Barbara Graf Horka
Photographer

subject matter taught

By the end of the course, the students will understand the power of photography and be able to shoot photos that grab the reader. They will understand how to use a camera or smartphone to take important pictures. They will have gained understanding of the technology of photography that will help achieving their goals.

For the first time after a 4-year break, I taught photojournalism to media and communication students again, not on site but virtually. This was a challenge. All the material had to be put on a website so that they could access it individually and upload their own work at the same time.

We met weekly for an online meeting with the whole class, where I gave my lecture and sometimes discussed with the students. I commented on the individual work via email. 30 students participated.

The biggest challenge was the internet connection, which was poor and at times I spoke against a black wall. Roberta Muchangwe, my lecturer at UNZA and contact person, was a great support. She provided her own router and stepped in when the connection was bad.

Despite all the difficulties, the students' work was generally great, their progress was visible and exchange via a common platform worked. Of course, teaching in a classroom is more comfortable because you have the class in front of you and can engage with them directly. Virtually, the exchange becomes less direct and it's more like lecturing in one direction. Discussions among themselves and also with me, especially when it comes to discussing their work, were rather difficult.

Personal Note

It was a good experience though and the students' final stories „my Zambia“ were extremely exciting and the individual papers in between also allowed me to get to know the students better. Many students used their smartphones to take photographs. This has changed the visual language and is as visible in Africa as it is here. The goal of the course, namely taking good pictures, is still the same. It is always the photographer who takes the pictures, not the camera - and the students demonstrated this beautifully.

The structure of the course does not need to be changed. As for the how, we would have to make a few adjustments to make the exchange easier.

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the students getting better within a few meetings. The improvements are obvious and the students are happy to see how well they can absorb and implement the inputs.