THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
DEPARTMENT OF ART HISTORY, VISUAL ART AND THEORY
VISA 241 T2 2014– Introduction to Digital Photography
Monday 9:00-12:00
B.C. Binning rm 102
Instructor: Manuel Piña
Office location: Hut M17, room 207
Office phone: 604 822 2486
Office hours: Mondays 1 – 3 pm
Email address: manuel.pina@ubc.ca
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to digital photography techniques and image-making. Emphasis on camera techniques and image correction tools.
Conceptually, our discussions will focus on the relation of images with the real.
The course will introduce technical and intellectual skills proper to a contemporary photographic and in general artistic practice:
Good command of the technical aspects of image making
The ability to read and analyze texts that provide conceptual grounds to develop and discuss your production.
The course operates as an ongoing workshop. Class meetings will introduce topics and techniques that you are to further develop outside of class time. In-class discussions are a most important aspect. Attendance and active participation are key for your success. Meet regularly with your instructor to discuss your questions, ideas or concerns.
Learning Objectives:
By the conclusion of the course you will:
Efficiently operate your camera making creative use of its different functions.
Be familiar with basic Photoshop color correction tools and techniques.
Learn to “see” photographically (by “seeing photographically” I roughly mean the skill to mentally isolate and ponder a number of visual compositions from a given scene)
Learn to ‘read’ images by this I mean develop an understanding of the social and cultural context that influence the creation of images by incorporating some elements of visual culture.
Course Policies:
Attendance: Regular attendance to both lectures and studio classes is expected. Your success in this course depends in a great deal of your attendance and participation in class discussion. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to classes.
The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre. The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments, or completing scheduled tests and examinations. A list of religious holidays involving fasting, abstention from work or study, or participation in all-day or fixed-time activities is available at http://students.ubc.ca/publications/multifaith/. Please let me know in advance, preferably in the first week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds.
Students who plan to be absent for varsity athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated, and should discuss their commitments with the instructor before the drop date.
Questions about course content, related issues, grading, study habits, and so forth are welcome at any time.
Recommended Texts:
The fundamentals of Photography, by C.E.K. Mees: http://chestofbooks.com/arts/photography/The–Fundamentals–Of–Photography/index.html
Berger, John: About looking. New York: Pantheon Books. 1980. ISBN: 090649530X
The photographic image in digital culture. London ;New York: Routledge,1995. ISBN: 0415121566
Mitchel, W.J: The Reconfigured Eye. The MIT press, 1992. ISBN-10: 0262631601; ISBN-13: 978-026263160
Supplies:
There is a small stock of cameras available to borrow from our cage in BC Binning building but it is recommended that you acquire your own equipment.
Course work and Evaluations
The class will function as an ongoing workshop. Weekly homeworks will be the main way of experimenting and exchanging ideas with others. These will based on readings and class discussions.
There will be a final project in which you will attempt to consolidate your vision on the topics of the course.
The subject of our class (current conditions of image-creation) is one in constant change: new software, devices and sharing platforms dynamically emerge, morph or disappear. This makes ours a very exciting object of study, where experimentation and risk-taking are key to fruitful investigations.
Trial and error will be the main approach to our projects. Failures are only so if we don’t learn from them.
Your performance will be evaluated primarily on the basis of your commitment to the class and your artistic explorations (not the artistic quality of your work)
Here are the main criteria for your evaluation.
Attendance- The class plan is but a rough guide for the course. Many ideas and topics will emerge from class discussions. Missing a meeting can mean missing a valuable unplanned complement to the course.
Participation (comments in class, online). Your questions and comments are the most important contribution to the class.
Timely submissions- conversations will take place verbally, but also through images. In order for this part of the dialogue to take place it is vital that you submit all classwork by the due date.
Artistic investigation- Take chances, in any truly open exploration includes the possibility of failing. It is important that you feel free to explore new challenges and ideas.
Comments
All email and submissions must contain the student’s name and class number in the subject heading.
As mentioned before, your individual effort is essential in the successful completion of this course. The standard formula for coursework is that every one hour of class time will result in two to three hours of homework. This is significantly more in art classes. Allow yourself at least 8 hours per lesson of individual work to properly cover the related material. This would include the time spent on assigned readings, individual research (online or in the library) and work in the photo lab. Working in the photo lab will be specially demanding in the first part of the course as you need to get familiar with the processes.
Discussion and exchange are a crucial component of this class. This will be the main reference of your progress in class. Your questions and comments can greatly improve the learning process. While divergence in points of view is an important element in a discussion, extreme consideration for the feelings of others is expected.
I encourage you to communicate with me and to work out difficult questions or problems. I am always approachable, so please do not feel or assume that I am “too busy” to talk with you outside of office hours. If I am too busy at that particular moment, I will be also happy to set up a meeting as possible.