Documentary Photography and Photojournalism

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:6.00

Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:25:53

Study Course Information
Course Code:		KSK_264		LQF level:		Level 6
Credit Points:		3.00		ECTS:		4.50
Branch of Science:		Communication Sciences		Target Audience:		Communication Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Alnis Stakle
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		8	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		16
Classes (count)		4	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		8
Total Contact Hours								24
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		5	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		10
Classes (count)		3	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		6
Total Contact Hours								16
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
None.
Objective:
To develop the visual language and theoretical and practical knowledge of students about photography as one of the strongest communication tools nowadays.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	History of documentary photography and its role in public political processes. Reality and realism, objectivity and subjectivity. Documentary photography vs photojournalism.			Lectures		4.00	auditorium
2	Elements of a story in photography.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
3	From street photography to social networks. Press photography vs documentary photography.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
4	Analysis of press photographs.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
5	Narrative of photography or photo story as a strong message.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
6	Basic principles of creating a photo story.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
7	Photography as a tool of propaganda and ideology			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
8	Improvement of a photo story.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	History of documentary photography and its role in public political processes. Reality and realism, objectivity and subjectivity. Documentary photography vs photojournalism.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
2	Elements of a story in photography.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
3	From street photography to social networks. Press photography vs documentary photography.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	Analysis of press photographs.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
5	Narrative of photography or photo story as a strong message.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
6	Basic principles of creating a photo story.			Classes		0.50	auditorium
7	Photography as a tool of propaganda and ideology			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
8	Improvement of a photo story.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
To approbate the knowledge provided during lectures and seminars by creating a photo story on any of pressing issues in society.
Assessment Criteria:
• Participation in lectures. • Participation and activity in seminars. • Creative project – creation of a photo story, its compliance with the course content.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):		Exam (Written)
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		• To know the role of documentary photographs in reflecting social, economic and political problems. • To understand the main tasks of documentary photography and its differences from other genres of photography. • To analyse and compare the relationship between photography and text in press. • To discuss and define different narrative techniques in photographs.
Skills:		• To independently create photographs on a single topic to communicate any socially, economically or politically important problem. • To create photographs in accordance with the requirements of photo news agencies. • To critically analyse the use of photography in media. • To differentiate different messages and contexts in representation of photography.
Competencies:		• To evaluate the reality when using information for the creation of a photo story. • Self-critical attitude to photographs in media. • Self-critical attitude to the compliance of own photographs with the generally accepted quality criteria. • To determine the ability of photographs to articulate some message and to evaluate the importance of this message.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Barthes, Roland. (1977). Image, Music, Text. London: Fontana Press.
2	Barthes, Roland. (1972). Mythologies. London: Cape.
3	Bate, David (2009) Photography: The Key Concepts London: Berg
4	Baudrillard, Jean (1981) Simulacra and Simulations, trans. Paul Foss, Paul Patton and Philip. Beitchman. New York: Semiotext(e)
5	Berger, John (1990) Ways of Seeing, London: Penguin
6	Bull, Stephen (2010) Photography London: Routledge.
7	Burgin, Victor (1982) Thinking Photography. Basingstoke: Macmillan
8	Campany, David (ed.). (2003). Art and Photography. London: Phaidon.
9	Frank, Robert. (1978). The Americans. Millerton, New York: Aperture.
10	Gefter, Philip (2009). Photography After Frank, New York: Aperture
11	Marien, Mary Warner. (2006) Photography: A Cultural History. London: Laurence King. Marien, Mary Warner. (2012) 100 Ideas that Changed Photography. New York: Aperture Nagal, Tanya (2012) The New Street Photography Manifesto. London: Ilex
12	Roberts, John Charles. (1998). The Art of Interruption: Realism, Photography and the Everyday. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
13	Shore, Stephen (2007). The Nature of Photograohs, London: Phaidon
14	Wells, Liz (ed.). (2009) Photography: A Critical Introduction. 4th edition, London: Routledge
15	Williams, Val. (2002). Martin Parr. London: Phaidon.
Additional Reading
1	-
Other Information Sources
1	-