Photography Chopticon High School Instructor: Mr. Mumau

1. Photography Chopticon High School Instructor: Mr. Mumau

2. Welcome to the Visual Arts department. We hope that you will come to us with an open mind and are willing to test your capabilities and creativity. Our goal is to teach you the skills necessary to be able to sufficiently express your creative abilities.

3. Fees The fee for Photography for the year is $25.00. The supplies used in photography are very expensive (print cartridges, photography paper, mat board, etc.), therefore a fee of $25.00 is required for the year.

4. Much of the work we will complete in this class consists of work from text and in the computer lab.

5. Materials Digital Camera Students must have their own digital camera in order to take photography. Many assignments will be assigned outside the classroom, therefore you must have a digital camera in order to take the course.

6. Materials Students are required students bring their camera to school. It is the student’s responsibility for securing their camera. The school system is not responsible for any stolen property due to students leaving their cameras unsecured.

7. Materials Notebook You will need a notebook for taking notes, lessons, schedules, and/or doing writing assignments.

8. Assignments This class does not consist of strictly taking “snapshots”. The following are the basic components of assignments we will be working in the class. You will be expected to complete these assignments during a regular marking period:

9. Assignments Written Work Worksheets on the elements and principles of art.

10. Assignments Written Work Formal art criticisms of photographs taken by well-known photographers. Dorothea Lange

11. Assignments Formal art criticism Description Pure description of the object without value judgments, analysis, or interpretation. Form of art whether architecture, sculpture, painting or one of the minor arts. It answers the question, "What do you see?" Size and scale of work (relationship to person and/or frame and/or context) Medium of work whether clay, stone, steel, paint, etc., and technique (tools used)

12. Assignments Formal art criticism Analysis Selection of most distinctive features or characteristics whether line, shape, color, texture, etc. Determining what the features suggest and deciding why the artist used such features to convey specific ideas. Determination of subject matter through naming iconographic elements, e.g., historical event, allegory, mythology, etc. Analysis of use of light and role of color, e.g., contrasty, shadowy, illogical, warm, cool, symbolic, etc. "How did the artist do it?"

13. Assignments Formal art criticism Interpretation Establishing the broader context for this type of art. It answers the question, "Why did the artist create it and what does it mean?” The various elements that constitute interpretation include: Interpretive Statement: Can I express what I think the artwork is about in one sentence? The various elements that constitute interpretation include: Main idea, overall meaning of the work. The various elements that constitute interpretation include: Evidence: What evidence inside or outside the artwork supports my interpretation?

14. Assignments Formal art scriticism JUdgement Criteria: What criteria do I think are most appropriate for judging the artwork? Evidence: What evidence inside or outside the artwork relates to each criterion? Judgment: Based on the criteria and evidence, what is my judgment about the quality of the artwork? Judging a piece of work means giving it rank in relation to other works and of course considering a very important aspect of the visual arts; its originality. Is it a good artwork?

15. Assignments Written Work Photo Critiques Practically every assignment will be accompanied by a Photo Critique. This is a written systematic analysis of your particular photograph.

16. Assignments Written Work Written work and worksheets from the following texts;

17. Assignments Computer Lab “Classroom in a Book, Adobe Photoshop 7” lessons. There are approximately 13 lessons. Each lesson takes approximately 2-4 class periods to complete.

18. Assignments Contact Sheets This is a daily grade and is reflective of your time and commitment to the assignment on a day by day basis. The photographic assignments are also evaluated on the contact sheets submitted for each assignment. For each day of shooting (on assignment) students will be required to submit a contact sheet using Adobe Photoshop and submitting this contact sheet electronically to the instructor.

19. Assignments Photographs When on assignment you will be expected to be taking photographs and following the assignment. Students not following instructions on assignment will be restricted to A113 and the court yard for all future assignments. Performance based work with the camera using the elements and principals of art. These assignments include photographs on composition, space, shape, texture, still life photography, and portrait photography.

20. Assignments Photographs Some of the assignments/themes we will be photographing include; Line Double Exposure Texture Photomontage Circles and Ovals Blurred Motion Perspective

21. Assignments Photographs Some of the assignments/themes we will be photographing include; Water Old Things Text and Image Glasses and Bottles Conceptual Photography

22. Assignments Photographs There will also be various portrait assignments, including; Detail Side-lit Prop Hands Mood Soft-lit

23. Assignments Matting and mounting photographs.

24. Performance Based Tasks You will be expected to perform the following tasks while a student in photography in order to pass the course: • Understand computer operations, menus, and commands • Present projects effectively, which includes: cutting mat, using razor knives, using various adhesives and any other materials used to effectively present your finished work. • Read and Write effectively • Use a ruler and measure correctly • Manipulate digital camera menus and settings

25. Late Work • You will be expected to turn work in on time. • After the due date, missing work will go into HAC as a Zero • If you are absent (excused) during an assignment, you have five days to turn in the assignment without penalty. • If you are absent (unexcused) during an assignment, you will be expected to turn in the assignment ON TIME. • If the assignment is not turned in on time, you have a three day grace period. After the three day grace period, you will be penalized 10% of the assignment total score for each week the assignment is not turned in.