A Photo Teacher |

PHOT 156

PHOT156Composite

© Thomas Ruff, from series Jpegs, 2005 (left); Pedro Meyer, from ZoneZero Editorial #24 – Family Album, 2000 (upper right); and Epson 4880 inkjet printer

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PHOT 156 | Digital Photography I explores the nature and continued development of a photographic vision through the visual language of technology and digital photography, concentrating on the conceptual, aesthetic and technical considerations and possibilities of digital photographic theory and practice.  We’ll examine the critical issues raised by the use of digital photographic practice within historical and contemporary contexts with specific attention and discussion on the role and function of technology in photography and its social and cultural implications on how the photographic image is considered.

Catalog Description

Understanding digital photography from technical and theoretical perspectives is the focus of this course.  Students will learn various digital-imaging input techniques comparing scanned film images to those created by digital cameras, thus critically examining the profound effects digital-imaging technologies are having on the ways we look at photographs.  Through a combination of hands-on-practice using current photo imaging software and Macintosh computers and in-class critiques, various issues will be explored within these new technologies.  Students will address the primary relationship of digital photography to traditional, analog photography.

Prerequisite: “C” or “CR” grade or higher in ART 150 | PHOT 150 – Photography I or equivalent

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Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)

Using current industry standard technologies, students will demonstrate their ability to analyze and process digital files using input from both scanned film and digital camera capture, including newer high-resolution image information strategies.

Demonstrate the ability to use digital imaging process software, file management systems and output printing devices to create optimum photographic images of the highest quality both aesthetically as well as technically proficient.

Students will demonstrate through compare and contrast, the primary relationship of the new digital photography technologies and their unique strategies for image processing to that of the traditional/analog photographic practices historically established through film and chemistry applications.

Demonstrate critical thinking practices by describing, interpreting and evaluating these digital photographic practices as a means for developing one’s personal vision, an aesthetic process for creative expression and the means for strong visual communication.

Assessment Activity: Portfolio and Reflective Self-Assessment Essay

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Course Information and Links for PHOT 156 | Digital Photography I

Click on link to locate information regarding syllabus, assignments and/or curriculum pdf files

Scroll down page for detailed semester calendar

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Course Syllabus and Calendar

PHOT 156 Syllabus.pdf

PHOT 156 Calendar Fall 2009.pdf

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Flickr Website

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PHOT 156

Critical Issues Responses

1 –  Does It Really Matter ?

2 – Photographers at Work – Then and Now

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Shooting Assignments

1 – All In A Days Work

2 – The Photographic Scene

3 – Points of View

4 – Family Album

5 –  An Adventure in Photography – Initiating A Personal Vision

Final ProjectThe Portfolio

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Technical Assignments

1 – Input – Principles of Scanning

2 – Image Optimization and The Digital Photographic Print

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PHOT 156 Fall 2009 Calendar

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 – 3:20 pm

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8 | 25 – Tuesday

Introduction to course, discussion of syllabus, course expectations and use of course website

Discussion on From Analog to Digital Photography and the role of digital technology in photography.

Overview | review discussion on working with Apple computers and OS-X

Presentation | Discussion of Flickr and PHOT 156 Flickr website

8 | 27 – Thursday

Presentation and discussion of recent photographic work (bring in 2 photographs of interest)

Review Discussion of Photographic Seeing, including Beyond The Surface | Thinking About Photographs (Website | Discussions and Lecture Review Materials) and Seeing Photographs (Website | Discussions and Lecture Review Materials)

Discussion | Demonstration on Digital Image Capture and Input – Principles of Scanning (Website | Lecture Review Materials)
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9 | 1 – Tuesday

Critical Issues Response #1 due before start of class (Website | PHOT 156 | Critical Issues Discussions)

Review Discussion | Demonstration on Digital Image Capture and Input – Principles of Scanning (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Discussion | Demonstration on Digital Image Capture and Digital Cameras (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Camera Raw Image Processing

Presentation | Discussion of All In A Days Work (Shooting Assignment)

Digital Lab

9 | 3Thursday

Introductory Discussion | Demonstration on the Adobe Photoshop Workspace

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Photoshop Fundamentals and Configuring Photoshop

Presentation | Discussion of Developing A Working Process (Website | Discussions)

Discussion | Demonstration on Digital Image Workflow, Processing and Management

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Camera Raw Image Processing and Image Management

Digital Lab

Principles of Scanning (Technical Assignment #1) due at end of class

9 | 4 – Friday

Census Day – Last Day to Drop without a “W” appearing on Academic Record

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9 | 8 – Tuesday

Review Discussion | Demonstration on Digital Image Workflow, Processing and Management

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Camera Raw Image Processing and Image Management

Discussion | Demonstration on Exporting Digital Images for the Internet

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Output for the Web

Upload All In A Days Work (Shooting Assignment) digital images to Flickr site due at end of class

9 | 10Thursday

Critique of Shooting Assignment | All In A Days Work

Presentation | Discussion of The Photographic Scene (Shooting Assignment)
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9 | 15Tuesday

Quiz #1 | Digital Image Capture and Input – Principles of Scanning, Digital Cameras, Digital Image Workflow, Processing and Management and Exporting Digital Images for the Internet

In-Depth Discussion | Demonstration on Adobe Photoshop Workspace

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Photoshop Fundamentals and Configuring Photoshop

Discussion | Demonstration on Adobe Photoshop and Image Optimization (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Image Editing Essentials and Image Retouching

Digital Lab

9 | 17Thursday

Review Discussion | Demonstration on Adobe Photoshop and Image Optimization (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Image Editing Essentials and Image Retouching

Discussion | Demonstration on Working in Grayscale (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Black and White

Digital Lab

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9 | 22Tuesday

Review Discussion | Demonstration on Working in Grayscale (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Black and White

Discussion | Demonstration on Digital Photographic Output (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Print Output

Digital Lab

9 | 24Thursday

Image Optimization and The Digital Photographic Print (Technical Assignment #2) due at end of class

Digital Lab

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9 | 29Tuesday

Review Discussion | Demonstration on Developing A Working Process (Website | Discussions) and Making Digital Edited Contact Sheets

Digital Lab

10| 1Thursday

Quiz #2 | Adobe Photoshop Workspace and Image Optimization, Working in Grayscale and Digital Photographic Printing

Presentation | Discussion of The Art of Color (Website | Lecture Review Materials)

Presentation | Discussion of Points of View (Shooting Assignment)

Digital Lab
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10 | 6Tuesday

Digital Lab

10 | 8Thursday

Digital Lab

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10 | 13Tuesday

Critique of Shooting Assignment | The Photographic Scene

10 | 15Thursday

Discussion | Demonstration on Basic Constructing of a Digital Image from Multiple Images

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Layers, Selections and Masking

Digital Lab

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10 | 20Tuesday

Critical Issues Response #2 due before start of class (Website | PHOT 156 | Critical Issues Discussions)

Presentation | Discussion of Family Album (Shooting Assignment)

Presentation | Discussion of An Adventure in Photography – Initiating A Personal Vision (Shooting Assignment | Final Project)

Digital Lab

10 | 22Thursday

Digital Lab

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10 | 27Tuesday

Digital Lab

10 | 29Thursday

Critique of Shooting Assignment | Points of View

Discussion | Demonstration on Basic Constructing and Seamless Transforming of a Digital Image from Multiple Images

Material referenced in textbook chapter entitled Layers, Selections and Masking

Digital Lab

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11 | 3Tuesday

Digital Lab

11 | 5Thursday

Digital Lab
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11 | 10Tuesday

Digital Lab

11 | 12Thursday

Critique of Shooting Assignment | Family Album

Digital Lab

Last Day to Drop with a “W” appearing on Academic Record

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11 | 17Tuesday

Digital Lab

11 | 19Thursday

Critique of Shooting Assignment | An Adventure in Photography | Initiating A Personal Vision
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11 | 24Tuesday

Critical Issues Response #3 due before start of class (Website | PHOT 156 | Critical Issues Discussions)

Digital Lab

11 | 26Thursday

No Class | School Holiday (Thanksgiving)

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12 | 1Tuesday

Digital Lab

12 | 3Thursday

Digital Lab

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12 | 8Tuesday

Digital Lab

12 | 10Thursday

Presentation of Final Project | The Portfolio
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12 | 17 – Thursday

Presentation of Final Project | The Portfolio

Final Examination | Scheduled from 11:30 – 1:30 pm

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Curriculum Evaluation

Your final grade will be determined by a culmination of points earned based on your performance with the below listed curriculum assignments. Questions regarding curriculum assignment grades and/or the final grade must be brought to the attention of the instructor. To provide equitable instruction for all students while during class hours, please ask questions regarding your grade during instructor office hours or after class.

PHOT 156 – Digital Photography I

Participation and In-class Lab Practice ………………..150………(30 class sessions @ 5 pts each)

Critical Issues Response #1 ……………………………..30

Critical Issues Response #2 ……………………………..30

Quiz #1……..                                 ………………………25

Quiz #2……..                                 ………………………25

Final Exam……..                                  ………………….50

Technical #1……………….                       ………………30

Technical #2……………….                       ………………60

Shooting Assignment #1…………………………………100

Shooting Assignment #2…………………………………150

Shooting Assignment #3…………………………………..60

Shooting Assignment #4…………………………………..60

Shooting Assignment #5…………………………………100

Final Project……………………………………………….200

…………………………………………………………….1070

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Final Grading

Your overall final grading based on points earned will be representative as follows:

A ………1070 – 958

B ………..957 – 851

C ………..850 – 744

D ………..743 – 637

F ………..636 – 0

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