Fall 2003 Paul Pearce pearce@oswego.edu
Photography is about seeing and communicating.
Photography and the graphic arts convert our 3 dimensional world into a flat plane on a screen or piece of paper. These images may be so personal that only the creator ever sees them. They may also be used to inspire millions of people. The principles of effective image making remain the same and are valuable no matter the intended audience. This course may empower you with insights and skills that will be useful your entire life, even if that only means better personal photographs. Photography is used to document and illustrate our lives, it also is used to sell us merchandise. In this course we will concentrate on photography as a fine arts practice.
The photo industries continue to make photography easier and easier- continuing Kodak's 1888
proclamation "You press the button, we do the rest".
Until that point in time a photographer had to be part
inventor, chemist and physicist. Today, photography
has evolved into an easy, automatic "point and shoot"
practice that even small children can master. We now
have
access to auto-everything and disposable cameras
and the rapidly changing world of digital imaging, In
many cases this is at the expense of losing control over
the creative process.
This course will go back in technological time and strip away some of the automatic interface that makes "picture taking" easy. We will put back some of the work but reveal much of the mystery behind image making. This will develop a deeper understanding of the basic process and impart more artistic control of the creative image making process. Whether the image is captured by a "point & shoot" camera or 8x10 view camera, the underlying principles are the same. The knowledge acquired here can be applied whether the final product is pasted in a family album, hung on a museum wall, printed in a magazine, blown up on a billboard or sent all over the world on the internet.
Your greater understanding and ability to control the process will ultimately free your creativity.. and make it easy again.
.
Class Objectives:
To enhance the way we look at the world around us, to learn to see and create in two dimensions. To become aware of the affects of light and shadow. To appreciate the photo work of others.
To develop awareness of the use and effect of photographic images in our society; personal, artistic, commercial, technical, teaching. To learn how these images are created.
Become familiar with the basic history of creating images through photography.
To acquire the knowledge and skills to create basic black and white photographs through three parallel paths of understanding:
1] mechanics, physics and chemistry: cameras, exposures, developing processes
2] aesthetics: exerting artistic control, refining your eye; lighting, point of view
3] meaning: is there substance to this image, does it connect with the viewer, on what level?
The class will learn to look at and talk about photographs, starting with historical photographs and the student's personal photos. We will learn to talk about our own photos and those of our classmates (visual literacy)
Class will consist of demonstrations and discussions followed by practical exercises. There will be darkroom lab sessions during class hours where students work independently with instructor oversight. Students will also need to spend out-of-class time to shoot film and work in the darkroom unsupervised during "open lab time". Students are encouraged to shoot many photographs. An average of one roll of film per week should be shot, processed and proofed.
Students will be guided through the rough procedures quickly so they will have hands on experience of the complete procedure early in the class. The remaining classes will refine these techniques.
Students will maintain a notebook/journal that will contain class handouts and notes. It will also contain negatives and contact sheets produced for class along with annotations about shooting the film, and notes about prints from these negatives.
Students will provide their own camera, film and paper. They will learn about different camera types and will be assisted in acquiring new equipment if necessary.
Students will demonstrate their mastery of photography by their participation in the classroom, independent work outside class, fulfillment of assignments, critiques and interviews with the instructor.
A final collection of work will be assembled in a portfolio for evaluation.
Attendance:
Attendance and punctuality are absolutely mandatory. You can't learn if you are not here! If you must be absent contact the instructor in advance. Two late arrivals count as an absence. Coming unprepared to work counts as an absence. You are allowed two unexcused absences; any further absences will lower your final grade. After 5 absences you cannot successfully complete the class and should withdraw or risk failing. Deadlines: Each assignment is due on the date given, so everyone may participate in the final critique. The grade will be lowered if work is handed in late. Once a grade is given, the assignment may be reworked or redone and resubmitted for regrading (with 1 grade penalty). Incomplete projects receive an F.
GRADING:
There will be mid-term and final critiques- dates will be announced and posted. Attendance is mandatory.
You will keep a notebook/portfolio of all the work you do for this class: negatives, test-strips, test prints and final prints are all evidence of your learning process and progress. These documents are a record of your work and will be used in class discussions and individual critiques with the instructor.
This work will be graded on: individual progress and growth throughout the semester, originality, craftsmanship, technique, level of challenge and concept. The other part of your grade depends on your effort, class participation, and , especially, your sense of exploration; that is, your willingness to take risks in the process of creating art. As mentioned previously, your attendance, punctuality and preparation may affect this grade. The typical "A" student is a responsible and active learner who doesn't take shortcuts. He or she will follow all steps in the creative process, not opting for an easy out when the project becomes difficult; will hand work in on time; will participate fully in class; will ask questions; will do extra work for the sheer pleasure and need to learn. As a result, his/her work will show considerable growth beyond previous technical, expressive and conceptual capabilities.
GRADING POLICY
University Grading Policy- The grading policy is in accordance with the University grading policy, based on:
1. Successful completion of project requirements
2. Quality of production
3. Conceptual development of art work
4. Participation in critiques and discussions
Critiques/Evaluations
The critiques serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas as they relate to the class assignments. Comments and assessment of work, and suggestions for improvement are made during the critique sessions. The assignments are collected and then evaluated according to the following five criteria:
1. Technical
2. Formal
3. Creativity/Concept
4. Effort/Challenge
5. Participation/Presentation/Statement
Each criterion is measured on a scale of 1-5. The total points for each project is 25.
(5= excellent; 4=good; 3=average; 2=poor; 1=unsatisfactory; 0=failure)
Final Grades
A/A- Excellent. Demonstrates a full understanding of techniques, concepts, and theories covered in class; exceeds class expectations, self-motivated and challenged; attends and participates in classes regularly.
B+/B/B- Good. Have completed the assignment well and attended classes and critiques.
C+/C/C- Average. Have completed the assignments, but without much effort and challenge.
D+/D/ Poor. If you are an art major, you will have to repeat this class with a "D" grade.
F Failing. Not met the requirements of the class.
Academic honesty
Often through the course, you will be encouraged to share ideas with your fellow students. You will be responsible for submitting your own completed work to be graded. Failure to observe these guidelines may result in a failing grade for this course.
Disability
Students who have a disabling condition which might interfere with their ability to successfully complete this course are encouraged to speak, confidentially, to the class instructor, or to contact the Office of Disability Services (x3358, 210 Swetman).
Photography 1 - Equipment /Materials
35mm camera with manual controls (focus, shutter, aperture) NO POINT-and-SHOOTS
Tripod (recommended)
Text: A Short Course in Photography by Barbara London and Jim Stone (campus bookstore)
Photo I 12 rolls Kodak Tri-X or TMAX 400 black and white film, 36 exposure
Ilford Multigrade paper, resin coated (RC), 8 x 10", glossy (100 sheets)
Negative files: file and store negatives
Print files: store prints, contact sheets
Dry mount tissue (25 sheets): mount prints to mat board
Mat board (6), 11 x 14" archival white
3-ring binder
Towel(s), gloves
Extra-fine black sharpie
(Average cost for materials is $200)
Other Vendors:
Gentile's Camera, W. Bridge St., Oswego
Ra-Lins- Burnet Ave, Syracuse (discount film, paper)
Hendricks Photo, Armory Square, Syracuse (good source of used equipment- Oswego Alum)
M & Q Camera, Syracuse (high end - professional)
B & H Photo/Video, NYC Mail order: 1-800-947-7785;
order on-line: www.bhphotovideo.com <http://www.bhphotovideo.com>
Assignments
Assignments should be completed to the best of your ability, according to the project criteria, and handed in on time. Late projects are not accepted, unless due to a valid excused absence (very sick, death in the family). Projects may be redone for improvement, only when projects were handed in on time.
Critiques/ Participation
Attendance and participation in critiques is essential for the successful completion of this class. A missed critique will result in a failed grade on the project. Participation and presentation during the critique accounts for 20% of your project grade and is considered on project evaluations.
Portfolio
The portfolio is due at the end of the semester, during the last week of classes. The work is to be printed and presented in a professional manner, using the presentation requirements specified. It will be reviewed and returned to you during finals week. The contents of the portfolio will be specified later in the course.
Lab Duties
You are expected to keep the lab and studio area clean and orderly. Be sure to leave your enlarger station neat. Do not put wet items around the enlarger areas. Clean and stack trays. Stack chairs when done. Notify instructor or monitor if something is broken. At the end of the semester, you will be required to do community lab service. Each student will receive an assigned task to be completed before you pick up your final portfolio.
Misconduct
All forms of misconduct in the studio as defined by the provisions in the Student Handbook may result in disciplinary action in the form of one or more sanctions listed in Section 44. If misconduct occurs, the student will meet with the instructor and receive a letter documenting the misconduct and actions agreed upon by both parties, including a warning that further misconduct may cause more severe disciplinary action from the Office of Judicial Affairs.
Photography 1
Assignments:
There will be some flexibility in the assignments depending on how well the class progresses. The assignments listed below may be modified, expanded, or eliminated to make the best use of our time together. The goal is to establish an enriched and rewarding relationship to photography. We should also strive to keep the experience gratifying and enjoyable.
Your processed film is a record of your work and an indicator of your process in taking photographs. Contact sheets are required as a record of your work and as a way to evaluate your techniques and creativity without making prints from every frame. Film and contact sheets must be filed and presented with the final evaluation of your assignments.
Throughout the semester you should be using your camera to create photographs of personal interest in addition to the class assignments. They may be related to another one of your classes. You might be inspired by some of the examples of other photographers you have seen in class. You can present these photographs for final evaluation along with your assignments.
1) Familiarization - Shoot random subjects, mixed lighting, indoor-outdoor for camera evaluation and basic processing skills. Goal- printable negatives, clean, filed.
2) Process film- your film should be stored in appropriate plastic sleeves, kept clean and labeled for date and developed used.
3) Contact sheets- test strips to determine proper proof exposure, annotation, filing [1 per roll]
4) Printing- use of the enlarger
5) Shoot- movement control, use of shutter speed, freeze motion and motion within frame. Use a tripod or other camera support. Capture the same subject using different motion controls [2 prints]
6) Shoot- depth of field, show selective focus, use of aperture [2 prints] Subject: Object as symbol, any objects (not printed signs) that represent something else (flags are easy).
7) Presentation - matting, framing
8) Thematic project, research based. Create your own work based on another artist's body of work. Artist statement, documentation, presentation for class (5 prints)
9) Experimental approaches (double exposure, photograms etc.)
10) Photographs with words. Use text to bring deeper or different meaning to your photo or group of photos. Or - Photo essay to tell a story, illustrate a poem etc.
11) Photo sequences- use 3 or more photos to create a visual timeline, storyboard, flipbook etc.
Close-up subjects - eliminate clutter in the image, concentrate on form, design and the effects of directional light, different qualities of light.
Photographs of People - portraits, cooperation between photographer and subject and "the human condition" - people in the environment