How grading works

Grading Categories

Your grade is based on the following categories and assignments:

• Technical Portfolio, 100 points.

• Photo Assignments, 500 points.

• Photojournalist Portfolio, 100 points.

• Assignment Critiques Reflections, 100 points.

• Punctum Assignments, 50 points.

• Quizzes and minor assignments, 150 points.

• Documentary Storytelling Project, 200 points.

• Attendance, 100 points.

• Total: 1300 points

Points are approximate and may be subject to change.

Your grades are about communication - I'm letting you know how well you've mastered the skills and objectives for each assignment and for the course.

Your final grade is (points earned) ÷ (points possible).

A = 90 - 100% 

B = 80 - 89%

C = 70 - 79%

D = 60 - 69%

F = 0 - 59%, OR 7+ absences

Photo Assignments

• You will have a photo assignment most weeks of the course. 

• The assignments will help you practice and build skills.

• The skills and techniques you learn in each assignment are cumulative. When you miss an assignment, you miss the opportunity to build a skill that I will expect you to know and use from then on.

• Photo assignments have deadlines because we will review and critique your work together in class.

• Photo assignments submitted late will have a grade deduction each day and will not be part of the group review.

• Assignments submitted more than one week late will receive a zero.

• You have one "Life Happens Pass." This means that you can submit an extension request for any reason on one photo assignment. You must communicate with me before the due date or the regular late penalties will apply.

• The Life Happens Pass does not apply to your final projects.

• All of the photos you submit should be work you've created during this current semester. 

• It is a good idea to look ahead at the course schedule overview so you can plan ahead for certain assignments that require you to attend a specific type of event.

• If your original work is not satisfactory, you may submit new work within two weeks to demonstrate you've mastered the skill. You must create a new folder within the assignment (do not delete the original folder) and alert me by submitting a new comment on Blackboard.

Quizzes and Minor Class Assignments

You will frequently have reading assignments at home to prepare for class. These assignments are usually either prepared slides with notes or published articles. You'll have a quiz on each assignment.

You will also have some class activities and presentations that will count as quiz grades. 

I ask you to post a photo that has "Punctum" each week (I'll explain what this means). I want you to make this post on Slack. 

For each assignment, you will provide a critique for one of your peers and a reflection on your own work. Both of these must be handwritten. You will post a photo of the handwritten page on Blackboard.

You will prepare and present a brief presentation on a photographer you admire and wish to emulate.

You will prepare and submit a wishlist and budget for additional gear that would help you achieve your photography goals.

Technical Portfolio

Your technical portfolio is the evidence that you have mastered control of light, depth of field, and motion through metering and exposure compensation.  The first four assignments make up the technical portfolio.

Photojournalism Portfolio

Your photojournalist portfolio will showcase your ability and versatility as a photojournalist. This portfolio should be submitted in the form of a website that hosts your images. The images will be drawn from previous assignments on composition, street photography, portraits, behind the scenes, and two news event coverages.

Documentary Storytelling Project

The storytelling project will be the showcase your "longform" photojournalism skills. I'll ask you to choose a subject early on and work with that subject multiple times over the course of the semester. Your storytelling project may be submitted as a page on your Photojournalist Portfolio or as a separate video slideshow package.

You must receive a C or higher on the photojournalist portfolio and the storytelling project to pass the class.

Attendance and Participation

I will spend a good bit of time in class on viewing and critiquing your work. I think this is very important for us to learn from each other and get ideas about what works and doesn't work. A lot of the things I will teach you also come up organically in these discussions instead of in formal, planned lessons. It's really important, then, that you attend class and that you participate in the discussion with constructive comments and questions for your peers and for me. 

You may be dropped or failed for excessive absences or tardies.

Extra Credit

I offer extra credit for spot news photos, so carry your camera with you as much as you can! Spot news photos submitted for extra credit must have complete captions and meet our technical, compositional, and editorial standards to receive full credit.

I don't do any other extra credit, but I always happy to help you if you're having trouble! The most important things you can do are show up for class and turn in all your assignments. Please talk to me as soon as you have an issue so that you don't get so far behind that it's impossible to catch up.