Photo%Essay%
A"typical"photo"essay"is"a"set"or"series"of"photographs"that"are"intended"to"tell"a"
story"or"evoke"a"series"of"emotions"in"the"viewer"(or"both!)."You"will"be"visually"
cataloguing"some"aspect"of"life"here"in"Chicago"or"its"suburbs—the"subject"could"
be"yourself,"your"friends"and"family,"a"location"you"find"interesting,"or"even"
strangers"on"the"street:"it’s"your"choice!""
Whatever"the"case,"I"would"like"you"to"capture"10"–"15"images"that"pertain"to"a"
theme"of"your"choosing."For"example,"if"you"spend"a"lot"of"time"commuting,"
perhaps"your"theme"could"be"“my"life"in"transit,”"a"compilation"of"images"from"
public"transportation.""
While"this"is"not"a"course"in"photography,"it"is"important"to"consider"the"
composition"of"each"photo"you"include"in"your"essay."Read"“10"Top"Photography"
Composition"Rules”"for"some"basic"tips"on"taking"compelling"photos."
Required(Elements(
• 10"–"15"carefully"chosen"photos"that"relate"to"a"theme"you’ve"chosen"
• 750"–"1000"words"(in"total)"that"expound"on"your"photos"and"chosen"
theme:"
o Choose"if"and"how"you"want"to"break"up"the"text"with"your"photos."
For"instance,"you"might"want"to"introduce"the"series"with"a"250"word"
introduction,"and"then"provide"short"captions"under"each"(or"a"
grouping)"that"count"toward"the"total.""
o Use"The"New&York&Times"(see"Multimedia/Photos)"or"other"
publications"(Harper’s&Magazine,"Mother&Jone’s)"for"inspiration!""
Deadlines(
• Either'print'out'or'bring'a'working'version'on'a'laptop'Monday,'Oct.'6."
We"will"workshop"these"in"class."If"you"don’t"print"it"out,"you’ll"need"to"
bring"a"laptop"with"the"assignment"loaded"into"it:"tablets"and"phones"won’t"
do."
• By'Wed,'Oct.'8,'upload"a"revised"copy"of"project"to"the"D2L"Dropbox."
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