Syllabus  - Photo 100 - Fall 2006
Saturday Class

Introduction to Black and White Photography
Raymond Elstad: Instructor
e-mail ...Dancing_Brush@hotmail.com
phone... 760-943-7496
http://www.dancingbrush.com/photo100.htm

Blue Text  is a link to the Assignments and Handouts!  

In this class you will be expected to fill out for each assignment an Exposure Data Sheet and an Assignment Data Sheet.

Week 1 - August 26

Introduction to course,  Materials Required, procedures and goals.  Bring Cameras to class for the next two weeks. We will discuss the changing nature of photography and ways to be IN photography. We will discuss making cameraless images - "photograms."

Homework: for next Wednesday: "Favorite Photo" - Bring a photocopy of a photograph that you like, one you have taken, taken by someone you know or from a book or magazine. Write a short paragraph about it explaining why you like it using some of the "Language of Photography" from the handout.

Homework: Who Are You?   (Assignment # 1-a)  Write a concise (one or two page) narrative piece about yourself as per handout. Due next class session.

Reading: Chapter 16 "Seeing Photographs", (pages 341 - 362) you will find page 362 particularly helpful.

Slide show:  on Photograms

In Addition: Read all that you can about photograms. Search the internet for "Photograms", Man Ray and Laszlo Maholy-Nagy. Look at web sites on handout.

Read about:  Photograms  (Assignment # 1) in the Barbara London "Photography" book (pages 298 - 299) and COLLECT OBJECTS to make Photograms on 9/2.

Handout: Grading; Expectations; Etc.

This first week there will be no lab.

 

Week 2 - September 2

Lecture in the Darkroom: There will be a demonstration/discussion on Etiquette and Safety along with Darkroom procedures. There will be a Photogram demonstration.

Lab: Make Photograms. Bring your materials to make Photograms.

CLASSROOM

Bring your Camera! We will be discussing aperture and shutter speeds (exposure), film loading and unloading, camera care, metering, ISO, and films. 

We will share our "Favorite Photo" and consider the photographic terms used to discuss images. Hand in the paragraph on the photo along with a photocopy of the image.

Read before next Wednesday: "Getting Started" Chapter 1 and "Camera" pages 15-29 which covers shutter and aperture use. 

Handout: Print Processing.

 

Week 3 - September 9

Lab: Continue to make photograms and Mount Photograms

CLASSROOM

Bring you Camera again! We will continue to discuss camera controls and exposure (aperture and shutter speed and how they work together), as well as depth of field.

Handout: Talking About Negatives  

Assignment #2 "Exposure" will be given out. We will work on Assignment #2 during class so bring a roll of 400 speed film.

Assignment #3 given out: "Depth of Field"

To Read: before the next class: "Light and Film" (Chapter 4, pages 71 - 89) and "Lighting" (Chapter 12 pages 259 - 265) and "Exposure" (Chapter 5, pages 98 - 111)

 

Week 4 - September 16

Demo and Lecture: Film Developing. Bring your exposed film for Assignment #2 to develop!

Demo: Dry Mounting Photographs

A most amazing resource on film processing with information on chemicals, times etc.
http://www.digitaltruth.com/     Click on    <The Massive Dev Chart>   then, Select a Film and click on Display Data.

CLASSROOM

Lecture: Printing, Making the Contact Sheet

Handout: Primary Printing Controls

Read: for next Wednesday: "Printing the Positive" (Chapter 7, pages 135 - 148) and "Finishing and Mounting" (Chapter 8, pages 163-169)

Read: Review information from previous chapters (and your notes) for the Quiz Saturday September 30th... week after next!

 

Week 5 - September 23

Field Trip to California Center for the Arts

Meet at the entrance to the theater at 9:00 A.M. Bring cameras, film, note pad.

Visit the  California Center for the Arts web site for directions and information.

 

Week 6 - September 30

Lab: Print "Exposure" (Assignment #2), Develop and Print Assignment #3.

CLASSROOM

Critique: Assignment #1 is due! The Photogram (It should be mounted). Hand in Photogram, in an envelope please with your name on it.

Lecture: Contrast, Dodging and Burning In (along with tool description).

Assignment: "Dodging and Burning Tools"  

Handout: Dodging and Burning Tool Construction

Lab: Work on "Depth of Field" (Assignment #3).

Read for next week: "Hard to Meter Scenes" (pages 108 - 109).

Critique: Assignment #2 is due! Mounted and handed in (in an envelope).

Surprise Quiz #1: It will cover camera controls (aperture, shutter speed), the nature of light, film, film speeds, metering and depth of field.

Lecture: Composition. 

Assignment #4 "Composition" given out.

Handouts: There is some overlap in the following handouts from slightly different perspectives. It can be said that one can never know too much about composition, however.
Handout #1, #2, #3

 

Week 7 - October 7

Lab: Work on "Composition" (Assignment #4)

Read: for next Tuesday: Lenses (Chapter 3, pages 39 - 63).

Classroom

Critique: "Depth of Field" Assignment #3 is due! Mounted and handed in (in an envelope).

Lecture: Lenses

Handout: Lenses

A great treatise on lenses by Philip Greenspun of Photo.net can be found at: http://www.photo.net/making-photographs/lens

 

Week 8 - October 14

Lab: Work on Assignments.

CLASSROOM

Lecture: Lighting, exposure, metering difficult scenes

Assignment #6 "The Subject is Light" is handed out.

 

Week 9 - October 21

Lab: Work on "The Subject is Light" (Assignment #6).

CLASSROOM

Critique: "Composition" (Assignment #4) is due! Mounted and handed in (in an envelope).

Lecture: Cameras and tripods, existing light

Read: "Choosing a Camera" (pages 30-35)

 

Week 10 - October 28

Lab: Finish "The Subject is Light" (Assignment #6).

CLASSROOM

Lecture: Filters, focusing and flash.      Filter Handout 1        Filter Handout 2

Flash Handout

Assignment #7 "Research Paper" or "Quote" is handed out.

Assignment #8 (Point of View) is handed out.

 

Week 11 - November 4

Field Trip to MoPA The Museum of Photographic Arts
Meet at 9:00 A.M. at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. We will shoot for two hours and then have a docent guided tour of the current exhibitions at 11:00 A.M.

 

Week 12 - November 11

Lab: Finish "Point of View" (Assignment #8) or "Quote" (Assignment #7).

CLASSROOM

Critique: "The Subject is Light" (Assignment # 6) is due! Mounted and handed in (in an envelope).

Read: "History of Photography" Chapter 17 (pages 367-392).

Surprise Quiz 2! May cover anything we have discussed or read up until now.

Final Project  is discussed and handed out.

"Push Processing Handout" is, well, handed out.

Lab: Work on "Point of View" (Assignment #8) or "Quote" (Assignment # 7).

 

Week 13 - November 18

Lab: Work on final project.

CLASSROOM

Lecture: "Brief History of Photography".

 

Week 14 - November 25 - NO CLASS!

 

Week 15 - December 2

Lab: Work on final project.

CLASSROOM

Critique: "Point of View" (Assignment #8) is due! Mounted and handed in (in an envelope).

Open Lab: last hour.

"Research Paper" or "Quote" (Assignment #7) due! Share your knowledge with the class!

Lecture: Simple portraits, Available light, Fill Flash, Reflectors.

Open Lab last hour.

 

Week 16 - December 9

Lab: Work on "Portfolio Project".

CLASSROOM

FINAL EXAM!

Open Lab: last hour.

Critique: Final Project Due! All portfolios are due today, in a box or case please.

The Final Project WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LATE!

 

Week 17 - December 16

Final Class. I will return all work.