Julia Rendleman, a photojournalism assistant professor at SIU, and students scout for stories in Alto Pass in March. (Photo by Russell Bailey)
April 09, 2024
SIU photojournalism students to visit Alto Pass, Cobden as part of workshop
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale photojournalism students will receive vital insight into honing their skills April 12-14 as they document people and events in Alto Pass and Cobden.
The three-day workshop will have students in Julia Rendleman’s intermediate photojournalism class working with and receiving tips from award-winning industry professionals.
“The workshop gives students a chance to get feedback from a range of photographers,” said Rendleman, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Advertising. “It’s a chance for students to improve their work quickly over a 48-hour period by getting constant and instant feedback and critique. And I think it will give us a chance to build comradery and friendships — something that will serve these students well as they venture out into the journalism world for careers — it is a small community nationwide.”
Media advisory
Reporters, photographers and news crews are invited to cover the workshop. To make arrangements for interviews, contact Julia Rendleman, assistant professor, SIU Carbondale School of Journalism and Advertising, at 618-713-1541 or julia.rendleman@siu.edu.
The students will receive immediate feedback from some of the industry’s top photojournalists. Photojournalist and Pulitzer Center grantee Justin Cook will be among the professionals working with students as part of the center’s “Origin Photojournalism Workshop.”
In addition to the eight to 10 students in Rendleman’s class, four photojournalism students and Greg Cooper, an assistant professor in photojournalism, all from Eastern Illinois University, will participate. Rendleman said work on developing what the workshop will become continues.
“We hope this is the beginning of a long-term collaboration between our two programs, and we have discussed trading off years to produce the workshop,” she said.
Rendleman added that the workshop is fortunate to have “many amazing alumni out in the world working as photojournalists.” Several of them, including Brian Munoz of St. Louis Public Radio and Nicole Hester of the Tennessean in Nashville, are returning as mentors. One of Hester’s photos from the horrific shooting at The Covenant School was judged one of Time Magazine’s top 10 photos for 2023.
Reviving the workshop
The event is similar to “A Weekend in …” workshops by now-retired SIU Carbondale photojournalism assistant professor Mark Dolan that started in 2009. Communities featured then included Alto Pass and Cobden; Carbondale; Murphysboro; the Tri-C communities of Cambria, Carterville and Crainville; Chester, and Harrisburg.
Rendleman, who is also an award-winning freelance photojournalist, participated in SIU’s first two workshops and was a student fellow at the Pulitzer Center in 2011.
The work produced for the workshop will be hosted by SIU’s Sharp Museum in August, Rendleman said. There will also be a community viewing session of the photos taken by students from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at the community center in Alto Pass. The photos will be a first look at the those to be featured at the Sharp Museum.