It is unusual to find someone who does not have a cell phone these days. It is even more unusual to find a cell phone without a camera. Ńż¼§Ö±²„ State Universityās School of Journalism and Mass Communication has a photojournalism program, as well as photography classes. So, why not create a class about cell phone photography?
āWe started this as somewhat of an experiment to draw students outside of the journalism school into our program,ā says David LaBelle, lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. āItās sort of a no-brainer to create a class where students donāt have to buy expensive equipment. Most people love photography and taking pictures.ā
LaBelle helped create the class to teach the fundamentals of photography to Ńż¼§Ö±²„ State students using only a cell phone.
The students learn about lighting, composition and stop-action. LaBelle also incorporates popular apps into his assignments.
āI press them to be a little more journalistic in their mindset,ā says LaBelle. āThis class isnāt what you think it is. Itās talking about the matters of life using a cell phone to record these moments and sharing them.ā
The class also raises the issue of privacy and the impact photos can have on an individual. LaBelle says that we have lost the filter we once had. Google, Facebook, etc. has no filter because once a photo is out there, it is there forever, even if you delete it.
āI donāt know if thereās anything such as āprivateā or āoff the recordā anymore because of these devices,ā LaBelle says. āThese things allow us to record things we couldnāt. It probably makes you more careful and more accountable for your actions.ā
āCell phone photography is being looked at more seriouslyā, says Stefanie Moore, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. āIt has changed the way the public looks at citizen journalism.ā
LaBelle says this is the First Amendment as its best because we as citizens have a right to say and publish as we see, and that the ethics of it is not easy to navigate.