UMBR ARPH 410 Advanced Photography

Transcription

1 UMBR ARPH 410 Advanced Photography Credits: 3 Prerequisites: A previous course in black and white photography Course Description In this advanced photography course, students will improve their technical, conceptual, and creative skills to produce a final image. There will be an emphasis on in-depth discussions of concepts, ideas, content, and composition as well as using photography as a creative means of expression. Students will be introduced to alternative processes such as toning and hand coloring of prints. Class time will consist of hands-on demonstrations, slide presentations, supervised darkroom time, and individual and group discussion. Students will be introduced to the works of prominent photographers and artists throughout the semester. Upon completion of this course, students will have explored the creative possibilities of a photograph and have acquired their own photographic style and will also have made professionally presented prints. Students should come to this class with previous experience printing in a black and white dark room, film development, and the use of a manual camera. The schedule of the class will rotate between critiques and lab days. Students will need to schedule their shooting outside of class time so that they have negatives to work on during class. Students will be expected to be present and working during every lab day. This class creates the freedom for students to do their own work. It also demands attention to developing a consistent working practice. This course is designed to teach beyond the fundamental skills and basic techniques in black and white photography. Special emphasis will be placed upon aesthetic and visual concerns as well as craftsmanship. The course will base itself on the intermediate understanding and operation of the camera, the lens, film types, film exposure, black and white film development, the negative, black and white print making, toning, and the final re-touching and presentation. This advanced photography course is for students who want to fine-tune their photography skills. Emphasis will be on furthering explorations in the study of personal expression and development of creative style. Materials List Camera: a 35mm Single Lens Reflex manual camera, no point and shoots! Film: 15 rolls of 36 exposure black and white film (CAREFUL, DON`T BUY C-41!) (you may pick the film speeds as you like, remember slower film speeds such as 100 or 200 need more light but have less grain, whereas faster films such as 400 and higher are more versatile, need less light, but are grainier) Paper: box of 100 sheets of Black and White printing paper, x 12 inches, RC. Glossy, matte, pearl, whichever you prefer. You will need matte fiber paper when we start hand coloring, but I prefer glossy fiber for regular printing, perhaps we can all buy a box of

2 matte paper together and split it. Set of contrast filters from 00-5 Negative sleeves for 15 rolls of film, clear and plastic, not paper. Required text: Singular Images by Darsie Alexander (Author), Roger Hargreaves (Author), Liz Jobey (Author), Mary Warner Marien (Author), Sheena Wagstaff (Author), Dominic Willsdon (Author), Geoffrey Batchen (Author), David Campany (Author), Nigel Warburton (Author), Val Williams (Author), Martin Parr (Author), Sophie Howarth (Editor), Julia Margaret Cameron (Photographer), Diane Arbus (Photographer), Bill Brandt (Photographer), Nan Goldin (Photographer), Man Ray (Photographer), Hiroshi Sugimoto (Photographer), Jeff Wall (photographer) Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition) Bryan Peterson Texts used: Edge of Darkness: The Art, Craft, and Power of the High-Definition Monochrome Photograph by Barry Thornton Elements of Black and White Photography: The Making of Twenty Imagesby George Todd Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs by Ansel Adams Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition) by Bryan Peterson Photographic Composition by Tom Grill Designing a Photograph: Visual Techniques for Making Your Photographs Work by Bill Smith On Being a Photographer: A Practical Guide by David Hurn Image Makers, Image Takers by Anne-Celine Jaeger The Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore The Photographer's Eye by John Szarkowski Perception and Imaging, Third Edition: Photography--A Way of Seeing by Richard D. Zakia Robert Adams: Why People Photograph by Robert Adams Basic Critical Theory for Photographers by Ashley la Grange The Photography Reader by Liz Wells regeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow by Jean-Christophe Blaser Photography Speaks: 150 Photographers On Their Art by Brooks Johnson 1000 Photo Icons (Klotz) by George Eastman House Photo Icons Ii, : The Story Behind the Pictures (Icons) by Hans-Michael Koetzle Grading A Excellent technically and conceptually, communicates well to others, attention to detail\craftsmanship, good skill development, extra time spent. B Good work. Some technical problems and or problems communicating concept. Skill development, good ideas. C Complete all assignments, average work, average concept development, basic skills Technical problems. D Poor work. Lack of class attendance and participation, incomplete assignments, failed Conceptually. F Unacceptable work, deficient in all respects. Very late or no work. Anyone who misses half of my classes will receive an F. Students grades will be based on class attendance, class participation, quizzes, the quality and punctuality of written and photographic assignments, and your overall improvement. Assignments are due on the date assigned. For every class that your assignment is late, your grade on the assignment will drop by one letter (unless you have a written note from a doctor). Also, if your assignment is late due to mechanical problems with your camera, you must accompany a copy of the repair receipt in order not to be graded down for lateness. 80% of your grade is based on your photographic assignments

3 10% of your grade is based on quizzes and class participation 10% of your grade is based on your photographer report (oral and written) Attendance This is a course where you learn the content in class, so class attendance is MANDATORY. You are allowed 1 unexcused absence this semester. If you are going to be absent,it is still your responsibility to make sure your assignment is here. You will be graded down one letter grade for every unexcused absence after the first unexcused absence. This is a studio class, and if you are not here, your chances of succeeding in this class are not good. Assignments You will have 5 photographic assignments due this semester. Each assignment will consist of taking 3 rolls of black and white film, making a contact sheet for each roll, and choosing and printing 4 black and white photos (enlargements) size x 12. Self Assignments: We all need to develop creative independence. You are encouraged to propose your own assignments in place of the listed ones. Generally you would do this in order to work in an area which is of greater interest to you than the regular assignments. Your own assignments should involve as much preparation and research as the regular assignments. You should propose them before doing them. You are invited to discuss possibilities at any point. Before doing the assignment, try to define what you might learn as well as what type of photographs you plan to make. Those who write their own objectives and assignments must include their intentions in regard to the three kinds of objectives listed above under Assignments. Have these approved in advance. Objectives. The projects in this course are intended to enable you to improve your photographs. Generally each project includes at least three kinds of objectives: (1) subject matter communication (meaning), (2) aesthetics (composition), and (3) technical mastery (skill). A major goal of the assignments is to become aware of photographic decisions. Taking pictures is so easy (anybody can do it). An important goal of the assignments is to make it difficult - and meaningful. This happens as we realize more of the options and how they influence the outcome. All photographic assignments must be turned in a folder with your name clearly marked on the front, your photos for the assignment, along with your contact sheets for that assignment. Please do not turn in your negatives. LIST OF POSSIBLE ASSIGNMENTS: One object, many angles choose an interesting object it could be anything and take 3 rolls of film of it. The idea here is that it will force you to be creative and take as many different photos of the object from as many different angles as possible. Portrait without a face choose a person that you know well if possible, and try to tell as much about them as possible in the photographs without showing their face so that perhaps we can understand who they are, their personality, their values Juxtaposition The placement of two objects together that somehow give a greater meaning being side by side than they might alone. Birds eye view Take a few rolls of film from above, as if seen from a bird in flight. Dogs eye view - Take a few rolls of film with the camera no more than 12 inches from the ground Zoom - This is a fun one if you have a zoom lens. Take a few rolls of film, and while the shutter is open, zoom into or away from your subject matter. This is a great way to imply motion photographically. Reflections They are everywhere glass, water, metal Old Perugia vs. New Perugia This little hilltop town is full of dichotomies and juxtapositions between the old and new. How can you best distill this and show this through photos?

4 Seven Deadly Sins - classification of vices that were originally used in early Christian teachings to educate and instruct followers concerning (immoral) fallen man's tendency to sin. Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. Framing Devices Take photos using elements to frame the photo try taking photographs through a doorway, window, fence, etc. The object is to frame the photo with an element in the photo itself. Repeating shapes Repetition is one of the strongest compositional elements. Capitalize on this and pay attention to all the repeating patterns and shapes that exist. Capture them in your photos. Diagonal Horizon Line Project take your whole project with your horizon line going diagonally through the picture plane. It gives a sense of vertigo, and gives the viewer another element to figure out and think about. In the Style of a chosen Photographer see below Reports and Projects on Your Chosen Photographers There will be two oral reports and two 6 page papers due this semester. You will give an oral and written report on a photographer that you have chosen from our required text Singular Images, and the other oral and written report will be on a photographer of your choice, whom you will also do a project imitating their photographic style. The oral reports will be given to our class in a power point presentation, basically explaining the life and work of your photographers, what you think about their work, and should include at least examples of their work. They should be of a higher resolution, as they will be projected and enlarged. The oral report should last about 15 minutes. Please bring either a computer that we can connect to the projector or your presentation on a CD or memory stick. The written reports on your chosen photographers should be about 6 pages long, typed, and double spaced. I am interested to know what YOU think about their work. You should include a BRIEF reference to your photographer s life, where they were born, what nationality they are, if they had any schooling, etc. Also, describe their photographic career. How did they get into photography perhaps? Or what contributions did they make to the world of photography? What genre of photography do they practice? (fine art, journalistic, landscape, portrait, etc) What is unique about their images? Is there a subject or theme that ties their work together? Try to summarize their photographic style in words... for example, are compositions similar? Are they always close in on their subject matter, or do they often use wide angle? Do you like their work? If so, why? What about it are you drawn to? If no, why? And of course, anything else that you wish to add...these are just some ideas to get you brainstorming. Project in the STYLE of your chosen photographer. This does not mean re-creating the photos that they took, but understanding their work and subject matter, and taking 3 rolls of film using their style, reflecting upon what makes their work unique, and taking photos that look like they might have been taken by your chosen photographer. Dark Room As Advanced Photo students, you can consider the darkroom yours. You know how to develop and print your film, and now you will be fine tuning that process. The beginning photo students will be looking up to you and following your examples, so, it is even more so your responsibility to keep the dark room neat, clean, and tidy. If you see a beginning student making a mess or unsure of the dark room procedures, please help them. Remember, in the long run, it will make for a cleaner dark room for you and everyone if you help the beginners to use it properly Guidelines for Project s and Grades Creativity Originality Simplicity Understanding of design elements: balance, focal point, etc.

5 Content What are we looking at? What are you telling us? Is it worth looking at? Is it important? Technique Evidence of technical control Correct negative and print exposure Correct negative and print development Focus (enlarger) Clean and complete contact sheet Data sheet completed Evaluation completed Concept Does it fulfill the assignment? How well? Presentation Clean print Does the presentation work with the concept? Course Outline Week 1 Introductions Photo stores Go over syllabus Talk about supplies Review of Camera Slide Show Lab Monitors To do before next class: Technical Manual Black and white photo Read pages if needed (Book is in the library.) Understanding Exposure pp Quiz on camera basics next class. Bring 2 rolls of exposed film to class to develop Bring negative sleeves for negatives and black and white paper to start printing Week 2 short quiz on reading Technical Manual Black and white photo pp Understanding Exposure pp Discussion / review Develop rolls of B&W film together as a class Review of dark room contact sheets printing Week 3 - Short quiz on reading Understanding Exposure pages ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE 3 contact sheets, 4 prints. Demo spot toning Printing Take a couple rolls of film and develop for Assignment 2 Week 4 Short quiz and Discussion of chapters 1&2 Singular Images Demo neg. print

6 Week 5 Short quiz and Discussion of Chapters 3&4 Singular Images ASSIGNMENT 2 DUE: : 3 contact sheets, 4 prints. Take a couple of rolls of film, develop before next class. Week 6 Short quiz and Discussion of Chapters 5&6 Singular Images Demo solarization Week 7 ASSIGNMENT 3 DUE: 3 contact sheets, 4 prints, 4 prints in the style of your chosen photographer. Presentations of chosen photographers Take a couple of rolls of film, develop before next class Week 8 Short quiz and Discussion of Chapters 7&8 Singular Images Demo hand tinting of photographs Week 9 Short quiz and Discussion of Chapters 9&10 Singular Images ASSIGNMENT 4 DUE: 3 contact sheets, 4 prints Week 10 Short quiz and Discussion of Chapters 11&12 Singular Images Week 11 Short quiz and Discussion of Chapters 13&14 Singular Images ASSIGNMENT 5 DUE : 3 contact sheets, 4 prints To do before next class: *Bring your best photos to put up in the art studio for our art show *Print exchange. Choose your best photo from the semester and make a small Postcard size print for everyone in the class (cut a piece of photo paper in 4) Next class we will exchange them. Please write your name, the title, and any Contact info that you would like us to have on the back of each photo in permanent pen or pencil. Week 12 Prepare for student show Print Exchange