Professional Electronic Essay Critique

Watch the following:
Statesman TYC Essay

Answer the following on your blog:

1. What type of photo essay is this?
2. How many photos are included?
3. How long is it?
4. What kind of impact does it have on you (main message) and how is this achieved?

Planning day - Two tasks - The yearbook spread and the electronic essay

Building the content of your spread
Best work
–You will fill the spread with your best photos and other work from the year. This will be your showpiece.It must include:

•At least two excellent examples of photojournalism
–Human knot, academics, sports/ action etc.
•Other types of photography if you wish
•Well written captions for the photojournalism pieces
•Story area will discuss fundamentals of photography (more later)
•Sidebar will include examples and descriptions of digital work(more later)

Today

•Look through your final InDesign document from last year, and photos you have saved in your folder and posted on your blog.
•Write a starter plan for which photos you want to include in the spaces on your printout
•You may alter your layout, but if you break a rule you will have to explain why in writing
_________________________________________________________________


Planning the electronic essay

•Pick a topic .
–Common topics include interesting things, events or people. Make sure you have access to what you will shoot and record by May 7.
–Your goal is to tell a story.
•Pick a format that matches your topic.
–Introspective photographer – best for a focus on things. Let us into your mind.
–First person documentary – best for interesting people. Let them tell their own story.
–Narrated documentary – best for interesting events. Put the viewer there.

On your blog, post your topic, format, and the date that you wish to shoot.

Substitute Lesson

First - Make sure that your layout blog posts are finished and complete.

Assignment - THERE IS ONLY ONE STUDENT WHO DID THIS ASSIGNMENT CORRECTLY!

Per. 3 - The assignment is to use your new knowledge of layout rules to edit the previouos posts you made.

Previously, you were supposed to post examples of spreads you liked.

Now, YOU MUST EDIT THOSE POSTS, and list any rules that are broken.

The rules notes are with the sub for your reference.
Here is a link to the ONLY student who has done this correctly so far.

Per. 3- Finish this today, or get 20pts. off the grade.
Per. 6- You have alreadt lost 20pts. if it's not done. Finish it today or lose the rest.

Layout Rules Assignment

ON YOUR BLOG - Go back into the four entries you posted for the "yearbook layout preview" assignment, and edit them.

List any rules that are broken on the spreads you chose.
Explain exactly how the rules are broken.
Discuss if you like the way the rules are broken.

Yearbook Layout Design Rules

You must learn the rules before you break them

Design Elements

Photos – Images originating from a camera. Photos form the core of the layout and should be designed first in a “pinwheel” formation.
Text – Display type such as headlines and titles should be large and attention getting. Body text such as stories and captions should be easy to read.
Art – Lines, boxes, gradients and drawings should enhance a layout and add meaning or order, not merely decorate.
White Space (AKA Negative Space) – An area of the layout that has no text, photos, or art. White space should be planned and used as an effective way to separate elements and lead the eye.

Other terms

Spread – Two facing pages that form a visual unit.
Gutter- Extra pica between facing pages that allows for binding.
Eyeline (AKA visual center) – Horizontal line off of the true center established by one pica of white space. All elements should “hang” off of this line except the dominant photo which should be crossed by it.

White Space Rules

• No trapped white space!!
• Consistent ONE pica internal spacing
• USE white space to lead the eye
• Use it to establish a 1 pica Eyeline (visual center)
• Use it to establish Simplicity

Photo Rules

• There must be a dominant photo (about twice the size of other photos)
• Other photos should “hang” off of the dominant and the eyeline and be grouped toward the center
• 5-7 photos per spread
• Leave room for captions next to EVERY photo.
• Photos should be rectangular (golden mean or phi)

Text Rules

• Display text
• Headlines (Primary , Secondary)- at least one verb
  Must lead directly into lead of story
  Titles – No verb necessary, applies to spread, not story
  Large, at least 24 points
  Traditionally Sans-Serif font that matches the spirit of the spread
• Body text
  Body, captions, bylines etc.
  Must be easily readable
  Traditionally Serif font
  Should be split into small gray areas

Art Rules

• Illustration – Should enhance, not merely decorate
  Drawing that takes place of photo or gives information
• Page elements – Often used to associate or dissociate
  Rule lines
  Screened boxes
  Etc.

Yearbook Layout Previews

Here's some of the best preview assignments from period 3

HC
http://hollycook.blogspot.com/2007/04/yearbook-layouts.html

AG
http://photojournalism-alex.blogspot.com/

IK
http://ina-blog.blogspot.com/2007/04/yearbook-layout-preview.html

RK
http://rosiemachine.blogspot.com/2007/04/good-white-space.html

SK
http://shaunk566.blogspot.com/

DM
http://pballadavid.blogspot.com/

ST
http://thymonsblog.blogspot.com/

MR
http://mbr08.blogspot.com/

JP
http://gatomate-skater.blogspot.com/

HP
http://helenapippins.blogspot.com/

VM
http://vernon-mims.blogspot.com/

Yearbook layout preview

Earlier this year, we spoke about the four design elements that make up a page:
Text (body and display)
Photos
Art work (including small elements such as lines and boxes)
White Space

You will be using the photos you took for either the architecture or the action/ sports photography as the basis for a traditional yearbook spresd.

As we begin our yearbook design unit, it is usefull to see how others have used these elements to design pages.

Do the following:
1. Go to the Taylor yearbook gallery
2. Select "State > Texas" and "School Type > High School" and hit "Search"
3. Spend at least 20 minutes browsing through the layouts. Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions.
4. When you see spreads you like, right click on them and save them to your folder.
5. Post the following FOUR spreads to your blog.


A. Post a spread that uses text in an interesting and effective way. Label this as "Good Text"
B. Post a spread that uses photos in an interesting and effective way. Label this as "Good photos"
C. Post a spread that uses art work in an interesting and effective way. Label this as "Good Art"
D. Post a spread that uses white space in an interesting and effective way. Label this as "Good White space"

Electronic photo essay preview

View the photo essay examples from last year.

Choose your favorite essays from each of the following categories:

1. The introspective photographer - Photographer discusses taking the photos that appear on screen as they appear. Photographer gives insight into the photographic process and what he or shee was going for in the photo.

2. The first person documentary - The subjects of the documentary are interviewed and their actual voice(s) are used to tell a story.

3. The narrated documentary - The photographer tells a true story using photos to illustrate the points.

On your blog - List the titles of your favorite electronic essays from each of the categories listed above.


Other photo essays:
Mountain workshops
Magnun Photos

Edit and save your best photos

All photos that will be submitted to the program portfolio must be 300 dpi jpeg (large) images cropped to 8" x 10".

All images must be saved as your initials and one of the following categories:

• Architecture
• Digital
• Photojournalism
• Sports

Example - mc_digital.jpeg

All images must be saved in j3>portfolio_atpi and then in one of the subfolders.

Entering Architecture Shots into the Contest

You must enter one of each shot for each of the five Architecture categories.

First - Use Adobe Bridge to sort and rank your architecture shots (they are on j3 - card downloads)

To enter a shot:
1. Make a folder named "best_architecture_shot" in your folder.
2. In the new folder, save the five shots. Name each "your initials _ category" (ex: mc_details)
3. Upload each shot to your blog.
4. Label and discuss each uploaded photo.