Course Syllabus

Please bring to the first class:

1. your digital camera,
2. fully charged battery plus backup battery,
3. camera memory card,
4. your camera’s USB cable or a card reader,
5. the paper manual or digital copy on a flash drive,
6. a flash memory stick,
7. and the required textbook Within the Frame, 10th Anniversary Ed. (WTF) by David DuChemin

Topics: Introduction to class, computer lab, Canvas and WeTransfer procedures and general policies.Camera modes: Av or A, S or Tv, and ISO

• A discussion about photography in general, its history and comparisons of digital cameras with film cameras.

• Introduction to the “art of seeing”, vision!

• A brief talk about pixel basics: file formats, bit depth, resolution, compression, and image sizing issues.

• Exploring with “Explorers of Light”

• Using the Canvas Forum for credit

• File submissions using WeTransfer.

• Camera modes and how we will us them

• Setting ISO and using Aperture Priority (Av or A) and Depth of Field

• Quikshoot – weather depending

Forum: Icebreaker Activity – see this Module on Canvas, Week 1

Readings from WTF: Foreword, Introduction and Chapter 1. Post response in Forum and note submission date.

Video: About ISO: Watch the brief video and set your camera’s ISO according to the instructions. There is also an option Discussion forum if you need clarification or help.

“Seeing” Assignment #1: It’s all a blur to me!. Load pics into your flash drive and bring to next class. Send a zipped folder with your assignment to wjc11180@ccv.edu via wetransfer.com See associated Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Complete Explorers of Light exercise sheet, first response only! (see Canvas instructions)

Topics: Review Week 1, Composition, Language of photography and shutter priority

• Your EOL selections

• Review WTF first reading and discussions

• Exposure control: ISO, aperture (f-stop) and shutter speed

• Shooting with Shutter Priority (S or Tv)

• Introduction to Composition Guidelines

Readings from WTF: Ch. 2: Within the Frame. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Seeing Exercise #2: “Watch your speed.” Send a zipped folder with your assignment to

wjc11180@ccv.edu. See associated Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Photo Assignment #1 – 360. See associated Forum assignment in Module and note submission particulars as well as due date.

Composition Guidelines: complete this sheet and bring to next class. Use the optional forum for Composition questions.

Topics: More on ISO, f-stops and shutter speed. Color spaces, white balance and camera modes. About composition…

• The exposure triangle,

• Explorers of Light revisited, the second question

• The big “F”: focal length

• More composition discussions: Elements

• The “other” camera modes

• Color and white balance

• Emulation Project

Readings from WTF: Chapter 3: Artists and Geeks. See associated Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Seeing Assignment #3: Speed Kills. Send a zipped folder with your assignment to

wjc11180@ccv.edu. See associated Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Seeing Assignment #4: Zoom, zoom…or not. Send a zipped folder with your assignment to wjc11180@ccv.edu See associated Forum assignment in Module

Complete EOL sheet, Question 2: See associated Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Topics: Lecture and discussion on the topic of Light in Photography: meters, compensation, histograms and bracketing. Getting started on image critique.

• How a camera sees light: meters

• Quality of Light (handout)

• The “perfect exposure” and how to know it

• Seeing the world in a histogram

• How to speak “photographically”: Sea Horse

• The language of image evaluation and critique

• Who’s an artist and who’s a geek

Readings from WTF: Ch 4 – Telling Stories See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Reading: Photographically Speaking, Chapter 3: Decisions - see details on the Assignments page. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Photo Assignment #5: Foliage (hey, it’s Vermont after all)

Exposure compensation, bracketing exposures, HDR, more on Decisions

• A guide for photo critique: Elements and Decisions

• Photographing contrast and conflict

• Fixing exposure when the camera gets it wrong!

• Taking multiple exposures to ensure you have it!

• Dynamic range: your eye vs. your camera

• Shooting HDR images

• Review of Ch 4 and the concept of the “photo essay”.

Video: exo comp 2020 See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Reading: A tedious explanation of the f-stop. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Photo Assignment #3: Contrast and Conflict. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Practicing your photo critiques: EOL, any 5. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Using the Elements and decisions Guide, mini-portfolio after first 3rd of class, digital noise

• Digital noise and how to deal with it

• Autofocus basics and focus lock

• Practice with Elements and decisions guide

• Developing your first mini-portfolio: your best work to date

• Emulation updates?

Reading: WTF Ch 5: Photographing People. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Practicing your photo critiques: Your photos, any 5. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Create your first portfolio. Submit a zipped folder with your portfolio. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Portrait photographers, photographing landscapes and cityscapes, Burtinsky and Adams, portraits on the cheap.

• Photographing people inside/outside: controlling light

• Landscape principles: elements and decisions

• Looking at cityscapes as a form of landscape photography

• JPEG vs Raw

Introduction to image processing with Photoshop (PS), saving and opening images in PS, pixel magic and resolution, and shooting places, landscapes and cityscapes.

• Understanding resolution in image processing

• The “digital darkroom”

• Getting started with Adobe Photoshop, available resources

• Adobe Bridge

• Workflow as a structural plan for post-processing

Photo Assignment #7: Landscapes and Cityscapes. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Reading: WTF, Ch 7 – Photographing Cultures. See Forum assignment in Module and note submission date.

Introduction to Photoshop : Video and Begin working with Packet #1

Long exposures, review of PS, Week 1, more PS

Photoshop, Packet 1: Continue working and submitting images.

• Looking at week 1 of PS explorations

• Continue with Packet #1, more tools

• Emulation check-in

Photoshop, Packet 1: Continue working and submitting images.

Photoshop Assignment #2: Send a zipped folder with your assignment to wjc11180@ccv.edu

Photography Assignment #7: Photo essay on culture (Due Nov 12)

Topics: Lecture/demonstration on: extraction, composites, improving image structure noise, cures. Practice techniques in class.

• Different ways to combine images

• Different ways to blend images

• Dealing with noise

Readings/video from handouts and websites (see Canvas) about composites and masks)

Photoshop Packet #1 (completed): Send a zipped folder with your assignment to

wjc11180@ccv.edu

Photoshop Packet #2: Send a zipped folder with your assignment to wjc11180@ccv.edu

From card to computer to print…workflow, color management and output options. Printing with an inkjet printer. Class members give their project reports on Emulation (after Barlow, 2005).

Color handout

Basics of printing

Selected reading/video assignments: see Canvas

Begin outline for Digital Portfolio and select 12-15 images

Photoshop Packet #2: Send a zipped folder with your assignment to wjc11180@ccv.edu

Lecture/demonstration of portfolio design, layout and presentation. Begin portfolio preparation. Intro to LR Classic

• How to structure your portfolio

• Begin explorations with Photoshop Lightroom Classic (LrC)

Photoshop Packet #2: Complete the assigned sections only

Lightroom Classic Quickstart: Read and do Pages 1-34

Texture as a design element, developing images in LrC, introduction to digital printing

• Photographing and using texture

• Using the Develop Module in LrC

• Setting up PS and LrC for printing

Photo Assignment #4: Texture

Lightroom Classic Quickstart: Read and do pages: 37-45. edit any 15 of your images and post a screen shot of your Edit Module when you have completed any single image, discuss.

Lightroom Classic Quickstart: Read pages 57-59 and come prepared with questions and concerns

Print….print….print

Continue development of portfolio

LrC and PS guides to printing

Reading: WTF: Final Thoughts (p. 252). write a final reflection and review/critique of the text in discussion forum

Final digital portfolio presentation. Digital media storage options. Online photo sites: which ones are right for you? Course evaluations and final evaluations of student work. Next steps: where to go from here.

Guide for next steps in your learning

• Final prints

• Print portfolio

• Canvas portfolio (required for Digital Media and Art majors)

• Course evaluations

NONE!