DEPARTMENT: Technology
COURSE NUMBER: 628
COURSE TITLE: Digital Photography
Technology Standards:
Standard 1. Demonstrate proficiency
in the use of computers and
applications as well as an understanding of concepts
underlying
hardware, software, and connectivity.
Standard 2.
Demonstrate responsible use of technology and an
understanding
of ethics and safety issues in using electronic media.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is an introduction to
the basic use of digital cameras, photos, and image manipulation. Students will
learn how to cover proper lighting, use appropriate camera settings, and other
techniques to make the most of their personal photos. Students will learn how
to use the Adobe Photoshop program to enhance and alter their images to create
lasting effects. This course is offered semester 1 only and meets four times
during the eight-day cycle.
METHODS USED: This course is designed to allow
students to be full participants in the learning process. It addresses all
types of learning styles and emphasizes the concepts of peer editing,
presentation skills, and collaborative learning. Group activities, projects,
and periodic tests will be given to assess student’s skills. A reference book
will be supplied to assist students with the material being taught, and
curriculum integrated projects will be assigned to relate the usefulness of the
course to other disciplines within the curriculum.
MATERIALS: There is a reference book with
related activities associated with this topic. Students will be given handouts
for all projects with a corresponding rubric for assessment.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Students are expected to have all
of the necessary materials and required resources and complete all class projects,
homework, and assignments on a timely basis.
EVALUATION AND GRADING: Evaluation is based on projects,
assignments, class participation, presentations, and homework completed.
Generally, a test or project will be assigned each week that covers a topic for
grading purposes.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course,
students will:
·
Enhance
their presentation skills by demonstrating their projects
·
Develop
collaborative learning skills.
SEMESTER I: COURSE SYLLABUS
I. Introduction: Digital Photography
II. Composition and Style
III. Shutter Bugs
IV. Photoshop Elements
V. Portfolio
CURRICULUM
Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 - Unit 1 Digital
Photography:
I. Introduction
II. Class expectations
III. Discuss: Where Photographs will be
stored and displayed
IV. Introduce Digital Photography Terms
a. Lecture,
Handout, and Graphics
V. Lecture: Introduce the Generic Point
and Shoot Digital Camera
a. Each student
will take some time to discover the parts of her own camera.
VI. Introduce the SLR (Single Lens Reflex)
Digital Camera
a. View
finder more accurate than LCD
b. Optical
lenses interchangeable
c. Greater
resolution
d. Greater
flexibility with traditional photographic techniques:
Hot Shoe
Flash
Magnification
Ratio
e. Camera
review
f. Quiz #1
VI. Discuss procedure to move image from
camera’s media into the computers.
a. Introduce
archival procedures in terms of file naming, backup and retrieval
VII. Lecture: Photo Composition and Design
a. Quiz
#2
b. Photo
Project One:
Submit six photographs with critic per each photograph
describing and defining your Point of View through your use of the Landscape
Mode, Portrait Mode,
Sports/Action
Mode, Night Landscape Mode, Night Portrait Mode,
Close Up Mode
Explain in detail what your composition and design concept
was in terms of the following:
Focal point
Background
Foreground
Discussion: Did your concept work
the way you thought it would?
Did your concept work better or
worse than you expected?
What parts of the concept were
easily achieved?
What parts of the concept were the
most difficult to achieve?
Special
Project Grade 1
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 1
Enter your
own definition of the different automatic mode settings on the camera. Noting
what worked, what needed more worked how fluent you feel you are with these
modes.
Cycle 3 - Unit 2 Digital
Photography: Composition and Style
I. Discuss Photography as a Medium
a. What
makes photography different from art?
b. What
makes photography different from music?
c. What
media outlets are available for photographs today that were not available 10
years ago?
d. What about Myspace?
e. Ansel Adams vs Annie Liebowitz Web quest report
II. Discuss: Style and Composition
a. Symmetrical
b. Radial
c. Diagonal
d. Overlapping
e. Framing
III. Discuss Background and Foreground
a. Back
Ground and how it is used
b. Foreground
and how it is used
c. Review
IV. Discuss Orientation
a. Landscape
b. Portrait
c. Quiz
#3
d. Photo
Project Two
Submit ten photographs total
Five of the same subject with two different
orientations
Use each of the compositional styles for one of the
photographs
Critique your favorite photo of this group in terms of
background, foreground and your point of view.
Special
Project Grade 2
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 2: Enter Definitions
Cycle 4 - Unit 3 Digital
Photography: Shutter Bugs
I. Lecture and Handout: Introduce Focal
Length
a. Review
b. Quiz 4
c. Photo
Project Three:
Submit three photographs representing each lens type. (Wide
angle,
Special
Project Grade 3
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 3
Enter your
own definition of the three lens types
II. Discuss
Exposure Controls, Shutter speeds, Aperture Settings, Reciprocal Relationships
a. Review
b. Quiz #5
c. Photo
Project Four
d. Submit and
critic two photographs.
Photo
1, Action of the subject be stopped, background be blurred
Photo
2, Action of the subject be blurred, background be in focus.
Submit three other photographs (variations of the first
two), using and documenting different aperture settings.
Special
Project Grade 4
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 4
Make notes of how shutter speed
really works for you
Can you truly stop a subject in action? Can you freeze a
background? Could this be useful? Could a frozen background afford more weight
than usual from a compositional point of view?
Could this move into foreground considerations?
III. Lecture and Handout: Depth of Field
a. Manipulation
of Depth of Field
b. Lens Focal
Length
c. ISO
settings and the camera’s sensor’s relative sensitivity to light
d. Review
e. Quiz
#6
f. Photo
Project Five
Submit two photographs.
Photo
1, Landscape Mode of classmate
Photo
2, Portrait Mode of classmate
Photo
3: Landscape Mode of Fontbonne Foyer from top of driveway
Photo
4: Portrait Mode of Fontbonne Foyer from top of driveway
Photo 5: Shot with ISO set at Maximum to create noise, then continue with successive shots, decreasing the ISO
setting until the noise dissipates.
Special
Project Grade 5
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 5
Make notes on the effect of depth of
field.
Realize that we were using only automatic modes when
experimenting with it. Go into manual mode and conduct your own experimental
shots manipulating the depth of field.
Note what effect the depth of field can have of the composition
of the photograph. Note what effect the ISO can have on photographic
composition. Is noise always an unwanted effect?
Cycle 5 - Unit 4 Digital
Photography: Photoshop Elements
IV. Lecture and Handout: Introduction of the
Digital Darkroom
a. Quiz
7
b. Photo
Project Six
Submit
one photograph in duplicate demonstrating the variations in:
Brightness Levels
Color Adjustments
Color Temperature
Color tone
Contrast
One filter
Special
Project Grade 6
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 6
Make notes
on the difference between:
Brightness Levels
Color Adjustments
Contrast Adjustments
Filters and lighting
effects
Document
the combination of options used in the exercise above. Knowing how the software works in combination
is crucial to an understanding of Photoshop
V. Lecture and Handout: Introduction to
Effects with Scale
a. Discuss
color photographs vs, black and white photographs
b. Explain
how to use Photoshop shop to eliminate color and add depth to the various
layers of the photograph to accomplish a sophisticated black and white shot
c. Photo
Project Seven
Take
a photograph of the front of Fontbonne
Take
a photograph of a small doll or child
Position
the child (doll) holding the Fontbonne building
Submit
the Photograph in color and in Black and White
d.
Review
e.
Quiz
#7
Special
Project Grade 7
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 7
Define your
personal approach to color vs. black and white photography. Realize in the digital darkroom it is
possible to have part of a photograph be in color and the rest of it in black
and white. List the steps one would need
to do to accomplish this.
Note any
steps you found helpful in accomplishing the scale effect of this project. Did it matter which image was sized first?
What about image placement in terms of composition and style? As the photographer, was your point of view
supported by the scaling, or did the scaling result in a different point of
view than originally planned?
VI. Lecture and Handout: Introduction to
Distortion Effects and Effects with Filters
a. Review
b. Quiz
#8
c. Photo
Project Eight
Submit
three photographs describing and critiquing the options described in the above
topics.
The label
example: Shoot an ad campaign type photograph of fruit still life that could be
use as the cover of a fruit jar. Label the photograph with a false company
name.
The funny
face example: Take a shot of a stuffed animal one would have. Make the shot more fun by distorting the face
to make it funnier, (not scary or demonically possessed).
The pickled
sheep example: Shoot a photograph of a
clear water glass. Consider the
background when setting up this shot.
Experiment with the glass being full or empty, maybe ˝ full? Add into this photograph a shot of a musical
instrument. Place the instrument into
the glass of water, adding the title “Water Music” to the photograph.
Special
Project Grade 8
Photographer’s
Journal Entry 8
Go through
the project 8 material and critic it in order of importance to you. Which of the options did you find to be most
useful to achieving your point of view and why?
Cycle 6 - Unit 5 Digital
Photography: Portfolio
VII. Lecture: What is a Portfolio and how to accomplish
this task
a. Portfolio
Project Nine
The
portfolio is the outcome of this course. It is the alternative and final
assessment for the student and should be taken very as such. As this course is one semester long all class
work (Journal, Quizzes, and Photographic Assignments) will be completed by
Christmas break. Work will not be
accepted after Christmas break. During
Christmas break students will have the opportunity to shoot as many pictures as
they would like as possibilities for their portfolios.
Work to
complete their portfolios can be done after returning from Christmas
break. Portfolios are due the first day
of finals in January 2007
Portfolio
should include:
Minimum of 10, Maximum of 15
Photographs
Printed in 8 by 10 inch format
Minimum of 3, Maximum of 5 Black and
white Photographs
Pay attention to the Point of View and to the Composition
and Style of your Photographs