or .png), text document that includes three additional images
In the Olympics documentary we watched earlier this semester, one portion (starting around 17:00) is about how photographers carefully think about how to incorporate visuals that distinctively show, in a single image, that the photos are from the Olympics and a specific year. They look for compositions that include the Olympic rings in the background or distinctive landmarks from the host city. Organizers of the Olympics Games in London set up media areas along the marathon course to get famous London architecture in the background, or how they put Olympics logos on the tops of basketball hoop rims just for the overhead cameras.
Most news situations are not so carefully planned. But photojournalists still learn to look for these types of symbols in the environment. Unlike stock photography, which is intentionally generic so photos can be used in many situations, photojournalism often needs to unambiguously communicate about a specific time and place.
Your task is to take photos that allow viewers to understand the when and where of the photo without information like a caption. You should take a minimum of 25-30 photos so you can choose your best ones. You will submit your three best photos and also include three additional photos in the written portion to explain why they did not turn out as well.
All photos must be new and taken for the purposes of this assignment. All photos should be candid rather than staged or posted. You should take these photos outside your home if that is possible and safe.
Think about: What makes this place recognizable and different from other places? What makes this year or time of year distinctive from other times? It may be helpful to look at professional photos for ideas/examples, or think about how you know that an old photo is old. What is happening now that will look old to us in the future?
Possible ideas to look for
Text in the environment, such as advertisements or signs that literally include the place or year. Among professionals, it’s considered a little lazy to rely on signs and text too much, but it’s still useful in some situations and good to practice.
Events or traditions. A lot of recurring events have distinctive visuals and represent a particular time, such as holidays, athletic competitions, fundraisers, political events, etc.
Distinctive buildings or landmarks. Many places have unique architecture or visual features that can be strategically placed in the background even if the photo is about something completely different.
Features of the natural world. Some natural features like lakes or rock formations are distinctive enough to be considered landmarks, but even less distinctive places have geographic variations in landscapes. Different types of plants, animals and weather patterns can indicate locations or seasons.
People and actions. The presence of people and their actions often tells us a lot about what is happening in a particular moment. Don’t forget about people as visual indicators!
Make sure to think about different composition techniques that can help you include a lot of information in a single frame — layers, reflections, framing can be particularly helpful for building complex visual meanings.
In a text document, answer these written questions and include three of your :
- In 3-5 sentences total, describe how your three best photos do a good job showing the when and where.
- Include three “outtake” photos that are good in some ways, but were not in your top 3. Include the images and describe what you think could be better about each one.
- Describe at least one idea for showing time or place that you were not able to photograph for this assignment (perhaps because of timing, gear limitations, couldn’t go to an event, etc.).
Submit your Work
1. Blackboard
Upload your three best photos and your written text document, which should contain an additional three “outtake” photos.
2. Class website
Upload your one favorite image to the course website from the Post Image form. It may take a minute or so for the image to upload if it’s a large file, and then it should appear in the gallery at the bottom of this page.
