Foundations of Photography: Digital Practice

Course Description

Summary

“What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time,” writes John Berger. In this beginning-level studio course, students will learn the raw materials of light and time—using a digital SLR camera, managing and editing digital image files, scanning film negatives, and making high quality inkjet prints. Class time will be structured around group critique, printing, peer-to-peer presentations, one-on-one meetings, and artist lectures. The aim is for students to master the core technical skills required so that they can begin to investigate and articulate their own personal photographic vision, culminating in a final, coherent series of (at minimum) 10 inkjet prints supported by a formal artist statement. Throughout the course, ample time will also be spent highlighting significant photographers, past and present, so that students can begin to place their work within the context of photographic history and contemporary concerns.

Please note that a Mac-compatible external hard drive and inkjet photo paper are required for this course, and regular access to the digital photo lab on campus is expected. Students do not need to have their own DSLR cameras or printers.