J316 Introduction to Photographic Communication Fall 2010 Instructor: Dennis Carlyle Darling Office 5.150.C / Phone 471-1973 E-Mail: d.darling@mail.utexas.edu Learning Objectives: The objectives of this course are two-fold. The first is to teach you the basics of operating a manual-exposure film or digital camera. The second objective is far more complex. It deals with how you actually make a photograph beyond a simple snapshot. We will explore elements of composition, framing, vantage point and proximity, as well as the basics of visual storytelling. The course is broken down into three broad sections. The first assignments will cover the fundamentals of camera controls: shutter speeds and F-stops. The next grouping of assignments address compositional techniques: proximity, eccentric framing, vantage point and creating a sense of place. The final part of the semester will deal with using the skills you ve acquired to produce more creative work in the form of portraiture, self-portrait, sequencing, picture editing and finally, a narrative picture story. Assessment of your work and the grading: Your grade will depend on a number of factors including your skills at operating your digital camera, your understanding of basic compositional principles, your concepts and structures used in visual narrative story telling, your execution and craftsmanship of your images, your final project presentation, class participation and attendance in both the class lectures and the lab sections. Projects will increase in difficulty throughout the semester and will accordingly be given greater value. Each project will have equal weight towards the final grade. A (90-100): Excellent work that exceeds the requirements and shows extra creativity and understanding of assignment objectives. Subject matter is creative and unique. Design is well thought-out and executed. B (80-89): Work meets the requirements of the assignment and demonstrates effort and technical and aesthetic skill. Design is generally effective in regard to subject matter and assigned medium. C (70-79): Work is of average quality; meets the requirements but technical skill is inconsistent. Creativity is not apparent. D (60-69): Work shows a lack of effort or does not display adequate understanding of technical and/or design elements. Work is incomplete or does not follow requirements.
F (59 and below): Unacceptable work that displays a lack of understanding of assignment objectives and/or is not complete. The nuts and bolts : The requirements and format for submitting all assignments are covered on Blackboard. It is imperative that you follow these guidelines. You will be shooting 9 to 10 assignments and submitting at least 72 images for each of those assignments (more for the picture story). There are more than 125 students in this class, so for each assignment we can have more than 2,000 images to view more than 20,000 by the end of the semester. Because of the volume of images handed in for grading, we will not grade any assignment that does not conform to the submission guidelines. The guidelines are not complicated please follow them. You will need access to digital camera that can be operated on a manual setting (M), two thumb drives with 2GB s of memory each and two plastic envelops to hold the drives when you submit the assignments. You will also need to have access to a computer to produce the written material required with each assignment. No hand written material will be accepted. You will receive a failing grade if you do not follow the hand-in instructions. For those with little or no photography experience, we recommend The National Geographic Photography Field Guide by Peter K. Burian. You may purchase any edition. All contain the same basic information, though the first edition is cheaper and you can find used copies for sale online for less than half the price of a new copy of the current edition. Most bookstores and online booksellers carry the book. There is no required book for this course. All written material that is specific to this course will be posted on Blackboard. This includes a class schedule and descriptions and shooting requirements for all the assignments. Many of the assignments include a suggested reading list of books that help illustrate that particular assignment. Each assignment is also illustrated with past student s work. Extra credit, in the form of dropping your lowest assignment grade, will be given if you hand in 3 book critiques by the deadlines listed in the class dallies schedule. The critiques can be on any 3 photographers you choose, including those mentioned on the suggested reading lists. You must use a published book for your critique; no critiques of online galleries will be accepted. Details on the format for critiques are posted on Blackboard. Keep in mind; the book critiques are not required. However, if you choose to do the 3 critiques, each must be handed in by the required deadline. If you miss any deadline, you will not be eligible for extra credit, even if you have completed one or more other critiques. There will be a number of guest lecturers during the semester. Each will address their photographic specialty. There will also be a number of films related to photography; the films will be shown only once. You will be quizzed on speakers and films shown in class. These quizzes added together will equal one full assignment grade. That grade will be averaged in with your photography assignments to make your final grade. The quizzes will be given in your lab and announced the week before. There are no make-up quizzes. Once the guest lecturer has started, please do not consider leaving the auditorium before they finish. These are professional people and should show them your respect and give them your undivided attention; please do not be rude. No laptops will be allowed open nor cell phones left
on. If you cannot abide by these requests, then please do not attend the lecture. If you cannot stay for the full lecture and Q&A that follows, please do not attend. This is a large class with a limit of 144 students. It is unfair and very distracting for all concerned to have people coming in late and trying to get to their seat. Class starts at 6:30 sharp. Late entries into this class are not permitted. Please do not try to enter the auditorium after the lecture has begun. If you do, you will be asked to leave. This is not an act of malice, but simply an effective way to prevent latecomers from disrupting the lecture and those who have made it to class on time. Please be courteous, and if you are late, do not interrupt the lecture. DO NOT ENTER THE ROOM LATE! Attendance will be taken. There will be a seating chart and it will be in effect on the 12 th day of class. After your 3 rd cut class, the office of student affairs will be notified and you will be contacted. After your next cut class, the Dean s office will receive a suggestion that you be dropped from this course. If you are having difficulty attending, please come to my office hours 5:00-6:30 Tuesday and Thursday and we will see find we can find a solution. Excessive cuts will affect your final grade. All cell phones must be turned of during class. All laptop closed. If you fail to do so more than once, you will be asked to leave, and will receive an absence for the class. All laptops must be put away during class. Web surfing is prohibited during class time. Take note the old fashion way, with pen and paper. Transfer them if need be to your laptop after the lecture. All projects will be returned to you within one week of your deadline. If this is not the case, please notify Professor Darling and he will remedy the situation. There will be no final exam in this class. There will be a final project. Attendance will be taken in your lab section as well, and labs begin promptly at the scheduled time. Lab sections are crucial to your understanding of the assignments; they are where we delve into more specific, practical questions about assignments, and have more casual discussions of the techniques covered in lecture. This class has the potential to be the most fun courses of your college career. In addition, you will be learning things about the visual world that will enhance your existence for a lifetime. Have a good time and remain open to new ways of seeing the world around you. The UT Honor Code states; The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. J316 Photographic Communication Fall 2010 Tues. & Thus. 6:30-8:00 Instructor: Dennis Carlyle Darling
Office CMA 5.150.C E-Mail: d.darling@mail.utexas.edu Office Hours: Tue. & Thus. 5-6 p.m. Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Lecture: Introduction to course, class policies, supply requirements, grading and attendance policies. Extra credit book reviews explained. Labs Start next Monday. Lecture: A Brief History of Early Photography followed by the anatomy of your Camera and Lens. Getting ready to make an image. Digital vs. Film. Lecture: Cameras and Lens Continued Lecture: Exposure and using your light meter. The mystery of shutter speeds revealed. Assignment: Motion Lecture: F-Stops. Depth-of-Field and how it relates to subject sharpness. Assignment: Depth of Field Class 6 Photographer Profile #1 Class 7 Class 8 Class 9 Lecture: Disturbance/ Proximity: Working The Frame Assignment: Disturbance/Proximity Deadline: Assignment: Motion Due. Photographer s Profile#2 Lecture: Vantage Point Viewings: The Best of Assignment One: Motion Deadline: Assignment: Depth Of Field. Assignment: Vantage Point Class 10 Photographer Profile #3 Class 11 Lecture: Sense of Place Viewings: Best of Depth of Field Deadline: First Book Report Due Deadline: Assignment: Disturbance/Proximity Class 12 Photographer s Profile #4 Class 13 Lecture: Ambiguity Viewings: Best Of Disturbance/Proximity Assignment: Ambiguity Deadline: Assignment: Vantage Point Class 14 Photographer s Profile #5 Class 15 Lecture: Self Portrait Assignment: Self Portrait Viewings: Vantage Point Deadline: Assignment: Sense of Place Class 16 Photographer s Profile #6 Class 19 Lecture: Portrait Viewings: Best of Sense of Place Assignment: The Portrait Deadline: Assignment: Ambiguity
Class 20 Photographer s Profile #7 Class 21 Lecture: Narrative Visual Storytelling/Sequence/ The Photo Story Assignment: A Sequence Deadline: Second Book Report Due Deadline: Assignment: The Self Portrait Class 22 Photographer s Profile #8 Assignment: Photo Story Class 23 Lecture: The Photo Story Cont. Viewings: The Self Portrait Deadline: Portrait Class 24 Photographer Profile #9 Deadline: Assignment: The Sequence Class 25 Lecture: The Photo Story Viewings: The Portrait Class 26 Photographer s Profile #10 The dallies for the last 2 weeks of classes will be revised to reflect changes in scheduling made necessary to accommodate guest speakers, class attended photography related events, etc. made during the first 14 weeks of the course. You will be given the revised dallies mid Oct. for the last section of the semester. 4/23 Tues. Class 27 Lecture Viewings: The Sequence 11/19,11/2011/24 Deadline: First Edits due in your labs the week of the 24th. First edits count 25% of total grade. They must be in on time. No first edits accepted late. 11/25 Thus. Class 28 Photographer s Profile #11 11/27 Tues. Thanksgiving 12/2 Thus. Class 29 Viewing: The First section of The Best of the Final Projects: Photo Story Deadline: Third Book Report Due 12/4 Tues. Class 30 Last Day Of Class Viewing: The second section of The Best of the Final Projects: Photo Story Raffle and give-aways Student evaluations Give Expensive gifts to instructor in hopes of better grade.