Assignments

PROJECT 1

6 CHARACTERISTICS 

John Szarkowski in “The Photographer’s Eye” identifies the following characteristics as the key elements of a photograph:

1) The thing itself refers to photography providing representation of the world. Is it possible to take a true picture? Is it possible to capture a moment? Does any photograph objectively represent the world it displays.

2) The detail is the way a photograph can tell a story without telling the whole story. The details you choose to photograph make you the narrator. Photography has the ability to reveal meaning in what might have gone unnoticed.

3) The frame is where you choose to begin and end the photograph. What are you including? What are you leaving out? Why? The composition can be formal or loose, close-up or far away, straight on, from above, from the side. There are infinite possibilities, but what and how you frame are intentional choices that you make as the artist. Make sure you are purposeful with your framing and can explain why you chose to frame the photograph the way you did.

4) Time is a fascinating element in photography. Not only can the photograph freeze time, but it can document it, render it, expose it, distort it, subject it, and reveal it. Not only can time be a subject of the photograph, but it is also inherent to the physical process of the photograph. The amount of time you expose the negative will give you very different results.

5) Vantage Point is otherwise known as perspective and is not always in our control as photographers. When we can be intentional about the vantage point, the photographs often reveal a very different world than we are accustomed to seeing. This can function in many ways – graphically, poetically, politically, etc.. How does the vantage point change the viewer’s relationship to the subject of the photograph? How are you implied in the vantage point?

6) Light is the most elemental of all photographic concerns. Translated, photography literally means “light-writing”. The process of capturing photographic images pivots solely on the negative’s exposure to light. As a result, light both makes the process possible and can act as a powerful tool in addressing the poetic, metaphoric, allegorical or psychological.

ASSIGNMENT:

Make 6 photographs that address the thing itself, the detail, the frame, time, vantage point, and light respectively. Please shoot at least 60 images in total (or 10 images for each of the six characteristics). You’ll be presenting (digitally) your 6 edited PSD files with layers – one for each of the above categories.

FOR CRITIQUE YOU NEED:

All RAW FILES 60+ (DNGS)

PSDS 10 (UNFLATTENED)

JPGS 10 (FLATTENED 72dpi @ 2000px on the long edge)

Label each of the 10 final images according to the element of photography that they represent

PROJECT 2

INFRA-ORDINARY

After reading George’s Perec “Approaches to What,” find every letter of the alphabet in the world and make a picture of it. While searching for your letters I want you to wander and make note of mundane objects that strike you for some reason. Photograph those as well. Your project will result in one collage of every letter of the alphabet and a set of 5 Infra-Ordinary images on one theme (of your choice). Critique will be Thursday, February 20th and Tuesday, February 25th.

YOU NEED:

All RAW FILES (DNGS) (in your hard drive NOT in our google drive)

PSDS for each your 5 Infra-Ordinary Images (UNFLATTENED)

JPGS (FLATTENED 72dpi @ 2000px on the long edge)

ARTIST STATEMENT (1 page double spaced)

PROJECT 3

ABSTRACT VS. CONCRETE

Add Info about photo collage/stitching.

Goals: Learn how to place multiple images on a a canvas, opacity changes, & masking.

Critique will be Thursday, February 20th and Tuesday, February 25th.

YOU NEED:

All RAW FILES (DNGS) (in your hard drive NOT in our google drive)

PSDS for each letter AND each of your 5 Infra-Ordinary Images (UNFLATTENED)

JPGS (FLATTENED 72dpi @ 2000px on the long edge)

ARTIST STATEMENT (1 page double spaced)

PROJECT 4

PORTRAITURE

Photograph the same model two different times, two different days with a variety of backdrops and kinds of light. 10 edited images are due at crit with three prints (any size) of your favorites.

YOU NEED:

All RAW FILES (DNGS) (in your hard drive NOT in our google drive)

10 PSDS (UNFLATTENED) (These can be from either shoot)

JPGS (FLATTENED 72dpi @ 2000px on the long edge)

1 Contact Sheet PDF for each shoot

ARTIST STATEMENT (1 page double spaced)

3 Prints (pick your favorites!)

PROJECT 5

AT NIGHT

DUE: APRIL 21

Choose and research a photographer and answer these questions in addition to shooting 50 digital photographs. 15 of these images will be edited. You’ll be presenting a Google Slide show virtually via Zoom. 

1.     Give a brief biographical description of the photographer.

2.     Choose seven or more photographs from the photographer’s images. Describe these images. What is the subject matter? What do the photographs communicate? Why do you think the photographer took the picture? These images will be at the beginning of your presentation.

3.     What do you think of the photographer’s work? Why did you choose this person? What about their work do you like/dislike? Why? Have they changed your view of photography and/or how you photograph?

4.     Talk about what aspects of your photographer’s style you incorporated into your photographs. Did you like this assignment? Did you have any difficulties you’d like to share?

YOU NEED:

All RAW FILES (DNGS) (in your hard drive NOT in our google drive)

15 PSDS (UNFLATTENED)

JPGS (FLATTENED 72dpi @ 2000px on the long edge)

1 Contact Sheet PDF for each shoot

ARTIST STATEMENT (1 page double spaced)

1 GOOGLE SLIDE SHOW WITH NOTES IN PRESENTER NOTES SECTION

PROJECT 6

IN THE STYLE OF…

DUE: APRIL 21

Choose and research a photographer and answer these questions in addition to shooting 50 digital photographs. 15 of these images will be edited. You’ll be presenting a Google Slide show virtually via Zoom. 

1.     Give a brief biographical description of the photographer.

2.     Choose seven or more photographs from the photographer’s images. Describe these images. What is the subject matter? What do the photographs communicate? Why do you think the photographer took the picture? These images will be at the beginning of your presentation.

3.     What do you think of the photographer’s work? Why did you choose this person? What about their work do you like/dislike? Why? Have they changed your view of photography and/or how you photograph?

4.     Talk about what aspects of your photographer’s style you incorporated into your photographs. Did you like this assignment? Did you have any difficulties you’d like to share?

YOU NEED:

All RAW FILES (DNGS) (in your hard drive NOT in our google drive)

15 PSDS (UNFLATTENED)

JPGS (FLATTENED 72dpi @ 2000px on the long edge)

1 Contact Sheet PDF for each shoot

ARTIST STATEMENT (1 page double spaced)

1 GOOGLE SLIDE SHOW WITH NOTES IN PRESENTER NOTES SECTION