Digital Assignment: Constructed Reality

Tentative Due Date: February 18th

You will explore the process of digital image capture of photographs of "constructed realities".  You will learn and implement appropriate camera settings.

Objectives:

• Capture images of constructed realities
• Experiment with camera controls-focus, aperture, shutter speed, exposure, bracketing, zoom
• Work with concept driven photographic imagery
• Digitally process and print digital photographs 

Final Images:  You will post 4 images to your blog that are the most effective and interesting.  Digitally process these images to make the final images.  You need to print your best image.

Definitions: Constructed reality photograph (The art of staged photography, Michael Kohler)

1. Subject to be photographed is staged, invented, constructed, arranged, or fabricated by the camera.
2. Photographer/artist creates reality, instead of finding it.

Themes for Inspiration 

(Choose 4 concepts to explore, you may expand upon an idea, check by me)

• Constructed Identity: Take on a variety of roles, testing different identities
• Constructed Performance for the camera
• Constructive Narrative Series
• Constructed miniature stage or still life
• Construct an object/installation/or wearable sculpture
• Painting, film still, poster, found image recreation
• In Camera Collage
• Constructed Vision/Perspective/Illusion
• 3D Modeling
• Light/Shadow Construction

Digital Assignment: Portrait

Description: In this assignment, you will explore the process of digital image capture of portraits.  You will learn and implement appropriate camera settings.  Treat the assignment prompts as inspiration to experiment with concept, while learning the technical aspects of image capture of portraits.

Learning Objectives:

Capture human subjects

·         Experiment and learn camera controls

·         Apply camera control settings to achieve specific results, including appropriate exposure, dof, motion blur

·         Experiment with different lighting conditions

·         Make prints from digital images

Final Prints:   Pick any four images from your contact sheet that you feel are the most effective and most interesting.  Digitally process these images and make final images.  You need to print these images and we will mount one image.  Make sure you are renaming the files and saving them under your student ID drive. 

Your photographs must include experimentation with the following:

Camera Control Settings: Shutter speed (1/8 or slower or 1/125 or faster) , zoom, large depth of field (small aperture f/11 or smaller), small depth of field (large aperture f/5.6or bigger)

Lighting: Daylight, indoor light, backlit subject, high contrast, diffuse lighting, flash lighting, light angle using one light source

Choose 4 of the following concepts for your photographs:

Background/Place/location: Capture a human subject in a place, against a backdrop, or in a location that relates to their identity.  The environment in which someone lives, exists momentarily, does not belong.  Is the person out of place? Does the space represent something about the person?

Self-Portrait: Make a photograph that tells something about you.  Body language, facial expression, multiple identities, masks, etc.

Stranger: Candid or staged photograph of a stranger

Light/shadow: Create a “portrait” considering light/shadow.  Silhouettes, shadows-how does it effect picture?

Film Still: Recreate a movie still that has a person in it.  Consider reenacting a black and white movie still.

Painting: Find a painting with a human subject or painted portrait and recreate it.

Group: Make a photograph of a group of people.  Does it capture the ways in which people live, work, or play in groups? Extended family, little league team, friends, opposites, etc

Intimate Person: Make a picture of someone you know very well.  Try to capture their “likeness”.  How will you reveal who they are?

Gender: Make a photo that reveals something about a subject’s gender.  Think about advertising, modeling, stereotypes.  Reinforce or challenge these roles?

Adornment: Costume, clothing, everyday apparel.  Set up a scene with a backdrop, make up, prop.  How is it constructed? What is your lighting? Movement? Costuming can remove the subject from their “real identity”  and be use to elevate them from their existence or mask their identity.  Capture a portrait in which you play close attention to how their apparel conveys something about them. 

Final item checklist

4 concepts and camera control/lighting experimentation for a total of about 120 photos

Photo shoots are due in two parts (2 concepts per deadline)

1^st set : end of Friday 17^th

2^nd set: end of Wednesday 22^nd

Digitally edited and on blog:  end of class Friday 24^th

Print/mount:  Monday 1/27

Four final digitally processed images printed

1 mounted photograph

Recreate a memory Due: Wednesday Jan 8 by the end of class!

Description
Reenact or recreate a memory using photography.  A specific place/location/space should be depicted in your image.  You can include people and objects, but your image should reveal your recollection of the place/space/location.  You might consider reenacting/recreating one of your old photographs.  You might consider recreating a memory of a dream.

Change in time: Your image should represent a change in time.  You can do this 1) with slow shutter speed 2) by including more than one image in the sequence 3) including an object thing or person with signs of wear/age/change 5) by including the original image from your past that you have enacted 6)another method you invent

Final Image
Place your "recreation" on your blog, titled: Memory Recreate. Write a brief statement about your memory and your recreation/reenactment.

Welcome Back to Photo 2 !!

Reminders

Pay your art fees!!!! 50 per semester to book keeper-give me receipt

If you want to transfer out of Photo 2, go to counseling office and pick up a salmon colored "Student Change Elective Form" 

Respect the space and the people 

•5 tardy rule is officially in effect, 5 hall passes

•If you do not turn an assignment in to me or post to your blog, you will not get credit for it

•No food unless you ask and are responsible

•No ear buds or phones until you hear me say, “get to work!”

When turning in assignments, you will have one grace day without penalty.  Every day after your grade for the assignment will drop a letter. 

Example  Due Date: No penalty

                  Next Day: No penalty

                  Day 3: B    Day 4: C    Day 5: D     

                  One week after due date: No credit

Assignments will fall under the same category as last semester and are as follows

Recreations

Digital Assignments: Final Prints/Images 

In Class Digital Assignments

Written Statements and Blog Entries

Contemporary and Historical Photographer Presentations

Fill your entire class time with Photography related activities!!