Jane Ellyn Hardy

Mark Johnson, senior photojournalism lecturer at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has his students follow a working photojournalist for the day. They are to produce a SoundSlides show where they interview the photographer and capture what they experienced. [Update: This flash-based slide no longer works on the web today. So I cannot show her work.]

UGA student Jane Ellyn Hardy contacted me to follow me for a day. I told her what I was working on and encouraged her to cover other photojournalist friends. However, she still wanted to shadow me for the day.

Mark Johnson enjoys the day when everyone in his class shares their stories of shadowing. While each student learns something firsthand from their professional, the group of twelve students gets to expand that with the SoundSlide stories that each of them shares.

photo by Jane Ellyn Hardy

So, in one class, these students see what is happening in the industry. Mark even told me about when one of the students shadowed a super negative photographer. The pro told them to do anything but photojournalism from the moment the student interacted with them until they finished that day.

This opened the class’s eyes. They talked about this reality for some photographers and contrasted it with those who were still positive.

photo by Jane Ellyn Hardy

Mark Johnson may have one of the best job placement rates in the industry. His students get real-world experience. On average, about 75% of his students work in the industry six months after graduating.

Of the students who graduated this past May 2013, 87.5% are now working in the industry. The number might be even higher, but he isn’t sure where some landed.