Journalism 335 Photojournalism
Department of English & Journalism • Fall 2014  T-Th 9:30-10:45 a.m.  Simpkins 309
Professor Kernek
Course grade scale
L-kernek@wiu.edu
A
93 to 100 percent
Cell (309) 569-1270
A-
90 to 92.9
Office: Simpkins 226-i
B+
87 to 89.9
B
83 to 86.9
B–
80 to 82.9
Office hours
Monday:
C+
77 to 79.9
p.m.
Noon-1:30
C
73 to 76.9
Wednesday: Noon-1:30
C–
70 to 72.9
p.m.
D+
67 to 69.9
Friday: 9:30-10:30 a.m.
D
63 to 66.9
or by appointment
D–
60 to 62.9
F
0 to 59.9
Cameras
Grades will be posted on Western Online
Provided by the
department
Textbook
National Geographic
Ultimate Field Guide to
Photography, 2009 edition
Other supplies & costs

Four rechargeable
or lithium (NOT
alkaline) AA batteries

Flash drive, at least
2GB

Five (5) black mounting
boards (11x14-inch)
available at Union
Bookstore in art
supplies

Double-sided tape

Printing at Document
& Publication Services
Introduction
In this course, you’ll learn how to compose and shoot
pictures in documentary style.
By the end of this course you should be able to:
1. Know how to use a digital camera well.
2. Know the elements of composition and technical
quality in a photograph.
3. Understand ethics in photojournalism.
4. Edit photographs using Photoshop.
Along the way, I hope you’ll have fun shooting pictures!
Requirements
Your course grade will consist of:
Nine single photos
450 points/45percent
Participation
100 points/10 percent
Video assignment
50 points/5 percent
3-picture package
100 points/10 percent
Mini-bio and quizzes
100 points/10 percent
Midterm exam
75 points/7.5
percent
Final exam
75 points/7.5
percent
Five lab exercises
50 points/5
percent
TOTAL:
1,000 points/100 percent
Photo assignments and deadlines
Photo prints are due at the beginning of class on the due
date. Assignments handed in after class on the due date
will lose a half-letter grade. Assignments will lose one
letter grade for every weekday past the deadline. You are
expected to submit original work and to shoot new
pictures for each assignment. Each assignment should
feature a new subject; in other words, don’t submit
pictures showing the same person or group twice.
Photographs taken before the semester began will not be
accepted.
Course grades are based
on a percentage of
points using the scale at
left.
Submission of assignments
Each photo assignment should be printed in color and mounted on an 11-by-14 black
mounting board. Our lab has no printer, so you will need to save your photos to a flash
drive and have them printed at Document & Publication Services (across from Thompson
Hall) or at Malpass Library for a nominal fee. We’ll go over the details in class.
Tests and quizzes
This class requires a written midterm and written final exam. You’ll also have written
quizzes on the readings most weeks. I give quizzes at the beginning of class. Students
who arrive late, after I have collected that day’s quiz, may not make it up.
Attendance
This is a lab class requiring some in-class assignments, and regular attendance is
important.
I grant three automatically excused absences—no questions asked, no documentation
needed—except on exam days.* Work missed because of the first three excused absences
should be turned in within a week of the absences. Make-up work turned in more than a
week after the missed class will not be accepted.
Beginning with the fourth absence, five points per absence will be deducted from the
participation grade, and any missed work may not be made up. I make exceptions for
circumstances beyond students’ control, so please contact me in the event of an
emergency.
*Exam re-takes should be cleared with me in advance of the exam.
No Cell Phone/Surfing Zone
Mobile devices, including tablets, phones and laptops, should be out of sight and silenced
during class. Lab computers are only for class-related work. We’ll be spending time in
class critiquing each other’s work and viewing prize-winning documentary slideshows
and videos. Students who text or surf instead of participating will be asked to leave class
for the day.
Plagiarism
You are expected to do your own, original work produced for this class. WIU’s academic
integrity policy defines plagiarism as “intentionally or knowingly presenting the work of
another as one's own” (http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php). The penalty for
plagiarism is an F for the course.
Disabilities
Please see me if you have any special needs.
READING AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE (subject to change, with notice)
August
T 26
Introduction
Th 28
Shooting basics
September
T2
Photojournalist mini-bio presentations
Th 4
Lab 1: Lenses
T9
Quiz 1: Ch. 1 pp. 12-35
Th 11
Due: Architecture
T 16
Quiz 2: first half Ch. 2 pp. 46-83
Th 18
Due: Slice-of-life feature
T 23
Quiz 3: second half Ch. 2 pp. 83-109
Lab 2: Depth of Field
Th 25
Due: Pattern
T 30
Quiz 4: Exposure
October
Th 2
Due: Light
T7
Quiz 5: first half Ch. 3 pp. 120-142
Th 9
Due: Blurred motion
T 14
Quiz 6: second half Ch. 3 pp. 142-171
Lab 3: Backgrounds
Th 16
Due: Sports action
T 21
Th 23
Midterm exam
T 28
Quiz 7: Ch. 5 pp. 212-251
Th 30
Due: Fall color feature
November
T4
Quiz 8: Law
Th 6
Due: Portrait
Lab 4: Center of interest
T 11
Quiz 9: Ethics
Th 13
Lab 5: Leading lines
T 18
Th 20
Due: News Event
24-28
Thanksgiving break
December
T2
Th 4
Due: Video
T9
Th 11
Due: Final 3-picture package
THURSDAY
DEC. 18
FINAL EXAM 8 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.