Photography & Graphic Design
Rodriguez Media
Class Assignments
Assignment: Safety
Due Dates
Handouts
Safety is an important part of the darkroom lab experience. The chemicals and processes are not extremely dangerous as long as all students understand what chemicals they are using and follow the instructions for proper handling. If we can do this then the darkroom experience should be fun and exciting for everyone.
Assignment: Understanding the Camera
There will be an in class lecture on the parts of an SLR camera, how to use a 35mm SLR camera and important exposure techniques when working with a 35mm SLR camera. At the end of the lecture there will be short quiz to check for understanding.
Project: Rule of Thirds/D.O.F.
Rule of thirds is a basic technique that will help you to compose your image in an interesting way. Divide the frame into thirds, both vertically and horizontally then make sure the most important parts of your image fall onto those dividing lines.
Depth of Field allows the photographer some control of the scene. The aperture, lens, and the distance to the subject control depth of field. Whether you choose to create an image with a shallow or great depth of field will depend on the goal of your photograph.
Due Dates
Negatives: 12/11
Contact: 12/16
Enlargement: 12/19
Project: Light & Form
Due Dates:
Negatives: 1/8
Contact: 1/9
Enlargement: 1/15
Photographers, like other artists working in two-dimensional mediums, lack the ability to physically recreate an object in three dimensions, so we must rely on visual clues to make our images look as if they are three dimensional.
Project: Trashed to Treasured
Due Dates:
Negatives: 1/16
Contact: 1/17
Enlargement: 1/21
When working on this assignment, your job is to capture the beauty of something neglected. You will need to find an uncared for subject and create an image from a new and interesting perspective, highlighting the subject’s forgotten magnificence.
Project: Environmental Portrait
Due Dates:
Negatives: 10/22
Contact: 10/23
Enlargement: 10/25
When working on this assignment, your job is to capture your subject's personality. You will need to find what makes a person who they are and capture that through a camera lens.
Project: Compositional Study
Due Dates:
Negatives: 2/5
Contact: 2/6
Enlargement: 2/11
First and foremost, “composition” describes placement of relative objects and elements in a work of art. Consequently, composition is a key aspect of a good work of art. There is hardly a way to overemphasize the importance of composition.
Project: Motion
Due Dates:
Negatives: 2/12
Contact: 2/13
Enlargement: 2/18
Photographs, by definition, capture and immortalize a small slice of life. There is little for the viewer to infer what happens before or after that moment. However, there are images that need to communicate motion. For example, you may want to capture a dog running, a train barreling down the tracks, or trees that are blowing in the wind. Each of these scenes can come alive within your photographs if you learn how to convey motion properly.
Exam Project: Summation
Due Dates:
Negatives: 3/2
Contact: 3/2
Enlargement: 3/2
This project is meant for you to show me what you have learned about photography and the techniques you have learned in this class throughout the trimester (Composition, Print quality etc.). It is also an opportunity for you to be creative and investigate a new subject or idea that you have been interested in capturing. You have complete artistic control of this project. Your job is to create an amazing photograph to show off your skills!