Digital Photography Syllabus

Syllabus

Digital Photography
Jerry Nevins, Professor
Contact Me
773-8546 Office at Albertus Magnus College

Spring, 2006

______________________________________________________________________________________ Overview:

This course in Digital Photography is designed to develop your skills in pixel based photographic design and printing. The dream of film-less photography his finally become a reality. Printers, inks and paper have evolved that are able to not only match traditional continuous tone photographic quality, but can also extend traditional possibilities. Many darkroom activities are made easier and more powerful in the digital realm. We will use Adobe Photoshop CS2 as the primary image editing tool. Photoshop is software that allows:

"…designers and photographers to create original artwork, correct color, retouch and composite scanned images, and prepare professional-quality separations and output with more flexibility than ever before. With a wealth of powerful painting and selection tools, plus multiple layers, special effects filters, and lighting effects, Adobe Photoshop is a camera for your mind."

-Adobe products website

Course Goals: ·

To begin to become proficient at using Adobe Photoshop7.0 (8.0).

To extend the possibilities for photographic printmaking to the digital realm and to realize a mature "digital darkroom".

To develop and practice skills using digital photography tools and the Internet.

Learn the craft of fine digital printmaking using archival inks and fine papers.

Learn to shoot with digital cameras... and learn to maximize the quality of the output from them.

Topics:

Use of all tools and shortcuts in Photoshop

Proficiency in the use of all palettes

Proficiency with filters and their appropriate use

The use of curves, levels, and other image quality controls

Selections and Masks

Digital cameras, potential vs film

Film scanning: limits and potential

File size and print size

Exploration of paper, ink and finishing techniques.

Develop personal adjustment curves for fine output

The use of scale

Electronic images… their scaling and use: imaging for the internet

Assignments:

Four Fold Symmetry The extended frame... fractured, multiple shots collaged into one large image.

Panorama from multiple frames

Altered scale: Large inkjet print from tiny object(s) (The macro project)

The digital portrait

The surrealist aestheic: composited and constructed realities.

We will work toward a portfolio containing at least 12 finished prints and 12 images in electronic form illustrating the concepts and techniques learned in this course.

Academic Expectations:

Attend all classes, care about the quality as well as quantity of your creative work, help and collaborate with others in the class, communicate openly with me…. Do your best. A maximum of 3 absences is allowed, with or without a valid excuse. After that your grade will drop

Lab Fee: A $50 lab fee is assessed to cover the cost of expendable materials such as paper and ink.

Tradition of Honor: As a member of the Albertus Magnus College Community, each student taking this course agrees to uphold the principles of honor set forth by this community, to defend these principles against abuse or misuse and to abide by the regulations of the College. To this end, every student must write and sign the following statement at the end of each examination: "I declare the Honor Pledge."

Special Needs and Accommodations: Please advise the instructor of any special problems or needs at the beginning of the semester or mod. Those students seeking accommodation based on disabilities should provide a Faculty Contact Sheet obtained through the Academic Development Center in Aquinas Hall, (203) 773-8590.

Suggested reading:

Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative Use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC (Paperback) by Martin Evening "Photoshop CS2 offers major new features that will truly be of benefit to photographers everywhere..." 2006

Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One (One-On-One) (Paperback) by Deke McClelland, 2006

Real World Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Paperback) by Bruce Fraser, David Blatner 2006

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Studio Techniques (Paperback) by Ben Willmore, 2006

Photoshop CS2 Bible (Paperback) by Deke McClelland, Laurie Ulrich Fuller "Maybe you already know what Photoshop is and what it does..." , 2006

Photoshop CS2 for Windows and Macintosh : Visual QuickStart Guide (Visual Quickstart Guides) (Paperback) by Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas, 2006

Photoshop CS2 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) (Paperback) by Peter Bauer "Adobe Photoshop is, without question, the leading image editing program in the world...

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