We started the semester strong with visits from the incomparable National Geographic photographer and K-State alum Jim Richardson who visited my photojournalism class on January 25. His talk was excellent and emphasized how critically important it is for photojournalists to be great writers as well as great shooters. He talked a great deal about story generation and proposal writing. The take-away from the night was that you must be able to articulate clearly and concisely the concept of the story you are shooting. You must do the research and planning to be able to put yourself in a position to not make great, storytelling pictures. Great pictures start with great research.
On February 9 Christian Science Monitor Weekly Africa Bureau Chief Scott Baldauf joined my magazine writing class via Skype from Johannesburg. Scott has been doing great work in Africa. It is always important for students to hear from professionals practicing their craft. Scott's latest work has been on foreign investment in farmlands in African nations. He also just published an interesting piece on stories in Africa you may have missed while the Egyptian protests where happening. This is the great thing about the Monitor. It always has had the ability to see the broad view of the world while much of the media is hyper-focused on one area or topic.
Pulitzer Prize finalist in feature photography Sonya Hebert joined the photojournalism class via Skype on February 10. Sonya’s story “At the Edge of Life” that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature photography. This is incredibly powerful storytelling full of compassion and emotion approached with the dignity of the patients in mind. She reminded the class of the importance of finding stories with emotional resonance. You must be passionate about the work you are doing to make a difference.
Sonya's piece, “Choosing Thomas," was awarded the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism in 2010.
