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Course Curriculum
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2004-06
Course Description/Objectives
This course provides an understanding of the basic technical and creative processes associated with photography. Topics covered include basic camera operation, film processing, making contact prints and enlargements, creative camera control and image editing, conceptual development, and slide portfolio construction. The course introduces both chemical and digital approaches to the medium. In addition, instruction is given with broad reference to the history of photography, photographic theory, and contemporary photographic practice.
Reading Material
Required -
- Horenstein, Henry. Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1983. (Purchase from your favorite retailer)
- Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1980. (Selections to be provided)
- Sontag, Susan. On Photography. New York: Picador, 1973. (Selections to be provided)
Recommended -
- Trachtenberg, Alan Ed. Classic Essays on Photography. New Haven, CT: Leete's island Books, 1980.
- Wells, Liz Ed. Photography: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge, 1997.
- Rosler, Martha. "Image Simulations, Computer Manipulations: Some Considerations." In Decoys and Disruptions: Selected Writings, 1975-2001. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004.
- Rosenblum, Naomi Ed. A World History of Photography. New York: Abbeville Press, 1997.
Teaching Methods
Teaching methods for the course include lecture, demonstration, slide presentation, discussion, individual projects, group critique, and hands-on guided practice.
Attendance/Participation
Attendance and participation are vital to the learning process and critically affect academic performance. You are responsible for making up any missed work. Please notify instructor in advance of absences if possible. Missing more than three class sessions will result in a forfeiture of the attendance/participation component of your final semester grade. Excessive absences may result in a failure of the class, regardless of academic performance.
Participation in critique is crucial–not only for purposes of defending your own work, but also for contributing feedback to your classmates. Critiques often last two days; attendance on both days is mandatory. Missing either day will yield a grade reduction of one full letter grade per assignment, regardless of whether the assignment was submitted on time.
Grading
| Attendance/Participation |
5% |
| Assignment 1: Typology |
15% |
| Assignment 2: Narrative Sequence |
15% |
| Assignment 3: Text and Image |
15% |
| Assignment 4: Fiction |
15% |
| Assignment 5: Installation/Intervention |
20% |
| Assignment 6: Photography in Film |
15% |
Letter
Grade |
Numerical
Equivalent |
| A |
93-100 |
| A- |
90-92 |
| B+ |
87-89 |
| B |
83-86 |
| B- |
80-82 |
| C+ |
77-79 |
| C |
73-76 |
| C- |
70-72 |
| D+ |
67-69 |
| D |
60-66 |
| F |
59 and below |
Completion of Assignments
Classwork must be completed according to deadline and assigned criteria. Assignments that are submitted past the deadline will be downgraded half a letter grade per day late. Work that is not attempted will receive a grade of zero.
Much of the class consists of self-directed lab time. You are expected to use your time efficiently and have adequate materials with which to work in the lab. You are also expected to work in the lab beyond normal class hours as needed to complete assignments. You must finish working 30 minutes prior the lab facility’s closing time in order to ensure proper washing and drying of prints and adequate time for return of equipment to the checkout window.
Materials
- 35mm film camera that can be operated in manual mode, with fully adjustable focus, shutter speed, and F/stop settings
- Kodak Tri-X or T-Max film (36 exposure rolls)
- Multi-grade resin-coated (RC) paper (8"x10"; Ilford or Arista recommended; expect to use 50+ sheets of paper throughout the semester)
- Plastic sheets, sleeves, and a binder/box in which to store your negatives and contact sheets
- Envelopes (larger than 8”x10”) for submission of assignments
- Latex or rubber gloves for protection against chemicals
- Apron or clothing on which chemical stains are permissible
- Towel for cleaning liquid spills
- Opaque cardboard for making test strips and burning tools
- Cardboard, stiff wire, and masking tape for making dodging tools
- Lens cleaning fluid and tissues, blower brush, soft cloth
- Canned air for dusting off negatives
- CD-ROMs or portable hard drive for storage of digital files
Equipment Checkout
Required equipment as well as optional accessories (e.g. tripods, light meters) are available from the checkout window. You must have your student I.D. card with you in order to complete the checkout process. You are responsible for the replacement cost of any damaged or lost equipment.
An extensive library of photography books is available through the checkout window. Third floor lockers may also be used for storage of supplies. A combination lock must be presented when registering for a locker.
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