Wayne Brink’s
ART 143
Summer 1 2006
Nature, Scenic and Travel Photography
SyllabusThe Overview |
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| (Note: This syllabus is for 2006, and is tentative as of 03/15/2006.) |
Contents
| Conclusion |
Description
This course covers photography of wild animals and both natural and human-made subjects. Topics include photographing wildlife; desert, ocean, and mountain landscapes; and architecture. Students learn ways of visualizing and capturing subjects at various times of the day or year. Course topics include studying equipment, films, and other materials necessary to create the best photographs under specific circumstances. Students go on field trips lasting a day or longer. They must provide their own photographic equipment (a working camera) and are responsible for the cost of their own film (five rolls minimum), film processing, and travel and meal expenses.
In other words:
Through the use of one or more field trips to dramatic locations, this you will have general background for photography of subjects in addition to people, pets, and everyday events. A hands-on course, you'll benefit if you are a photographer who seeks to improve your skills while photographing subjects such as wild animals, dramatic or noteworthy natural or human-made features, architecture, and desert, ocean, mountain, city or other landscapes at various times of the day or year. You'll study the equipment, films, and other materials necessary to create the best photographs under specific circumstances. We'll go on required daylong or longer field trips required. You must provide your own photographic equipment (any working camera), film (five rolls minimum) or electronic storage, and film/image processing, as well as any travel and meal expenses.
We’re going
to be going to special places for a day at a time to help you get the travel
and vacation photos you’ve always wanted. While we might include familiar
people in the shots, we’re after something more interesting than the typical
“summer vacation” shots (“That’s George in front of the Taj
Mahal,” “That’s George in front of the
You’ve got to pay for and supply your own transportation, film and processing, food, tuition, etc. You’ve got to provide your own camera—anything that works will do, though the more sophisticated the easier it will be to get a wider variety of shots. Digital cameras can provide instant feedback that is helpful. We’ll supply the locations and the photographic guidance. The list of locations is tentative; we’ll discuss them in the first class to see what best suits the class as a whole.
Who should take this course
You should take this course if:
-
You
would like to see
- You are a novice photographer who would like to use your camera extensively to learn how to take interesting photographs in varying circumstances.
- You are an intermediate-level photographer who would like to refresh your knowledge and skills and pick up some hints and ideas while in a photogenic environment.
- You are an advanced photographer who would like to share knowledge with other photographers while taking advantage of an opportunity to travel with a group and maybe pick up a thing or two in exchange.
Purpose and Objectives
I want to make you (and me) a better photographer! We're going to try to get photographs that will make others wish they had visited these locations along with you--or go on their own. (See more details to find out exactly how we’ll do that.) As long as we’re making better photographs, let’s have fun, let’s see some places we might not know of or have forgotten about or might not visit on our own, let’s share experiences.
Methodology—or, how are we really going to do this?
Well, sometimes I’ll have to talk
with you. Sometimes, you’ll walk with each other or me as I point out various
possibilities and you ask questions. There are some photos I’ve taken I can show
you, and there are other photographers I can have you look at. Oh, yeah—you’ll
have to take some photos while we’re on location and discuss them with your
fellow students and me.
Special requirements
We’ll be spending the entire day on as many as six days (three days are scheduled for Summer 2005) traveling and/or on location. If you want food, water, film, or anything else, you’ll have to provide it. You’ll have to arrange your own transportation in most cases (carpooling is a good idea), though we may occasionally travel by public transportation (subway, bus, train, ferry, etc.). On many days, we may do quite a bit of walking, sometimes over rough ground (beaches, wooded trails). I don’t anticipate any “forced marches” as a required part of the course, but I may take volunteers on some more strenuous side trips.
Additional Costs
You’ll have to pay for all fuel, tolls, passenger fares, insect repellent, film and processing, etc. There may be entrance fees to certain locations. You’ll have to pay for those. Keeping in mind the economics of student life, I will strive to minimize costs, but anticipate that there will be at least these additional items. Here, I'm trying to estimate the high side so you won't be surprised, but things do change. You may want to bring your lunch or dinner, though we will probably stop at local eateries--not necessarily fast food, but we'll certainly try to avoid fancy, expensive, time-consuming eateries. If you use film, you’ll need a minimum of five rolls, so maybe $25. Processing runs perhaps $10 per roll at Wal-Mart or other discounters (one-hour shops may charge a premium price; do overnight or two-day service if you can wait). Tolls may be $15 per vehicle (carpooling will reduce the per person cost) total. Other transportation costs may be in the range of $10. Entrance fees may total another $10 - $15; I aim for free or inexpensive locations, though we’ll see what everyone decides during the orientation classes. Fuel expenses will depend on the vehicle, of course, as well as distance and passenger load. (Remember, there is no required book for the course, so you won’t have to pay for that!) All expenses are estimates only, and may vary considerably.
Attendance
You’ve got to show up and you have to go on the field trips—they’re the whole point, after all! If you miss one field trip, for any reason, your maximum grade for the course will be a C. If you miss two field trips, you will fail the class.
Grading and grading requirements
I’m not out to make your life miserable! I love good photographs. Getting decent shots isn’t particularly difficult. No guarantees, but if you turn in 40 reasonable photos from the locations, you’re probably going to get at least a C. You’ll be graded on what you do, not how you compare with anyone else, so I hope and expect that you’ll turn in some really good stuff and get an A. There are more details available. Work may be submitted as physical prints, or, if necessary, electronically. (I'll see if we can set up a page on the Web where everyone can view the work of the class.) All work is due at the meeting following the location field trip by at least three days. Late submission is subject to a ten-point penalty for each week the assignment is late. Only new photographs taken during the field trips are acceptable. Important: If you miss one field trip, for any reason, your maximum grade for the course will be a C. If you miss two field trips, you will fail the class.
Recommended reading, in no special order: Joy of Photography by Kodak; Spirit of Place--The Art of the Traveling Photographer by Bob Krist, Amphoto Books; Legal Handbook for Photographers by Bert P. Krages, Esq., Amherst Media; Outdoor Photography magazine.
Outline
The outline is located here (click).
Locations and dates
For Summer 2006, we anticipate
trips within
Date, Time and Destination/location |
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6/10, Saturday, 11:45 AM - 9:45 PM—Boston (10 hrs) |
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6/17, Saturday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM--North Central Massachusetts Tour (10 hrs) |
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6/24, approximately 12:00 noon - 10:00 PM—Coastal Tour, Waterfire—Providence (10 hrs) |
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6/25, Sunday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM—South Central Massachusetts Tour (10 hrs) |
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7/2, Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon—Classroom |
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The dates are firm. The activity is tentative. |
Links: Virtual Tourist: Massachusetts | Boston.com | Waterfire | Massachusetts Parks in Bloom | Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
Note that weather can have a significant effect on the scheduling. We may also want to consider some shifting in the times to take advantage of quiet mornings, sunrises, and/or sunsets. Unanimous agreement must be reached by the class in order to change times; if we cannot meet for any reason, then we will have to rescheduled the meeting.
Conclusion
We’ll work together to make you
into a better photographer. It'll be fun, but make no mistake--you'll have to
work at it to succeed. Our schedule on location may be demanding and tiring, and you'll
have to be thinking photography most of the time. Sometimes, you may have to
sacrifice a photo that just won't work because your equipment or skills may not
be up to it (the simplest, least expensive gear may be best to use in some
cases!) or conditions aren't favorable, but you will be comfortable knowing what you and your camera can or
can't do.
