ART141 Photographing People

Samples and Illustrations
Syllabus

This syllabus explains what the course is, how it will be conducted, what is expected of you and me, and what you can expect to get from the course. Note that this Web page syllabus is unofficial and subject to change. The only official syllabus is the syllabus distributed in class and any written or oral modifications given in class to that syllabus.

Students working during a hands-on session.

Instructor: Wayne Brink. Contact through mailbox #25, room 205A, or call 854-4487, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM , or call or e-mail anytime to leave a message. E-mail is the best way to get in touch with me.

Classroom and schedule: Room 378A, 7:00 - 9:55 PM , Tuesdays, September9 through December 16, 2003 . An optional field trip is tentatively scheduled to substitute for one evening. See Topic schedule, assignments and assignment schedule

Description: For beginning and intermediate photographers who wish to learn how to take posed as well as candid photographs of people. Use of a darkroom is not required. Discussions, demonstrations, and exercises will focus upon the proper operation of various cameras (110 and 126 cartridge, 35 mm, etc.), selection of subjects, posing, and lighting. (Note: Any working camera can be used in this course.) Students must supply their own film and cameras. The student who completes this course should be able to make a pleasing, well-lighted posed or casual photograph of friends or relatives, and present that photograph in an attractive manner.

Objectives:

This course provides you with the skills, knowledge, and insights necessary to produce quality photographs of people, whether or not those people figure importantly in your lives. To attain this, we must consider the following objectives:

1. To develop professional techniques for photographing people in varied contexts and circumstances. This will be the basis for professional or high quality amateur photography.
2. To become comfortable and competent at analyzing your own photographs.
3. To recognize your own thoughts and feelings and translate them to photographic images.
4. To understand minimum technical aspects of films and cameras and how to use them.
5. To develop skill with posing and lighting.
6. To make decisions on print presentation.
7. To recognize the benefits presented by larger format, professional cameras and professional processing.
8. To be aware of print enhancement techniques (retouching, etc.) that are possible/available. This course does not teach the technical mechanics of photography, i.e. exposure determination, film or print development procedures, special effects, film construction, etc. However, we will briefly discuss these topics as necessary.

Methodology: The classes will be conducted in three ways: Lectures to present basic points, demonstrations with student participation to illustrate application of concepts such as lighting and posing, and small group exercises to determine and practice the concepts. Time and schedules permitting, optional field trips will highlight the discussion on candid photography and/or studio portraiture, or other topics. Periodically, students will display their photographs in class. Tentative schedules for demonstrations and evaluations may be found following the course outline.

Evaluation: See the details for the assignment requirements following the course outline. Ninety percent of your grade will be based on submitted photographs and/or other assignments. Ten percent of your grade will be based on classroom participation.

Photographs and other assignments: 90%

Classroom Participation: 10%

Total 100%

Photography Grading Criteria: When you submit your work on time, you will receive a grade of "C" provided that I can look at your work and understand what you were attempting, and that that attempt fulfills the spirit of the assignment. Failing that, you will receive a grade of "D" as long as the work suggests some relevance. "F" is reserved for work that is incomprehensible, or for failure to submit sufficient required work.

Additional criteria that will help elevate your grade include:

• sharp focus*
• proper exposure*
• exceptional composition,
• exeptional display of comprehension and application of technique
• creativity in your selection of subjects and execution

* Because your camera quality may not be on a par with higher quality equipment that is available, and because you are not required to process your own work and processing service quality varies drastically, the technical aspects (sharpness, exposure, color, etc.) will not weigh as heavily as the other criteria during evaluation. That does not relieve you, however, from attempting to do as well technically as you can.

Criteria that reduce your grade:

• the work suggests some relevance but misses major points of the assignment
• work that is incomprehensible
• failure to submit work
• work that fails to meet the specifications of the assignment (such as use of flash when prohibited, subjects that don't match those required, etc.)

Be sure you understand the assignment!  

Journal Grading Criteria: The paper will be graded on insight, fact, and loosely on spelling and grammar. 

I will accept assigned work that you submit late, but because your work forms the basis for in-class discussions, I suggest you endeavor to get your work to me at the suggested time. As incentive to get your work in on time, you will be assessed a one grade penalty on late submissions (e.g. an 'A' becomes a 'B', etc.). An assignment is considered late if it is submitted following class discussion of the assignment. You will also be assessed a penalty of one grade if you do not participate in the discussion (e.g. you submit the work before the discussion but are not present for the discussion).

ALL work (including each photograph submitted) should have your name and the assignment NAME on it. Submit all photographs in an envelope with your name on it. (Slides may be submitted in transparent pages-attach a sheet of paper for my comments.) Late work may be submitted as e-mail attachments (send to wbrink). Submissions by e-mail should be at least 800 x 600 resolution, high quality, in tiff, gif, jpeg, or other common format.

Attendance: Attendance will not be recorded for grading purposes. However, you need to note that missing a class may leave you unprepared for the classes you do attend and for the assignments that you must complete. Excessive absences may prevent you from participating fully in classroom activities, thus affecting that part of your grade. The field trip, if listed, is optional; however, another assignment or activity must be completed if you opt out.

Classroom: The use of cell phones and beepers during class is a rude distraction and intrusion on the time that others have devoted to learning the material. If you must be available, please set your cell phone or beeper to "vibrate" mode. When responding to a signal from the device, do so as unobtrusively as possible, that is, leave the classroom quietly and do not answer a cell phone until you are outside.

Special materials

Required:

Any working camera. Some assignments will be easier with more sophisticated equipment, but all assignments can be done with any camera.

At least five rolls of film, one or more in color (for either prints or slides).   Unless you do your own processing, I suggest all color film (any brand and type, but high-speed for lighting exercise), for black-and-white, Kodak TMAX CN400 or Ilford XP-2 film which can be processed at one-hour photofinishers as if they were color (you may have to tell them that!). The number of exposures on each roll is up to you and your camera. Remember the 10 photograph requirement for each assignment, and that the more photographs you take the more you will learn. Also, the more likely it will be that you will have 10 quality images to submit. Many students find they need to at least double the minimum number of required rolls of film. (Digital cameras do not have a minimum requirement other than the 10 images for submission.)

Processing and printing for your film or digital memory. There are many one-hour and overnight color printing services currently available. Avoid mail-in services--the turnaround is too long for assignments.

Possible suppliers of film and/or processing: L.B. Wheaton, Prime Photo, Spag's, Walmart, Ritz Camera, etc. Shop carefully for pricing and ask about student discounts. Several of these suppliers may also sell cameras. Several of them may offer students discounts, although processing may not be eligible. No endorsement of any of these suppliers is intended.

People to photograph. Avoid babies. For some assignments, you may need a subject who can follow direction.

Optional materials: You may wish to use any of the following, but the course can be successfully completed without:

A tripod.

A telephoto lens (about 100-135mm is fine for a 35mm camera, 80-100mm for APS and digital cameras)--strongly recommended. Note that the "telephoto" on many point-and-shoot cameras barely qualifies as a true telephoto. Zoom lenses may or may not include this focal length; if they do, they qualify.

A cable release or other remote release.

An off-camera flash (NOTE: The use of typical amateur flash equipment does not allow control of the lighting and is discouraged unless absolutely necessary! Any built-in flash is unacceptable for use with any assignment except as fill-in lighting or for a rare interior or nighttime candid shot.Please re-read this restriction!)

Any good photography books, including how-to books, textbooks, and works by photographers.

Outline

I. Introduction to the course You will recognize what you must do and what I must do to fulfill the course objectives.

Four elements: Picture area, Lines of direction, Values, Depth

Take two to three photographs that concentrate on one of the elements of composition. Choose another element and take another two or three photographs. Continue with each of the remaining two elements.

 III. Film overview, selection of film—Black-and-white versus color

You will be able to explain how film works. You will describe and may utilize the differences in abstraction, simplicity and emotional effect of the two types of film. You may explore and work with the technical differences between the two films.

You will recognize differences between cameras; advantages and disadvantages of major types; how a camera does its magic.

You will load and unload your camera; find, understand, and use the controls; hold the camera for greatest stability; focus; properly expose; pan; care for and clean the camera.

Elements exercise due.

You will understand that guidelines aren’t laws; be able to explain and use the four elements of composition, prepare for doing still life photographs. Bring two published photographs (from magazines, newspapers or books) that you feel are examples of particularly good or particularly bad photography. Keep these photographs with your notes for future reference.

You will create a self-portrait (you can set up the photo, using someone else as a stand-in, then have that person take the photo as you dictate; you can use mirrors or other techniques). Emphasize or or two of the compositional elements. Absolutely do not use flash for this assignment. Work outside if you need more light.

You will apply the primary lighting types; use some of the different types of studio equipment; explain the importance of background and hairlights; etc.

Using color film, you team up with several other students and use studio lights to create and photograph a person. Class time will be set aside for you to do this assignment but you may have to do this on your own if you develop camera problems or miss the class. Bring high-speed film to class. You will submit these photographs for class discussion and evaluation.

You will recognize and use natural and available light to create attractive portraits and candid photographs.

Self portrait assignment due

You will recognize and describe the advantages and disadvantages of flash photography.

You will use the total control of the studio to create "traditional" portraits of individuals, couples, families, and children.

Lighting assignment due

You will see how to create more relaxed, informal portraits with natural and man-made backgrounds and props.

Using studio or environmental posing and natural or available lighting techniques, you will create and photograph a portrait using the posing and lighting techniques previously discussed. You will submit these photographs for class discussion and evaluation.

You will photograph unobtrusively to obtain natural, unanticipated or unplanned photographs of people.

You will photograph friends, relatives, co-workers, and/or total strangers in informal situations, using natural or available light. You will submit these photographs for class discussion and evaluation.

You will be able to describe how body language and the use of color within an image affect the viewer's response to the photograph.

Portrait assignment due. Journal is due.

You will be able to describe print mounting procedures; the techniques of matting, framing, and hanging and otherwise presenting photographs for best effect; list methods of print and negative retouching.

Candid assignment is due.

Tentative Schedule, assignment requirements.

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Last update and copyright © 23 Oct 2003 by Wayne Brink. email