Semester Final - Social Justice and Peace

"We Educate for and Act on Behalf of Justice and Peace in the World"

This NDB Hallmark is an issue we all should care deeply about. What does it stand for?  What does it mean - social justice and peace?  How would you "advertise" this in a poster, looking for a reaction, a solution., even one step in the right direction? Your final for the semester is to do just that.  You will be creating a poster that demonstrates a strong, personal belief you have about Hallmark 3.

The assignment:  

1.  What issue will you photograph?  Make certain it is a compelling one.

2.  Write and submit on your blog your justification, your questions and arguments or the issue you have selected.  What would you like your viewers to react to, respond to, think about?

3.  Final due date:  December 20/21

Assignment 11 - Just what, exactly, is HDR and why do I want to know about it?

High-dynamic-range imaging (HDRI) is a high dynamic range (HDR) technique used in imaging and photography to reproduce a greater dynamic range of luminosity than is possible with standard digital imaging or photographic techniques.

by Klaus Herrmann

Your assignment:

1. Go online and research the meaning of HDR photography. Create a blogpost explaining what the term HDR in photography means and ways to achieve successful results.

2. Read this article and then make a blog post about one image that impresses you and why. Include the image in your post.  http://hdrguide.com/best-hdr-photographers

3. Photograph 5 different exposures of a landscape (on Manual) for this assignment. One at the perfect exposure, plus one and two stops underexposed and one and two stops overexposed. You will need a tripod or stable surface for this.

4. Save the images in a folder, then open Photoshop>File>Automate>Merge to HDR Pro

5. Select your five landscape images and press ok. Photoshop will compile your images into one HDR image.

6. You will probably need to do more adjustments to make it more vibrant and saturated. You should bring in cool clouds from the Internet to blend into your sky. Post to your blog with a list of the 5 exposures you used to create the image.

Due:  November 28

Assignment 10 - Text and the Self Portrait

Self portraits are the norm these days – as a matter of fact, I’m guessing you’ve already taken at least one “selfie” today already.  Now let’s see what you can do by adding in those oh-so-important things like composition, lighting, color, depth of field.  Your assignment: using the self timer and a tripod (no hand holding an arm’s length away, please!), capture an image of yourself.  Edit using Photoshop.  Be clear about your composition – you will need to consider space for adding text that conveys something about yourself. 

Critique: Write 5 sentences about your final piece and it’s meaning, obvious as it might be to you.

Due Date:  November 9, end of class

Assignment 9: Through the lens in an entirely new way…

David Hockney - a new perspective on seeing

You use your camera as your eye, documenting what you see in your mind.  Now I want you to use your camera to gain another perspective on your images.  Artist David Hockney is a painter and therefore may think of his camera as an extension of his brush.  Rather than just "point and shoot", Mr. Hockney focuses his lens and vision on his imagery as if it were a canvas he is painting in sections.

Your assignment:
1.  Research who David Hockney is.
2.  Tell me something about him as both a painter and a photographer in a paragraph or two you will be posting.
3.  Compose a photograph you will shoot using the same technique.  Use today to experiment with your camera and the assignment by shooting objects, scenes, and perhaps each other.
4.  Create your final piece in Photoshop, using the images you have taken.  Do not crop them but use in their entirety.

Due date:  November 2

Assignment 8: Will the real Aaron Siskind please stand up?

We never seem to look enough at photographers who could make a difference in the images we want to produce.  In this assignment you are going to be looking at the work of photographer Aaron Siskind.  After researching his images, you will be using your camera to shoot in his "monochrome" style, concentrating on shapes, patterns, contrast, and textures.

Post 2 of your well edited photos to your blog with the technical information.

Beneath each of your images include a well thought out paragraph describing what you see in your work that was influenced by Siskind's work.

Due Date:  October 27

What elements do you see in Aaron Siskind's images?  Pattern?  Texture?  Contrast?  Shape?
Now you take the lens and see what you can discover around you?

Assignment 7 - Nature, Inspiration, and Design

Inspiration from Nature

I've seen inspiration come in many forms.  Sometimes it comes slowly, with much thought, sometimes it comes as a flash, and sometimes it comes from a fleeting idea or image we see everyday that suddenly takes on a new perspective.

Fashion - the beauty in how fabric surrounds, the stark design that emphasizes the human form - where would your inspiration come from if you could combine what you photograph with what someone might wear?  Admittedly I've borrowed this idea but I'd like to see where you take it.  

The assignment:  find, in nature, what you might use as inspiration in an object of fashion.  It does not have to be a dress, as you see in the images above, but cold be other objects one wears.  You will need to think creatively in order to combine the two.  I do not want you to simply take a flower and make a necklace, for example.  This assignment is more about how you visualize an object from nature and rethink it's purpose as an object to wear.

Due date:  10/12

Assignment 6 - Me, myself, and I

What would it look like if you could talk to yourself?  

You know yourself better than anyone, so in this assignment you will be capturing several images of yourself in the same location, then will put them together in Photoshop to make it look as if you are relating to yourself. One of the photographs will be the base image.  Position the others to create a final image for the assignment.

Writing Critique: Post the final image, titled "Me, Myself, and I" and write both your inspiration for the final image and a paragraph on the final meaning of the photograph.

Due Date:  10/6, end of class

Assignment 5 - Wrapped Object - Art and Photography

Wrapped Coast, Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Discovering the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude is more than just trying to "unwrap" what they wrapped. The work they created as a team, both as artists and husband and wife, has spanned not only time but cultures.  For them, the purpose of their art is "simply to create works of art for joy and beauty and to create new ways of seeing familiar landscapes". Unique to other artists, the pieces "all go away when they're finished".

Your assignment:  Create a wrapped "landscape" of your own.  You will be making a piece of art with your selection of object/area/material/wrapping material, then photographing it in the studio as if it were going to be put on display in a museum.  (I want you to study - REALLY study - the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude so you know why they call their pieces landscapes.)

You are to work alone on this assignment.  Submit two ideas on your blog with the objects you have selected - remember, size does not matter - go big if you like!

Once you have the final image (please use Lightroom to fine tune your final image), post and write what you discovered about your work and the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, your inspirations, your difficulties, and ultimately what you learned about these two amazing people.

Due date:  Tuesday, September 26

Assignment #3: Barcodes rethought.

This assignment is a bit tricky.  I'll be honest, I don't know what I would do given the concept of "bar code".

I'd like you to think about what a bar code looks like, what it's used for, and what it represents as a polar opposite of nature and man.

How would you photograph the concept of this?

Due date:  September 19.

Assignment #2: Building Relationships, photographically.

by Zander Olsen

We all know what a relationship is.  We can describe it if someone asks us.  But what does "relationship" mean and look like if people are not involved?

Your assignment is to build a relationship, photographically, without the use of people or interaction of humans.  It could be a relationship between objects, between bodies of earth, between a few things or many.  In the image above, Zander Olsen, a welsh-born photographer, constructs a visual relationship between trees and the horizon.

Now it's your turn.  Create a final, portfolio-quality image that clearly shows a relationship.  Look for a creative visual, good composition and lighting, and after posting, explain your concept in a paragraph or two.

Due date:  Friday, September 1, end of class

Assignment #1: Hands/Feet

Creatively, carefully, compose a portfolio quality photograph of hands or feet.  

Black and white only.

Due:  August 21 

Assignment 11 - Lightroom Tutorials

http://www.jkost.com/lightroom.html

What do you know about Lightroom?  What would you like to know about making the images you take even more unique and interesting?  With this assignment, I'm giving you the chance to take the time to learn more.

Go to the link above and select at least three tutorials (the visual applications for this assignment please, not the organizations ones...and choose a challenging tool, not just the crop or color modification ones).  Using three different images you've captured, work through the tutorials and post both the before and after images on your blog.

What did you learn?  How did they help you improve your way of looking at your own work?  Post your comments after each of the images.

Due date:  2 tutorials due by end of class tomorrow, Friday, March 3, the 3rd due Tuesday, March 7th. 

Assignment 6: What part of Photography Mad are you?

This next assignment is going to be one of self-selection.  Go to Photography Mad at http://www.photographymad.com/  Choose two of the tips. techniques, or tutorials, and create/capture one image for each.  Post which techniques you're exploring with a short explanation of why you chose them.

Please keep in mind these are to be portfolio-quality images and should not look like sketchbook projects.  

Due date:  January 19