Visual Sociology Project – Photo Essay

Public presentation: Tuesday, April 16 (I will announce the location soon)

Basic requirements

  • Every student must submit a one page paper
  • Format
  • Maximum of one page
  • One inch margins, single spaced, Times New Roman font (14 pt; it must be readable to people wandering by)
  • The text must be edited and well-written
  • Content
  • You must include a title for the overall project
  • The page should also include your name
  • The text must address how the photographs pertain to risk; the best projects will directly link the photographs to specific concepts from class and will briefly explain the concepts (e.g., ‘operators and the fear paradox’ from Cater 2006); don’t make the audience guess!
  • Every student must submit between six and ten original photographs (i.e., they may not be downloaded from Google pictures, etc.)
  • Format
  • Each photograph must have a title
  • You may include captions for one or more photographs
  • Content
  • You have full control with several important exceptions
  • Do not engage in illegal behavior to obtain the photographs
  • Do not submit photographs of illegal behavior
  • Do not submit photographs of anyone under the age of 18

Submission of your project

  • Every student must submit an electronic version of their project to me via e-mail () before the class on Thursday, April 11
  • Attach your project to the e-mailin one and only one file
  • The first page of the file must contain the one page paper (i.e., the title, your name, and the text)
  • The subsequent pages must contain the photographs – one photograph per page please
  • I would suggest that you insert the photographs into a Microsoft Word file
  • Please name the file as follows: Lastname-PhotoEssay.docx

Public presentation

  • Every student must bring one hard copy of their paper to the public presentation
  • You may present the photographs however you see fit; options include:
  • A poster containing the one page summary and the photographs
  • Separate pages for the summary and photographs
  • A slideshow on a computer / pad (please bring a paper copy of the one page summary)

Deviations from the requirements

  • Please see me to ask about any deviations from what is listed above (e.g., a video instead of still photographs). I am open to alternatives, but I would like a chance to approve of them in advance

Ways of approaching the project; use the photographs to:

  • Tell a story
  • Offer an analysis
  • Describe a social problem
  • Call people to action
  • Present a biography or biographies
  • Raise awareness

If you will be photographing people

  • Be respectful and honest about what you are doing
  • Honor their requests

Suggestions

  • Keep a camera handy at all times (you can use your telephone)
  • Take many more pictures than you think you need
  • Take notes while taking the pictures (you may forget this type of information later)
  • What motivated you to take the picture?
  • What were you thinking about when you took the picture?
  • How do you think the image pertains to risk?
  • Show your project to others in its various stages and ask for feedback and advice

This assignment is worth 20% of your final course grade. I encourage you to review published photo essays in the journal Contexts; there is one photo essay in every issue.