2010 2nd Annual “What Matters” Photojournalism Forum
Palo Alto Advanced Photography students researched professional photojournalism examples from David Elliot Cohen’s book “What Matters,” and the New York Times online series “One in 8 Million.” Students created photo-essays about the extraordinary people and places in their lives to share at the 2nd annual Photojournalism Forum at Palo Alto High School in November 2010. Renowned photojournalist Ed Kashi, editor David Elliot Cohen, and Berkeley professor of Geography Michael Watts came to the class for a luncheon and then spoke at a school-wide forum on the their perspectives for framing essential issues of our time.
"What Matters" by David Elliot Cohen
What Matters: The World’s Preeminent Photojournalists and Thinkers Depict Essential Issues of Our Time. A collection of 18 photo essays about the essential issues of the 21st C to educate readers about what matters in the world today: climate change, water, population, oil addiction, child exploitation, consumerism, wealth and poverty. Includes Internet links on essential issues and a closing chapter on what one person can do to inspire positive change in the world. Print research models of professional photojournalism.
One in 8 Million - Collection of Photo-essays from The New York Times
“New York is a city of characters.” A photo-essay compilation of the stories of 54 unique individuals in the population of 8 million residents of New York City. Text, images, and sounds converge in inspiring cameos of these ordinary people. “ordinary people telling extraordinary stories.” Digital research models of professional photojournalism.
Little Lady of Strength juxtaposes my mother’s story described in the words of a poem I composed to go with images of her present life after overcoming the obstacles of her childhood and adolescence.
Song is “Undo” by Björk.
Gone for a week in Kings Canyon National Park with my brothers and dad, we hiked to the famous Glen’s Pass (1200ft). Even though our hike was difficult, it was worth all the breathtaking views that only a few determined hikers get to see.
Song is “Dream Big” by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband.
A Day at the Farmer’s Market is a series of photos portraying the diversity of stands and farmers at the California Avenue farmer’s market in Palo Alto. I tried to capture the rich colors and vibrant community present in the market through images of the myriad products and faces found on the street. The song is “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” by Gary Portnoy.
This photo-essay illustrates my family, and the rest of the world’s use of technology. I went around my house throughout a day, and with my parents to the park with my dog. Although usually it doesn’t bother me, when I focused on how much we depended on our laptops, phones, and TV, I realized that technology can be a problem. It’s astounding for me to see how much more I notice with a camera in my hands.
This photo essay is a collection of images connected to the environment and highlighting what most of us are disconnected from. It shows how beautiful nature can be and how easy we can lose it.
Angus and Julia Stone - Yellow Brick Road.
Michael loves longboarding but rarely gets to go out and do what he loves. This video shows his passion for longboarding.
Musicians Simon, Andrew and Ben come together on weekends to play guitar, piano and drums together. However, they prefer just making music rather than forming an official band. This creative output from their stressed lives is exactly what they need as teenagers today.
