Project Descriptions
The following is a list of projects that you may wish to include in this semester's course. Of course, other projects could be developed as well.
Photoshop Basics
Description: Student will complete a variety of exercises that demonstrate basic techniques of image manipulation in photoshop.
Technical Outcomes: Student is able to edit images in photoshop to correct color, texture, cropping or other defects, student can clone and repair damaged images and perform several “special effects” in photoshop.
Formal Outcomes: None
Conceptual Outcomes: None
Photo Basics
Description: Student will produce a variety of original photos that demonstrate common rules of photographic picture making (formal elements of photography).
Technical Outcomes: Student is able to take pictures using their camera, move the files to a computer, sort, size, combine, and name files, and create an (automated) web photo gallery, and submit all files over a LAN.
Formal Outcomes: Student is able to create images that demonstrate basic principles of composition, lighting, color, texture, and framing as they relate to photography.
Conceptual Outcomes: None.
Camera Basics
Description: Student will produce a variety of original photos that demonstrate how aperture, focal length, film speed, shutter speed and other camera and lens adjustment change the photographic image. Additionally, student may include images that demonstrate competence in RAW, Photomerge, and HDR photography.
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, in a web gallery. Images demonstrate all the required concepts.
Formal Outcomes: Although this is primarily a technical project, it is expected that all submitted images have appropriate tone, color, focus, etc
Conceptual Outcomes: Student is able to demonstrate that photography is an interpretive, rather than an objective record of light.
The Dirty Dozen
Description: Student will produce a web gallery of original photos that demonstrate photography’s power to transform as well as document visual reality.
Technical Outcomes: Student is able to capture, download, organize, rate and name large numbers of digital images, create a web gallery of a selected group of the photos.
Formal Outcomes: Student is able to create and select twelve images share few if any formal characteristics.
Conceptual Outcomes: Student is able to transform an object using light and photography without any photo-editing.
Examples of Dirty Dozen Portfolios
The Alphabet
Description: Student will produce a web gallery of original photos that represent all the letters of the alphabet.
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, in a web gallery. Images demonstrate all the required concepts. All letters are included.
Formal Outcomes: Images are photographically sound, with no errors of color, tone, light, texture, noise, cropping, etc. None of the images seem to be manipulated in the environment or in photoshop.
Conceptual Outcomes: Although this is primarily a formal project, bonus points are awarded for cleverness, such as making the letter with objects that start with the letter, or creating a “theme” for the whole thing using formal elements (color, light, texture, etc) or subject matter.
Photographic Alphabet Examples
Portraiture
Description: Student will make a series of five portrait photographs that are formally/conceptually diverse.
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, use lenses and other technology appropriately.
Formal Outcomes: Images share few formal characteristics.
Conceptual Outcomes: The photographs exhibit a range of emotional/personality traits of the subject.
Narrative
Description: Student will make a photo or series of photos that tell a story
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, use lenses and other technology appropriately.
Formal Outcomes: Although there are no specific formal requirements, it is expected that the finished print is formally sound-color, composition, value, line, texture and other formal elements are developed appropriately.
Conceptual Outcomes: The photo(s) tell an engaging story.
Photomanipulation
Photomanipulation Examples from Worth 1000
Description: Student will make a photo or series of photos/photo-illustrations that use some form of manipulation after the photograph is taken.
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, use lenses and other technology appropriately.
Formal Outcomes: Although there are no specific formal requirements, it is expected that the finished print is formally sound-color, composition, value, line, texture and other formal elements are developed appropriately.
Conceptual Outcomes: Dependent on project.
Landscape and Light
Description: Student will make a series of 5-10 landscape photographs, all of the same subject, that demonstrate the effect that changing light has on the subject.
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, use lenses and other technology appropriately.
Formal Outcomes: The effect of changing light is apparent in the series of photographs, with significant changes to the tone, color, texture, or other formal characteristics. The composition of the images should remain essentially unchanged.
Conceptual Outcomes: The landscape takes on different emotional/conceptual characteristics depending on the lighting.
Contract Photography
Description: Student will undertake a professional photographic project for a client.
Technical Outcomes: Project is completed to the satisfaction of the client, and is professionally documented.
Formal Outcomes: Although there are no specific formal requirements, it is expected that the finished print is formally sound-color, composition, value, line, texture and other formal elements are developed appropriately.
Conceptual Outcomes: Dependent on project.
Photographic Illusions
Damn Cool Photographic Illusion examples
More Photographic Illusions
Description: Student will make a series of 3-5 photographs that create illusions (without Photoshop)
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, use lenses and other technology appropriately.
Formal Outcomes: Through careful camera and prop manipulation, visual illusions are created without the use of photoshop.
Conceptual Outcomes: Dependent on images.
Abstraction
Description: Student will make a series of 5-10 photographs that have no discernible subject matter.
Technical Outcomes: Images are properly named and sized, correct format, use lenses and other technology appropriately.
Formal Outcomes: Images have no discernible subject matter.
Conceptual Outcomes: Photographs are made for abstract beauty, rather than representation.