Digital Photography

Art 82 - Section# - Santa Rosa
Summer 07

Location:
Room 1261

Class Schedule:
Lecture / Lab, Mon.- Thurs. 4:00 - 9:00 PM
Office Hours by appointment.

Instructor:  John Sappington - john@basearts.com

ANALY HALL - ART COMPUTER LAB HOURS

Mon./Wed. -
Tues./Thurs. -



Overview

Schedule
Resources


 
 

Course Syllabus

Online Syllabus (this page): http://www.basearts.com/L2-pages/currentsyllabi1.html
Outline: http://www.basearts.com/curriculum/DigPhotoOutline.htm

DESCRIPTION:

This course is an introduction to approaches and techniques of digital imaging with a focus on the use of the digital camera and Adobe Photoshop. The course will cover the technical and practical aspects of the digital camera, and the use of image editing software (Adobe Photoshop), covering traditional darkroom concerns and exploring the technical particulars and aesthetic potential of digital photography.

This course will present and overview of digital imaging techniques as applied to the art of photography. Traditional and new electronic photographic methods are studied as a vehicle to understand the implication of this medium as an art form. Emphasis is placed on the creative process while exploring electronic image making as a means of communication used by contemporary artists.

Outcomes and Objectives:

Explore digital photography.
Understanding and applicable use of the tools of digital and electronic photography.
Employ creative thinking skills in assessing visual images
Develop skills in manipulating photo images with new tools
Examing past work for aesthetic and technical mastery.
Practice aesthetic criticism

Topics and Scope:

Synthesize digital tool manipulation with photographic images.
Produce work using a variety of digital equipment.
Investigate how digital tools change photographic images.
Analyze the work of current artists and designers using these tools.

Assignments:

1. Scanning Techniques
2. Digital Camera Operations *manual
3. File Management Practices
4. Printing Procedures
5. Text and Image, Alternative approaches to graphic use of photographic materials
6. Presentation Methods *Web/Internet

Recommended Technical Texts:

"Photoshop CS2 for Windows and Macintosh", Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas, Peachpit Press 2005
www.peachpit.com

"The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers", Scott Kelby, New Riders Publishing, 2005
www.scottkelbybooks.com

Alternate Technical Texts:

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

Photography
, Revised Edition, Henry Horenstein, Russell Hart Prentice Hall

"The Photoshop Book for digital photographers", Scott Kelby, New Riders Publishing, 2003
www.scottkelbybooks.com


Required Supplies / Equipment:

A 2 Megapixel (or greater) digital camera is required.

Students are required to obtain backup media to store class example files and work in progress.

Optional media types are:

- 100MB/250 Mb Zip disks

- CD ROM/DVD-R, Write-once or Re Writable: Approx. capacity 700+MB

- Flash cards, memory sticks, etc..  

Students are also required to have an e-mail account.  This can be accessed through the lab and may be a free account like those available from Hotmail, Yahoo, Freemail, Excite, etc.  The instructor will assist students in obtaining an e-mail account if necessary.  Students will be expected to check this e-mail account at least twice a week.  General class announcements will be reported via e-mail.

EVALUATION:

20% of student grades will be based on class participation. Students must attend class in order to effectively participate.

70% of student grades will be based on the completion of assignments. These assignments will not be graded for skill or content, but will be evaluated for technical completion.

10% of the student grade will be determined by the final portfolio presentation.

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, please notify the instructor.  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.


Digital Photography
Schedule

(subject to change)
Photography Resources
http://www.basearts.com/resources.html


Day 1

Syllabus Overview Expectations, Requirements, Objectives, Best Practices.

Assignment:

  • Bring in a minimum 5 images in any form to the second class meeting- representing your interests, motivations in photography.
  • Email john@basearts.com with your current email address
    - include SRJC Digital Photo and your section number in the subject line.
  • Locate and Read Camera Manual - Cover to Cover
    Begin JOURNAL of questionable functions, settings, usage.
  • Set Camera to highest resolution / lowest compression.
  • TURN OFF THE FLASH!
  • Bring Camera to second class meeting with cables (usb/firewire), or card reader.
Reading:




Artists:



Sites:

Northbay Photo Supply (Santa Rosa, based photo supply)
http://www.photosupply.com
location map
http://www.photosupply.com/aboutusindex.htm

Freestyle Photographic Supplies
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/e_main.php

B and H Photo Video
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------

Masters of Photography - Good starter site for Analogue Masters
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/

Lomographic Society
http://www.lomographics.com

Camera Reviews


http://dpreview.com
www.steves-digicams.com
http://www.keh.com

 
Day 2

Lecture:

Digital Technology

Camera / Scanner
Scanning Procedures

Transferring images from camera/media to system.

Begin fundamentals of camera technology.

Lab:

Establish Home Directories
--------------

Files Server: 10.42.0.65

Login: art82
Password: Art82x


--------------
Work with camera connection / file transfer

Assignment:

Shooting in Low Light without a flash.

Feel free to experiment, try to find the lowest level of light possible to render a readable image.

Depending on what you may or may not know regarding ISO, experiment with this setting in your camera as well.

Artists:


Sites:


Digital Camera Review - Technical Glossary
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/Camera_System/


LOCAL GALLERIES:

A Street Gallery
312 South A St., Santa Rosa

Arts Council of Sonoma County
529 Fifth St, Santa Rosa
www.sonomaarts.com

Sonoma County Museum
425 7th Street, Santa Rosa
www.sonomacountymuseum.org

Santa Rosa Junior College Art Gallery
Bussman Hall, Santa Rosa

Sebastopol Center for the Arts
6780 Depot Street Sebastopol
www.sebarts.org

SF Camerawork
http://www.sfcamerawork.org

Robert Koch Gallery
http://www.kochgallery.com/

Fraenkel Gallery
http://www.fraenkelgallery.com
49 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
Map
Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 10:30 - 5:30
Saturday: 11 - 5
(415) 981-2661 p.
(415) 981-4014 f.
mail@fraenkelgallery.com

Haines Gallery
http://www.hainesgallery.com
49 Geary Street, Suite 540
San Francisco, CA 94108
Hours
Tuesday - Friday 10:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday 10:30am - 5:00pm
Tel: 415-397-8114
Fax: 415-397-8115
info@hainesgallery.com

Urban Digital Color / Gallery 16
http://www.urbandigitalcolor.com/gallery16/galleryframe.html

Day 3

Lecture:

Camera Operation - Exposure basics

Photoshop Introduction

  • File Browser - Bridge
  • File Types, Format
Lab

First File Transfers

Assignment:


---
Objects for Scanning
- 3 Dimensional Objects as well as prints or flat art that you may want to digitize.

Review Historical Photograms/Montage works:

Photograms and Montage Samples

Reading:


Artists:

Cera Hensley
www.cerahensley.com

Sylvie Dakota
http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k89/sylvied/

Lucas Taylor
http://www.lucasiandynamics.com/



Sites:


Photo Sharing

http://www.dpchallenge.com
http://www.flickr.com/
http://www.slide.com
http://www.kodakgallery.com/
http://www.snapfish.com/
http://www.shutterbook.com/home/
http://www.deviantart.com/
http://www.zoto.com/


-- Blue Pixels (www.bluepixel.net)
-- Extensis (www.extensis.com)
-- GretagMacbeth (www.gretagmacbeth.com)
-- Lexar (www.lexar.com)
-- Nik Multimedia, Inc. (www.nikmultimedia.com)
-- Wacom Technology (www.wacom.com)

Day 4  

Lab

  • File Browser - Adobe Bridge Intro
  • Photoshop Intro



Lab:

Bracketing Exposures -

3 Subjects - 3-5 exposures for each with alternate exposure.

1st exposure according to meter reading.
2nd + .5 half step greater aperture/shutter selection or more exposure (over)
3rd + 1 whole step (full stop) greater aperture/shutter selection (over)
4th .5 half step smaller aperture/shutter selection or less exposure (under)
5th - 1 whole step smaller aperture/shutter selection or less exposure (under)

------------------------

Experiment with White Balance Bracketing.



Reading:




Artists:



Sites:

Day 5 07.02

Lecture:

Zone System Introduction: Practical
Fig 1
Fig 2


Camera System Intro

Lab:

Review Low Light Images



Wikipedia Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_System





Reading:

Hiroshi Sugimoto - exhibition at the de Young in SF.


Artists:

Ansel Adams
Robert Frank
David Hockney

John Maeda

http://www.wikipedia.org
http://www.google.org <--- select images
http://www.rhizome.org

 

Day 6
07.03

Lecture

Lecture
:

Photoshop:

  • Contact Sheet
  • Automation Tools



Lab:

Fireworks continue the low light and bracketing work.

Reading:




Artists:



Sites:


07.04 Independence Day Holiday

Day 7
07.05

Lecture

Photoshop:

  • Photoshop Intro Cont.
  • Size / Resize / Resolution
  • Layers Palette Introduction
  • Adjustment Layers

 



Fireworks Review

Assignment:

Depth of Field
3-5 Images which illustrate the side effects of aperture selections.

Aperture:
Fig. 1
Fig. 2


Motion / Blur
3-5 Images which illustrate the side effects of shutter speed / time value selections.

Shutter / Time Values:
Fig 1


Adobe Instructional Resources Pages
http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/main.html





Reading:




Artists:

Annie Liebovitz
Susan Sontag
John Baldessari


Sites:

My fireworks:
http://www.basearts.com/work/07fireworks/

Day 8
07.09

Photoshop:

  • Levels Adjustment Layers
  • Curves - Adjustment Layers
  • Channel Mixer- Adjustment Layers


    Shadows and Hightlights
    Working with layers as masks

PS Best Practice #1 - Duplicate the pixel based background layer as first step on opening a .jpeg.

  • Working with and around Selections
    Information / Histogram
  • Photo Filters- Adjustment Layers
  • Sharpening
    Unsharp Mask
  • History Brush

    PS Best Practice #2 - All adjustments to adjustment layers - no pixel damage.





Reading:




Artists:



Sites:

 


Day 9
07.10

 

Portfolio Review/ Interviews:
Mid-WAY Interviews - 5 pnts
The midterm interview is mandatory and = to a shooting assignment.


Evaluation Form <--click here
(Please Complete and Submit from your home system)

Photoshop:

  • Compositing
  • Blending Options

  • Roxio Toast

    CD and DVD Burning

Lecture:

    Assignment:


 


Reading:




Artists:

Val Telberg
Clarence John Laughlin

Michael Lesy - Photo Historian/ Photo Archivist


Sites:

Writing With Images
Introduction
Imagetext, Multiples, and Other Mixed Modes:
http://courses.washington.edu/hypertxt/cgi-bin/12.228.185.206/html/wordsimages/wordsimages.html

http://courses.washington.edu/hypertxt/cgi-bin/12.228.185.206/html/tablesall.html



Day 10

07.11

Lecture:

    Photoshop: Printing

 

Assignment:

    Critique - 5 pnts.
    - present best 5-10 images / contact sheets submitted
    within home directory under "contacts".


 

Reading:




Artists:



Sites:
Day 11 07.12

Lecture:


Lab:

Visiting Speaker

Karl Mc Jimsey - Digital Inkjet Printing/Profiling/Continuous Ink Systems


Printing Demonstration - Epson R1800 / 1280 Printer Drivers
Printing continues through to the end...

Device/Paper Profiles - additional resources

Color Field Guide - how to install and apply
Epson's ICC Profile Guide

Red River Paper -How to Install and apply profiles.Epson(PC)
Red River Color Profiles -How to Epson(MAC)

Reading:




Artists:



Sites:

Day 12
07.16

Lecture

Composition

-
tone

-color
-light
-balance

-line
-framing

Lighting

- Utilizing Ambient Light
- Backlight
- Flash Modes


Photoflex - Lighting Resources Catalogue and Lessons


Lab:





Assignment:
2-3 prints - 5 pnts. - 8x10 minimum


Reading:

Sites:

B&H - Flash Gel and Diffusion Samples

This book has alot of filters for diffusion.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=45184&is=REG

This book has more colors.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=45189&is=REG

Only have to pay $.01 plus shipping ($4), no gimmick.

Day 13
07.17

Lecture:



Lab:

Printing

Reading:



Artists:


Sites:

Day 14
07.18

Lecture

 


Lab


Printing

Reading:




Artists:



Sites:

Day 15 07.19

Lecture:

Batch and Automation techniques

Internet Distribution

  • Image Ready
  • Optimization

Legal / Copyright Issues

Protecting your images
Respecting the work of others

Lab

Reading:

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that offers flexible copyright licenses for creative works.

http://creativecommons.org/

Electronic Frontier Foundation
http://www.eff.org

Intellectual Property Online: Patent, Trademark, Copyright

http://www.eff.org/IP/

U.S. Copyright Office
http://www.copyright.gov

Digimarc
www.digimarc.com
http://www.digimarc.com/mypicturemarc/

The Free Expression Policy Project
http://www.fepproject.org/fepp/fairuseintro.html

Artists:

Sites:


Day 16  

Lecture:





 

Lab

Final Critique


Presentations of selections from individual portfolios 10-20 images. = 10 pnts

Final Exam is here --> TEST

Reading:




Artists:


Sites:

Photography consultant and educator MARY VIRGINIA SWANSON
:
http://www.mvswanson.com/