Assignments subject to change...
Sketchbook Free Responses: You will do daily warm-up/free response exercises that you will record in your sketchbook. These exercises will consist of writing, brainstorming, sketching, etc. on topics pertinent to the day's lesson. These sketchbooks will be graded periodically for effort and completeness. You must write the date at the top of every page, the pages must be in chronological order, and you must fill up a full page every class day (with whatever you want: writing, sketching, etc.).
Worksheets: Some knowledge (such as photography history and techniques and methods of photography) will be assessed with traditional worksheets.
Tests: Some knowledge (such as the Acceptable Use Policy, Copyright Law and plagiarism, ethical considerations in photography, freedom of expression vs. responsibilities as an artist) will be tested with traditional true or false, multiple choice, short answer, and essay tests.
As you are learning about art concepts such as art vocabulary, elements of art, principles of design, color theory, composition and framing, you will become an expert on one art concept and teach your peers about it in an oral and written report (including bibliography).
Due date: See Schedule.
As you are learning about photographic history and the Masters of Photography, you will become an expert on one Master of Photography and teach your peers about him or her in an oral and written report (including bibliography).
Due date: See Schedule.
Photography Technical Project
You will demonstrate your understanding of proper exposure, metering, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus, focal length, depth of field, viewpoint, lighting, and how a camera works by shooting a series of photographs based on specific technical instructions.
Exercise #1- Vertical Holding: demonstrate the use basic settings. Matching vertical subjects to a vertical frame.
Exercise #2-Distance Shots to observe the effect and ease of cropping in the camera.
Exercise #3- Bracketing with both the Shutter Speed and Aperture to acheive the correct exposure. Demonstrate control of exposure settings and manual light metering of images
Exercise #4 - Depth of Field. Show understanding of relationship of aperture (fstop) to area of focus by shooting multiple object at prescribed distances using a range of Fstop settings (balance the meter with shutter speed!)
Exercise #5 Action shots. Show the effect on moving objects on a static shutter speed with different techniques.
You will demonstrate your understanding of proper exposure, metering, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus, focal length, depth of field, viewpoint, lighting, and how a camera works by shooting a series of photographs based on specific technical instructions. You will need to experiment and test out a bunch of theories before you get each one right. All final images should be properly exposed and have as aesthetically pleasing a composition as possible. On this particular project, demonstrating that you know the techniques is more important than demonstrating art skill, but at least one of your final images should be worthy of the title of "fine art." These images will be graded based on how they come out of the camera directly; no digital manipulation is allowed. Shoot in JPEG (not RAW) mode and make sure to only use the "Creative Modes" on the camera (P, Tv, Av, and M).
Photo #1—Worm's Eye View, wide angle zoom lens setting, large depth of field using Aperture Priority mode.
Photo #2—Close up photograph with tight framing.
Photo #3—Silhouetted off-center subject.
Photo #4 a, b —Fill-in flash to record a good exposure of the ambient light and "fill in" shadows on the subject.
Photo #5—An interesting photograph that shows a reflection.
Photo #6—An interesting photograph that employs a "Dutch Angle."
Using the abstract photographs of masters such as Imogen Cunningham, Tina Modotti, Paul Outerbridge, Karl Blossfeldt, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, and Minor White as inspiration, you will produce an abstract photograph of your own. You will concentrate on the elements of art, principles of design, color theory, composition and framing to produce an aesthetically-pleasing abstract photograph. The goal is only to use the camera on this assignment and not do any digital manipulation.
You will demonstrate an understanding of how to artistically display time and motion with photography (using ambient light/low light conditions to record motion, Muybridge's idea of sequential photographs to study motion, or Cartier-Bresson’s idea of the “decisive moment”). You will study the work of photographers such as Eadweard Muybridge, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Jacques-Henri Lartigue and Lothar Wolleh for inspiration. The goal is only to use the camera on this assignment and not do any digital manipulation, but if need be, NO digital manipulation is allowed.
You will demonstrate your ability to photograph ideas and concepts with three photographs that embody three different adjectives: bright, robust, and peaceful (one photograph for each word). Your final photograph for each word should communicate the concept without being too literal. You will study the work of photographers such as William Eggleston, Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Clarence John Laughlin, Joel Meyerowitz, W. Eugene Smith, and Garry Winogrand as inspiration. NO digital manipulation is allowed.
You will demonstrate your ability to fine-tune photographs in Photoshop by enhancing a set of “problem” photographs according to specific directions. Demonstrate use and control of Adobe Bridge for tuning images in camera raw. Using Adobe Photoshop for levels, curves, cropping for output, layers and layer masks, clone stamp, healing brush on both school provided examples and student generated images.
Students will demonstrate and explain camera mastery in a practical final that consists of a single camera exposure (ONE Shutter Release, JUST One). Emphasis on the ablility to convey the reasoning behind camera setting choices BEFORE taking a picture. Students are both allowed and encouraged to follow the link to the final below and in the schedule.
Quarter Final
You will demonstrate your understanding of the history of Surrealism as an art form and its impact on photography by creating a photographic image that “reunites the conscious and unconscious realms of experience so completely that the world of dream and fantasy are joined to the everyday rational world” (André Breton, publisher of “The Surrealist Manifesto” in 1924). You will study the work of photographers such as Robert ParkeHarrison, Man Ray, Bill Brandt, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Clarence John Laughlin, Frederick Sommer and Jerry Uelsmann for inspiration. Digital manipulation is allowed and even encouraged on this project, but all the photographs that you use must be your own original work!
Surrealism Research Assignment
Surrealism Gradesheet and Rubric
You will demonstrate your ability to photograph ideas and concepts with an arrangement of things that represent you. Your commitments, hobbies, culture and lifestyle are all ingredients to this picture. Bring who you are to this class though this assignment. Irving Penn and other photographers all contribute to these ideas. Have fun, but try to represent who you are. Classroom activities will assist you in putting together the content of your image.
You will demonstrate your ability to create a self portrait that goes beyond the literal “this is a picture of me” and into the realm of self portrait as signature, projection, self-study, or fantasy. Self portrait as signaturewould be a recognizable image of you (or a part of you) as you really are, but photographed in a way that gives the audience some insight into the deeper parts of you (who you really are). Self portrait as projectiongives you the opportunity to place yourself in whatever context you desire. It could be an idealization of who you are or an opportunity for you to be someone else. Self portrait as self-study is a physical and/or mental probe into who you are. It could be a letting-go of pent-up emotions and is often abstract. Self portrait as fantasy is the creation of another place, whether you appear in it at all, it is still a self portrait. It is an insight into your mind... into what is fantastic to you as an artist.
Basically, a self portrait can be you, a part of you, an abstraction of you, a metaphor for you, something you see yourself as, something you identify with, but always, something you (and those who know you well) look at as a finished product and say, "That's definitely __________!"
You will be using the self-portraits of photographers such as Lee Friedlander, Cindy Sherman, Man Ray, Martin Fuchs, and Eileen Brady Nelson as inspiration. Digital manipulation is allowed on this project, but all the photographs that you use must be your own original work! Remember that this is a SELF portrait; you must set up and take all your own photographs (a tripod and your camera's timer can be very helpful!)
Self Portrait Research Assignment
Self Portrait Eval and Rubric.
You will demonstrate your ability to create a portrait of another person that goes beyond the literal “this is a picture of…” and into the more conceptual portrait that reveals something human about your subject and captures the “essence” or soul of the person. Much like the Non-Literal SELF Portrait, the final photographic image could be your subject, an abstraction of your subject, a metaphor for your subject, something you see your subject as, something you identify with your subject... Your subject will naturally want to have some input into what the photograph should look like, but ultimately, you, the photographer, should make the creative decisions. This is what makes a portrait different from a self portrait: in a portrait we are seeing the photographer's insight into the soul of his/her subject.
You will study famous portraits by photographers such as Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, Emmet Gowin, Margaret Bourke-White, Steve McCurry, Yousuf Karsh, Dorothea Lange, Lisette Model, Arnold Newman, and Lothar Wolleh for inspiration. Digital manipulation is allowed on this project, but all the photographs that you use must be your own original work!
Need some inspiration? Check out one of the 20th century's most renowned portrait photographers in"Legends Online: Arnold Newman."
Portrait Research Project
Portrait Eval. and Rubric
You will demonstrate your ability to tell a story or make a compelling artistic statement with a series of photographs. A series of three photographs is common (hence the name triptych), but you can use any number of photographs in your series as long as the grouping is aeshetically pleasing and helps to tell your story/make your statement. Some ideas for stories/statements to explore with your triptych are: re-thinking how space is perceived, deconstructing a subject, exploring design elements, exploring perspective, exploring conceptual relationships, exploring a sequence of actions, etc. As inspiration, you will be studying triptychs by photographers such as Elliott Erwitt, Graham Flint, Nigel Poor, Trefor Ball, Mark Klett, Laurent Pinsard, Steve Kahn, and Janica Yoder.
Each of your photographs should be aeshetically-pleasing, but more importantly, the entire group of photographs should be aesthetically-pleasing and tell an interesting story or make a compelling statement.
Each photograph in your triptych should only be minimally digitally manipulated (slight levels adjustments and cropping are acceptable) and, of course, all the photographs that you use must be your own original work!You will use Photoshop to assemble your grouping of photographs with a border of any color. Be careful with your file size on this project!
Triptych Research Project
Triptych Project Eval. and Rubric
You will demonstrate your ability to use the skills acquired though the semester toward a commercial endeavor. Portraiture, Event, Advertisement, Fashion, Food, and Promotion are just some of the different possibilities. Emphasis on "money forward" nature of the project - work for hire or for a profit purpose. Inspiration from photographers such as Olaf Veltman as well as emphasis on local commercial photographers Grant Brittian and Embry Rucker.
All photographs/pixels must be your own with the exception of brand logo or original (not copied) text that benefits the image(s). Students are encouraged to turn in a single or as many as 5 images to show mastery.
You will demonstrate your ability to assimilate all the knowledge gained in the class and use your own creative voice to create an original aesthetically-pleasing and meaningful final project that is uniquely yours.