FA 385 Digital Imaging

Instructor: Harrison Higgs
Office hours: M, W 11:45 - 12:15
MMC 102N
higgs@vancouver.wsu.edu

This is a studio based course which investigates the principles and processes of digital imaging including-- cameras, scanning, software, color management, and printing. The course content will be delivered in the form of lectures, demos, visual aids, and tutorials. You will use the digital camera as a tool for seeing the world anew, for creative thinking, and as a way to represent your understanding of a concept. You will learn the process of digital photography and how it relates to the end product, and be able to analyze your own work (and others') in an effort to improve your skill set and grasp of contemporary photography. We will practice verbal peer critiques, discussions on readings, and writing about photography.

Important concepts and skills covered in the course:
> image capture, processing, and editing (using Adobe Photoshop CS4)
> exposure and tonal control over the image
> workflows and color management
> digital test strips, proofing, and high-quality output
> developing a conceptual orientation to your photography

____________________________________________________COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Required text:
Criticizing Photographs by Terry Barrett
Digital Photography by Eismann, Duggan, and Grey (Peachpit Press)

Further reading:
The Creative Digital Darkroom by Eismann and Duggan (O'Reilly Media)

see Resources webpage for full bibliography

Grading
contact sheets: 25%
prints: 25%
journal and participation: 12.5%
final portfolio: 12.5%
exams: 25%

Late work will be docked three points for each class past the deadline.

Contact Sheets-- Contact sheets are print-outs of multiple images on a single sheet. Unlike a traditional contact sheet from the days of film photography, your contact sheets will be edited down to the better exposures. Your photography will be graded on craftsmanship, but also on originality and/or conceptual complexity. Craftsmanship means how well you execute skills such as composition, exposure, your control over depth of field, color management, and print quality. Conceptual concerns and originality are what you bring to the discipline, your contribution to photography. There are many fine practitioners of photography which we will study as examples of meaningful work, conceptual complexity, and unique visions.

Prints-- Your prints will also be evaluated on the criteria desribed above, but will put additional scrutiny on the print quality, color fidelity, tonal control, and finally your choice of image (which is part of the editing process).

Journal and Participation:
Participation does not mean simply to meet the minimum requirements; instead it is an honest effort to engage with course materials and develop as a scholar. The largest share of your participation grade will come from class discussions and from your electronic journal. The journal is a place to base your investigations, outline your ideas, notes, images of inspiration, etc. This collecting and organizing of resources will be self-driven, so it is up to you to prove your engagement and level of scholarship. I will be giving you a few directed assignments for the journal as well, but the bulk will be of your own design. The electronic journal will be collected and graded twice. What I am trying to assess is how involved you are with your work, evidence of reflective thinking, problem solving, and appreciation of process. One deficiency I often see in these journals is-- only describing what you did on an assignment, without a critical analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the work. Another one is that you will have a good idea, but then no follow through.

Exams-- The examinations will test your comprehension and retention of the readings, demonstrations, lectures, and major themes of the course.

Attendance-- We all have families, jobs, medical appointments, and unforseen emergencies. It is none of my business why you need to miss an occasional class or arrive late (or leave early), so do not report to me your schedule conflicts. Set your own priorities and live with your decisions.

You are allowed four absences without any penalty. For each absence beyond that, your final grade will be lowered 3 points. If you frequently arrive late or leave early, this too will count against your final grade. If you miss more than twenty minutes of a class period, it's considered an absence.

We will use the standard grading scale.
A ..... 93-100
A- .... 90-92
B+ ... 87-89
B ..... 83-86
B- .... 80-82
C+ ... 77-79
C ..... 73-76
C- .... 70-72
D+ ... 67-69
D ..... 63-66
D- .... 60-62
F ...... below 60

Supplies

The most convenient way to transport digital files from one location to another is flash memory, also known as a "thumb" drive, jump drive, or keychain storage. These are miniature USB drives that hold roughly between 32 MB - 2 GB.

Computers do occasionally break down. A handful of CD-R discs for archiving or backing up your work may be useful as well, but not required. You may not store work on the network drive, which is to be used only for turning in assignments, and for shuttling files around when flash memory is less convenient. Keep the network drive clean and lean.

The lab fee primarily helps to defray the cost of software upgrades, but also for consumables such as ink and paper for the inkjet printers, for the laserprinter, cutting blades (the studio's knives and paper cutters), and other miscellaneous supplies.

Class website
http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/higgs/cl/fa385/index.html
(This is also linked from my faculty homepage.) I will use this space to update the class calendar, distribute assignments, post online resources and visual aids, and for other miscellaneous uses.

Note-- You should be putting in roughly five hours per week outside of class practicing your skills and refining your work. It's a lot like practicing a musical instrument; you cannot expect to get good if you don't practice. So practice, practice, practice...

Your attention please!
Cell Phone ringers turned off during class and no text messaging. Also, no ipods during class time.