Digital Photography 1

Students will conceive and create photography projects using DSLR cameras, smartphone cameras, natural and studio lighting, free applications, and Adobe software. Our focus is on responsible and expressive documentary-style work— meaning, learning to use these tools to truthfully share experiences of the world around us. We are intentionally aiming to build a digital photography habit: fluency, comfort, and confidence in your skills.

BE SAFE

• Follow all terms of the Photography/Video Contract at all times.

• Respect the personal space and property of yourself and others.

• Be aware and careful of your surroundings.

BE RESPONSIBLE

• Arrive to class on time, and begin working immediately.  Look for posted instructions.

• Bring your notebook to class daily.

• Respect, maintain, and return all supplies, and clean your workspace. Collaborate with others to maintain our shared studio.

• You are responsible for weekly practice and project deadlines.

• Use our studio technology responsibly. The computers are for photography  projects—not for unauthorized use, such as watching videos for entertainment or game recaps or playing games.

• Take responsibility for making arrangements to collect missed assignments, obtain demonstrations, and make up studio time if you miss class. 

BE RESPECTFUL

• Respect the studio, your materials, your classmates, your instructor, and yourself.  

• Listen to directions the first time, and ask questions appropriately when necessary.  

• You are expected to work in collaboration with other artists in an environment of respect and positive, supportive relationships.  Profanity, insults, and language or behavior demonstrating intolerance are unacceptable.

• For health and safety reasons, please no food or drink other than a water bottle in the studio without advance permission of the instructor.

• Respect our class time. You forfeit your participation points for the week if you opt to play games, watch movies, or otherwise idly use our computers. Homework for other classes should be done outside of our studio time.

• Whenever possible, communicate with your instructor in person. If email is necessary, please be courteous and respectful, and remember that how you communicate makes an impression.

• Suspend your disbelief and try.  

• Keep a positive attitude and an open mind, especially to the relevance and potential of this subject matter.

Adobe Photoshop: Students will become proficient with the Photoshop tool selections and how filters and layers can enhance photography.

Adobe Lightroom: Students will be able to apply Lightroom as a tool to organize photos and apply presets that will unify a body of work.

Adobe Express: Students will capably understand and apply the mobile design tool Adobe Express to create social media graphics and digital portfolios.

Google Tools: Students will capably use Google Docs, Photos, Slides, and Drive as organizational tools for storing and showcasing their work.

Digital DSLR Cameras + Tripods: Students will be able to effectively and responsibly use professional-grade digital cameras with a basic degree of manual control.

Smartphones & Free Applications: Today’s smartphones can be powerful tools for photography and multimedia work. We will explore smartphone photography and some free applications to create original digital work.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to be present and on time for class. 

Zoom instruction is no longer available.

Unexcused absences or cuts receive 0 for daily participation and cannot be made up. Unexcused tardies receive .5 for daily participation, and you are responsible for material covered while you were tardy.

Diversity Statement

All members of the school community are expected to be respectful to each other. Negative comments about anyone’s race, nationality, religion, physical appearance or ability, intellectual capability, gender identity, sexual orientation, work ethic, or character are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Students are encouraged to discuss any concerns with an adult in the building.

Respecting online materials

Course materials (photography samples, videos, audio or video documentation of class sessions, chat transcripts, assignments, resources, etc) are for use in this course only. You may not upload them to external sites, share with students outside of this course, or post them for public commentary without your instructor’s advance permission. Unauthorized recording or photography during any class is a violation of the district’s acceptable use policy. 

A note on phones

Please see WSSD Board Policy 237-AR on Electronic Devices.

In an intentional step to support student focus in our studio, smartphones will be checked in daily at the start of class through at least the first quarter. Students are NOT permitted to wear earbuds or headphones in our class except when this might explicitly relate to current learning.

The instructor reserves the right to further limit the use of and/or confiscate any technology that is observed to be distracting the student/owner or other students in the class. 

Our technology, cameras, computers and mobile devices are some methods by which we share information/knowledge and process images and sound.  However, the nature of smartphones, mobile devices, headphones/earbuds, and laptops as both utility and entertainment can be a temptation.  

Students enrolled in any arts course are expected to be able to maintain the distinction between appropriate and inappropriate use when in class. This is a fundamental part of our shared high standard of artistic integrity.  

The instructor reserves the right to limit the use of and/or confiscate any technology that is observed to be distracting the student/owner or other students in the class.  

A note on hall passes

Use eHallpass responsibly. Our classroom work time is valuable! To encourage responsible use of the pass, you will earn .5 participation points for each week that you do not sign out the pass for bathroom use. Over the course of a semester, this could amount to roughly two full weekly practice assignments.

• Basic Camera Mechanics

• Composition 

• Lighting Principles including using natural lighting, portrait lighting, and a backdrop in our studio

• Photojournalism & Photography Ethics

• Photography History & Contemporary Photographers

• Current Topics in Photography and Digital Media

• Caption Writing & Visual Presentation

• File Management & Portfolio Development 

• Style & Voice

FROM THE STUDENT HANDBOOK

We believe that all members of our school community should strive to act in an honorable way at all times. We should be judged on the basis of our own work and are accountable for our actions. Collaboration, while encouraged, does not give us the right to plagiarize each other’s work. Contributions from others must be properly credited. A standard of trust for the completion of individual work is expected. In our school community, we value effort, learning, and the sharing of knowledge. We foster an environment of integrity, which prepares us for future academic work through holding ourselves accountable for our actions.

Strath Haven High School students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Students who are found to have engaged in any violation of academic integrity will receive the following consequences:

1. Student will receive a zero as a grade on the specific assignment.

2. Guidance counselor will be notified.

3. Teacher will contact the parent/guardian to notify them of the offense.

Please consult the student handbook for more details on academic integrity. 

In photography and video classes, previous academic integrity concerns have related to submitting images for assignments that are not a student’s personal work; copying from others’ written or artistic work without credit; or unauthorized use of artificial intelligence to complete photography or written assignments.

• YOU NEED ONE NOTEBOOK to take notes, collect handouts, sketches, storyboards, etc.  You should have this with you daily.  You may purchase a notebook for $2.

• ONE SD CARD, minimum 32 GB. We will provide you with one SD card for the class. If you lose it, you are responsible for replacing it. You should have this with you daily. You can store it in your camera box between classes.

• A digital DSLR camera is not required for this course. If you have one, you are welcome to use it. If you have access to a camera, we can keep it in the classroom during the course. Most students use one of our studio cameras for class.

• Occasionally, I may ask you to bring in items from home to use in photoshoots. 

In any arts course, we try to find frequent opportunities to share student work. Art takes on new life when it is displayed outside the classroom! When we display work, we give audiences a chance to learn from our artistic vision.

Your work may be displayed in various locations in Strath Haven High School, and/or on the @MediaLab223 Instagram account. School event photography may be shared with student publications, where every effort will be made to credit student work fully if published. 

Work for public display is always labeled with the name of the student artist. You may be assigned to participate in displaying our own class’s work, or to respond to other artwork displayed in the community.

If you would rather that your work is not displayed, please speak individually with your instructor,

Assessment uses total points, including:

Digital Photography Projects 

Projects assignments are assessed based on rubrics, usually at 5-20 points.

Weekly Practice

Weekly practice is assessed at (5) points every week. This is the only homework for our class. See the detailed description of weekly practice that we will cover in class. Your weekly practice grade drops to (3) as a starting point if you submit it up to one week late, and (0) if beyond one week late.

Daily Participation Grade

Students receive (1) point for each daily class period:

• (1) Follows all student expectations

• (.5) One reminder to adhere to student expectations

• (0) More than one reminder to adhere to expectations.

Projects

Most project assignments are assessed on a mastery-based model with a point scale of up to 10 points. A sample 5-point scale follows below.

Advanced/Exceeding (5): Student thoroughly achieved the standard, exceeding the expectations.

Proficient/Meeting (4): Student met the requirement at the expected level.

Approaching (3): Partially meets standard, some parts incomplete, missing or lacking detail.

Still Developing (2): Minimally meets, lacks completion, missing elements, or did not follow directions.

Does Not Meet (1-0): Student did not submit an assignment and/or didn’t follow directions. There is no evidence of meeting the standard.

You can choose to re-do any PROJECT assignment at any point before the end of Q1 for Q1 assignments, and any point during Q2 before finals begin for Q2 assignments. If you opt to re-do an assignment, please make sure to re-submit work on Classroom.

NOTE: Our grading system currently includes 10% of the overall semester grade calculated based on a final examination or project. We will evaluate the status of a final project based on how our course progresses.

IMPORTANT: Assignments are submitted, collected, and offered feedback on Google Classroom, but scores are recorded in PowerSchool. Please check both sites regularly.

For this class, we’ll sometimes need to shoot photographs and/or video around the school community. Your ability to leave the classroom during our assigned meeting period represents a trust relationship. This contract— which you will sign in class—serves as our agreement of trust.

When you leave the studio...

• Wear your photo pass around your neck at all times (except when you are the subject of a photo or video for a project).

• Visit designated areas only, per in-class explanations.

• Leave your smartphone in its designated location in our classroom.

• Demonstrate respect for others at all times.

• Do not disrupt any other classes. If you have an idea to shoot photos of any other classes or activities, ask permission. If you need to secure permission in advance, speak with your instructor.

• Take care + full responsibility for your equipment. This includes returning any borrowed equipment in full working condition.

• Do not idle in hallways or other spaces around the school. Take the photos that you need to take, then return to class.

• Always return to class at least ten minutes before the end of the period.

• COMMUNICATE YOUR PLANS WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR.

• The gym, cafeteria, and restrooms are always off limits unless we have discussed conditions.

• Make this studio proud because of your etiquette, behavior, respect, and work ethic.

If you use studio equipment...

CAMERAS / LENSES

• When used during class, must be returned in full working condition by the end of class.

• If battery charge is less than 3/4, recharge and replace the battery for the next student. 

• If borrowed outside of class / overnight, camera equipment must be returned before first period of the next day of class. The Media Lab will be open daily by 7:15 a.m. Do not leave cameras outside the classroom.

• Failure to return cameras before first period will result in the removal of borrowing privileges.

• You assume financial responsibility for any physical damage to or loss of borrowed cameras. Cameras are inspected regularly. Please inform your instructor immediately if accidental damage occurs so we can work to resolve any issues fairly.

SD CARDS

• Store your images on your own labeled SD card.

• Our studio provides you with one SD card. If you lose it, you must replace it.

• If you borrow a classroom SD card, you must sign it out and back in.

• NO IMAGES SHOULD BE LEFT ON ANY CLASSROOM SD CARD. Save your images to your computer and/or Google Drive. Any images left on classroom SDs may be deleted at any time. 

OTHER ITEMS (TRIPODS, LIGHTS, MICS, etc.)

• When used during class, must be returned in full working condition by the end of class.

• If borrowed outside of class, must be fully and legibly signed in and out.

• Return times by arrangement with instructor.

• You assume financial responsibility for any physical damage to or loss of borrowed equipment.

Your work is your responsibility.

• We will review procedures to create a portfolio and to back up your work at the end of class. No work is saved to the classroom desktops after our class, and the instructor does not back up or save your work, except for exemplars for future instruction.