Coming soon to Berlino Schule the photojournalism course in English held by Gianluca Pardelli

The new course of photojournalism and documentary photography held by the Italian photojournalist Gianluca Pardelli is coming soon to Berlino Schule. The aim of the course is providing the participants with a basic knowledge of the photographic discipline as one of the most efficient story-telling instruments. The course is structured in eight different units and includes a photographic excursion through the challenging human environment of Berlin. Each lesson will last 2 hours and a half and will be held on Saturday, from 11 am to 1.30 pm, starting from 28th January 2017 and continuing until 18th March 2017. On Saturday, 21st January, Berlino Schule will host a free presentation of the course from 12 am for one hour. The lessons will be held in English. The price of the course amounts to 150€.

For info and registration, please drop us a line at info@berlinoschule.com

The structure. After a general introduction to the topic and its dynamics, terminology and history (Unit 1) the course will then focus on fundamental elements of photojournalism and documentary photography such as the search for the subject (Unit 2), the relationship to be established with it (Unit 3), the complex task of building a captivating story (Unit 4) and the contamination and integration of other media within the photojournalistic practice (Unit 5). After the excursion (Unit 6) the participants will be involved in a post-processing workshop (Unit 7) during which they will have the opportunity to learn more about editing techniques. Finally, for those interesting in pursuing a career in the field, a whole lecture will be devoted to photojournalism and documentary photography as a possible professional path within the current media industry (Unit 8).

The objective. During the whole duration of the course each participant will be encouraged to develop her/his own photojournalistic idea that will gradually take the form of the course completion project. All the participants’ works will be then showcased in a photography exhibition organized by Berlino Schule and Berlino Magazine.

The teacher. Born in Livorno, but Berliner by adoption, the Italian photojournalist Gianluca Pardelli collaborates with The Guardian and some othe national and international magazines. He studied Slavic languages and cultures and specialized in reportages from Eastern Europe. In 2013 he travelled to North Korea, one of the most isolated and less understood countries in the world, to portray the daily life hidden behind the façade of the regime’s triumphal architecture. “North Korea can be considered as one of the few realities of the Eastern Bloc which survived to the fall of the Berlin Wall. It developed an independent form of totalitarism, much different from the one represented by Lenin or Castro”. Taking pictures of North Korean people is not common. “I travelled with an organized tour. It could have not been otherwise. The inhabitants are really keen on getting to know foreigners, but are scared of them as well. They are shy and happy at the same time. This is a strange but interesting mix for a photojournalist“. Here you can find some of the photos of Gianluca Pardelli’s reportage.

The course’s program

Unit 1 – Introduction to photojournalism and documentary photography

Definition of photojournalism
Difference between photojournalism and documentary photography
Terminology and general glossary
Photojournalists are not photographers
Main actors in the world of photojournalism
A photojournalist’s credo. Cameras are like pens
Brief history of photojournalism
Display and first analysis attempt of a selected array of some major photojournalists’ works
Display and analysis of any work participants might want to present
Group brainstorming for photojournalistic ideas the participants will develop on their own as course completion project
Group discussion and evaluation

Unit 2 – In search of the subject

Defining the subject
Subjects and objects
Legitimacy of the subject
The search for the subject: a geographical and sociological study
Display and subject-focused analysis of well-known photojournalists’ works
Group discussion about past and present personal experiences related to the complex process of finding the right subject
Group discussion and update on the photojournalistic ideas the participants will develop on their own as course completion project

Unit 3 – Dealing with the subject

Photojournalist / subject relationship
Personal involvement with the subject
Keeping the right distance
Approaching the subject
Practical issues: language barriers, geographical distances, legal or bureaucratic obstacles and similar
Setting things straight
Reticence and mistrust
Honesty and clarity
Coping with the subject
Long-term vs short-term projects and implications
Following and accompanying. Semantic differences between the two terms and consequences on the everyday photojournalist-subject relation
Subject-driven reportages. When the subject takes the lead
Different photographic techniques for different subjects
Display and analysis of well-known photojournalists’ works focusing on the relationship with the subject
Group discussion about past and present personal experiences related to the photographer-subject relation
Group discussion and update on the photojournalistic ideas the participants will develop on their own as course completion project

Unit 4 – Building the story

From beautiful images to beautiful stories: the not-so-easy process of giving a journalistic meaning to a visually pleasant set of pictures
Beyond aesthetics: the relative importance of beauty in photojournalism and documentary photography
Finding the leitmotiv: how to follow the thin red line enlivening a project with meaningfulness
How images relate to each other
Same story, different focuses. Contest-conditioned narration
The underlying message and the different variables influencing its transmission
Text and images. Should a picture really speak for itself?
Photography in relation with other story- telling media: a comparison
Display and analysis of well-known photojournalists’ works focusing on the process of creating a story
Group discussion about past and present personal experiences related to the drafting of a photographic narration
Group discussion and update on the photojournalistic ideas the participants will develop on their own as course completion project

Unit 5 – Multimedia

Beyond photography, within photography: disturbance and integration
Brief overview of past and current tendencies
Pro and contra of the multimedia practice
How photography relates with other media: looking for harmony, avoiding mishmashes
Video and photography
Sound and photography
Literature and photography
Painting and photography
New creative horizons
Display and analysis of well-known photojournalists’ multimedia works
Group discussion about past and present personal experiences related to the use of different media other than photography
Group discussion and update on the photojournalistic ideas the participants will develop on their own as course completion project

Unit 6 – Excursion

Visit of a challenging human environment in Berlin
Shooting short sample reportages
On-the-ground practice of the notions learned in the previous units

Unit 7 – Editing workshop

Guided editing of the material shot during the excursion
Editing techniques
Lightroom and Photoshop basics
Captions and texts drafting
Group discussion about each participant’s work and editing performances

Unit 8 – Photojournalism as a career

Do you really want to be a photojournalism?
Motivations
A brief history of photojournalism as a professional path
The current state of photojournalism
The photojournalism market
Freelancer vs staff photographer
Funding your projects as a freelance
Kickstarter, Indiegogo and the crowd-funding market
Contests, grants and exhibitions
Getting published and self-publishing
Group discussion and analysis of some famous examples of self-funded projects
Group brainstorming on how to find financial solutions to fund the participants’ project
Group discussion and update on the photojournalistic ideas the participants will develop on their own as course completion project

Final Exhibition

To sum up

Photojournalism and documentary photography course

Free course presentation: Saturday 21st January from 12 am

When: from 28th January to 18th March 2017 – each Saturday from 11 am to 1.30 pm

Where: Berlino Schule, Gryphiusstr. 23, 10245 Berlin

Price: 150 €

For info and registration: info@berlinoschule.com