RED DEER COLLEGE COURSE OUTLINE: Portrait Photography COURSE CRN#: PHTO 3010

Transcription

1 RED DEER COLLEGE COURSE OUTLINE: Portrait Photography COURSE CRN#: PHTO 3010 INSTRUCTOR: Thomas W. Cooper Office hours: Will respond within 48 hours CLASSTIME: Self-paced, 12 weeks, 24/7 access LOCATION: This course is only available through on-line delivery. Students will be provided course access via the Red Deer College Blackboard Learning Management System (Blackboard LMS) OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE: This course is intended for those individuals who are interested in advancing their knowledge and camera capture skills as it specifically applies to the field of portrait photography. It offers an in-depth, broad-based, hands-on approach to formal and informal, commercial and non-commercial portrait scenarios and challenges. It offers equipment, camera setup and image capture techniques on how to effectively use natural or ambient lighting (indoors and outdoors) to the best advantage when posing a model. In addition, it goes into depth on supplementing this lighting with on-board flash, Speedlight flash and reflected light. It discusses and offers practice in posing from traditionally accepted standard poses to fashion, high contrast drama and beyond. It explores the manner and need for underlying structure in portrait compositions. The course covers, but is not limited to, such specialty techniques as: high-key fashion portraits, dramatic low-key portraits, rim lighting/back lighting, close-ups, intimate and candid shots. The course discusses and ensures practical assignments on the use of different portrait lenses and capture techniques to effectively and creatively isolate your main subject and, at the same time, subordinate your background and, when need be, your foreground. The course concludes with an investigation into a variety of aspects of wedding photography from pre-planning, the shoot list as well as setup, capture and formal as well as informal and creative posing of couples and groups. Practical weekly Field Assignments ensure students understand how and when to apply each week s concepts and techniques. A Final Assignment (50% of the final grade) completes this three-month course. OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: Understand the quality and nature of light and light sources as they apply to a variety of indoor and outdoor portrait photography scenarios. Pose models using traditional poses including the ¾ head, ¾ body and full figure pose.

2 Creatively pose models with consideration to: fingers, hands, arms, legs and the axis of shoulders, eyes, hips and more; Use lenses effectively and creatively to isolate your subject and subordinate your background (and foreground when necessary); Pose their subjects to surface model the shapes and surfaces of their subjects with light and shadow using ambient indoor and outdoor light; Compose images that show an underlying structural framework; Communicate with your model in a manner that will elicit the desired facial or body response; Supplement existing light when necessary to effectively and creatively illuminate the surfaces of a subject; Understand how to set up and capture using the High Key and Low Key techniques; Understand how to set up and capture using Rim Lighting and Back Lighting methods; How to look for and capture intimate close-ups that show the essence of your model; Look for and capture expressive candid images that show your subject(s) inner self or of a candid, personally intimate moment between individuals; Understand the uses of equipment used by portrait photographers such as: monopods, tripods, lenses, reflectors, flash units and flash accessories. PREREQUISITE(S): DCPC students must successfully complete d-slr Cameras 1: Camera and Composition Essentials. REQUIRED TEXT(S): No textbooks required. Course modules will be accessed online via the Blackboard LMS. MATERIALS AND SPECIAL FEES: Students taking this course require access to either a d-slr or a point-and-shoot digital camera. Necessary equipment for all includes a tripod and for d-slr students a zoom lens in the mm zoom range (or equivalent). Optional equipment for all DPCP students includes a monopod. INSTRUCTIONAL SCHEDULE: Topic Week 1 Intro Module Assignments Read (nothing to Module A Essential qualities of your light source Answer the questions in the Self-Test Quiz (nothing to

3 Do the Sharpening Your Powers of Observation supplementary tasks (nothing to Submit Field Assignment image for Part A (1 image); Submit Field Assignment images for Part B (2 images); Submit Field Assignment Part C (text-only explanation of the challenges with the lighting in Part A and the lighting solutions you used with the Part B images). Week 2 Module B Introduction to Poses and Posing Do the Broadening Your Horizons tasks (nothing to Part C (1 image). Week 3 Module C Isolating Your Subject Do the Broadening Your Knowledge of Lenses tasks (nothing to

4 Part C (1 image). Week 4 Module D Applying an Underlying Structure to your Compositions Do the Broadening Your Awareness of Underlying Structure in Your Daily Life tasks (nothing to Submit Field Assignment image and text explanation (as detailed in the NOTE at the bottom of the slide) for (Optional) Submit Field Assignment image and text explanation (as detailed in the NOTE at the bottom of the slide) for Part C (1 image); (Optional) Submit Field Assignment image and text explanation (as detailed in the NOTE at the bottom of the slide) for Part D (1 image). Week 5 Module E More on Poses, Posing and Props Do the Broadening Your Horizons with Observation of the Work of Other Photographers tasks (nothing to (as detailed in the actual FA description) for Part A (1 image); (as detailed in the actual FA description) for Part B (1 image). (Optional) Submit Field Assignment image and text explanation (as detailed in the actual FA description) for Part C (1 image)

5 (Optional) Submit Field Assignment image and text explanation (as detailed in the actual FA description) for Part D (1 image). Week 6 Module F Rim Lighting and Back Lighting Do the Broadening Your Awareness of Rim & Back Lighting Around You tasks (nothing to Part B (1 image). Week 7 Module G High Key and Low Key Portraits Do the Broadening Your Awareness of Low Key and High Key Photography in Your Daily Life tasks (nothing to Part C (1 image). Week 8 Module H Close-up and Intimate Portraits Do the Broadening Your Horizons with Practice tasks (nothing to (as detailed in both the NOTE in the actual FA and the NOTE at the bottom of the slide) for (as detailed in both the NOTE in the actual FA and the

6 NOTE at the bottom of the slide) for (as detailed in both the NOTE in the actual FA and the NOTE at the bottom of the slide) for Part C (1 image). Week 9 Module I Candid Portraits Do the Broadening Your Horizons tasks (nothing to Submit Field Assignment images and text explanation (as detailed in the two NOTES included in the actual FA) for Part A (3 images); OR Submit Field Assignment images and text explanation (as detailed in the two NOTES included in the actual FA) for Part B (3 images). Week 10 Module J Weddings and Similar Occasions Do the Broadening Your Horizons tasks (nothing to Part C (1 image); Week 12 Final Assignment Part D (1 image). Submit Final Assignment images.

7 IMPORTANT DATES: NOTE: The following dates are subject to change based on the needs of the students at the instructor s prerogative. Students will be notified ahead of time of any changes. Date End of Week 1 End of Week 2 End of Week 3 End of Week 4 End of Week 5 End of Week 6 End of Week 7 End of Week 8 End of Week 9 Important Information slide of Module A. slide of Module B. slide of Module C. slide of Module D. slide of Module E. slide of Module F. slide of Module G. slide of Module H. slide of Module I. End of Week 10 slide of Module J. End of course Submit Final Assignment images for final grading

8 METHOD OF EVALUATION: Students are required to submit module-related work on a weekly basis to measure progression of skills. The final assignment requires students to submit photographs for a professional judging of the technical and compositional merits of their work. Completion/submission of original student work is required. Late, incomplete, or plagiarized submissions may result in a grade of U (unsatisfactory) for that particular requirement. It is expected that the student will complete the course within the specified dates that the course is active. Extensions will not normally be permitted. Weight Week 1 assignment(s) 5% Week 2 assignment(s) 5% Week 3 assignment(s) 5% Week 4 assignment(s) 5% Week 5 assignment(s) 5% Week 6 assignment(s) 5% Week 7 assignment(s) 5% Week 8 assignment(s) 5% Week 9 assignment(s) 5% Week 10 assignment(s) 5% Final Assignment 50% Total: 100% GRADING SYSTEM: As per the Red Deer College grading policy, a grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) for credit-free career development courses will be awarded upon completion of this course. A grade of S is based on receiving a minimum overall grade of 50% in this course Failing. Does not meet minimum expectations Acceptable work Average work. Meets expectations Above average. Exceeds expectations Very good to outstanding Outstanding work..

9 CHANGES TO THE COURSE OUTLINE: Changes in the course outline may be made after the first class providing this is done in consultation with the students and instructor and reviewed by the Program Coordinator for completeness and consistency with all college policies. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES: As college students, you must accept responsibility for managing your own learning. You are responsible for understanding and completing modules and exercises that comprise this course. Completion of these exercises is extremely important in mastering the subject matter. You are encouraged to communicate regularly with your instructor shared knowledge and experience enhances individual learning. You are strongly encouraged to communicate with instructor if you are encountering difficulty with the subject material.