ART 328 Studio Photography Monday Nights 6:00-9:30

3 credits 4 contact hours PreReq ART 108 & ART 208 or by Permission of the instructor
Fundamental techniques of studio photography; art and physics of lighting; image processing and printing; view camera handling; contemporary principles and theories of studio photography; scheimpflug principle; inverse square rule of light; and specialized photographic lighting techniques. 

WARNING Strobe lights may cause epileptic seizures. If you are epileptic, please drop the course.

Textbook:

Light sample chapter Free

Studio Photography essential skills
John Child FREE!

OR

Light: Science and Magic, Any Edition
An Introduction to Photographic Lighting 3 ed By Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua and Fil Hunter

Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Recommended Readings: ASMP Professional Business Practices in Photography

Photographic Lighting: Essential Skills Third Edition ISBN: 0-240-51964-7

Studio Photography: Essential Skills Third Edition
ISBN: 0-240-51979-5
Focal Press 

Course Objectives:

  To introduce students to professional photographic lighting and the range of cameras utilized in studio photography. The student should become proficient in lighting, camera handling, and creative thinking. The entire course will be created from your imagination and not found. You will begin with an empty studio and construct your projects from scratch. 

Conduct:
Read the studio conduct handout

Be prompt for class.  Anyone arriving more than ten minutes past the start of class will be counted as absent.  Three lates equal one absence.  Three absences constitute a failure for the entire course.
Homework assignments must be ready for grading on time.  Every class an assignment is late will count as a full grade markdown. If you are absent, I must see your assignment the following class. All of the work you submit for grading must be your own. You may not download images, annimations, or any other material/graphics/text off of the web. As well, you may not scan material from books or magazines to use in your assignments. Any assignment containing any such material will automatically receive a failing grade. I may request evidence of your creative process - therefore, save and have available any source material that you produced - photographs, sketches, items that you scanned, etc, as well as any intermediate digital files. By doing so, you protect yourself from undue scrutiny.
Papers: do not plagarize your work. The bulk of your papers must be your own words/thoughts. You may quote source material, but this may not comprise more than 20% of your paper. You must provide footnotes and a bibliography if you reference any outside sources. If I catch you plagarizing, you will automatically fail the entire course.
***Please send me an email at terry.towery@lehman.cuny.edu with your name and the course for which you are registered in the subject line so that I have a way of contacting you if necessary.  

Grading:

10% Oral presentation
25 % Weekly assignments & Weekly assignments for second Timers & 3rd Timers DESIRE assignment
10% Lighting Log / visual diary
15% Scheimpflug Large format assignment
40% Final Portfolio of semester long self directed project as discussed in class 

Materials:

see supplies list

 Links of interest:
Adorama Pix

light
100 photo tuts

strobox
strobist lighting 101
Premade Photoshop icons
Large Format Photo
PDN
,

 

Topic 

weekly reading/assignment

Week 1 

 Intro supplies studio etiquette & safety

Examples slide show
Imaging Chain review

Coiling cables

Understanding Flash Synch speed

Bring in at least 10 examples of studio photography that you are interested in. 

Bring in examples of your previous work that you are proud of. 

MAP Create a map of your creative influences. The first layer should be at least three artists that you admire the most. The second layer would be artists that influenced them etc... You can also add non visual artists after thte first three (eg musicians, poets, authors, political activists etc.).

read ch 1 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Week 2 

SIngle point lighting demo

The art and Physics of lightlighting demo
Hard, soft, direction, quality, color temperature
Characteristics of Light:
Source, Intensity, Quality, Colour, Direction, Contrast 

Aperture/shutter
Power
Syncing
- Light modifiers
Soft boxes
Umbrellas
Beauty Dish
Fringing
Lighting diagrams 

Photograph the thing and its opposite

FIRST TIMERS-Bring in at least 6-10 examples of studio photography that you are interested in. 

second timers- bring in Five kinds of Light and examples of studio photography

MAP Create a map of your creative influences. The first layer should be at least three artists that you admire the most. The second layer would be artists that influenced them etc... You can also add non visual artists after thte first three (eg musicians, poets, authors, political activists etc.).

Light modifier assignment due in 2 weeks

First timers Create your own beverage and make an campaign of it looking appealing (sugested approaches: splash, underlight, lifestyle with sexy people consuming it, Beauty shot of packaging) Write aCreative Brief for your campaign

Second timers, Choose a country other than your own and produce a campaign encouraging tourism there. 

read ch 2 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Start thinking about your Self directed proposals due the 9th Class session

Week 3 

Look at Maps and lighting examples

The Portrait Portrait lighting demo

3 point lighting

Introduce inverse square law and anatomy of light

Yousuf Karsh's official website
Karsh on wikipedia

Five Kinds Of light

read ch 3 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Week 4 

 

The still life - Tethered shooting

Lighting ratios

Light modifier crit

studio cameras  

Lenses

Photograph an egg on the product table.
There must be details in the entire egg. It must "feel" round and eggshell textured. 

Second Timers: Make 3 images using color gels
1 light + 1 color
2 lights + 2 colors
3 lights + 2 colors

Capture One video Tuts

read ch 4 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Week 5 

 Crit 

Portrait, Beverage, thing and its oppostie, and at least 5 of the weekly assignments

Bring a portrait, A still life, your egg images, Beverage shoot and your light modoifier assignment. 

read ch 5 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret


Week 6 

 Composite Photograph

Second timers Photograph a splash

read ch 6 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Week 7 

 Digital Daze - Basic Photo editing and RAW format

Make a compositie photograph

all of your weekly assignments are due

read ch 7 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Week 8 

Crit Weekly assignments

Look at composite photographs

all of your weekly assignments are due.

Self directed proposals due Next Class

read ch 8 of Criticizing Photographs An Introduction to Understanding Images By Terry Barret

Week 9 

Reflective objects and flatware

Photograph Red

Self Directed final project proposals are due

 

Week 10 

Digital Daze - Printing

 

Week 11 

Large Format photography 4x5 and 8x10

4x5 and 8x10 discussed and deminstrated

Week 12 

Professional development and jobs

 

Week 13 

Oral Presentations

See link above

Week 14 

Final Crit Portfolio of at least 15 images printed and presented professionally. NO LATE WORK ACCEPTED

 Each image should have a lighting diagram

Week 15

Portfolio return

Write self-evaluation and submit it with your final portfolio

Key Concepts:

Inverse Square rule of light

Lighting ratios 

Scheimpflug principle

Does light act like a particle or a wave?

Continuous vs Strobe light

Color temperature of light and White Balance

Hard vs Soft light

Filter Factors

undue bellows extension 

shooting flat art

egg on white & Coal on black

Example Photographers

joyce tenneson 

Witkin

Penn

Bellocq

catherine Chalmers

becher robbins

Clark et Pouugnard 

James Casebere

light drawing

Highly colorful image to see how light refelcts onto its neighbors eg Lipsticks or Paints

Shiny stuff eg flatware or jewelry not macro yet Tenting

portrait formal and location (in the art department)

Still life

Product

catalog

Fashion

Glamour/beauty

Macro

Lifestyle

elaborate set

Multiple image eg two shots combined into one.

Exposure and Light Meters

Intensity and duration 

Hand-held light meters 

Taking a hand-held meter reading 

TTL light meters 

Interpreting the meter reading 

Contrast and Compensation 

Contrast 

Exposure compensation 

Sensitivity and Image Capture 

Choosing a capture medium 

Limitations 

Latitude 

Push and pulling film 

Cross processing effect 

Filters 

Filter categories 

Filter factors 

Fill 

Reflectors 

Flash 

Choice of flash 

Guide numbers 

Flash as the primary light source 

Diffusion and bounce 

Fill-flash 

Flash as a key light 

Slow-sync flash 

The Zone System 

Zone placement 

Contrast control 

The zones 

Operating the system 

Calibration tests 

Perfecting the system 

Health and safety 

Light sources 

Mixed light sources 

Working with studio lights 

Lighting ratios 

Lighting Techniques

Still Life

Portraiture

Fashion

Mixed Lighting

Creative Techniques 

Illusion of movement 

Current commercial practice; Advertising illustration; Still life; Portraiture; Commercial portraiture; Fashion; Context; Format; Content;
Balance; Composition; Point of view; Line; Depth; Perspective; Art Direction; Layouts; Framing the image; Lenses; Light sources; Equipment detail; Organisation Light; ; Artificial light; Characteristics of light; Aperture and time; Light meter; Using the light meter; Lighting ratios; Interpreting the meter reading; Exposure compensation; Creative exposure compensation; Gallery; Image Capture; Introduction; Choosing a capture medium; Limitations; Latitude; Push and pull; Cross processing; Creative Controls; Focus; Depth of field; Selective focus; Preview; Duration of exposure; Perspective; Flash; Tungsten; Diffusion; Reflection; Filtration; Mixed light sources

Some useful links:

http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2014/01/27/pricing-negotiating-ieee-spectrum-magazine-contract/

http://petapixel.com/2014/01/26/side-side-comparison-beauty-dish-parabolic-light-octobox-softbox/

http://fstoppers.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-parabolic-reflector-a-beauty-dish-and-an-octobox

http://digital-photography-school.com/6-portrait-lighting-patterns-every-photographer-should-know

http://digital-photography-school.com/lighting-ratios-to-make-or-break-your-portrait

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/photography/hands-reviews/perspective-control-and-tilt-shift-lenses?cm_mmc=EML-_-Holiday-Thurs-_-131212-_-Body_Indepth_Perspective-Control

http://fstoppers.com/getting-the-best-out-of-your-raw-files

http://petapixel.com/2013/11/20/peter-hurley-shares-incredible-tip-looking-photogenic-squinching/Advice for Photo Assistants: Working as a First Assistant

www.aphotoeditor.com

Throughout my years photo assisting, some of the most valuable lessons I've learned have been while working as a first assistant.

http://petapixel.com/2013/05/24/dear-model-posing-tips-for-how-to-look-your-best-in-photographs/

http://petapixel.com/2012/02/17/how-to-accentuate-the-jawline-in-portraits/

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/photography/buying-guides/prime-lens-101?cm_mmc=EML-_-Holiday-Thurs-_-131121-_-Body_Indepth_Intro-to-Prime-Lenses

http://petapixel.com/2013/03/19/use-gaffers-tape-to-customize-the-catch-lights-in-your-subjects-eyes/

http://fstoppers.com/amazingly-in-depth-video-tutorial-on-product-lighting

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lightstalking.com%2Flighting-patterns-for-portrait-photographers&h=2AQFKpy31&s=1

http://www.lightstalking.com/lighting-patterns-for-portrait-photographers?utm_source=buffer&utm_campaign=Buffer&utm_content=buffer71345&utm_medium=facebook

http://www.gettotallyrad.com/blog/light-it-up-5-basic-lighting-techniques/

http://myphotolesson.com/

http://learnmyshot.com/index.php?mode=browse

Tilt shift architecture http://petapixel.com/2013/05/12/photog-goes-in-search-of-the-architecture-that-was-once-the-vision-of-the-future/

Model release info
http://www.danheller.com/model-release
http://danheller.blogspot.com/2011/09/busting-myths-about-model-releases.html

http://content.photojojo.com/tips/the-best-tips-tools-for-freelance-photographers/

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/shutters.html

http://gizmodo.com/lumens-and-lux-light-words-explained-in-a-single-image-933223282

7. Accommodating Disabilities Lehman College is committed to providing accessto all programs and curricula to all students. Students with disabilities who may need classroom accommodations are encouraged to register with the Office of Student Disability Services. For more information, please contact the Office of Student Disability Services, Shuster Hall, Room 238, phone number, 718-960-8441. 

8. The Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and the Science Learning Center (SLC) The Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and the Science Learning Center (SLC) are two of the tutoring centers on campus. The ACE provides appointment based and drop-in tutoring in the humanities, social sciences, and writing, as well as general writing and academic skills workshops. The SLC provides drop-in tutoring for natural and computer science courses. To obtain more information about the ACE and the SLC, please visit their website at http://www.lehman.edu/issp, or please call the ACE at 718-960-8175, and the SLC at 718-960-7707.