RIT Hosts NPPA’s Northern Short Course Photojournalism Conference, March 13-15

Rochester Institute of Technology will host the National Press Photographers Association’s Northern Short Course, the premier conference in photojournalism, March 13-15.

The 27th annual conference will feature keynote speakers from the industry, portfolio reviews and hands-on workshops in such areas as multimedia, lighting, ethics, business practices, audio, video and marketing.

Keynote speakers for Saturday, March 15, include award-winning photographers Kristen Ashburn, Al Bello, Olivier Jobard and Chris Usher. Jacki Lyden, senior correspondent at National Public Radio and alternate host of All Things Considered, will also be one of the keynotes.

“RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences has worked with the NPPA for several years to bring this conference to Rochester, the city known as the world’s image center,” says Doug Rea, department chair of the photojournalism program at RIT. “This event will put a focus on Rochester and showcase the collaborations between industry, the media and educational organizations. For me, the Northern Short Course is the richest educational experience I can bring to our photojournalism students.”

RIT has an active NPPA student chapter with nearly 30 members. RIT photography students will serve as volunteers at the event as well as participate in the various sessions.

This year’s multimedia workshop presenters are Chuck Fadely, photographer/videographer at The Miami-Herald; Jacki Lyden, National Public Radio; and Regina McCombs, multimedia producer at The Star-Tribune in Minneapolis, Minn.

RIT, along with Rochester’s Democrat and Chronicle newspaper, are two of the sponsors of the 2008 Northern Short Course. Will Yurman, staff photographer at the Democrat and Chronicle and an adjunct professor at RIT, reprises his role as organizer of the multimedia workshops.

“It’s a natural fit to have the event here in Rochester, with the area’s long history in photography and as the home to Eastman Kodak, George Eastman House and RIT,” says Yurman. “We are hoping to draw in people from the Midwest and Canada for the event.”

The conference is open to anyone. All workshops and presentations will be held at the Hyatt Regency Rochester on East Main Street in Rochester.

To register for the conference and see a complete list of the speakers and sessions, visit www.northernshortcourse.com.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Damon Kiesow, Online Managing Editor, The Telegraph, (603) 594-6532 or dkiesow@nashuatelegraph.com

About RIT
Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students with hearing loss. More than 15,800 full- and part-time students are enrolled in RIT’s 340 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

For nearly two decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation’s leading comprehensive universities. The Princeton Review features RIT in its 2007 Best 361 Colleges rankings and named the university one of America’s “Most Wired Campuses.” RIT is also featured in Barron’s Best Buys in Education.

About NPPA
The National Press Photographers Association is dedicated to the advancement of photojournalism, its creation, editing and distribution, in all news media. Our 10,000 members include still and television photographers, editors, students and representatives of businesses that serve the photojournalism industry. www.nppa.org