Course Description

This course teaches students who have no prior knowledge of photography the techniques and processes of acquiring, manipulating and outputting digital photographic images, using Adobe Photoshop CS3, and how to begin to use the medium of photography to expand their personal vision. Through their own work, and by studying the work of influential photographers, students will acquire an analytical framework (within which they will develop their own creative skills) and an understanding of the visual language of photography in order to realize their own ideas through this medium. By the end of the course, students will have both developed an understanding of photographic language and acquired a more critical eye in evaluating and reading the photographic image. They will also have gained insight into the place, use, creation and presentation of photographic images in the media and, more generally, society. Their acquired technical skills will include the correct use and operation of digital cameras and the use of the computer to edit, control, and manipulate their own images for view on the web and to produce top quality prints for display and evaluation. All students will participate in an end-of-term art show that is open to the broader community.

Course Materials

Camera: a digital camera 6 mega pixel minimum.

Memory Devices: External Hard Drive, recommended to store photographs, create backup , and archive your work. If students wish to use their own laptop commuters in class, the minimum system requirements are:  2GB Ram, CD/DVD ROM drive, and 20 Gigabytes of available hard-disk space.

Complete Digital Photography, 4th Edition, by Ben Long
Photo Icons:  The Story Behind the Pictures, by Hans-Michael Koetzle