DVC Basic Photography - ART-160-1945

Basic Photography
ART-160-1945 - Basic Photography
Fall 2004

Location:
Art Building Room 501

Class Schedule: Lecture/Lab – Tuesday - Thursday 2 - 4:50 PM
Office Hours: 1-2 Tuesday / Thursday by appointment

Instructor: John Sappington - john@basearts.com

Overview
Schedule
Resources

Film Development Quick Reference
Printing Quick Reference

Course Syllabus

Online Syllabus: http://www.basearts.com/BasicPhotoDVC.htm

DESCRIPTION:

This course will present an overview of traditional photographic processes as well as an historic exploration of the aesthetics of photography. From concept to print, this course explores the technical and chemical processes required as well as the conceptual and critical issues inherent to the medium. Traditional and new electronic photographic methods are presented as a vehicle to understand the implications of photography as an art form. Emphasis is placed on the creative process while exploring image making as a means of communication used by contemporary artists.

Recommended Texts:

Photography, Barbara London, John Upton, Ken Kobre, Betsy Brill, Prentice Hall

Black and White Photography, A Basic Manual, Henry Horenstein, Little Brown and Company

Required Supplies / Equipment:

Rubberized Apron
Rubber Gloves
Sharpie Permanent Marker
Sissors
Anti-Static Brush
Film - Kodak TMax or Tri-X (* or equivalent 400 ASA general purpose black and white)
Negative Storage Binder (3 ring binder) and Protective Pages (*35-7B)
Photographic Printing Paper - (Resin Coated)
Mounting Board

EVALUATION:

50% of student grades will be based on class participation. Students must attend class in order to effectively participate.

50% of student grades will be based on the completion of assigned exercises. Incomplete assignments will be considered undone.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Students are expected to attend all of every class meeting unless they have received prior permission from the instructor. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting. Anyone absent when attendance is taken will be assumed absent from the class. If you are late to class it is your responsibility to make sure your attendance is acknowledged by talking to the instructor.

If you are intending to drop the class, it is your responsibility to drop the class. You should not assume that the instructor will automatically drop you because of absences. If you stop attending classes and you do not drop the class, and the instructor has not dropped you from the class; the instructor may be required to give you a grade of F for the class.

Basic Photography Schedule (subject to change)			Photography Resources http://www.basearts.com/resources.html#photography Internet Resources-Links General
Week 1		Lecture: Syllabus Overview - Expectations, Requirements, Objectives, Best Practices.
	Assignment: Review Internet Resources - click here 5 Images for Tuesday - Make them interesting and possibly relevant to your interest in photography Initiate Journal Reading: Camera manual Search Artists: Carl Maydans Dies - NY Times http://www.nytimes.com Van Deren Coke Henri Cartier-Bresson

Week 2		Lecture: Department and Facilities Policy Review with Tim and Tour Begin fundamentals of visual phenomenology / camera technology Basic Camera Operation	Lab: Critique / Review
	Assignment: Reading: William Eggleston Exhibition, Los Alamos @ SF MOMA - August 21st http://www.sfmoma.com/exhibitions/exhib_detail.asp?id=162 Search Artists: WeeGee Diane Arbus Robert Frank Chuck Close W. Eugene Smith David Hockney

Week 3		Lecture: Continued Exposure... Film Development	Lab: Develop 1st Roll(s) (If you have a roll in progress you may either add the assigned to this roll) otherwise with a new roll of tri-x or tmax (or equivalent from the materials handout) please complete the assignment described below for Tues.
	Assignment: Bracketing Exposures - Choose a subject and make 5 bracketed exposures. 1st exposure according to meter reading. 2nd + .5 half step greater aperture selection or more exposure (over) 3rd + 1 whole step (full stop) greater aperture selection (over) 4th .5 half step smaller aperture selection or less exposure (under) 5th - 1 whole step smaller aperture selection or less exposure (under) Be sure to make notes of the exposures in your journal. With the remaining exposures experiment with the shutter speeds + and or - one shutter speed is equal to a full stop. Reference (taken from Photography, 7th edition) Reading:* Oatmeal Box Pinhole Photography by Stew Woodruff - How to Make and Take Pictures With Pinhole Cameras Made from Oatmeal Boxes http://www.bonus.com/contour/pinhole_camaras/http@@/users.rcn.com/stewoody/index.htm Search Artists: Tina Modotti Mary Ellen Mark Sally Mann Cindy Sherman Nan Goldin Eudora Welty
Week 4		Lecture: Grain - Density - Exposing for difficult situations. Review first rolls	Lab: Development Continues... Preparations for printing. Contact Sheets - Photograms
	Assignment: Reading: The Lomographic Society - http://www.lomography.com/ - from Mason Baird http://www.lomography.com/about/ Welcome dear photo-adventurer. you are just about to discover the most interactiv, vivid, blurred and crazy face of photography worldwide. we heartily and most warmly invite you to dive into our unique online photo-features, to taste our cameras and -most of all- to become a lomographer. help us to simply build the biggest snapshot portrait of our planet and to revolutionize the picture communication from the hip. prost. Search Artists: Bruce Weber Linda Connor Richard Avedon Lee Friedlander Catherine Wagner

Week 5		Lecture: Printing Procedures	Lab: Printing - Contact Sheets - Photograms
	Assignment: Contact Sheets of first rolls Experiment with Photograms - Research Man Ray, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy Reading: Inspirational by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy Search Artists: Henry Wessel Richard Misrach Richard Avedon Bruce Weber

Week 6	09.21.04 09.23.04	Lecture: Printing Continues Ambient Light	Lab: Review First Prints/Contacts
	Assignment: Shoot Same Scene throughout a 24 hour period. Pay particular attention to the movement of the shadows and your primary subject. *Pick a location and photograph it periodically (morning, noon, evening, night) throughout the course of a day. Reading: Pushing Film allows you to shoot in lower light situations. This solution essentially fools the light meter by setting it at a higher ISO or ASA rating and then overdeveloping the film in order to compensate for the underexposure. Although your experiences may vary somewhat - here is a good starting base for pushing: 400 ASA pushed to 800 ASA - 50% overdevelopment - 10 minutes normal development time = 15 minutes. 400 ASA pushed to 1600 ASA - 100% overdevelopment - 10 minutes normal development time = 20 minutes. Search Artists:** John Baldessari Richard Prince Sherry Levine
Week 7	09.28-30.04	Lecture: Critique - Present minimum 2 prints (bring contacts sheets as well)	Lab: Assignment: 24 hour Assignment - Develop and contacts for review
	For Review: Film Development Quick Reference Printing Quick Reference Photograms and Montage works... Click Here Moholy-Nagy Man Ray Jerry Uelsmann Reading: On Photography, "In Plato's Cave", by Susan Sontag, 1973, Picador. Search Artists: Robert Adams Joel-Peter Witkin Josef Koudelka
Week 8		Lecture: La Jete, by Chris Marker	Lab: 5 Prints - 7 Contact Sheets - Ideas for Portfolio Required for Mid-Term
	Assignment: Reading/Discussion: *La Jete, by Chris Marker Search Artists:* William Klein Fredrick Sommer Arnold Newman Joel Meyerowitz
Week 9	10.12 -14.04	Mid Term Critique 5 Prints - 7 Contact Sheets - Ideas for Portfolio

Week 10	10.19-21.04	Lecture: Flash Ambient / Artifical Light	Lab: Shoot 1 roll minimum per week Work Prints now through week 15
Interested in going in to purchase paper at a discount! Adorama Camera has HP5 24ex for $2.09 They have the Ilford Value pack that comes with 25 sheats of either glossy or pearl multigrade iv and 2 Hp5 36ex for only 12.95 No tax shipping will be about $8 there is also another website that has ilford Rc multigrade iv pearl or glossy 100sht pack for only $28. Shipping on this is also around $8 Their film is a little bit more expensive though so i am not even going to mention it. If you could post this on the syllabus and tell everyone to contact me at this email if they want to order something, that would be great. The more people we get, the cheaper it will be for everyone. I am just going to need check or cash first because I am broke and can't put the money out up front. -Simone simone_noel@yahoo.com
	Assignment: - Experimental Shooting/Printing - Double Exposure, Flash, Night Work - Choose 2 of for 3 images total. - Referencial Photographs - Choose Photographer and make a series of images after him or referencing his or her work 3-5 for review and discussion. Due in 4 weeks. Discussion: Photography: A Critical Introduction, Edited by Liz Wells - "Thinking about photography: Debates, historically and now." Search Artists: Irving Penn Martin Parr Bruce Conner Stephen Shore
Week 11		Lecture: Alternative Processes	Lab: Individual Review of experimental.
	Assignment: Experimental Printing - Solarization, Negative, Double Exposure - Choose 1 of for 3 images total. Reading:: The Decisive Moment - Cartier-Bresson Leaflet, Written for Los Angeles Museum - Edward Weston A Personal Credo - Ansel Adams Search Artists: Nick Waplington David Levinthal Duane Michaels Regan Louie
Week 12		Lecture: Presentation / Mounting	Lab: Class Critique - Experimental Prints
	Assignment: Reading/ Discussion: Selection from Ways of Seeing - John Berger Search Artists: Bernd and Hilda Bechner Andreas Feininger Sigmar Polke Karl Blossfelt
Week 13		Lecture: Visiting Artist?	Lab:
	Reading: In Plato's Cave - Susan Sontag
Week 14		Lecture: Legal / Copyright Issues Protecting your images	Lab: Class Critique - Referencial Photographs

Week 15		Lecture: Visiting Artist	Lab: Begin final printing toward portfolio presentation.
Week 16		Lab:
Week 17		Final Critique Lab: