Photo Essay Project

While we all know the terminology of essay components, they often remain somewhat fuzzy as concepts when it comes to actually writing an essay. In this assignment, you will use a visual context to develop a better understanding of the ingredients of essay writing and to focus your descriptive and observation writing. Instead of just writing an essay, you will show an essay with photos and write a text to accompany the photos. !ou will work with the interplay of textual and visual expression to establish and substantiate a thesis based on your observations.

Proposal due Friday, September 15 Final Project due Wednesday, October 18

By creating a photo essay you will gain:
a new perspective" this project will prompt you to consider the #non$linear# aspect of the writing process %prewriting, drafting, revising, polishing&, practice using several writing strategies %choosing a subject, determining your audience, identifying a theme, collecting and compiling information, supporting your theme by choosing your content, organizing your information, focusing your material, creating an introduction and conclusion, practicing concise ' meaningful word$choice, polishing your presentation&

Instructions (. *. +.
)hoose a subject matter or an idea for your photo essay and submit your proposal. )ollect your #data by taking photos that may relate to your idea. ,rganize your photos by determining an introduction, body, and conclusion. -ry to photographically follow the format of topic sentence, concrete detail, and commentary. .. Write a concise, sharp, meaningful text for each photo or photo chunk. /. )hoose a title for your essay that expresses your theme %thesis&. 0. 1repare a visual display for presenting your photo essay to the class.

Writing Considerations
Plan the connection between textual and visual components. 2ow will you use both your writing and your photos to communicate your thesis to your audience3 Consider your style. 2ow can you best communicate your message to your audience and still create an essay that reflects you as a writer4creator3 Decide on format. 2ow will you display your photo essay3

Evaluation
content %interesting subject matter for you and your audience& that your photo essay and the accompanying text work together to demonstrate a clear theme %thesis& the thesis is well$developed and substantiated your essay is appropriately constructed for your intended audience

 that you have an organizational strategy that is justified by the arrangement of photographs and text that each photo and caption support your theme %thesis& that you have an introductory and concluding photos and paragraphs language and style creative, thoughtful, and original work

Note: essay will not be graded on uality o! p"otograp"y but !ocus and clarity "elp# Please carefully note: Foul, tasteless, and obscene scenarios WI !"# BE #" E$%#E&' I will be the final arbiter of what is acceptable' #here are no appeals'

Potential proble(s
5ince you have 6 weeks to complete the final draft of this assignment, I imagine that you will be able to borrow a camera or arrange to share with a classmate. !ou may work with a partner or alone as you choose. 1artners will receive the same grade. 1789 82:8;$$develop photos with enough time to retake if necessary. <or any other problems, please contact me far in 8;=89): of the due date.

Proposal for Photo Essay Project : Proposal due Friday, )epte(ber *+' (. *. +. ..
them3 ;escribe your subject matter or idea for your photo essay. What is your rationale for choosing this subject or idea3 When and where do you plan to take the photos3 What are some potential problems that you might encounter and how can you avoid

%naly,ing Photo Essays

-here are several photo essays on the Internet. Please be aware that you (ay find so(e (aterial objectionable and will need to find other sites' I a( not responsible for where your search (ay lead you' >se the following ?uestions to guide your analysis.

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What is the topic of the essay3 Who is the intended audience for this essay3 Is there an identifiable theme that links the photos together3 What is it3 Is there an identifiable thesis for the essay %either explicitly stated in the text or obvious from the overall essay&3 What is it3 /. What does the author use as text description3 explanation3 ?uotations3 a mixture3 0. What is the purpose of the text in the photo essay %explain, describe, inform, persuade&3 6. 2ow does the organization of the essay %se?uencing of photos and text& help the author accomplish that purpose3 @. What do you like most about this essay3 What do you like least3 A. 2as this analysis helped you plan for your own photo essay3 In what ways3

By 1rofessor 5uzanne Blum %)olumbia )ollege )hicago& based upon an idea by ;ebra 1arker.