Syllabus for PHO-101-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Introduction to Photography is an online distance learning course designed to help you discover and develop the skills required to use photography confidently and effectively. The course introduces you to basic photographic principles and concepts and relies on the structure of the textbook Photography, 10th ed., by Barbara London, Jim Stone, and John Upton (published by Prentice Hall). A major emphasis for the course is to improve visual awareness.

The Internet provides exciting opportunities to share rich visual experiences by viewing and studying the work of others, including professional photographers. Completion of assignments requires you to interact frequently with other participants, to work with the assigned textbook and relevant Web sites, and to apply the insights you gain to your own photography.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

On successfully completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Use an SLR camera with manual focus and settings, demonstrating command of shutter speeds, apertures, exposure, depth of field, and focusing lenses as evidenced by the photographic exercises you submit.



2. Describe camera formats and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.



3. Use image-editing tools and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the digital darkroom.



4. Apply basic rules of composition and light—including framing and cropping, choosing a subject for content, point of view, light direction, degree of diffusion, metering, and artificial lighting devices—to take quality images and to achieve a variety of effects.



5. Communicate visually.



6. Evaluate and critique images produced in relation to identified criteria (both your own images and techniques and those of others).



7. Discuss historical photographs, contemporary examples of the use of digital images, contemporary art theory, trends, and photographers.



8. Exercise aesthetic sensitivity and understanding sufficient to produce creative works showcasing competent two-dimensional image design and thoughtful content and composition.



9. Produce and assemble a cohesive body of work (twenty images) that will serve as a portfolio expressing a personal or critical point of view.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook
Photography, 10th ed., by Barbara London, Jim Stone, and John Upton (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011; ISBN-13: 978-0-205-71149-9)

Camera
You will need either a digital SLR camera or a 35mm film SLR camera that allows manual control of shutter speed, aperture, and focusing distance. A normal lens (e.g., 50 mm or 18–55 mm) is sufficient.

General note: Whether you use a digital camera or 35mm film camera, your camera needs to be "adjustable," that is, it must have, at minimum, the option of manually selecting the shutter speed, aperture, and focusing distances. Automatic cameras are acceptable as long as you can override the aforementioned automatic features and control them manually. Generally, this will entail having a single-lens reflex (SLR or D-SLR) camera with manual controls and interchangeable lenses. Fully automatic or point-and-shoot cameras without manual capabilities are not acceptable for this course.

Digital camera users: Ancillary supplies include a memory card, batteries (or rechargeable batteries and charger), and flash (if not already built in to your camera).

Film users: Expect to use about 10 rolls of 24-exposure 35mm color negative film. In addition to the cost of film, you will need access to a film processing service providing digitization of processed 35mm film.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Introduction to Photography is a three-credit online course consisting of six assignment modules and a final project. Five assignments center on a photographic exercise and its associated online participation (self-critique and subsequent class discussion). All six assignments include reading from the required textbook and a creative exercise. Module 4 also has an online discussion question.

For details on the course's six assignments, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ASSIGNMENTS

Introduction to Photography requires you to complete six (6) assignments, encompassing five (5) photographic exercises (in assignment modules 1–3 and 5–6), six (6) creative exercises, and an online discussion question in module 4. The photographic exercises involve two types of activities: (1) taking, processing, selecting, editing, and displaying photos in an online photo album (hosted by an online album service of your choice and made available to all class participants for review) and (2) self-critiquing one's photos and participating in online discussions of each other's work. The six creative exercises entail posting responses to activities on the class Discussion Board.

The Internet has a plethora of online album services, some of which also offer fine film processing services. Basic membership is often free. Possible options include:

• Flickr (www.flickr.com)
• ePhotoSpace (www.ephotospace.com)
• Photobucket (photobucket.com)
• Ofoto (www.ofoto.com)
• Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com)
• Snapfish (www.snapfish.com)

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Since we believe significant discovery occurs through studying and sharing commentary pertaining to visual materials, this course has been designed for maximum communication and collaboration among students, mentor, and contributing consultants for the course.

Our class Discussion Board includes three types of forums: (1) a "Class Lounge," where you can post comments, ask questions, and share information about course-related topics and issues at any time; (2) photographic exercise forums, where you post self-critiques of your photographic exercises and contribute constructive comments on the work of your classmates; and (3) creative exercise forums and an online discussion forum, where you post and reply to discussion threads in response to a specific activity or question.

Meaningful participation in discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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FINAL PROJECT

For the final project, you will create a portfolio of twenty (20) images that demonstrate an understanding of the techniques explored throughout the course and that express a personal or critical point of view. Accompanying the images will be a narrative (artist's statement) that:

• states the goals and purpose of the portfolio.
• explains what your images show and why you shot them.
• provides a self-evaluation of the progress you have made in the class.

A photography portfolio is a cohesive body of work that tells a visual story. The final project is your opportunity to apply the techniques and ideas covered in the course to the production of a portfolio of images whose subject is of your own choosing. You may elect to revisit and expand on one of the topics or approaches covered in earlier assignments, or you may head off in another direction entirely. The choice is yours. Your images, however, must relate to one another. In other words, your portfolio should not be a collection of your "greatest hits" but rather a formally and conceptually unified body of work.

Suggestions for Choosing Your Theme
Your portfolio, like a well-written book, should have a unifying theme. This theme can be conceptual or it can be technical. For example, your theme could be about courage, love, urban life, rural life, garbage. Alternatively you can create a theme based on photographic technicalities. For example, you could create a portfolio showcasing all of your best wide-angle work or one that displays your best black-and-white work. The themes for creating a portfolio are only limited by your own imagination. So take your time and create a themed portfolio that means something to you.

Suggestions for Choosing the Photos
Choosing the right images to put in your portfolio will be a time-consuming process. By the nature of the portfolio itself, only your best pieces should be placed within the portfolio. If you don't have too many top picks, spend some more time photographing until you get the desired results. Your portfolio is something you should be proud of, not something thrown together out of impatience and haste. Make sure that the images are in a logical order—either chronological or through mood development.

Evaluation Rubric for Final Project
Your final project will be evaluated according to the following criteria (weights in parentheses are approximate):

• attention to detail (20 percent)
• organization and presentation as a cohesive body of work (20 percent)
• how well the images convey an understanding of the concepts and functions learned in the course (20 percent)
• aesthetics (40 percent)—originality, creativity, daringness, inventiveness in use of technology, subject matter, or medium

For additional information on the final project, go to the Final Project area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for the assignments and examination are based on the following numerical grades:

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



4. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments and posting discussions. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. Since film processing times vary and may delay timely completion of your assignments, consider looking ahead to the next assignment's photographic exercise and getting a head start on it. Begin your first photographic exercise (Week 1) immediately.



3. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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