Introduction to Photographic Image Making | PHOTO 1001 009 Spring 2010 | T 9:00-12:00, 1:00-4:00 Todd Simeone | tsimeone@saic.edu TA: Holly Murkerson Columbus 107 This is a very basic course in most things photographic, ranging from the essentials of great pictures to a broader understanding of historical and contemporary photographic practice. Assignments and projects are designed to introduce a wide pool of concepts and techniques from which you are encouraged to explore, challenge, and choose from while simultaneously developing your own. It has its technical components, which will be relentlessly pursued, but on the less rigid side, this course promotes a responsibly experimental, subversive and fun approach to seeing, making and participating in life and art. Course content will be delivered through demonstrations, participatory events, quizzes and exams, field trips, slide lectures, workshops, discussions, readings, individual consultations, lab participation and most importantly, group critiques. Upon completion of this course you should: -understand and apply fundamentals of camera operation, composition and lighting -understand and apply various fine art print and virtual output techniques -apply a relevant photographic workflow to a developing artistic practice -have a basic theoretical and historical understanding of contemporary photographic practice - understand and apply conceptual strategies to a developing art practice - be capable of critically analyzing and critiquing photographs and related works of art - be well on your way to responsibly making and consuming images
Projects Throughout the course there will be 5 small assignments, 3 larger projects, and a final project. A few of the small assignments have technical aspects, but most are meant as introductions and enjoyable warm-ups to larger ideas. Most will be looked at and discussed in short review sessions. Larger projects introduce larger ideas -these will be significantly more rigorous and be critiqued as works of art with your peers. The final project will be critiqued and evaluated through a comprehensive understanding of all of the course’s components and a successful application of your own interests. Assignments and projects will be elaborated upon in lectures and posted on the portal as they are introduced. Evaluation Evaluations will be based on work produced for each project, class participation and overall progress. The course is pass / fail, but each component holds a percentage grade as follows:
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Projects 1 – 3 15% each, totaling 45% Final Project 20% Assignments and class participation 35% You must accumulate at least 70% to pass the class. Each assignment and project percentage grade will be based on the following criteria: - Understanding and execution of technical issues - Conceptual strength and cohesiveness of the work - Willingness to push your own creative boundaries - Participation in critiques – talking about both your work and your peer’s work - Progress relative to your work throughout the course - LATE WORK - any late work will drop by 5% and will be accepted only within 1 week of the original due date (after that it will count for zero.) Under certain circumstances I may allow a redo of an assignment or project. - NO WORK - any projects or assignments not turned in will count for ZERO. This means ONE MISSED PROJECT will usually result in FAILING THE COURSE. Course Requirements - Bring your laptop every class -Some requirements will vary from project to project (some may have minimum print count, size, etc) -For all projects you are required to turn in a digital contact sheet, and/or a DVD/ CD of images and your journals. - At the end of the semester you will need to submit a DVD portfolio of all work completed during the semester. Attendance - NO UNEXCUSED ABSENCES. Contact me prior to class via email or phone with really good excuses. - One warning. After that, ANY unexcused absence will fail the course. - Only 3 excused absences are permitted - 3 lates will count as an absence - Failure to bring work in on a lab day will count as an absence These policies will be strictly enforced.
Other Rules Absolutely NO CELL PHONES, texting, IM’ing, emailing, blogging etc. during class time. I will ask you to leave and you will be counted as absent.
Fees and Equipment Some form of digital camera with manual controls is required. The bulk of additional purchases for this course will likely consist output materials such as paper, but may also
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include film, processing, or whatever ambition you choose to put into a project. Required: 1. A DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera or equivalent* camera with MANUAL controls – this is very flexible 2. Media Storage: A. Portable firewire or USB hard drive, iPod, or USB flash storage B. CD-R and DVD’s for turning in projects 3. One 5.25 x 8.25” Moleskin brand Cahier Large Plain Journal This will be your sketchbook for project notes, ideas, inspiration, pictures and whatever you else you happen to be thinking about. They are available in packs of 3 at Blick Art Materials or online at http://www.moleskines.com/klmcl717.html. (cheap and easy to split with peers) 4. Your laptops – every class, no exceptions Not required, but highly recommended: 2. A tripod (again, these are available for checkout on a limited basis)
Output Materials and Options: Cannon Printers on Pay-per-print RIP system: These are on the SAIC pay-per-print RIP System. Use your ARTIC card to purchase per print. Canon IPF5100 – 17” max width cost is $.70 per liner foot (e.g. 12” x 17” = $.70) Canon IPF6100 – 24” max width $1.30 per liner foot Satin and Gloss papers are available For your laptop you will need to download the print driver: http://crit.artic.edu/printing/photo Printing from laptops will require a Cat 5 Ethernet cable (no wireless) Alternative printing techniques and other creative solutions will also be taught and encouraged. Texts
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Theoretical (and some technical) texts will be posted on the portal weekly with the intention of being read before class and discussed critically in class. No single text is required, but below is a list of recommendations: -Horenstein Black & White Photography, A Basic Manual, 3rd edition, 2005. $27.50 -London, Upton, Stone, Kobre and Brill Photography, 8th edition, Prentice Hall, NJ 2002. Other Suggested Reading: (These are not required and are purely a list of useful reading materials) -Horenstein Beyond Basic Photography, A Technical Manual, $27.95 -Barrett, Terry Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images, 4th edition, Mountain View, CA 2005. $35.95 -Wells, Liz Photography:A Critical Introduction, 2004. $35.95 -Sontag, Susan On Photography Picador USA, New York, NY 1973. $10.00 (ISBN: 0312420099) Books on PhotoShop: -Galer and Andrews, Photoshop CS4, essential skills, Focal Press, Oxford, UK, 2007 -Weinmann and Lourekas Photoshop CS3 for Windows & Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide, Peachpit Press, Berkeley, CA 2007 -McClelland, Deke Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-on-One, O’Reilly & Associates, 2007 -McClelland, Deke Photoshop CS3 Bible, Wiley Publishing, 2007 -Adobe Photoshop CS3 Classroom In a Book, by Adobe Creative Team, Adobe Press, 2007 -Kelby, Scott The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers, New Rider Press, 2007 -Fraser, Bruce Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3, Peachpit Press, 2007 -Evening, Martin Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Contact Portal: We will be using Portal, as it allows for a variety of applications including e-mail exchanges and postings of course information. You can access the portal via the SAIC homepage or by Googling “SAIC portal.” E-Mail: Email me directly at tsimeone@saic.edu or through the portal. I will relay and respond to thoughtful and relevant questions and information only. Phone: 206.669.6719 for urgent business only Office Hours: You may e-mail me to arrange a time to meet outside of class.
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Importance places on campus: Photo Cage M-TH : 8:30am – 10pm; F-Sa : 8:30am – 5pm 312-443-3751 CRIT Laptop Program SP RM401, MI RM906 9am – 4:30pm 312-314-3738 Service Bureau SP RM1109 M-TH 8:30am – 9pm; F 8:30am – 5pm 312-629 Other Resources In the City: -Blick Art Materials 42 S. State Street 312.920.0300 -Helix corner of Racine and Jackson 312.421.6000 www.helixphoto.com -Central Camera (within walking distance of school) 230 S Wabash 312.427.5580 www.central-camera.com -Calumet Photo Supply 1111 N Cherry www.calumetphoto.com 312.440.4920 -Gamma Lab Superior and Franklin 312.243.9899 -Precision Imaging (daily pickup as SAIC cage) 2219 W Grand Avenue (312) 421-3338 -Triangle Camera 3345 N Broadway 773.427.5101 -Micro Center 2645 Elston Avenue (everything to do with computers) 773.292.1700 -Paper Source 232 West Chicago Avenue 312.337.0798 -Pearl Art Supplies 225 West Chicago (great resource for paper) 312.915.0200 Online stores: -BH Photo http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ -Unique Photo http://store.uniquephoto.com/e/index.php (cheap Epson paper) -Otherworld Computing macsales.com (apple ram, upgrades, etc) -Frys outpost.com (computers, peripherals, ink, etc) Suggested Intro Photo Web Links from RCD: http://photo.net/learn/ (this is a “complete introductory photography textbook”) http://philip.greenspun.com (he is Editor in Chief at Photo.net and is the author of the above textbook; there’s a lot on his site about digital cameras –choosing one, comparisons, buying) http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Suite/8117/basics.html (basic photo tips) http://photonhead.com/exposure/simcam.php (Simulates the effects of various exposures) http://www.exposure.co.uk/eejit/light/ (basic lighting) http://www.zonezero.com http://www.photometro.com http://www.digitaltruth.com http://homepage.cs.uri.edu/tutorials/csc101/powerpoint/ppt.html (power point tutorial)
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