The Basics of Photography:
An overview of camera operation: shutter speed, aperture, depth of field, ISO, exposure, exposure compensation, focal length and sensor sizes. Gaining an understanding of the exposure triangle and how technical choices affect the aesthetic of an image: depth of field, motion blur, grain, and lens distortion.
The Digital Workflow:
Digital technology has become a powerful tool for photographers. Increased flexibility and control of the image-making process, has allowed for greater expressive freedom. The first half of this course introduces you to the digital photographer?s workflow. Through demonstration, instruction and in-class assignments, you will gain an understanding of essential skills, from the capturing of images, to basic photo editing, and to creating archival quality photographic prints. You will have access to Nikon DSLR cameras; software such as Photoshop and Adobe Bridge; and Epson Inkjet printers.
What Makes a Good Photograph?
An investigation into the elements of a good photograph. Exploring within a single image, the basic concepts of framing, composition, lighting, colour and subject engagement. Through analysis of each other?s prints, you will learn about the importance of colour management and its effect on tonality and colour characteristics. Differences and similarities between Straight Photography and Conceptual Photography will be discussed.
Developing a Photographic Series:
An in-depth exploration of strategies to develop a photographic series. Different artists and genres of photography will be introduced to help you articulate your own photographic interests. Project development will be guided along through the stages of researching references, planning, execution and review. You will also learn to apply basic concepts of curation with the editing, selection and presentation of images.
The Role of the Photographer:
Through analysis and discussions of a variety of images, you will be introduced to the semiotics of photography and the role of the photographer in its creation. The photographer as director/art director takes on the responsibility of meaning-making within the frame. Awareness will be brought to the ideas of the preconditioned gaze and the definition of the self in opposition to the other. This will translate to working with subjects and how best to engage and represent them in a photograph.
Photography in the Digital Age of Social Media:
Digital technology has made the photographic image more ubiquitous than ever. Lectures and discussions will touch upon photographic history and theory, as we try to locate the position of photography as an art form in the age of social media and the proliferation of the everyday image. Attempts will be made as a class to define distinguishing or overlapping traits between fine art and vernacular photography.
Class Assignments:
– Three creative projects of increasing difficulty help guide you along the process of developing a conceptual photography series. These projects are developed through lectures, tutorials, and instructor and peer feedback sessions. During guided group critiques of projects, you will learn to give structured feedback as you build a visual vocabulary and deepen your understanding of fine art photography.
– To inform your own practice, you are to give an artist presentation and to write an exhibition review. This will allow you to research, analyse and present findings on the work of established fine-art photographers and artists who are leading the use of digital imaging.
– In-class technical assignments help entrench lessons learnt during lectures and demonstrations.
