Class Syllabus 2020

CLASS: ART 2356 Photography, MW 9am– 11:50pm , FA 110

INSTRUCTOR: Chris Ireland

CONTACT: ireland@tarleton.edu

OFFICE: Fine Arts 175

OFFICE HOURS: by appointment

CLASS WEBSITE/BLOG www.art-2356.blogspot.com

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera. “
Dorthea Lange

{COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES}

This class will introduce students to digital photography techniques and concepts. Technically, students will learn the proper use of digital cameras, basic and advanced techniques in Adobe Creative Cloud, and professional photographic printing.  Concurrently, students will gain an understanding of the cultural, conceptual and creative ramifications of digital imaging.

While photography should be fun, it takes time to master the skills. It also takes times and effort to be out shooting with your camera to find the good shots. For that reason, this class requires a substantial amount of OUTSIDE time to be used for assignments. There is an enormous amount of information to learn about camera technique and design software.  The class will move quickly early on to cover all this information.  The culmination of this course is the final project presentation at the end of the semester.

(LEARNING OBJECTIVES}

• You will practice image composition by shooting 50 plus images a week, and will catalog those images. 
• You will become technically proficient with the workings of your camera.
• You will become proficient with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop on the Mac.
• You will learn about the history of photography as an art, be able to exam and critique the work of yourself and others, and you will learn how to effectively communicate your ideas both visually and verbally.

{CLASS TIME}

Class time will involve:

• a combination of lectures and discussions on pertinent issues within the medium
• application demos and technical instruction
• introduction to other photographers that significantly connect to class projects
• field trips and on-location camera exercises
• work time for projects
• critiques of projects

Outside of class, homework will be mostly centered around shooting images for homework assignments.  The best way to improve in this medium is to shoot as much and as often as possible.  You are expected to work around 2 hours a week outside of class.

{COURSE FEES / REQUIRED TEXTS / SUPPLIES}

Text: There is no textbook.  Any required reading will be posted on the blog. However if you prefer to have a take home textbook, I recommend:  A Short Course in Digital Photography by Barbara London and Jim Stone and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classroom in a Book by John Evans. Http://tv.adobe.com/ is a great site for adobe tutorials. A subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud is not required but recommended.

Supplies

1. A working digital camera (A digital SLR with removable lenses, manual settings, and shoots in an uncompressed digital format will give you the most versatility and you will be able to get better results easier.  You may use a point and shoot or recent phone for most projects, but you are expected to understand the limitations of what your camera can do.  And you will be expected to find apps or ways to do advanced photo work. 
2. Memory card for camera, at least 256 gig
3. USB drive ALWAYS back-up your work, you may save things to your lab computer, however it is a public lab so anything is possible, and hard drive crashes are not a viable excuse for late work.
4. Final Project Printing – Blurb book to cost 20-40 dollars

The estimated cost for this course will be around 50 - 100 dollars (if you already own a camera)

{SCHEDULE}

Schedule Subject to Change

Week 1 intro to camera function and digital processing, day in the life project

Week 2 – composition, digital photo editing, manual camera settings, exposure projects

Week 3 – pixels and digital output, photography history 101, archival techniques, composition

Week 4 – landscape photography, advanced digital output landscape project

Week 5 – long exposure photography, night time project

Week 6 – narrative storytelling, photoshop compositing, narrative tableau project

Week 7 -  advanced photoshop compositions, large format printing

Week 8 – photojournalism 101, research strategies, photojournalism

Week 9 – preparing images for the web, photojournalism project presentations

Week 10 – abstract for final project, intro to studio lighting

Week 11 – studio (people,still life) shooting, studio project

Week 12 – mimic a famous photographer - research/assignment, mimic project

Week 13 advanced photo techniques, final project

Week 14 final project display (book, website presentation)

{COURSE RULES}

1.) Blog: www.arts2356.blogspot.com: All assignments and required source material will be posted online. Specific Xeroxed articles, tutorials and other online source material will be assigned and posted on the blog as the course progresses.

2.) Attendance: mandatory at all class sessions. Class moves fast and it is extremely difficult to catch up unless you take responsibility and look up anything you missed. More than three absences (excused or unexcused, they are all the same) lower your final grade 1 grade down each absence. More than 6 absences is an automatic fail. Come prepared for work in class or you will receive an absence. Since most class material is covered at the beginning of class, being notably tardy also counts as an absence. Checking Facebook during class lectures or videos will make you absent for the day. 

3) Projects: There will be seven or eight key assignments in this course. Every week there will be deadlines for those assignments. They are always due at the beginning of class on the deadline date.  Late assignments will not be accepted without approval from the instructor. 

This is a list of Projects from last year that we might be doing in this class (tentatively)

1. Shoot 100 photos in one day
2. Exposure- Aperture Practice
3. Exposure - Shutter Speed Practice
4. Composition checklist, perform a series of compositional exercises
5. Studio Lighting Assignment, perform a series of works exploring lighting techniques
6. Landscape/Photojournalist Assignment, explore a topic related to history and place
7. Mimic the work of a famous photographer
8. Night photography exercise
9. Narrative Assignment, create a series that tells a story
10. Final Book Project, create a self-directed body of work that will printed and bounded.

4.) Critiques: Students are expected to participate in class critiques of works, both completed and in progress. As the term evolves, we will orient towards weekly progress critiques. Talking about your work and others is a crucial aspect of assessing whether your images communicates effectively. 

5.) Grading: each project is worth 100 points and will be graded by:

• FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS– 34%- does the project match the online description?
Did the photographer take enough images, are they presented correctly and on time?

• CREATIVITY – 33%- originality of thought and expression.
Does the artwork show innovation and uniqueness? Did the artist solve the given assignment problem in an expected or unexpected way?

• CRAFTSMANSHIP -– 33%- attention to detail.
Does the artist skillfully manipulate the images so they look their best? Are all details carefully finished and/or intentional-looking?

6.) Equipment check out: A student may check out equipment that is available by the Fine Arts department.  You assume responsibility for the item and you are required to return it before the next scheduled class.  Some of the items we have are:  Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera, Canon Digital Rebel SLR Cameras, Portable Studio Lighting Kit, Strobe Flashes, Tripods, Video Cameras, and more. 

7.) Lab Etiquette: Always back up your work. Data loss—from a lost, fried and/or stolen hard drive, or satanic software - cannot be used as an excuse for late or missing work.

Students are not permitted to use the internet or any mobile devices during lectures or student presentations. Cell Phones must be turned off unless instructed otherwise.

{ACADEMIC HONESTY}

Tarleton State University expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct.  Students guilty of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action.  Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials.  The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of academic dishonesty that occurs in his or her class.

Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person’s materials or images as one’s own), or doing work for another person who will receive academic credit are all impermissible. Turning in work made before this class, or from other classes, is also a violation of academic honesty. Disciplinary action may be taken beyond the Department of Fine Arts.  All work turned in for this class must have been made during this class!

{STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES}

It is the policy of Tarleton State University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities  Act (www.ada.gov)  and other applicable laws. If you are a student with a disability seeking accommodations for this course, please contact the Center for Access and Academic Testing, at 254.968.9400caat@tarleton.edu. The office is located in Math 201. More information can be found at www.tarleton.edu/caat;or in the University Catalog

{DISCLAIMER}

Please note that some of the photographs we might look at during this course may include nudity, be graphically violent or be politically provocative. Some individuals may find these images disturbing or even offensive. Such works are included because they presented important challenges to artistic traditions and conventions, to social mores, to standards of beauty and taste, and ultimately, to the definition and history of photography itself. Students will not be required to subscribe to any particular theory of the purpose and meaning of photography, nor will they be required to like all of the images shown. However, if you choose to take this course, you will be expected to understand the issues involved and why they are important. Critical thinking in all areas is something I believe in. I want students to be exposed to good work, I want my students to be able to grapple with difficult ideas, and I want them to develop their own sensitivities and skills. If you have any special concerns, please discuss them with me.

{ANY QUESTIONS????!!!!????}

As you've probably guessed, you will have to spend plenty of time in and outside of class shooting, editing, and printing. You should therefore photograph subjects that you consider important or have strong feelings towards. Your projects shouldn’t feel like busy work. Please do not become discouraged if you do not quickly grasp the ideas and techniques discussed in class - photography is a difficult and complex subject that is hard for many people. Making good art always takes longer than you think! Trust the process.

Apply yourself, work hard, develop your skills and exhibit individual growth and you will do very well in this class. I am here to help you succeed, so do not be afraid to ask any questions. I will always try my best to make myself available to interested students. Have fun, keep positive and be creative!

-Chris Ireland