Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus

Spring 2020

Art141/Vis150 Introduction to Digital Photography

Course Format

 On-Campus: Mon. 2pm-4:50pm, RSC 309

Instructor's Name and Contact Information

S. Scott Tilton

Primary Contact: Please use the conversations tool within Canvas. Otherwise, steven.tilton@nsc.edu
Office Location: Please contact instructor for the best location to meet.

Instructor's Office Hours

Office hours by appointment. Please contact instructor to schedule..

Email and Classroom Response Time

Students can generally expect a response to emails within 24-48 hours (or slightly longer on weekends or holidays). Feedback for completed discussions, quizzes, and assignments is dependent upon the length and breadth of the activity and could take up to 10 days. For questions on the status of a completed assignment, discussion, or test please contact your instructor.

Required Text(s)

Title: N/A

Required Supplementary Material

For this class we will be using DSLR cameras, with a functionality exceeding that of point-and-shoot and mobile phone cameras.

You may check out a camera or use your own. The Visual Media program has a number of Canon DSLR cameras that are available for use. Checkout periods are typically 2-3 days. If you are using your own, as a minimum standard, the camera must have full manual mode (‘M’ on the dial) which will allow you to control aperture and shutter; presumably, any camera with full manual mode will also have all of the other functionality required for the class (such as ISO and white balance control). The camera must also be equipped with a lens that permits manual focus and allows for variable focal lengths.

You will need to purchase an SD card (if you don’t already have one for your own camera). These are available from Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon and many other stores. SD cards are classified by storage size (in GB) and speed (class number, which can be found in the little circle). The minimum recommendations for this class are 16GB, class 10.

It is also strongly recommended that you also bring a flash drive (at least 32GB recommended) or external hard drive for backing up and keeping your images. You will have access to a shared drive during the semester, but if you would like to back up your images and keep the pictures you take once the semester is over, having your own storage will be necessary. Failure to properly store and back up your images may affect your grade if files are lost or corrupted. 8/22/2019 Syllabus for ART 141 001 - Introduction to Digital Photog - Sp19 https://nsc.instructure.com/courses/2489200/assignments/syllabus 3/7

For photo editing, we will be working in Lightroom, Photoshop, and/or Google Nik. Lab time and instruction will be devoted to learning this software, although for touching up your own prints you are welcome to use other software you may have at home. For the first half of the semester, however, NO PHOTO EDITING IS PERMITTED. As we will be focused on learning how to use the camera, it is important that all work is done in-camera and not adjusted in post.

Printing

Students will be required to print one image at 11x17. Printing can be done online or at a local shop, and the print can usually be obtained for around ten dollars. A selection of work produced in the class will be featured in the student gallery on the third floor of RSC.

Course Description

In this course students will learn the basics of digital photography, including camera function, photographic processes, picture-taking strategies, and aesthetic concerns. This is a studio-based production course, in which class time will consist of lectures, demonstrations, tutorials, and critiques. We will also periodically move into the studio or outside the classroom for location shoots. As much as possible, we’ll use a hands-on approach to learning the camera and software, so please bring your camera to each class session.

Course Objectives

By the conclusion of the course, you should be able to:

• Identify the components and functions of a DSLR or DMC camera
• Define and utilize basic photographic adjustments (including ISO, aperture, focal length, and white balance) to take manual photographs
• Demonstrate a knowledge of advanced camera settings (such as shutter and aperture priority modes) and photographic techniques (such as producing deep and shallow depth of field)
• Produce creative and meaningful images which incorporate an understanding of photographic aesthetics
• Edit photographs using Lightroom, Photoshop, and/or Google Nik

Class Schedule

The weekly schedule of lectures, exercises, and assignments can be found under the Modules tab.

NSC Assessment Program Information

NSC's Outcome: Develop communication abilities

Level: 3

Course Objectives: Produce creative and meaningful images which incorporate an understanding of photographic aesthetics

Assessment and Key Performance: assignments, projects

Through photographic assignments, students learn how to communicate visually with anticipated and actual viewers in terms of content information, style, expressivity, etc

NSC's Outcome: Develop critical thinking abilities.
Level: 2

Course Objectives: Identify the components and functions of a DSLR or DMC camera; Define and utilize basic photographic adjustments (including ISO, aperture, focal length, and white balance) to take manual photographs; Demonstrate a knowledge of advanced camera settings (such as shutter and aperture priority modes) and photographic techniques (such as producing deep and shallow depth of field); Edit photographs using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop

Assessment and Key Performance: assignments, exercises, quizzes, projects

Full utilization of a DSLR camera and managing muliple complementary settings to produce a variety of effects requires significant technical knowledge, effective planning, and critical problem-solving

NSC's Outcome: Develop effective citizenship.
Level: 1

Course Objectives: Produce creative and meaningful images which incorporate an understanding of photographic aesthetics

Assessment and Key Performance: assignments, projects

Students are expected to be conscientious in their choice of subject and representational strategies, which will be included in workshopping sessions

Assignment Description and Due Dates

Quizzes: Quizzes will be given periodically to gauge your understanding of key principles and terminology, and help guide your reading.  As a general rule, expect quizzes to be structured in a short essay format.

In-Class Work: In-Class assignments will be smaller projects, often group oriented, and similar to your weekly homework projects, but smaller in scale.  These serve to allow the instructor to work with you in order to address any difficulties you may be having in regard to understanding the material.

Discussion Boards: Occasionally, assignments may have discussion boards paired with them, in order to help you develop your skills in a collaborative manner between classes.  Participation in these will be graded separately from the homework project itself.

Homework Projects: These will be larger projects, designed to help you grow as a photographer, and will be presented to and critiqued by your instructor and classmates upon completion.  Generally, you can expect to have one due each week of class, typically structured around the material presented the prior week.  These are expected to demonstrate your CURRENT best effort, so that your instructor can address any difficulties you may be having, and help you to continue to grow as a photographer.

Exam Description and Due Dates

Students should expect a midterm exam and a final exam. The material for these exams will be comprehensive, and structured in a manner similar to prior quizzes.

Assignment and Exam Late Policy

Homework Projects can be submitted up to one week late, at an automatic point decrease of 25%.  Late work will only be accepted after that in extraordinary, documentable cases (such as hospitalization, death in the family, etc). Likewise, in-class work (in-class projects, quizzes, exams) will only be accepted late in extraordinary, documentable situations.  If you are aware of an upcoming conflict with an assignment due date, please make prior arrangements with your instructor to complete the work that you will miss.

Grading Criteria

Homework:

Homework will graded as follows (point values will be DOUBLED for final project):

Minimum Requirements - 50pts Each assignment will have a list of minimum requirements that need to be met, with points evenly divided across the requirements, totaling 50pts.

Presentation/Critique - 30pts This portion of the grade measures your ability to apply concepts, as well as deliver and receive critique.  When presenting your project each week, you will be expected to explain how you applied the relevant concepts.  Additionally, you will be expected to accept critique from your fellow students, as well as deliver constructive critique for your fellow students' presentations.

Effort/Artistic Value - 20pts As this is an art-centered class, some portion of grading is inevitably subjective, and this is that portion. What I'm looking for here is as follows:

• Did you give the project your best effort, or did you simply throw it together at the last minute?
• Is there purpose behind the artistic choices you made? 
• If you chose to bend one or more of the principals we've covered, was it done with purpose, and do you understand why bending that principal does or does not work for the specific circumstance?
• Is your work attempting something honest and original, or are you simply trying to imitate work you've seen elsewhere? 

In-Class Work:

In-Class work will generally be group exercises related to the topic of the day, and will typically be worth 50 points, pass/fail.  The expectation is that all students participate and work together to complete the task. The instructor will be on-hand to assist with any difficulties.

Discussion Boards:

Discussion board assignments will occasionally be attached to Homework, as an additional task to supplement the project.  Point values will vary depending on the complexity of the task, but will never exceed 50pts.

Quizzes/Exams:

Both quizzes and exams will be structured around a short essay format, where you will be provided with terminology, and asked to explain it in your own words.  Point values will vary from quiz to quiz, but will typically fall in the 30-50pt range.  Exams will be worth 100pts.

Extra Credit:

There will be two opportunities for extra credit during this semester, the first around Halloween, and the second around Thanksgiving. Point values TBA.

Grading Scale

Letter and Point Range

A 93% or higher

A- 90%-92.99%

B+ 87%-89.99%

B 83%-86.99%

B- 80%-82.99%

C+ 77%-79.99%

C 73%-76.99%

C- 70%-72.99%

D+ 67%-69.99%

D 63%-66.99%

D- 60%-62.99%

F less than 60%

Student Success Concerns:

If the instructor determines your performance in this class is placing you at academic risk, you may be referred to a member of the Academic Advising Center. An Academic Advisor will work with you to address issues and develop a student success strategy. Regardless of whether a referral has or has not been made, you are ultimately responsible for tracking your own progress in this course. If you would like to meet with an Advisor regarding any academic struggles you are experiencing, please contact Academic Advising at 702-992-2160 or at studentsuccess@nsc.edu

NSC Policies

Students are responsible for reading, understanding, and abiding by the policies set forth in the NSC policies page including the Academic Standards.