A Student’s Point of View: Photojournalism at RIT Photo
It’s the 7th Week of the spring semester and my next blog topic is about the BFA major in photojournalism. Photojournalism studies the photo documentation of social issues, people and events directed to diverse and modern media outlets, including digital and print. The photojournalism classes teach students how open themselves up to a new world and build understanding about what it’s like to be a photojournalist. Their photographs attempt to reveal what they saw through their lenses at that moment in time.
Ben Braun is a second-year student and when asked what advice he would have for future students he shared, “What you put in, is what you will get out” as a photojournalism student. Ben chose Photojournalism because he loves learning what makes people “tick”. His photographs show truth that we are all human and unique in our own way. He hopes to tell stories through his pictures that will change people’s perspectives in eye-opening ways. When asked Ben couldn’t choose a favorite photojournalism project because each assignment resonated with him and he made personal connections to the people he worked with. If forced to choose, he shared it would be his first project because it holds a special place in his heart. That assignment made him realize photojournalism was his passion. Ben repeated frequently loud and clear that, “the teachers are what makes the photojournalism major so great! Their rare knowledge and skills is what they give and teach students every day.
Dylan Baker is a second-year transfer student. He enrolled in photojournalism because he enjoyed the different routes that he could pursue after RIT. The courses allow him to try a lot of different things that photojournalism professionals do such as sports, editorial, news, and politics. Dylan likes to get out of his comfort zone and he cautions to be prepared for that because it allows you to try new things. Dylan wants to find a position with a magazine or newspaper like Washington Post, New York Times, National Geographic or an outdoor lifestyle magazine. He believes RIT can help him with that!
Cheyenne Boone is a third-year student and she says RIT’s photojournalism community “truly feels like family”! Building connections with her peers and through her projects allows her to network to expand. RIT’s photojournalism major allows her passion for photography and storytelling to expand and she finds herself getting the best of both worlds! The best way to take advantage of “both worlds” is to not be afraid to working really hard. “Seize each moment and don’t be afraid of failure”. Heeding this advice herself, she wants to take the next step and get an internship at Jasper, Indiana collaborating with others in different fields! Cheyenne wants to be proud of her work but also wants the photographs have an effective response from the viewers of work as well.
Noah Bogusz is a fourth-year student and one of the main reasons he chose photojournalism is because he admired the work of photographic artists such as Jimmy Chin, Werner Herzog, and Sebastian Salgado. It inspired him to go places you wouldn’t normally be able to go. Noah believes a person’s work will evolve if you think about your values and push yourself to get out of your comfort zone. All of the amazing photojournalism faculty help him every semester achieve improvement in his work. He also advises future students to work on projects that you feel passionate about. He does this and he hopes it will help lead him to work with a team of photojournalists at his home of Los Angeles. Noah’s favorite project out of the many he produced at RIT was his final capstone that discovered Mr. Chevere. Mr Chevere who was a recovering addict from Rochester, New York. It was titled “I Might Have A Chance”. Noah invites you to check it out on his website noahbogusz.com . He hopes you will see why it’s his favorite!
I have learned that photojournalism allows students to document endless stories that are waiting to be told. Thinking about myself and what I heard from these students as they shared their answers to my questions, they all had a similar answer about how they couldn’t pick a favorite project because each new experience was different and inspiring. These experiences allow them to find themselves and explore other perspectives!
About Emily SuDock
Emily SuDock is a second-year advertising photography student who is also cross-registered in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. I have been hard of hearing most of my life. I was born in China adopted by my loving family. They are a big part of life. I have a Nikon 600 with a 35 mm lens which I love taking portraits with.
