PHOTOGRAPHY. CertiFiCAte ProgrAm

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1 PHOTOGRAPHY CertiFiCAte ProgrAm

2 Table of Contents About The Program 1 Introduction 1 Scope 1 Unique Qualities 2 Where Creatives Unite 3 Lifetime Alumni Program 4 Career Options 5 Getting Started 7 Beginning The Program 7 Certification 7 Program Costs 9 Facilities 9 Scheduling 10 Tailoring THe Program 12 Course Listings 19 Instructor Bios 40 FAQ s 47

3 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program The Langara College Applied Arts division offers a unique opportunity for studying within the communications arts field. Whether your interests lie in hobby or career based photographic goals, the Continuing Studies will fit your needs. If you are studying photography as a hobbyist, then you will be surrounded by students who are equally passionate about the craft of photography, in an environment where creative exploration and experimentation is celebrated. If you are studying to become a commercial photographer, then there is a distinct advantage to the structure of this division.

4 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program ABOuT THe PrOgrAm Introduction The Langara College Continuing Studies is one of the most respected photography programs in Canada. Taught by leading industry professionals, this program offers the best and largest facilities in Western Canada and has trained many of country s top photographers. The program is designed to accommodate both amateur and hobbyist photographers, and those wishing to pursue careers as professional photographers. Scope This program allows students to take as many or as few courses as they wish. If you are picking up a camera for the first time, and want to understand how to use it to its full capacity, then this is the program for you. If you are a keen amateur, you can take your hobby as far as you would like, up to and including taking every course in the program. If you are pursuing a career in photography as a commercial photographer, wedding & portrait photographer or photojournalist, then this program offers you an exceptionally comprehensive and highly adaptable program. depending on your goals and needs, this program is designed to get you where you want to be.

5 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program Taught by some of the top commercial and portrait photographers in Western Canada, this program is well-known for having some of the most comprehensive photography courses in Canada. Courses in the program encompass three critical areas of study for photographers: 1) production issues; 2) stylistic issues; and 3) business issues. The production aspects of the program are covered in courses that range in universal content (such as camera, digital workflow, or darkroom operations) to more specialized areas (such as digital retouching, compositing, lighting courses for studio and location, advanced B&W, and view cameras). There are many technical, industry specific courses (such as Fashion Photography and Photojournalism) that encourage the development of individuality and personal photographic style. Business courses include detailed training on pricing structures, copyright law, contract law, estimating practices, and photographic business practices. The important issue of marketing for photographers is covered through in-depth studies of direct mail marketing, client research, portfolio development and maintenance, networking & public relations, website marketing, and photographic agents. Unique Qualities The has a unique program model, as it is not a regular studies academic program. The Continuing Studies curriculum is less academic and more vocationally driven, this means a couple of unique qualities in the curriculum structure and delivery. First, it makes the program very easy to tailor to your own professional and artistic goals: where many full time academic programs have few or no elective courses, this program has around 30 elective courses (covering the professional and artistic gamut of the industry). This program also boasts around 20 instructors who not only make their living as professional photographers, but also represent some of the top talent in the commercial, portraiture and photojournalistic industries. Our program philosophy has always revolved around veteran professional photographers training new professional photographers. The industryoriented nature of the program also engages you with the industry when you are applying for certification. In order to be certified through this program, your portfolio will have to be judged by top industry people (such as creative directors, senior art directors, designers, and photo-editors). These are the types of people who will make up the majority of your clientele as a commercial photographer, and it is these individuals who will recommend your work for certification based on its commercial viability. ABOuT THe PrOgrAm

6 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program Where Creatives Unite Students training to be commercial photographers will learn about critical issues (such as stylistic relevancy) in their work at a very early stage of their studies. The importance of this issue is that you are not trying to develop your style in a bubble - instead you are developing it with the input and collaboration of individuals who will ultimately hire you as a photographer. You will get to know the students studying design and art direction and they, in turn, will enter the industry with you already in place as a source of freelance talent they do not have to search for. This creates a strong sense of community in the academic arena, the same as in the commercial world. ABOuT THe PrOgrAm When you enter the industry, associations such as CAPIC, PPABC, and the gdc will play a major role in your professional life. Collaborating with other creative individuals in the academic arena will better prepare you on how to be a valuable member of the communication arts industry. There are four programs under the Applied Arts division that are closely related, where students may work together and create strategic connections. These are the Certificate Photography Program, the Communication & Ideation design Program, the electronic media design Program, and the electronic music Production Program. These four programs train freelance commercial photographers, art directors for advertising agencies, graphic designers for print communications, graphic designers for interactive communications, and freelance music producers (for film, radio and TV).

7 As part of the applied arts division, students studying to be commercial photographers will also be studying in the same environment as students studying to be art directors and graphic designers. Art directors and graphic designers will, of course, make up the majority of your clientele as a commercial photographer. Students studying to be art directors and designers need to collaborate with photographers as much in the academic world as they do in the real world. This offers the photography students the opportunity to make connections and build relationships with individuals who will also eventually leave for the commercial world as prospective clients. About The Program Lifetime Alumni Program This unique feature truly sets the program apart from other schools! Once a student completes the 16 required courses for certification in the Photography Certificate Program, the entire program becomes free to them for the rest of their lives. This means you can take all of those elective courses you did not take earlier, and when technology upgrades come back and get the up-to-date information... for free! Becoming a professional photographer is no small undertaking and we are the first to acknowledge that breaking into this industry is very challenging. Students who enter the program with previous experience or training are often ready to enter the commercial world on completion. However, some students who join the program with little or no previous experience may find that the program flies by a little too quickly. The Lifetime Alumni Program is designed with such students in mind- if their creative and technical skills still need to be developed, they can continue to work with us at no cost to hone their skills. For a full list of terms and conditions for the Lifetime Alumni Program, please contact the Program Coordinator Andrew Tripp at atripp@langara.bc.ca.

8 Career Options As mentioned earlier, you do not have to be pursuing photography as a career to access this program. Beginner, amateur, and hobbyist photographers are very welcome in this program; however, this program offers many options for those pursuing a career in the photographic industry. There are three major directions for professional photographers: photojournalism; retail (portraiture & wedding); and commercial. Photojournalism can be looked at from several perspectives including reportage and editorial. Reportage is photographing newsworthy events for newspapers or news magazines such as TIME. This type of work requires someone who can respond quickly to capture a fleeting moment, emotion, and/or action. Often shooting for magazines, editorial photography is commissioned work where lighting and production techniques are critical. Editorial work includes photographing people, fashion, still life, and events to illustrate an article. About The Program Portraiture and wedding photography make up the bulk of the retail market of photographers. Most students pursuing this area plan to work as individual freelance photographers rather than a franchised studio. Portraiture and wedding photography have progressed beyond traditional styles of lighting and there are great opportunities for photographers to exercise unique photographic styles. Commercial photography includes (but not limited to): fashion photographers; people photographers; architectural photographers; food photographers; movie stills photographers; stock photographers; and product photographers. The vast majority of commercial photographers are freelance professionals working on a contract basis: their work may include advertising or commercial purposes such as brochures, catalogues, or annual reports. Working as a photographic assistant is an excellent way of entering the field. In addition to the above categories of photography, many photographers are expanding their skill set to become more valuable to the industry. It is not uncommon to see photographers studying film or digital video to add to their services. Some photographers are also studying to become graphic designers and art directors in order to offer a greater range of services. This can significantly add to an income, be valuable to clientele, and offer more creative freedom.

9 Getting Started Many photographers are looking at expanding their skill set to make themselves even more valuable to the industry. It is not uncommon to see photographers studying to become graphic designers and art directors in order to offer a wider range of services.

10 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program Beginning The Program getting STArTed There is no interview requirement to enter the program, as we encourage both hobbyist and professional photographers to attend. For courses that do not have a prerequisite (Basic digital Photography, Basic digital Workflow, Basic darkroom, Photoshop Level 1 or Photographic Art History courses), students can register on a first come first served basis. Individuals wishing to enter a course with prerequisite requirements must either take the qualifying course(s) or challenge the prerequisite(s) based on previous training or experience. This must be done through the Program Coordinator, Andrew Tripp ( ). Basic level courses can be discussed over the phone, and more advanced level courses will require a portfolio showing. Students may enter the program in any of the three terms each year. do not let the lack of a formal interview fool you: getting into the program is simple, getting through to certification is no simple undertaking. This is one of the largest programs for commercial photographers in Canada and the certification process, as you will soon read, happens only when your work is at a level to make you commercially viable in other words, you must be able to compete against the top photographers in the world to reach certification.

11 Certification The graduation process is an individual process for each student; it is not a class situation. When students have completed, and passed all of the required courses (16 courses), they then qualify to apply for certification. The certification process does not cost anything and there is no deadline as to how long you can take to pursue it. The process begins with the student letting the Program Coordinator (Andrew Tripp) know that they are ready to apply for certification. A meeting will be set up, with the student bringing as wide a range of their work as possible, to discuss strategies and professional or personal goals of the student. The goal of this meeting is to identify the target market that the student will aim their work at, such as the advertising industry, editorial clients or portrait & wedding clients for example. When the student has determined the market he or she would like to target, then they are advised to research a number of prospective clients who they would like to be working with to determine their photographic needs, what photographers they are currently working with and as much about their communications philosophy as possible. This will help the student to develop their final portfolio with a greater sense of purpose and strategy. Getting Started Their final portfolio will then be viewed by a panel of internal & external industry experts who will look at your chosen target markets and why you feel your work is relevant to the needs of that market. The members of the panel will then document the strengths they feel your portfolio possesses, its weaknesses and will then cast a vote on whether they feel the student s work is commercially viable. If the student s portfolio is not deemed commercially viable, then not only will the student receive written comments why, but they will be encouraged to correct their portfolio and then resubmit it to the panel for review. This process costs nothing, and whether the student s portfolio is approved by the panel or not, they will still retain their Lifetime Alumni status.

12 Program Costs Individual courses typically range from $400 to $500 for the 12 weeklong courses (we do offer some shorter 6 week courses that usually cost around $250). You do not pay for the program up-front, instead you pay for each course as you take them. This means that the average academic cost for a student pursuing certification will be around $7,500 over the two years of the program (costs vary depending on the courses you choose). If you are shooting film, it is a good idea to budget for around $150 per course in materials. Digital is less, however, there are printing costs to consider. In the end, it is a good idea to budget for approximately $10,000 for all costs over a two-year period. Getting Started As the Certificate Photography program is a part-time evening program, it does not qualify for student funding such as Canada Student Loans only full-time study programs qualify for that (even if you take a larger course load, it does not qualify as fulltime). There are many funding agencies, both government and private, such as job retraining programs for injured workers, that will fund the program. Scholarships also are applicable to this program. Facilities Langara College has the top facilities for photographic study in Western Canada. The program offers three very large and fully equipped studios for students to work from. We have numerous state-of-the-art power packs and strobe units for students to use: enough to equip each studio many times over. There is a large collection of tungsten spotlights for each studio and a sizeable collection of lighting equipment from scrims and softboxes to umbrellas, cookies, grids, and snoots. The darkrooms are well equipped for printing in black and white, and colour. The darkrooms offer a spacious central sink area large enough for many students to wet process fiber-based prints simultaneously. We also have two Kreonite dry-to-dry print processors for both black and white, and colour.

13 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program Large state of the art mac computer labs with the most up-to-date versions of image manipulation software, such as Adobe Photoshop and high-end print and film scanners for every format of film from 35mm up to 8X10 large format, make these facilities the best in town. We have a number of digital printers including a 44-inch large format epson 9600 printer. The program also has three Phase 1 digital backs for the medium format Hassleblads. Students have access to a variety of camera systems including medium format Hasselblads to 4X5 and 8X10 view cameras. Part-time students are able to use/book, at no extra cost, all of the facilities and equipment every Sunday afternoon and some evenings. The only restrictions are that you must be currently taking a course and the facilities cannot be used commercial purposes. getting STArTed Scheduling The Photography Program is designed in such a way that you may start the program at the beginning of any term during the year. There are four terms that run through the year: January, may, September and a condensed term that runs in August. The majority of the courses in the program are 12 weeks long and run one evening or day per week. For example, if you take a course that is scheduled on monday evenings from 6:30pm- 9:30pm, that course will run every monday evening for 12 weeks. This program is designed for working adult students who cannot attend courses during the day on monday to Friday. Course offered on a weekday will run in the evening from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. We also regularly offer courses on Saturday mornings and afternoons and occasionally on Sundays. The January, may, and September terms are considered full terms that run for 12 weeks. The August term is a condensed term where the courses run two evenings per week for 6 weeks (instead of 1 evening per week for 12 weeks). not all courses are offered every term and quite often a number of the elective courses are only offered every other term. A few select courses, such as Food Photography or The Photographic nude, are

14 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program offered once per year due to the amount of time spent in studio. required and major prerequisite courses are offered every term. Course schedules can be found on our website at bc.ca/creative-arts/photography/ course.html. First time students can register by calling our registration line at and returning students have the choice using online registration ( getting STArTed

15 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program Tailoring The Program As the part-time has a large number of elective courses, the program can be easily customized for professional and/or artistic goals. This section offers a breakdown of photography courses relevant to different photographic specialties and explains why each course is relevant. The following photographic specialties are explored: TAILOrIng THe PrOgrAm Hobbyist Fine Art Scenic & Stock People (Advertising & Editorial) Fashion & Beauty Photojournalism & Photo-Essay Portraiture & Wedding Product & Food Architectural Illustrative Photography

16 Hobbyist Photography For those of you interested in pursuing photography as a hobby, this program offers a number of courses ideally suited to making your hobby a spectacular one. These courses focus primarily on camera, darkroom, lighting, and compositional skills. Because there is no obligation for students to follow through to certification, many students take only the courses designed to train in the fundamental skills required of all photographers. This listing would not qualify a student for certification; however, you are free to pursue that goal any time, at your own pace. You are free to move forward as far as you wish within the program in order to take your craft far beyond what most hobbyist photographers achieve. The following courses are ideally suited for the passionate amateur: RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Landscape Photography Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Composition & Design Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Advanced Composition & Design Practical Darkroom View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Creative Darkroom Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Street Photography Photoshop Level 1, 2 or 3 Fine Art Photography The most significant difference between commercial and fine art photography is simply the purpose of the work. Fine art photographers are free to pursue their own artistic vision and the only artistic goals that need to be met are those of the photographer s, whereas commercial photographers work must achieve a specific communications goal. In both cases the photographers must first have a strategy or reason to take the shot, and they must exercise artistic control over the visual execution of the image. In that sense, there is not so clear a division between the fine arts and the applied arts. Please note this list shows more courses than needed to achieve certification. It is designed to simply show the courses that are relevant to this specialty (while you are free to take all of these courses, students will typically choose select courses from the list). RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business Practices Business Management Practical Darkroom View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design Personal Photographic Style Photographic Concept Contemporary Image Creative Darkroom Landscape Photography Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 The Photographic Portrait Creative Light Painting techniques The Photographic Nude Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Architectural Photography Tailoring The Program

17 Scenic & Stock Photography For those students interested in pursuing scenic photography, stock photography agencies will most likely represent one of your key target markets. Stock represents an enormous range of imagery from scenic to people, environmental, illustrative still life, digital photo-illustration, and much more. Travel magazines, editorials, photo-essay, advertising, and fine art books are also potential markets to explore. Scenic photographers may not work their trade in the studio, but they must have an in-depth understanding of light quality. Timing is the other key skill a scenic photographer must have: understanding when to shoot and when to wait. Unfortunately, patience is not a topic we teach within the program so you will have to settle for the following courses. RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Business Practices Business Management Practical Darkroom View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design The Contemporary Image The Creative Darkroom Landscape Photography Photojournalism Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 Street Photography Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Stock Photography Architectural Photography People Photography One thing we recommend to all students is that no matter which photographic area you decide to pursue, make yourself as versatile in that field as possible. This opens up a far greater pool of potential clients to you, and therefore raises income expectations as well as giving you more creative options: people photography is no exception. People photography represents a broad field of freelance possibilities, from advertising to editorial, corporate, portraiture, photo-essay, and stock. We deliver courses that train students in the full spectrum of applied and fine art people photography. RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business Practices Business Management Practical Darkroom Commercial Photography View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design Personal Photographic Style Photographic Concept The Contemporary Image The Creative Darkroom Photojournalism Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 The Photographic Portrait Creative Light Painting Techniques Photographic Nude Photographic Art History Stock Photography Editorial Photography Tailoring The Program

18 Fashion Photography Fashion photography definitely represents one of the most exciting and challenging areas of photography. Being a fashion photographer represents some of the most demanding expectations in the field. Not only must you be superb in your lighting abilities, you must have very refined camera, darkroom, production, and composition skills. This area is one of the few where the photographer alone cannot complete an assignment, they must have an in-depth knowledge of, and excellent working relationship with, make-up artists, hair stylists, fashion stylists, and assistants. Fashion photography requires some of the highest capital outlays in terms of equipment and studio facilities. Being able to shoot two or three models full length with the proper lenses requires a sizeable coved surface. It also represents some of the most rewarding stylistic challenges for a photographer, so if you love fast paced work, and controlled serendipity, then this could be the field for you. RELEVANT COURSES (ins suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business practices Business Management Practical Darkroom Commercial Photography View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design Personal Photographic Style Digital Imaging Creative Darkroom Fashion Photography Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 The Photographic Portrait Creative Light Painting Techniques The Photographic Nude Alternative Photographic Processes Alternative Colour Techniques Photographic Art History Stock Photography Commercial Production Tailoring The Program

19 Photojournalism Students interested in pursuing photojournalism will find that the Langara Photography Certificate Program has much to offer. We prepare students for news reportage with an emphasis on the photoessay. Less time is spent on the found image and more time is dedicated to training photographers to create an image or a series of images designed to illustrate a news story (Equinox or National Geographic are prime examples of photo-essay). These courses ensure students gains a diverse set of skills in both location, scenic, and people photography backed up with a strong sense of lighting. Quick and decisive thinking in technical and visual terms is the key to success in this area. A stylistic approach is just as important as it is for commercial photography. RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business practices Business Management Practical Darkroom Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design Personal Photographic Style The Photographic Concept Contemporary Image The Creative Darkroom Landscape Photography Photojournalism Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 The Photographic Portrait Street Photography Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Stock Photography Architectural Photography Editorial Photography Portraiture & Wedding Traditional or nontraditional, that is always the question. Originally, the photographic portrait used lighting that mimicked the traditional painted portrait (Rembrandt lighting, etc). While this is beautiful lighting, many people are looking for portraits that are more illustrative in nature: something that will convey a strong message about the subject (via concept, mood, and/or technique). The following courses cover both traditional and unique ways of capturing those special moments. RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business Practices Business Management Practical Darkroom View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design Personal Photographic Style The Photographic Concept Contemporary Image The Creative Darkroom Fashion Photography Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 Photographic Portrait Creative Light Painting Techniques The Photographic Nude Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Wedding Photography Stock Photography Tailoring The Program

20 Still Life & Food Photography Still Life photography represents one of the most demanding aspects of commercial photography. As this type of photography is making pictures rather than taking them, a highly refined sense of lighting coupled with superb compositional skills is a must (knowing where to look for propping and surfaces is also valuable). On top of learning the fundamentals of photography, you will need to become intimate with the tools of this field: studio lighting and large format view cameras. It is important that you have strong darkroom skills as well as a solid foundation in digital imaging. What clients will look for in a still life shooter are tremendous lighting and camera skills, a strong visual and technical problem solver, and someone with a distinctive stylistic approach. RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business Practices Business Management Practical Darkroom Commercial Photography View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design Personal Photographic Style Creative Darkroom Food & Beverage Photography Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 Creative Light Painting Techniques Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Stock Photography Commercial Production Architectural Photography For those students who love commercial and residential architectural design, this field offers a number of photographic possibilities. Architectural Photographers often are found working with graphic design firms who specialize in brochures and websites for developers. Editorial photography also represents a major market for photographers through such magazines as Architectural Digest and Western Living Magazine. Architectural Photographers are also often sought out for largescale product photography such as furniture or appliances when they are being shot in interior environments. The key challenge for architectural photographers is being able to mix (and balance) a variety of light sources from interior and exterior, and artificial lighting to outside natural light. Being able to work with and interpret the work of architectural and interior designers is critical for this type of photographer. RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography) Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business Practices Business Management Practical Darkroom View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design The Creative Darkroom Landscape Photography Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Stock Photography Architectural Photography Tailoring The Program

21 Illustrative (Conceptual) Photography Jerry Uelsmann summed it up nicely by saying that illustrative work is photographing objects for what else they are. In this category, photographers use whatever subjects necessary in ways that strongly illustrate a concept. This is a type of photography that is becoming immensely popular in almost every aspect of applied art. Originally, editorial work was the most common arena for illustrative work, as the images had no other purpose than to illustrate the written editorial. Designers and art directors find new ways of utilizing the power of the illustrated photograph and it has become popular in advertising, annual reports, and all forms of non-media assignments (such as CD covers). Superb conceptualizing skills are one of the most important strengths of an illustrative photographer. This area is particularly demanding on almost every creative and technical aspect of photography: strong lighting skills and a host of production and printing techniques are needed to ensure you have the creative options necessary to conceptualize freely. RELEVANT COURSES (in suggested order) Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Film Photography) Basic Digital Workflow (or Basic Darkroom) Digital Intermediate Photography (or Film Intermediate Photography Practical Lighting Advanced Studio Lighting Business practices Business Management Practical Darkroom View Camera Techniques Advanced Black & White Photography Composition & Design Advanced Composition & Design Personal Photographic Style The Photographic Concept Contemporary Image The Creative Darkroom Photoshop Level 1 Photoshop Level 2 Photoshop Level 3 The Photographic Portrait Creative Light Painting Techniques The Photographic Nude Alternative Photographic Processes Photographic Art History Stock Photography Commercial Production Tailoring The Program

22 Course Listings The previous section described the various areas of photographic study available to students through this program. This section takes a closer look at the individual courses, describing their content, their prerequisites, and their costs. For students who are unsure about the courses that are open to them, please contact the Program Coordinator (Andrew Tripp) either by phone at or via at atripp@langara.bc.ca BASIC DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY lays the groundwork for a present upgrade or future study in the field of photography. Control of exposure and depth of field is the primary focus of this course, along with: exploration of composition; stylistic approaches; and metering for daylight, studio light, and night scenes. This course explores issues unique to digital shooting such as white balance, dealing with image noise, and an introduction to image file formats. The student will learn through lectures, studio workshops, slide shows, and field trips. Critiques of student work will stress positive achievements toward instilling the confidence to tackle more challenging photographic work. Students are encouraged to discuss ideas and concepts with the instructor and fellow students in an environment that welcomes input and exploration. Prerequisite: None Course Listings

23 BASIC DIGITAL WORKFLOW is the companion course to Basic Digital Imaging and the co-prerequisite to Digital Intermediate Photography. Where the Basic Digital Photography course deals primarily with image capture, the Basic Digital Workflow course deals with how to process you digital image files. The course works predominantly with software programs like Adobe Lightroom or Capture 1, but it does not matter if students are using Apple s Aperture or the proprietary software for processing their images. Other topics included in the course cover optimizing DSLR camera set-ups, exposure controls (both on camera and via computer). The course teaches reviewing, organizing and ranking files, image adjustments, image and online publishing, file handling, storage, archiving, and printing. Prerequisite: None BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY (Film) lays the groundwork for a present upgrade or future study in the field of photography. Control of exposure and depth of field is the primary focus of this course, along with: exploration into composition; stylistic approach; and metering for daylight, studio light and night scenes. This course offers a glimpse into basic black and white darkroom techniques, and shooting a live model in a studio setting. The student will learn through lectures, studio workshops, slide shows, and field trips. Critiques of student work will stress positive achievements toward instilling the confidence to tackle more challenging photographic work. Students are encouraged to discuss ideas and concepts with the instructor and fellow students in an environment that welcomes input and exploration. Prerequisite: None Course Listings BASIC DARKROOM (Film) is a course designed to give the student a solid background in black and white printing techniques. Students begin by learning the characteristics of different black and white films and the quality of print they can expect from them. Adjusting film characteristics by adjusting their processing time will also be explored with students developing their own film. Tone and contrast are two of the most important considerations in making a print, and considerable time will be devoted to these topics. Technical considerations such as choice of paper, exposure, and filtration will be explored in-depth, but students will also learn about tone and contrast from an artistic perspective. Tonal considerations are very subjective, and it takes time and experience before a photographer can recognize and produce the qualities of a superbly printed photograph. The class explores the various methods of burning and dodging to fine tune a print, although emphasis will always

24 Langara CoLLege Continuing StudieS PhotograPhy CertifiCate Program be placed on creating as close to a perfect exposure in camera. The course finishes with students learning dry mounting and display techniques. All assignments will be thoroughly critiqued on both technical and aesthetic grounds: students are encouraged to push their abilities to the limit. PrereQuiSite: none DIGITAL INTERMEDIATE PHOTOGRAPHY takes most of the material covered in Intermediate Photography and applies it to digital SLr picture taking. designed for students who are beyond the basics of photography, it covers aspects such as shooting raw vs. j-peg, white-balance concerns, and preparation for printing, in addition to lighting for still life and people. Students require their own digital SLr. This course expands on the knowledge gained by the students in Basic Photography and helps them to acquire new techniques for tackling different kinds of lighting situations. each lecture is followed by a shooting session or demonstration in order to put the techniques discussed into practice: emphasis is placed on exploring elements in a fun and creative environment. Students work both outdoors and in the studio, and live models will be our subjects for the shooting sessions using studio strobe equipment. Assignments are flexible enough to allow the students to pursue their particular areas of interest, such as portraiture, landscape, still life, fashion, etc. Both the instructors and the fellow students provide feedback and ideas in relaxed and casual critique sessions. effective composition is stressed throughout the course as well as technical considerations, and the students are strongly encouraged to explore creatively and technically with the full support and involvement of the instructor. Students are encouraged to discuss their ideas for the class assignments amongst themselves, in order to learn independent problem solving techniques. PrereQuiSite: basic digital PhotogrAPhy & basic digital WorkFloW COurSe LISTIngS

25 INTERMEDIATE PHOTOGRAPHY (Film) expands on the knowledge gained by the students in Basic Photography and helps them acquire new techniques for tackling different kinds of lighting situations. Each lecture is followed by a shooting session or demonstration in order to put the techniques discussed into practice (emphasis is placed on exploring elements in a fun and creative environment). The students work both outdoors and in the studio, and live models will be the subjects for the shooting sessions using studio strobe equipment. Assignments are flexible enough to allow the students to pursue their particular areas of interest, such as portraiture, landscape, still life, fashion, etc. Both the instructors and the fellow students provide feedback and ideas in relaxed and casual critique sessions. Effective composition is stressed throughout the course as well as technical considerations, the students are strongly encouraged to explore creatively and technically with the full support and involvement of the instructor. Students are also encouraged to discuss their ideas for the class assignments amongst themselves, in order to learn independent problem solving techniques. Prerequisite: Basic Photography (or Basic Digital Photography) BASIC PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY immerses students in the world of people photography. The course looks at shooting people for fashion, editorial and portraiture. Students will learn many new lighting scenarios for people photography as well as how to pose and communicate with your subject. Students will practice extensively with working models as well as become accustomed to working with non-models who may not be as comfortable in front of a camera. This course builds on many of the principles learned in Basic Digital Photography (or Basic Photography) and Basic Digital Workflow). Prerequisite: Basic Digital Photography & Basic Digital Workflow Course Listings PRACTICAL LIGHTING explores in detail, the fundamentals of lighting through several assignments involving still life set-ups in the studio and people photography both in studio and on location. The first five weeks of the course centre on lighting for still life photography. The lighting concepts explored in this section are applicable to a wide variety of subjects, whether in the studio or in ambient lighting conditions. Topics such as lighting for various surface qualities, contrast control, and manipulation of light quality are learned through lecture, illustrated slide shows, and lots of practical experience. Included is a comparison of

26 lighting equipment and various accessories. Students will gain an appreciation for the potential of lighting to create a more effective photograph (via control of mood and style). The second five weeks concern lighting for people photography. Natural, artificial, and mixed source lighting is explored through an opening lecture and slide show followed by subsequent shooting sessions with professional models. Students will discover numerous methods of controlling the light necessary to produce an effective portrait in a variety of circumstances. Stylistic approach and content are stressed throughout the course, along with technical considerations. Prerequisite: Digital Intermediate Photography (or Intermediate Photography) ADVANCED STUDIO LIGHTING is a course that tackles light for light s sake. The purpose of this course is to give the students a very comprehensive understanding of how light works on film. Predictability and control are the ultimate goals of any commercial photographer. Surprises, even pleasant ones, are completely unacceptable to the commercial shooter, s/he must be able to envision the image and then achieve that vision exactly on film. The first part of this course focuses on the physics of how light reacts on film, manipulation of lighting quality, contrast control, critical metering techniques, ratios, and comparative ratios. The course goes on to explore some contemporary lighting techniques and circumstances such as projected light, motion (with combined light sources), painting with light, shutter drag, and controlling natural sunlight through key shifting. Students learn through a series of lectures, slide shows, discussions and demonstrations, and practical experience shooting both stills and models in the studio and on location. Students are encouraged to use both the studio and especially the home assignments to not only hone their technical skills, but also their conceptual and stylistic approaches. Prerequisite: Practical Lighting Course Listings

27 BUSINESS PRACTICES is designed to help students explore all aspects and avenues for marketing their skills as a photographer. The topics in this course are relevant to all specialties in photography from commercial, to portraiture, wedding, editorial, and photojournalism. All of the traditional methods of marketing are covered in-depth from advertising and direct mail to public relations, networking, personal selling, photographic agents, and Internet advertising. This course is about helping students to identify where they fit in and how to research their potential markets. You must be able to articulate the stylistic approach to your work, and ensure that it is clearly communicated in all of your marketing efforts. The portfolio is also extensively covered, exploring issues such as content and message, researching your clients needs, portfolio design and presentation, along with editing, pacing, and sequencing your images. Students will complete two comprehensive assignments in sequencing portfolios, and creating a marketing and objective driven business plan. Prerequisite: None BUSINESS MANAGEMENT is part of a three-course series specific to the commercial photographic industry that includes Business Practices & Commercial Photography. The focus of this course is primarily on the logistics of running a commercial photographic business. The first part of the course explores the methods and considerations of producing estimates and proposals. Topics such as the usage scale, copyright, pricing, material costs, billing, and location/propping costs are covered in-depth. The fact that your estimate is the last chance to promote yourself to a client is stressed throughout, thus presentation skills are also looked at closely. The other major topic of this course is legal and ethical business considerations, exploring: copyright law; what you legally can or cannot shoot; standard photographic contracts; what a client can expect of you; and you of the client. Also covered in detail are business finance issues such as HST, business licenses, taxes, accounting, and financial planning. We also invite agents from CAPIC, PPABC, and CAPA to discuss the purpose of each association. Prerequisite: Advanced Studio Lighting Course Listings

28 PRACTICAL DARKROOM (Film) is an intermediate level course designed to allow students greater control over the black and white medium. Exposure and development of film, fine-tuning of printing skills, recognition of tone and contrast, and a subsequent exploration of print enhancement techniques form the basis of this intensive darkroom course. A modified zone system approach to film treatment is followed by an introduction to fine art exhibition quality print-making (including the use of fiber based paper and print toners such as selenium, sepia and brilliant blue). Archival processing is discussed and offered for practice during several darkroom sessions. Specialized techniques (such as paper flashing and print diffusion) are demonstrated and explored to offer the student a dramatic expansion of his/her darkroom repertoire. Finally, finishing and presentation of prints are considered. Students are encouraged to experiment not only with their technique, but also with their stylistic approach and conceptualizing skills. Prerequisite: Basic Darkroom COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY is part of a three-course series including Business Practices and Business Management. In the majority of commercial shoots, the final image is a result of a close collaboration between photographer and art director. Most concepts start out in the form of a composite rendering (which can be as little as a stick person pencil sketch), and it is up to the photographer to translate this into a tangible image that captures the style and essence wanted by the client. This course is designed to teach the students the communication process necessary to achieve this. Students will spend most of this course shooting various advertising layouts while consulting and negotiating stylistic considerations with the art director. The objective is to become an active partner with the art director for the purpose of achieving the perfect image for the assignment. Students learn excellent lighting techniques and are encouraged to scan their images to disc so the instructor can crop, retouch and place them into the ad: giving the student a hi-res colour output of the job. In this course, students will learn how to operate and work extensively on the Hasselblad medium format camera systems. Prerequisite: Advanced Studio Lighting & Photoshop Level 2 Course Listings