discoveries vol15 issue 3

02 CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDERHerff Jones advisers will be recognized in Anaheim forhonors in Adviser of the Year and Rising Star competitions.

06 LOAD Up yOUR STAffSearching for a new crop of staffers? We’ve got you covered with ideas and tools to get the best recruits. Plus, how one adviser can “just see” future leaders. By KAREN MEChEM

DEpARTMENTS

10 phOTO CORNERAn expert shutterbug explains what makes these images superior and how your phototeam can raise the bar.By MARK MURRAy

12 DESIGN STUDIOPut a little spring in your book. Adding a supplement is a great way to enhance your coverage and include cool topics that might otherwise not be in the book.

14 WRITER’S BLOCKLet our newest Special Consultant teach you how to be a master of the “Maestro Concept.”By LINDA pUNTNEy

16 yBK ETC.Yearbook pages (and other printed paper) become fashion statements with flair. Just add creativity and a little work.

VOLUME 15 # 3

EDITOR-IN-ChIEfKimberly D. Hanzo

LAyOUT EDITORMatt Leighton

COpy EDITORAnn Akers

DESIGNERSAaron Klopp and Kerri Moskow

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSKaren Mechem, former yearbook adviser,

Lexington (MA) HS

Mark Murray,Coordinator of Technology Systems,

Arlington ISD and Executive Director, Assn. of Texas Photography Instructors

Arlington, TX

Linda Puntney, Herff Jones Special Consultant

hJ LOCATIONSCharlotte, NORTH CAROLINA

charlotte@her ff jones.com

Gettysburg, PENNSYLVANIAgettysburg@her ff jones.com

Kansas Cit y, KANSASkansascit y@her ff jones.com

Logan, UTAHlogan@her ff jones.com

Montgomery, ALABAMAmontgomery@her ff jones.com

Winnipeg, CANADAwinnipeg@her ff jones.com

Herff Jones Yearbook Discoveries Volume 15 Issue 3 was produced electronically using Adobe® InDesign CS5, Adobe Illustrator® CS5 and Adobe

Photoshop® CS5. This magazine was created on a Mac Pro, 2.66 GHz with 6 GB of RAM and printed

by Herff Jones, Inc., at its Charlotte, NC printing facility. The outside cover was printed on 65# Matte

C2S stock using four-color process. The inside cover was printed on White Vibracolor Endsheet

stock using four-color process. The magazine pages were printed on 100# matte stock using

four-color process inks. The fonts used in Yearbook Discoveries Volume 15 Issue 3 were AHJ News Gothic and AHJ University Oldstyle. Herff Jones

and the Herff Jones logo are registered trademarks of Herff Jones, Inc. Apple and Macintosh are

registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of

Adobe Systems, Inc.

04

YBK

REVENGE OF THE yERDSWhat is a “Yerd”? What do they do? How do I become one? All of the secrets of this elusive creature’s life revealed now.

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What’s INSIDE What’s INSIDE

DISCOVER MOREDISCOVER MORE

w w w . y e a r b o o k s . b i z0 2 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

NatIONal YEaRbOOk aDVISER Of thE YEaR, SaRah NIChOlS Whitney HS, Rocklin, CA, who will address those attending the awards luncheon, was the first honored on campus at Whitney on Jan. 19. Three long-time Herff Jones advisers will be among the six others recognized in the Adviser of the Year competition. MItCh ZIEglER Redondo Union HS, Redondo Beach, CA and ChaRla haRRIS Pleasant Grove HS, Texarkana, TX have both been named Distinguished Advisers and MEghaN PERCIVal McLean HS, McLean, VA is one of three Special Recognition Advisers.

WHAT WAS YOUR PROUDeST YeARbOOk mOmenT eVeR?

WHAT mAkeS YeARbOOk SUcH An ImPORTAnT AnD VAlUAble leARnIng exPeRIence?

WHen DID YOU fIRST ReAlIze YOU WeRe A YeRD?

In 2005, we had an amazing year. It was the huNDREDth aNNIVERSaRY Of OuR SChOOl and everyone rose to the occasion. The staff meshed in remarkable ways. Everything about the book just jelled. In the end, a StaffER wON thE NSPa/aDObE DESIgN Of thE YEaR CONtESt and we SEt thE StaNDaRD fOR aNNIVERSaRY bOOkS.”

Anyone who comes into the room can see what’s going on. thE StuDENtS fIND aN IDEa aND ElabORatE aND ExPaND. It’S CREatIVE... and they REalIZE lEaRNINg IS fuN. They get to tell amazing stories, and find new ways to present the information. YEaRbOOk tEaChES SkIllS that StuDENtS CaNNOt lEaRN aND PRaCtICE aNYwhERE ElSE.”

I’VE alwaYS lOVED YEaRbOOkS – my own little softcover elementary school books, my mom’s high school books from the ’60s and my older brother’s high school yearbooks – so whEN I RECEIVED aN “INVItatION” tO jOIN thE YEaRbOOk Staff DuRINg MY fREShMaN YEaR Of hIgh SChOOl, I COulDN’t bElIEVE MY gOOD fORtuNE.”

“ “ “

The 2011 NatIONal YEaRbOOk aDVISER of The YEaR CoMPeTITIoN

– MItCh ZIEglER – ChaRla haRRIS – MEghaN PERCIVal

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My students make me proud every day. They make me feel like I picked the right profession; with their constant questions, creativity and insight, I am amazed by what they do every day.”

Being an adviser affords many opportunities to connect with kids... We travel together, make decisions together, create, win, cry and deliver a product together that lives long after high school ends.”

I have a proudest moment every year when we hand out the yearbook. After everyone gets a book, my favorite part is watching my staff walk around and watch all their friends looking at the yearbook.”

My favorite part of yearbook is always the moment where someone shares a fantastic idea, and everyone is electrified with a feeling of creative synergy. I love the endless creative possibilities.”

“ “ “ “

There will be lots of applause and cause to celebrate at the herff Jones-sponsored Saturday adviser luncheon during the JEA/NSPA National Spring high School Journalism Convention in Anaheim in April. In addition to recognition of dozens of Certified Journalism Educators and Master Journalism Educators, a host of other awards will be presented by JEA.

aNaStaSIa haRRISONPonderosa HsParker, Co

taMRa MCCaRthYJames F. enoCHs Hsmodesto, Ca

MaRk NOVOMBrentwood sCHoollos angeles, Ca

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fOUR HeRff JOneS ADVISeRS WIll be PReSenTeD JeA’S RISIng STAR AWARD, fOR ADVISeRS WHO HAVe nO mORe THAn fIVe YeARS Of exPeRIence ADVISIng. THe HeRff JOneS RISIng STARS InclUDe THe fOllOWIng:

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WHAT A A few who hAve reAlly decided on A cAreer in publishing, editing or design And those who hAve other interests, but love the process of imAgining one of their school’s lArgest, most comprehensive projects And then creAting it for All members of the school community.

They convene thrice yearly: once at each national JEA/NSPA convention and at the annual CPSA convention in NYC in March. They find that yearbooking in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Pennsylvania is very much like it is in Arizona, Kansas, Colorado and California. While their schools are as different as their books, the groups laugh as they share

tales of creativity, chaos, revision and deadlines. It is a very small world indeed.

At these meetings, they imagine new products and react to ideas. They brainstorm, critique and share thoughts. At Herff Jones, when we spell Yerd with a capital Y, we’re referring to our growing team of editors who meet at a convention and continue to help us throughout the year and in the future.

If you’re a sophomore or junior yerd and you’ll be attending the spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Anaheim with your staff, we’d love to have you apply for a spot in the group.

They come from all corners. Some with years of experience and others who are newer. Many who have

already attended conventions and workshops, some at their first-ever large gathering of student journalists.

“

“

Yearbook is my place to

belong at school.”CamRyn Baum

DC ’09/KC ’10 YerdWard Melville HS, Setauket, NY

Yearbook takes every kind of person... and

it’s fun.”KatElyn ROBERtS

Portland ’10 YerdMountain View HS, Tempe, AZ

Snap thIS tag or VISIt www.yEaRBOOKS.BIz/gO/yERDapplICatIOn

To DownloaD a YerD applicaTion To join The fun!

Go To http://gEttag.mOBI To DownloaD The free app


WHAT A YERD!

“

“

“

25 years from now, people will really care about what we did.”

maggIE KImPhoenix ’09/DC ’09/

Portland ’10 YerdColumbus North HS,

Columbus, IN

Yearbook helps develop your networking computer

program skills as well as your people skills. plus, i learned to prioritize, organize and

delegate”ChRIStIna mEDIna

NYC ’10 YerdWestminster Christian

Academy, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Yearbook changed my entire life! i

now know what i want to do.”natalIE hOtalIng

Portland ’10 YerdNortheastern Senior HS, Manchester, PA

amOng thE many FRIEnDS OF hERFF (from top left): CaRla nORthy, Schurr HS, Montebello, CA / Portland ’10 Yerd; anDREw ValEnCIa, Bellarmine College Prep, San Jose, CA / Portland ’10 Yerd; mEgan lynCh, Lake Central HS, St. John, IN / Kansas City ’10 Yerd; hannah EaRlE and anna KIRKlanD, North Forsyth HS, Cumming, GA and JORDIE FERRER, Bellarmine College Prep, San Jose, CA / NYC ’09 Yerds; mOlly SmIth, Gilbert HS, Gilbert, AZ / Phoenix ’09 Yerd; mIChaEl CaStIllO, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Miami, FL / NYC ’10 Yerd; nIKI gOulaRtE, Cupertino HS, Cupertino, CA / Portland ’10 Yerd; FRED wu, Cupertino HS, Cupertino, CA / Portland ’10 Yerd; tORI BRODSKy, Casa Roble HS, Orangevale, CA / Portland ’10 Yerd; ShElBy hunt, Smoky Hill HS, Aurora, CO / Portland ’10 Yerd; KEnDall CROuthER, Chantilly HS, Chantilly, VA / Phoenix ’09 Yerd

0 6 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

The young sTaffers who one day will wear The ediTors in chief’s caps are personable, alThough noT necessarily glad-handers. early on, They geT The concepT ThaT The yearbook is a hisTorical record and ThaT The responsibiliTy for an accuraTe recording of The year is a serious one.

DestineD for the Corner offiCe by KaREn mEChEm

Some advisers have a knack for it, while others don’t find the qualities of great potential leaders quite so obvious.

(InspIred by the true storIes of amazIng LexIngton hIgh schooL rookIe staffers through the years)

The staffers care that feelings are hurt when student or faculty pictures are left out or when names are misspelled. Out of this understanding comes the intent to include everyone in the book. The EIC-in-training champion the need for pictures of the custodians, secretaries and kitchen staff. They’ll beat the bushes to get every last student’s portrait, especially the seniors’.

They may have come onto the radar if they won a writing, art or photography award in the eighth grade. The local newspaper may have written them up and the yearbook staff, having vigilantly read the paper every week, “discovers” and then recruits them. Often, they are not yet award-winners, but arrive with at least rudimentary skills in design, writing and photography — hungry to improve.

w w w . Y e a r b o o k s . b i z

more on buILdIng your staff - - - - -

Of the people who show up for training, they complete all the sessions and do the homework.

When older staffers tell the newbies, “We’ll call ya when we need ya,” a future EIC will keep coming back asking, “Need anything done today?” “How can I help?”

At last, someone lets them correct copy on a proof and allows them to enter it officially on the computer. They’re in heaven, but they don’t scream with joy. That wouldn’t be cool. They just ask, “What’s next?” Did they get coaching from an older sibling, or do they just know when and how to be useful?

Finally, they’re asked to assist an editor on a special project. True, they’re the ones sent to borrow the lights from the photography teacher way down the hall, but that’s OK, even the tenth time they stage this shoot. They’re on a special project and it’s turning out well.

The next year, as sophomores, they might be section editors. During this time their astuteness emerges, after a day in the trenches or when a deadline is met, someone in authority talks to them about how invaluable they are, and how they are on a path to becoming an editor in chief.

So many staffers are only enthusiastic the first week on the job. The future editors are those who become part of the crew who make the deadlines. They continually show up, especially when work must be completed. It becomes obvious to them that editors parcel out more work as deadlines loom. And our future stars will be there.

It takes a great deal of poise to be a serious younger staffer. This means that for awhile, they have left their pack of peers to pursue their own interests. They make it look easy to approach a junior or a senior for assistance, quietly asking, “Could you show me how to get rid of this hyphen?” or “Is this a good dominant photo?” Then, they’re ready to take constructive criticism. This separates the future greats from the also-rans.

And after that, they engage in banter and joking around... at first at a bit of a distance. They expand their circle of yearbook friends and are included when the staff goes bowling. Finally, they earn the respect of the whole staff because they put up fliers and sell the yearbook, as well as interview, write copy and design pages.

They’re the first to sign up to distribute the yearbook and they proudly sport the sweatshirts they’ve earned. I can easily spot an editor.

Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 0 7V o L U M e 1 5 i s s U e 3

bESt Staff EVERInvest energy to find the right staffers and you’ll have diversity in skill sets, talents and more. Recruit the

even Though yearbook may be a compleTely differenT scenario from school To school, There are some universal TruThs.

Whether the yearbook at your school is created by a club or a class, whether the book is large or small, whether the staff strives to wow the school audience or really works to impress contest judges, the process of creating the only permanent record of the school year requires creative designers, photographers, reporters and techies. No matter what, there’s a staff that plans and dreams, documents and executes. There needs to be a team that works to include as many people (and as many kinds of people) as possible. There’s good news and bad news when it comes to recruiting the yearbook staff. If you have a fall delivery book or you operate as an after-school club, you may have a little more leeway in your schedule. If not, it’s likely that there will be some overlap between the selection of your new staff and the completion of the current book.

Because Herff Jones believes having the best possible staff makes everything about the process of creating the yearbook better and because we know that the most efficient recruitment might need to take place at a time of year when there are lots of other yearbook responsibilities fighting for time/energy, we created materials that will make you look great as they increase the visibility of yearbook on campus. Enter the True Potential package. Containing samples of all the materials needed to line up an amazing staff, this packet reminds the school that there’s a place for all kinds of students on the yearbook staff. The instruction booklet breaks the process of building your staff into five simple steps and explains the intent behind all components. You’ll be led through the processes of deciding how many staffers you’re trying to add, identifying potential candidates, collecting applications and more. We even provide the plans for helping new staffers celebrate their selection to the yearbook staff. We’re all about helping you find solutions for yearbook needs without having to create everything from scratch!

and life gets easier.

Get the free mobile app for your phonehttp:/ /gettag.mobi

watch ouR InfoRmatIve vIdeo, why yEaRbOOK?, thRough thIS tag oR on ouR youtube

channel at: www.youtube.com/heRffjoneSyeaRbookS

140 Teaching Yearbook Journalism

Photography 141

LIgHTINg

Direct Sunlight

Open sun in the middle of the day can create unflattering shadows

and highlights on the face, as in the photograph to the left.

using Direct Sun

Move the subject into the shade or use flash outdoors to fill in the

shadows on the face.

Indirect Sunlight

The indirect sunlight found in the shade of a tree or in a doorway

will soften the shadows on the face, as in the photograph to the

left. Photos shot in shade may need some flash fill for proper

exposure. Shoot several images first to determine if flash fill is

needed or not.

using Indirect Sunlight

Find a spot where both the subject of the photo and the

background are in shade. A sunny background will make your

subject too dark, but you may still need some flash fill for a

properly exposed image.

Hazy or Cloudy Sun

A hazy or cloudy day will provide diffuse sunlight, so there will

be an even distribution of light without harsh shadows, as in the

photograph to the left.

using Hazy or Cloudy Sun

Take advantage of soft light. Your subjects won’t be squinting.

Backlight

Place the sun behind the subject, so the subject creates its own

shade. Backlight solves the problem of squinting eyes.

using Backlight

Shooting directly into light can be difficult, so take several photos

and use a light meter if one is available. Also, if the sun is intense

enough at the time the picture was shot, the subject may be

nothing more than a silhouette once the image is downloaded. Be

careful using backlight.

Fact Sheet

Goal: To demonstrate the different types of light

Goal: To provide guidelines for using different types of light

Light is to the photographer what color is to the painter. You need light to “paint” the image, so

you should be concerned about how light can make your image more interesting.

photos courtesy of Corning Painted Post West HS — Painted Post, NY

PHOTO SELECTION

nexus

Inland Lakes HS — Indian River, MI

sjkÖlD

Corning Painted Post West HS — Painted Post, NY

Now, examine the photos in the examples:

•The dominant photo: The athlete is a clear

center of interest, and the photo is cropped

to eliminate any unnecessary background,

limiting the focus of the picture to her face.

The runner has been captured at the peak of

action/emotion, giving the photo great story

telling ability.

•The action of every photo travels onto the

spread, drawing the audience into the contents.

Fact Sheet

Goal: To choose photos for a yearbook spread

Photo selection refers to the process of choosing photos for a yearbook spread. This process

begins after the digital images are downloaded from the camera to the computer. To make photo

selection easier, sort the photos as they are taken.

Step 1Delete any images that:

•are out of focus

•are too dark or too light

•have technical imperfections

•do not tell a story

• lack a strong center of interest.

Step 2Keep photos that display a clear center of interest, especially if those photos capture an

interesting angle.

•The dominant photo: Using selective focus, the

center of interest pops out of the photo. The

photo is cropped according to the rule of thirds.

•The action in the candids on the left page

leads the audience to the gutter and the copy.

•The candids are closely cropped with very

little wasted space.

•Content of candid shots is varied with some

as single subject, some small groups and one

larger group.


Design 101

CoLuMn design

the following design elements will appear

on your layouts:

• Photographs

• Copy packages, including headlines,

secondary headlines, copy and captions

• White space, which is also called negative space

• Graphics and art.

step 1decide on your columns and margins.

Determine how many columns you will have

on your spread. Use six, eight or ten columns

per spread to begin. All copy and captions will

be one column wide, and all photos will align

with the width of the columns.

Use picas as your unit of measurement. Set

one pica as your internal margin, the spacing

between columns and elements. Set adequate

external margins to create a frame around the

layout. The Herff Jones templates already have

standard external margins.

step 2Place the eyeline and folio tabs.

The horizontal eyeline should be placed above

or below the center to link the left and right

pages as a single unit.

Folios are placed in the bottom margin,

and they should not exceed 12 points in

size. Folios include the spread content

information.

externaL Margin

FoLios

CoLuMns gutter

eyeLine

Fact sheet

Goal: To explain why yearbook staffs use columns to design their spreads

Goal: To list the design elements that will appear on a spread

Goal: To demonstrate the steps for designing a 10-column spread

designers have at least four reasons for using columns when they create spreads:

• Columns reflect magazine and newspaper design.

• They help readability.

• They make the content, not the design, the readers’ primary focus.

• They provide a guide/road map for the readers.

step 3add the dominant photo.

The dominant photo is two to two-and-a-

half times larger than any other photo on the

spread. The dominant usually crosses the

gutter, and it is generally placed toward the

center of the spread because it helps unify

the two pages. A dominant also touches

either the top or the bottom external margin.

A horizontal dominant rests above or below

the eyeline while a vertical dominant usually

breaks the eyeline.

step 4Place the copy and headline.

The copy and headline are a single,

rectangular unit. They should be placed in

one of the four corners of the spread, above or

below the eyeline.

step 5arrange the additional candid photos.

A typical spread has five to seven additional

photos of varying shapes and sizes. The shape

of at least one photo should contrast with the

shape of the dominant. Place all additional

photos around the dominant photo. Use a

consistent internal margin of one pica to

separate the photos. At least one photo should

touch the external margin on each of the four

sides of the spread.

step 6add the captions.

Each photo needs a caption. Place each caption

so that it is adjacent to the photograph it

describes. Captions can be placed above,

below or next to the photos. If you’re using

individual captions, try not to place more than

two captions together. Make sure one pica

separates the photo and the caption.

tHe arroWs indiCate WHiCH CaPtions

doMinant PHoto

HeadLine

CandidsCoPy broKen into CoLuMns

identiFy WHiCH PHotos.

Contrasting sHaPePHoto oF

internaL Margin

62 Teaching Yearbook JournalismCopy 63

identifying an Angledirections: Consider this feature story and answer the questions that follow.

Cat got Your TongueStudents of Anatomy and Physiology dissect cats to explore their human-like body system

by rachel HuangTiTanium Antelope High School — Antelope, CA

As students entered their Anatomy and Physiology class on Dec. 8, the first thing they noticed

was the nauseating stench of the day’s lab assignment. Students of Science Instructor Annie

Clegg’s second period had to deal with the unpleasant smell of dead cats, which they would have

to dissect for the next few days.

Since cats have a similar body system to humans, they were a great example of how our own

insides look. The lab was successful, but students had mixed feelings about the assignment.

“I didn’t like this lab; it’s gross and the smell was disturbing,” junior Abraham Diaz said. “I also

didn’t like handling sharp tools. I don’t like cats that much, so that wasn’t the problem.”

Many people agreed the lab was overall repulsive, but some people had a different perspective of

the lab.“I’m not too fond of cats,” sophomore Taylor Teel said. “But the ribs were the best part because

you had to break all of them to open up the chest.”

Surprisingly, it didn’t affect cat owners too much; other students weren’t too disgusted with the

assignment and got kind of attached to them after having to spend time with it for the past few days.

“I have cats, but it wasn’t uncomfortable because I didn’t imagine it as my own or as a real thing,”

junior Kelly Fredericksen said. “But then we got to name our cat and we got attached to it.”

“It wasn’t really that bad because you don’t really think of it as your cat and when you gauze up the

face and paws,” junior Karisa Theberge said. “It kind of makes it less like a cat and just a specimen.”

After a few days of skinning and analyzing the different bodily organs of cats, the students could

finally breathe again.

What is the broad topic of this feature story?

anatOmy class

What is the more specific angle?

the smell invOlved as students dissected cats

Why do you think the writer chose this specific angle?

that was the first thing students nOticed when they entered the rOOm, but

then they realized the smell was the wOrst part. the rest Of the dissectiOn

lab really wasn’t that bad.

Brainstorm new AnglesBelow is a list of common spread topics. For each, brainstorm five possible angles. Then, choose

the best angle and justify your choice. Be prepared to share your answers with the staff.

Topic: SummerFive Possible Angles:

1. trips tO faraway lands

2. the dreaded family vacatiOn

3. summer jObs

4. summer schOOl

5. getting bOred Over the summer; sOmetimes schOOl is better

Which is the best angle?

see belOw

Why is it the best angle for your story?

fOr this answer key, Only a few pOssible angles are prOvided. as the

adviser, yOu will be the best judge Of an apprOpriate angle fOr the

stOry at yOur schOOl.


Yearbook Basics 37

Chronological CoverageThere are several ways a staff can use a chronological approach to covering the year.

SeasonalThe book has four sections: summer, fall, winter and spring. All the contents of the regular book are divided up by which season best fits.MonthlyCoverage is organized by month. With a spring-delivery book, that usually means coverage runs from March to February. With a summer/fall book, the year would run from June to May.WeeklyEach spread or sometimes multiple spreads cover one week of events, activities and other topics. As with monthly coverage, the book needs to include the entire year.Partial ChronologicalChronological coverage can be blended with more traditional coverage. For example, weekly or monthly coverage could be used for only sports and student life while academics, clubs and people are covered in regular sections.

The staff chose to organize the book in two sections by semester and also by date and time. The time approach begins on the cover and carries over to the inside pages where each caption begins with a date. Using their chronological concept to drive coverage, the staff also add a “Day in the Life” package where they covered events on a single day in blocks.

The Prowl Powell Middle School — Littleton, CO

The haida Auburn Riverside High School — Auburn, WAThe seasonal icons on the right of the page set the scene for the organization of this book. From the beginning the reader knows coverage will be done chronologically. On the inside page the seasonal logos and the folio label on the left remind the reader red is the Fall section, the perfect location for homecoming coverage. The dating spread followed in the blue/winter section.

REaDy tO pRODuCE

once you’ve selected a staff, the challenge is getting them

wheTher you’re looking for some Quick acTiviTies To JumpsTarT your yearbook club or a compleTely sTrucTured plan To use wiTh a for-crediT class, The herff Jones curriculum, TEACHING YEARBOOK JOURNALISM, answers your need.

You’ll be a yearbook expert in no time at all with the varied tools that make up our instructional set. The 272-page adviser binder contains an overview of all materials, as well as goals, objectives and evaluation tools. Add in the fact sheets, activities and assignments and you’ll be prepared to train your staff without spending the entire summer studying and seeking great examples. The entire set is teacher-written, teacher-tested so you know you’ll be ready to train your staff — and they’ll be prepared to start working on the book of their dreams.

V o L U M e 1 5 i s s U e 3 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 0 9

One way to get better photos is to have your entire staff share an image they like and then take some time to really discuss

WHY IT WORKEDMark Murray, whose passions for photojournalisM and student publications allow hiM to see thousands of iMages each year, provides coMMents on current student photography. his thoughts Might help your staffers better understand what it takes to Make More of their photos truly aMazing.

1

2

1 0 Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S

With the wave creating a perfect framing element for the surfer, this photographer did a magnificent job of putting the viewer into the middle of the action. Combined with the expression on the surfer’s face and the warm light adding color to the surfer and the water, this sports action photo is a great example.

Traditionally, photojournalists want to try and show a person’s face in the photo so that the subject is easily recognized. But there are times when treating the subject as a silhouette creates an even more dramatic photograph. The rim light which wraps around the drummer and drumsticks provides the separation from the background that a good silhouette requires.

Photojournalists need to be able to capture a moment in time and tell a story, but they also need to be able to create a story when required. Environmental portraits place a subject in surroundings that tell the viewer something about the subject. Here, the photographer uses lighting and color to make the subject pop out of the background. By using a small aperture on the camera (f/18 according to the metadata), the photographer also did a great job of making sure that both the subject’s face and the outstretched glove are in focus.

Photographers use light as an artist would use oil or watercolor. The late afternoon sun adds great side lighting and a warm color to the subject. Together with the red lifejacket and the yellow shorts, the subject stands out from the dark water and a clean background.

Great photos pull the viewer into the image, creating a sense of place and time. This sports reaction shot perfectly captures the emotions of the two football players as they celebrate. The photographer did a great job of grabbing a very quick shot, especially the tear rolling down the player’s face, which indicates that the photographer was watching everything going on and was ready when the moment occurred.

Great sports action photos require several things. The photographer needs the right equipment, needs to know something about the sport, needs to understand where to be to get the best photo, and finally, needs to give the viewer a sense of what the athletes are experiencing.

A simple environmental portrait is elevated by great lighting and a strong point of view. Light brings the subject’s face out of the darkness, but is diffused enough to wrap around so that the left cheek and eye are still visible. By choosing a low point of view, the photographer made sure that the viewer could still see the subject’s face. Instead of dealing with a distracting background, the photographer exposed so that it disappears into darkness—the perfect approach.

Y e a r b o o k D I S C O V E R I E S 11

PHOTO CORNER

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by maRK muRRaY


FOr access tO mOre phOtOs, visit YEaRbOOKS.bIz/gO/PHOTOCORNERWHYITWORKED Or yOu can use this enabled tag with yOur smartphOne.

jaKE COllINS, REDONDO uNION HS, Redondo Beach, CA

gRaHam bECK, bEllaRmINE COllEgE PREPaRaTORY, San Jose, CA

gRaHam bECK, bEllaRmINE COllEgE PREPaRaTORY, San Jose, CA

COllEEN guIlfOYlE, CORNINg PaINTED POST WEST HS, Painted Post, NY

aNNa CHEbaN, aNTElOPE HS, Antelope, CA

DEVIN DaNIElS, abERDEEN HS, Aberdeen, WA

jORDaN mICHNOff, WaRD mElVIllE HS, Setauket, NY

w w w . y e a r b o o k s . b i z

There are many ways your staff can

the story you tell. SUPPLEMENT

ResumÉ, GEorGE WalToN acadEmy, Monroe, GA

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Final dEadlinEs havE passEd, but liFE goEs on. thErE arE classEs, ralliEs, gaMEs and dancEs as wEll as EvEryday EvEnts to covEr. soME staFFs bEgin taking photos and doing rEsEarch/intErviEws as soon as thEy Finish thE prEvious book and bEgin thE nExt Edition with spring activitiEs FroM thE prEvious yEar.

Others declare that their readers only want those stories in the book of the year and work to create a spring supplement covering those events that occur at year’s end. One common approach for staffs creating spring supplements is for them to be attached to the back endsheet. The Quick Turn supplement program makes it possible for most events of the school year to be included in the book in time for distribution.

Another twist on the spring supplement is the creation of a seniors-only piece which might include year-end awards, prom, senior picnic, baccalaureate, graduation, Grad Night and more. Some schools include this component as a benefit of buying tickets to attend a parent group-sponsored prom or graduation post-parties.

But more staffs are playing with supplemental coverage in different formats than ever before. The 2010 Resumé from George Walton Academy in Monroe, GA was an anniversary book. The volume began with a 16-page history of the school’s first 40 years. Printed on a special cotton stock, it had lots of great photos and quotes and it showed how the school has grown/changed through the years. Adviser Brian Cole knew that his staff had produced another great PR

Whether your goal is to extend the time frame you are able to cover, showcase a collection of people, ideas or works, create a shift in focus or share your world with more readers, you have options.

piece for the private K-12 school, and so as he had done in the past, ordered additional copies of that first sig for distribution to families of prospective students and others in the school community. The yearbook staff designs a paper version of their book’s cover and extras are merely saddle stitched like this magazine is.

Another option that’s increasing in popularity is a supplement that’s a different size than the pages in the book. That could mean either choosing a smaller standard trim size or having the plant do a custom trim. To get the highest impact from a short-trimmed supplement, you need to plan how it fits into the bound volume and design the spread into which it’s tipped to accommodate the additional content. It’s hard to make it look like you meant for it to be “that way” unless you use the bound pages on either side of the supplement to “house” the extra content in some meaningful way.

The guys on staff at San Jose, CA’s Bellarmine College Prep saw an ad in a magazine that included a booklet of additional content and they loved some of the inks and materials their rep had shown them. So they designed a spread onto which they’d tip a “mini-mag” of profiles. At 6 x 9,″ the booklet demanded attention and the distinctive designs and stunning photography added impact. “The school community loved it,” said adviser Dmitri Conom. “They asked immediately if we were going to do it again.”

Whether you’re planning now for something new and different next year or you’re still seeking a way to cover events that happen yet this spring, a supplement might be the answer.

SUPPLEMENT

dESIGN STUdIo

caRillon, bEllarmINE collEGE PrEParaTory, San Jose, CA

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If you are looking for a single plan that will help you make every deadline, provide fresh story ideas on the topics you cover year after year and develop a real sense of camaraderie for your staff, consider joining the growing list of yearbook staffs that are part of

MAESTRO MANIAThe team discusses possibilities for coverage before and after the parade and goes to the homecoming parade together eliminating the possibility that someone may forget about the event or not show up.

During the parade, the photographer and the writer are in constant contact talking about the verbal/visual connection of the coverage — if the writer gets a strong quote, letting the photographer know about the quote, will allow for a supporting photograph. If the photographer captures a poignant moment, the writer can be sure to interview the center of interest. The designer is present to make certain the package will have the same feel as the event itself and to find detailed information that might be best told through some other layer of coverage.

Following the event, the team brainstorms what the package should be, how it should look, what should be the lead photograph, headline and lead paragraph. These decisions must always answer the question “Why does the reader care?”

The deadline for the final package can easily be 48 hours after the event so the team works to create, edit and tweak the coverage before the details have gotten cold and the project has been set on a back burner. The result is coverage that is reader driven, is not the same story as in last year’s book, the deadline is met and a team shares ownership in the final product.

If you also have a website or produce a DVD for extended coverage, the team might have captured video, audio and soundslide files to tease to the content in the print book.

Team members could even tweet from floatbuilding or the parade and later write a blog about the experience using the maestro concept to coordinate the best, most efficient way to tell the story.

Using the maestro concept puts the focus of the story on the reader, where it should be while giving staff members the ultimate experience in collaboration.

SnAp ThIS TAg or VISIT www.yEARbOOkS.bIz/gO/

MAESTROpkgplAnnERfORM to DownloaD the Package Plan form.

go to hTTp://gETTAg.MObI to DownloaD the free aPP


Formally started around 1993 by buck ryan oF the university oF kentucky, the maestro concept continues to Find its way into commercial magazine, newspaper and now yearbook staFF oFFices around the world. it’s simply a content management system involving groupthink and collaboration. it operates on the principles that three heads are better than one, and that the reader should be the driving Force in every story in the yearbook.

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Here are EIghT EASy STEpS to IMplEMEnT ThE COnCEpT wITh yOuR STAff:

Brainstorm as a staff for story topics.

Assign a maestro team of a writer, designer and a photographer to a topic. The section editor could serve as the maestro to call the team together and facilitate communication OR a team member could serve as the leader.

The team meets for 10 minutes or less to find the story angle. If the topic is homecoming, the story angle might be the return of the homecoming parade which was done away with in 2005 due to lack of interest.

Together the team fills out the Package Planner form focusing on the driving questions “Why does the reader care?” (serves the memory function of a yearbook) and “What questions might the reader have?” (preserves the record/history function of a yearbook).


maeStra MAESTRO meet our

of the

wRITER’S blOCk

its been years since linda puntney First met buck ryan. She knew his reputation and believed in his Maestro process. After an introduction at an Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference more than a decade ago, they began teaching together at workshops and conventions, evolving the process along the way. The plan fit into Puntney’s other work as adviser to the Royal Purple yearbook at Kansas State University, as a magazine journalism professor on faculty there and as a coveted workshop and convention speaker. In June 2010, she retired from KState and from her role as executive director of the Journalism Education Association. Puntney has since joined Kathy Daly, Paul Ender and Lynn Strause as Herff Jones’ fourth Special Consultant. In her new role, she’ll be writing for Yearbook Discoveries each year, assisting with special projects and consulting with staffs and advisers at ACP/CMA, CSPA and JEA/NSPA conventions as well as traveling with reps and continuing to teach workshops. And we’ll be first in line to congratulate her when she’s presented

JEA’s Teacher Inspiration Award at the Herff Jones-sponsored Adviser Luncheon at JEA/NSPA in Anaheim.

“Using the tomato added a playful tone. and we knew we wanted to echo color, so we pulled the red from the second spread to unify the package.”

“the retro sign revealed the city market’s history (citing the date of establishment) and thorough reporting made sure no one missed that fact.”

“we wanted to use an overview as an establishing shot and we really liked that this shot showed both the market and the city skyline.”

“these detail shots don’t have traditional captions, but each image is addressed in the copy as visuals and verbals were planned together.”

by lInDA punTnEy

MAESTRO


And you don’t have to look very far to find an array of projects that put a really fresh spin on some of these ideas. Many galleries and gift shops feature boxes, vases and other vessels crafted from folded magazines. Why not yearbooks?

Because of their durability, foiled snack wrappers were first used to create “gum wrapper chain” purses, but word on the street is that using clear mailing tape or contact paper expands the possibilities for that project to include newsprint, magazines and yearbooks.

Newspaper totes, purses and other bags usually feature dailies from New York,

Paris or some other great destination or promote a reader’s favorite section (like style, travel or the comics), but what would be cooler than having a clutch that reminded you of yearbook every time you used it?

Even Nike sees the cool factor in reusing paper. In January, they premiered shoes made of recycled magazines as part of their spring collection. The repurposed shoes align well with their other eco programs. For more than 20 years, the sportswear giant has also recycled shoes, using components to create tracks and basketball courts around the world.

Yearbook adviser Carol Neal knew she had a great idea a few years back when she imagined turning yearbook pages into beaded jewelry for the very people who worked on the book. “It was one of those projects,” said the long-time adviser from Westminster Christian Academy in Fort

Lauderdale, FL. “I knew it would be amazing and I started collecting the tools and supplies we’d need, but it took awhile before it happened.”

At first she pitched the idea to her middle school staff, suggesting they could make beads for older siblings on the high school staff. But after they made the beads, they loved them so much they wanted a set of their own. In the last four or five years, they’ve experimented with bead size and shape, the incorporation of other beads and links and the options of different kinds of necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

REDUCE

REDUCE

REDUCE

REDUCE

REDUCE

REDUCE

REDUCE

REDUCE

REUSE

REUSE

REUSE

REUSE

REUSE

REUSE

REUSE

REUSE

RECYCLE

RECYCLE

RECYCLE

RECYCLE

RECYCLE

RECYCLE

RECYCLE

RECYCLE

RE-PURPOSING newspapers, magazines, wrappers — and

yes, yearbooks — to make cool projects with extended lives.

DecaDes of crafters have cut, woven anD DecopaugeD paper into carDs, boxes anD other projects. they’ve torn, folDeD anD stampeD onto flexible fibers to create new masterpieces. they have preserveD photos anD other images, clippings anD memorabilia with shellac, varnish anD glue.

MAKE YOUR OWN!MAKE YOUR OWN!To MAKE AMAzING jEWElRY from your OWN YEARbOOK (use a damaged copy or one you cuT up for conTesT enTries or TearsheeTs), see The insTrucTions aT The righT. >>

Reusing and recycling aren’t the only environment-friendly alternatives for used paper. Artisans and out-of- the-

box thinkers everywhere are

YbK ETC.

discoveries vol15 issue 3

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