Final Portfolio

Tuesday 4/28 (exam week); 5pm

• Carefully edited selection of 12 prints representing your strongest work from the semester. Consider image choices carefully. Consultation with classmates and instructor is encouraged.
• 40 contact sheets from semester worth of work.

Final prints should be matted and spotted.

Project 3: Open

Prelim critique: Thursday 4/16
Final critique: Thursday 4/23 (Last day of class)

10 contact sheets
6-8 matted and spotted final prints

Project 2: Concept driven

Inspiration research: Tuesday 2/24

Prelim Critique: Thursday, 3/5
Final Critique: Thursday, 3/26

Choose a theme or an idea to work with and express. This can be almost anything, but what is important to you? Choose one, concise theme.

Some examples could be:

• The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat
• Fantasy versus reality
• The influence of science and/or technology
• Expressions of emotion
• The influence of popular culture
• Consumption and waste
• Nostalgia and tradition
• Politics of body, race, gender, sexuality or...
• Spirituality and/or Religion
• Animal rights
• Politics of difference/other
• Exploring subcultures of interest
• ...more

Or create a variation on one of these...you decide. Once you choose a theme, imagine what kind of subjects and approaches you will need to explore, address or express it. This is where you may need to push into new territory.

Create, edit and print the images

Expectations:

• A concise, well-edited body of images of your subject. 
• At least 10 rolls of film. Proof sheets shall be turned in with prints.
• 6-8 refined, matted and spotted prints. Six is required, two more images of equal quality for extra credit.

Inspiration research: 1-2 pages.

Several paragraphs discussing two historical photographers and two contemporary photographers who have also addressed a similar theme. That makes a total of four. They should be well established artists. They do not need to be B&W photographers.

1. To assist with your research with contemporary artists, start with Lenscratch: http://lenscratch.com/photographers/subjects/
2. For historical examples, go to the library and look at a book on the History of Photography. Or take a look at the library of books in Gay Burke's office (with her permission).
3. Your discussion of these artist examples should tell us how they address the themes and concepts in their work. For example, how did Cindy Sherman's work address notions of identity and gender roles? How did the work of Ansel Adams to contribute to environmental awareness?
4. How and why are they an inspiration to you? What will you "borrow?"

Technical tune-ups

Due: 2/10 (Tuesday)

The following summarizes what you need to complete for the various technical exercises, so far:

• Custom ISO/development test. Shoot and process the film. Calibrated contact sheet and consult with instructor.
• Contrast ring-around. 5 prints ranging in contrast from low to high, in 1/2 grade intervals. The highlights should match fairly close in brightness, with the main shifts in shadows and tonal separation.
• Expose for shadows and compensate. Contact sheet and consult with instructor.
• Exposing for skin tones (with compensation, if required). Contact sheet and consult with instructor. Print if desired.
• Depth of field. Several examples, with identical framing and focus (for all three shots) that show shallow, medium and long depth of field. Try to create strong pictures while exploring the exercise. Choose best set of three and print shallow, medium and long depth of field versions. 

Depth of Field

Deep depth of field. Achieve with small aperture and/or wider angle lens.

Shallow depth of field. Achieve with wide aperture and/or longer (telephoto) lens.

In class:

Explore depth-of-field using Aperture Priority Mode. 

Nikon: use "A" mode

Canon: use "Av" mode

The photographer chooses the aperture and the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed for optimal exposure.

Shoot in fairly bright conditions to ensure adequate exposure, or use higher ISO. Create a photograph where there is a distinct foreground object and the background is fairly far away.  Focus on the foreground object, and maintain this focal placement. Shoot the image three times, varying the apertures. Create at least 3 3-image sets.

• f4 or wider (f2.8, f1.4 okay)
• f8
• f16 or smaller (f22 okay)

Explore depth-of-field using Manual Mode. 

Similar idea as above. 

1. Set desired aperture
2. Choose a shutter speed that ensures correct exposure–this will be indicated by your in-camera meter. (It should indicate neither plus (+), minus (-), but "0") 
3. Explore three depths of field with the following aperture (or similar)

• f4 or wider (f2.8, f1.4 okay)
• f8
• f16 or smaller (f22 okay)

1. Focus on the same foreground object for all three shots

Shooting (for Tuesday 2/3)

Chose specific subjects and shoot them with widely varied depths of field, while maintaining the same composition/framing. This means 2-3 variations of the same "shot" but created with a range of apertures to vary the depth of field. Again, shoot on aperture priority

In the examples below, we see the same subject and the same framing, but with different depths of field. How does this affect the image? Which do you prefer? Why?

f4.0

f18

Project 1: The Subject

Inspiration research: Tuesday 1/27

Prelim Critique: Tuesday 2/3
Final Critique: Thursday, 2/12

Choose to photograph a concise group of images within one of the following themes: people (portrait), places (landscape), or things (still life). No pets, please! Subject matter should be meaningful.

When developing your project, pose specific questions to develop your idea. So, for "people":

• Who?
• What are they doing?
• Where are they?
• Why?
• What story do they/I have to share about them? 
• What emotion or or idea do I want to express about them?
• What difference does it make–how are they important?
• How can this be shown/created/expressed?

Apply the above questions, adjusting them to your subject person, place or thing. Create pictures that answer these questions, visually.

Expectations:

• A concise, well-edited body of images of your subject. 
• At least 10 rolls of film. Proof sheets shall be turned in with prints.
• 6-8 refined, matted and spotted prints. Six is required, two more images of equal quality for extra credit.

Inspiration research: 1-2 pages.

Several paragraphs discussing two historical photographers and two contemporary photographers who have also addressed similar subjects or ideas. That makes a total of four. They should be well established artists. They do not need to be B&W photographers.

1. To assist with your research with contemporary artists, start with Lenscratch: http://lenscratch.com/photographers/subjects/
2. For historical examples, go to the library and look at a book on the History of Photography. Or take a look at the library of books in Gay Burke's office (with her permission).
3. Your discussion of these artist examples should tell us how they address the themes and concepts in their work. For example, how did Cindy Sherman's work address notions of identity and gender roles? How did the work of Ansel Adams to contribute to environmental awareness?
4. How and why are they an inspiration to you? What will you "borrow?"

Welcome

(jordan)

This class will build upon skills and ideas from Art 218. The main goals for this course:

• Continue to develop strong picture making skills
• Develop personal artistic vision
• Create a strong portfolio of prints
• Develop camera skills
• Fine-tune film processing for more predictable results
• Continue to improve printing skills

As you know from Art 218, darkroom photography can be extremely rewarding, but it does ask for your time and commitment. Plan to shoot and process many pictures along your journey. Critiques will be challenging, to help you push your work to the next level. 

Topics and assignments:

• Creating stronger pictures
• The importance of light
• Continue to develop camera skills; exposure, focus, depth of field, motion, etc.
• Lighting skills
• Contemplative seeing
• Experimental approaches
• Alternative formats
• Customized ISO and development time
• Fine tuning print exposure and contrast
• Advanced dodge and burn techniques
• Print toning
• Printing finishing, mounting and presentation
• Independent projects

Projects:

• People, places, or things
• Shooting ideas and concepts
• Open Project
• Final Portfolio

Shooting expectations:

• 40 rolls of 35mm film (approx 2-3 rolls per week).
• MUST BE SHOT FOR THIS COURSE
• (One roll = 24 exposures of 35mm, 12 exposures of 120 or 4 exposures of 4x5)
• 40 contact sheets.
• Film and proof sheets will be due at midterm and the end of the course
• Successful completion of all required assignments and projects.
• Artist statement
• Final Portfolio 

Student work from prior semesters: