Syllabus  - Photo 100 - Spring 2007
Tuesday/Thursday Class - 8 AM to 10:50 AM
Introduction to Black and White Photography
Raymond Elstad  Instructor
http://dancingbrush.com/syllabusspring07.htm
e-mail Raymond ...Dancing_Brush@hotmail.com
phone... 760-943-7496

Blue Text  is a link to the Assignments and Handouts!  

Tuesdays are Lecture Days and Thursdays are Lab Days
On short lecture days be prepared to print in the Lab!

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

Week 1 - January 16 & 18

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 also known as "photograms."

Homework: for next Wednesday: "Favorite Photo & Least Favorite Photo" - Bring a photocopy of a photograph that you like and one that you don't like from a book or magazine. Write a short paragraph about it explaining why you like/dislike them 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 Photogram handout below.

Read about:  Photograms  (Lab Exercise # 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.

January 18 - Thursday

CLASSROOM

Bring your Camera! We will be discussing aperture and shutter speeds (exposure - more than going to a public place in a trench coat!), 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 class: "Getting Started" Chapter 1 and "Camera" pages 15-29 which covers shutter and aperture use. Also read pp. 39 - 68, "Light and Film" (Chapter 4, pages 71 - 89) and "Lighting" (Chapter 12 pages 259 - 265) and "Exposure" (Chapter 5, pages 98 - 111)

Student says, "Darn, they sure are heaping on the reading!" Instructor responds, " It will lighten up soon after you've mastered the basics, after all this class is about having fun making images not spending one's life reading about it".

Week 2 - January 23 & 25

Lecture - More about Exposure

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 #1 "Exposure" and "The Subject is Light"  will be given out,  Due September 26.

Assignment Data Sheet - an assignment data sheet is required for each assignment and must be included in the envelop with the required images and a proof sheet.

Lecture - Light, it's always about light in photography.

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.

Handout: Print Processing.

To Read: Chapter 16, Seeing Photographs pp. 340 - 363

Week 3 - January 30 & February 1

Demo and Lecture: Film Developing. Bring your exposed film for Assignment #1 to develop!

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, a Developer, and click on Display Data.

Lab: Work on Light assignment in lab

CLASSROOM

Lecture: Composition. 

Assignment #2 "Composition" given out, due October 3rd.

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 4 - February 6 & 8

CLASSROOM

Lecture: Printing, Making the Contact Sheet

Handout: Primary Printing Controls

Lab: Work on making contact sheets.

Read: for next week - "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 Surprize Quiz #1 during Week 6... week after next!

 

Week 5 - February 13 & 15

On the 15th there will be a field trip to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Meet at the entrance to the theater at 8:00 A.M. Bring cameras, film, note pad. We will work until 10:30 in order that you will have enough time to return for an 11:00 class should you have one.

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

Lab: Work on Assignments.

Demo: Dry Mounting Photographs

 

Week 6 - February 20 & 22

CLASSROOM

Critique: Assignment #1 Exposure, The Subject is Light.

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

Assignment: "Dodging and Burning Tools"  

Handout: Dodging and Burning Tool Construction

Lab: Work on Assignments.

Read for next week: "Hard to Meter Scenes" (pages 108 - 109) and "Lenses" (Chapter 3, pages 39 - 63).

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

 

Week 7 - February 27 & March 1

Lab: Work on Assignments.

Classroom

Critique: Assignment #2 (Composition) 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 - March 6 & 8

Lab: Work on Assignments.

CLASSROOM

Lecture: Lighting, exposure, metering difficult scenes, Depth of Field.

Handout : Lighting

Assignments #3 Depth of Field and #4 Research Paper or Quote given.

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

 

Week 9 - March 13 & 15

Lab: Work on Assignments.

CLASSROOM

Lecture: Cameras and tripods

 

Week 10 - March 20 & 22 - Spring Break, No Classes This Week - Have a Great Vacation!

Week 11 - March 27 & 29

Lab: Work on Assignments.

CLASSROOM

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

Flash Handout

Week 12 - April 2 & 5

Assignment # 5 Portraits is discussed and handed out

Final Project  is discussed and handed out

Lab: Work on Projects

Week 13 - April 10 & 12

Lab: Work on Assignments

CLASSROOM

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

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

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

"Research Paper" or "Quote" (Assignment #4) due! Share your knowledge with the class!

Assignment #3 (Depth of Field) is due mounted and handed in in an envelope.

 

Week 14 - April 17 & 19

Lab: Work on final project.

CLASSROOM

Lecture: "Brief History of Photography".

 

Week 15 - April 24 & 26

Lab: Work on final project.

CLASSROOM

Critique: Assignment #5 (Portraits) is due handed in mounted and in an envelope.

Open Lab: last hour.

FINAL EXAM!

Lab: Work on Final Project

 

Week 16 - May 1 & 3

Work in Lab both days this week

 

Week 17 - May 8 & 10

Tuesday will be a lab day this week.

Thursday Critique: Final Project Due! All Final Projects are due today, in an envelope.

The Final Project WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED LATE!

 

Week 18 - May 15 & 17

There will be no class on Tuesday as I shall be grading your final project.

Final Class. I will return all work on Thursday.