Digital Photography Project (10 credit points)

Pre-requisites for enrolment

Some creative and technical experience of digital or analogue photography required. You will require your own SLR digital camera with manual settings.

Special Information

Essential materials you will need to bring to the first class:

• Digital Camera with memory card (Entry level Digital SLR, Digital Hybrid ‘Bridge’ camera, or good Digital Compact Camera with some manual settings, are all suitable)
• USB cable for your camera and/or a card reader for downloading images
• Memory stick or portable drive for backing up your digital photographs
• Notebook and pen for notes and developing project ideas
• Optional: Digital camera manual if you have one - recommended if you are using a new camera

Materials and equipment provided for students as part of the course and included in course fee:

• Access to PC or Apple Computers with recent versions of Adobe Photoshop installed
• Access to basic monochrome and colour laser printers.

Essentials Materials and equipment students will need to provide themselves:
(Estimated cost: £100 - £300 depending on usage)

One or more of the following for backing up work :

• CDs or DVDs (DVD–R) USB pen drive
• Optional - External or portable drive (compatible with, or formatted for use with Apple Macs and or PCs).

For Photography sessions in class:

• Optional, but desirable - a light tripod, or ‘gorillapod’ type bendy camera support
• Optional –objects chosen by student, or props from store.

For printing and mounting work:

• 1 -3 sheets of Mounting Card or Mounting Board
• Additional prints via the college repro shop or at external printers.

Content of Course

The course teaching is delivered over weekly class sessions totalling 27.5 hours. Depending on the specific timetable of the occurrence of the course, this will either be delivered over ten weeks of 2.75 hour class sessions, eleven weeks of 2.5 hour class sessions or five weeks of 5.5 hour class sessions. Over the weeks the course will cover:

• Refresher activities in digital camera handling and photographic creative manual controls. Developing your personal project with tutor support and class discussion.
• Refresher activities in digital camera handling and photographic creative manual controls. Developing your personal project with tutor support and class discussion.
• Digital darkroom work with Photoshop, personal creative photography project and logbook work. Developing a photography project towards a book, exhibition or portfolio outcome.
• Digital darkroom work with Photoshop, personal creative photography project and logbook work. Developing a photography project towards a book, exhibition or portfolio outcome.
• Introduction to developing a personal photography project. Photography Portfolios, Books and Exhibitions. Working with a visual journal for photography.
• Introduction to developing a personal photography project. Photography Portfolios, Books and Exhibitions. Working with a visual journal for photography.
• Personal project photography work, preparing your work for print. Fine art and professional digital printing options for photography.
• Personal project photography work, preparing your work for print. Fine art and professional digital printing options for photography.
• Student Personal Project work with tutor support. Preparing and planning outcomes for mounting and presentation.
• Student Personal Project work with tutor support. Preparing and planning outcomes for mounting and presentation.
• Student Personal Project work with tutor support. Mounting and Presentation of finished photography work. Informal Crit and Group discussion of student work.

Directed and Independent study:
Students will be required to follow up and reflect on their learning from the classes through the completion of directed projects and their own independent study.

Teaching method(s)

This course will be based and delivered in specialist art studios and digital workshops and will typically include a range of practical exercises, introductions to techniques, processes and concepts, and set projects which lead to more focused and personal exploration.
Each week, students’ progress will be monitored and supported by the tutor who will negotiate and agree a ‘directed study plan’ for work to be undertaken out with the class hours each week. This will include researching a range of suggested artists or designers and their associated movements to engender a contextual awareness of the discipline being taught as well as how to annotate and evidence this within a sketchbook and practical outcomes.
Teaching will include practical demonstrations, one to one tuition, group discussions and critiques.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, through attending classes and engaging in directed and independent study, students should be able to:

RESEARCH
use visual research skills to support photography project work , demonstrating reflection and critical analysis through the production of a photography logbook.

PRACTICE
effectively plan, negotiate, develop and realise a personal photography project using appropriate digital camera creative controls and digital imaging software towards a professional digital workflow, in order to achieve photographic goals.

PRESENT
demonstrate the ability to edit, select, print, mount and present photographic work appropriate to a personal digitally-based photography project.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:
Demos, T. J. (2009) Vitamin Ph: New Perspectives in Photography, London: Phaidon Press Ltd.
Fox, A. and Caruana, N. (2012) Basics Creative Photography 03: Behind the Image: Research in Photography, AVA Publishing.
Cotton, C. (2009) The Photograph as Contemporary Art (World of Art), Thames & Hudson.
Bright, S. (2006) Art Photography Now, London: Thames & Hudson.
Barthes, R. (1993a) Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography (Vintage Classics), London: Vintage Classics.

 

Web Sources

Specific Web resources will be determined by course tutors.

Class Handouts

Course information will be provided on enrolment and handouts provided during the course.

Assessment

Details of the Art and Design assessment requirements can be found on the short course website. Please click on the following link for more information: Submission and Assessment Information

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.