Instructor: Lab Manager: Program website: Lecture: Lab: Blackboard: Open Lab: Course Syllabus subject to change with notice DIGM 2352 Digital Photography Summer 2015 Professor Phil Snyder, MFA 713-743-4238 pcsnyder@uh.edu office hours: by appointment Mike Dawson 713-743-2994 mjdawson@central.uh.edu www.digitalmedia.tech.uh.edu 2352-3 18418: online Blackboard Learn (BbL) 2352-4 18419: MoWeFr 4:00PM - 7:00PM, 102A-T (Mac lab) NOTE: If sections are full, please attend the lab you signed up for. If you do need to attend a different lab on occasion, please check with Prof. Snyder. www.uh.edu/blackboard Support for students using BbL, including password resets, is available in multiple ways: www.uh.edu/blackboard Student Help room 116-PGH main campus, check for hours 713-743-1411 or support@uh.edu with your full name, course name and number, section number, instructor s name and a description of the problem live chat: www.uh.edu/infotech/livechat When posted and see www.digitalmedia.tech.uh.edu. Course Description: Credit hours 3.0 Prerequisite DIGM 2350 Digital cameras; photographic principles; image organization, metadata, evaluation and correction; digital asset management; creating image portfolios for the web; use of color management to soft- and hard-proof finished photographs. page 1 of 8
Course Goals: Required textbooks: Required tools: Optional tools: PDF files: Students completing the course will be able to describe, demonstrate, compare, integrate and critique Digital Media technologies related to: 1. features of consumer-, prosumer-, and professional-level digital cameras, including lenses, file modes (RAW, TIFF, and JPEG), and storage media 2. the use of digital camera controls, including, but not limited to, aperture- and shutter-priority, white balance, and flash 3. the use of composition rules and lighting techniques 4. the use of a digital camera to tell stories, capture people and nature and/or create documentaries 5. the use of digital asset management software to import digital photographs and add relevant meta-data 6. rating photographs based upon technical and aesthetic considerations 7. organizing images based upon meta-data, keywords and evaluative criteria 8. improving images through cropping, sizing, white-balance adjustment, color correction, highlight and shadow alteration, sharpening, noise reduction and local repair 9. delivery of finished photographs through websites and soft- and printed-proofs; and 10. archiving finished photographs Perfect Digital Photography 2nd Edition. Kinghorn, J. & Dickman, J., 2009. New York: McGraw-Fill/Osborne. ISBN 13: 978-0071601665. ISBN 10: 003160166X. Also available as an ebook. Explore Lightroom 4: A Roadmap for Photographers. McCullagh, Gene. 2012. Course Technology, a part of Cengage Learning. ISBN 13: 978-4354-6089-8. ISBN 10: 1-4354-6089-8. Also available as an ebook. USB external drive or thumb/flash drive to store and backup your files. Minimum capacity 20 GB MUST be Mac compatible. Digital SLR camera there are cameras in the lab available for your use. Check-out procedures will be reviewed at the beginning of the semester. iphones and other mobile devices cannot be used for this class. 8x to 20x magnifier (loupe); stainless steel ruler graduated in inches and picas. Most materials for the online lecture will be supplied in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). These files can be read on any Windows, Mac, or Unix computer providing you have the correct Acrobat Reader Software. You can read the files onscreen or print to your personal printer. However, you cannot print using the Mac lab printers. If you are found printing any 2352 materials in the lab your grade will be penalized accordingly. page 2 of 8
Why 5 hours per week? in class hours @home per week lecture (2 cr) 2 4 = 6 lab (1 cr) 3 = 3 total (3 cr) 5 4 = 9 DIGM 2352 is a combination of an online lecture and in-class lab and is governed by University policy as well as policies of the accrediting bodies. Each hour of class credit requires three hours per week: one hour in lecture and two hours of personal study/homework. Thus, a three-hour course requires nine hours per week: three in class and six on your own. However, lab earns in-class credit at one-third the rate of lecture. Thus, it takes three hours of lab to earn one hour of lecture credit. DIGM 2352 requires you to spend two hours in lecture. For those two hours, you receive two hours of credit. The three hours of lab, counted together, are worth one hour of credit. Thus, you spend five hours per week in a three-hour lecture/lab class. Remember, you still owe Prof. Snyder a total of nine hours for the three-hour course. Nine minus five equals four. Thus, you should spend four hours per week on your own reading, studying, and working on homework and on-line quizzes. Grading: Attendance...10% Exams (2 @ 5% each)...10% Quizzes...20% Photo Assignments...25% Lab Assignments and Activities...25% Final Project...5% Research Assignment... 5% Percent/letter grades: A...95 100 A... 90 94 B+...86 89 B... 83 85 B...80 82 C+... 76 79 C... 73 75 C...70 72 D+...66 69 D... 63 65 D...60 62 Attendance: Attendance at all lab sessions is expected. There is grade penalty for absences. Tardies of more than 10 minutes count as 1/2 an absence. If your absence is unavoidable and you give notice two hours before lab starts, the absence grade penalty may be changed to an excused or 1/2 absence. In addition to the University s policy, it is Prof. Snyder s decision as to what will constitute an excused absence based on academic and professional growth opportunities outside the class. If there is any question as to the nature of the absence, the student should seek him out prior to the absence. Excused absences are defined as follows: Illness with a doctor s note Participation in an university function with a note from the advisor Death in the family with appropriate documentation In accordance with University policy, students will be informed in advance, whenever possible, of any cancelled class meetings and are expected to wait no longer than 15 minutes for an instructor if there has been no announcement. page 3 of 8
Exams: Quizzes: Photo Assignments: Lab Assignments and Activities: There are two exams. Questions may be drawn from lecture materials, lab discussions, assigned readings, interactive presentations and assigned websites. Weekly quizzes are based on lecture materials, lab discussions, assigned readings, interactive presentations and assigned websites. Quizzes are online, open-book, and are released on a weekly basis. It is recommended that you open each quiz at the beginning of the week materials become available so you can become familiar with what you need to do when you do your readings. You will be given approximately one week to complete each quiz. Photo assignments are scheduled weekly. Each photo assignment should be downloaded from your camera to your portable drive and organized in weekly folders in preparation for weekly lab assignments. Lab assignments and activities are scheduled weekly and are loosely defined in this syllabus see schedule on the last page. Lab assignments are to be completed as soon as possible and placed into an on-line photo gallery, or submitted to BbL as directed. For review purposes, your online photo gallery will need to be current by midterm and on the day of the final exam for grading. Lab activities are considered part of your lab assignment grade and are based on your participation in lab. Collectively, photo assignments, lab assignments and lab activities are your portfolio. Individually, each assignment in your portfolio is graded according to the following: Unsubmitted projects will receive an F. If a project is submitted but has any technical flaw that will prevent it from working, it will receive a D grade. For example, if the project is submitted at the wrong size, it will receive a D. C is the standard project grade. It means that the content of the project is technically accurate. A B project is not only technically accurate, but also attractive. In addition to working, the project shows that the student has accurately applied the basic principles of photography. A is assigned to projects in which the student has obviously gone above and beyond the assignment. Attractive presentation are examples of beyond assignment requirements. There is no need for a student to earn any less than a B on any project. Don t be shy! Show your work to your instructor in advance for advice! Portfolios are due online for review on the day of the midterm and again on the day of the final. Specific details will be discussed during lab as to how to prepare for these reviews. A midterm portfolio review grade and a final portfolio review grade will each be considered lab assignments and graded accordingly. Midterm portfolio will consist of online representations of the following page 4 of 8
projects: 1. Lenses/zoom 5. ISO 2. Color temperature (white balance) 6. Resolution 3. Shutter speed 7. File format settings 4. Aperture 8. Rules of composition Final Project: Research assignment: digital media majors The research assignment for DIGM 2352 is a written research paper and should be used as preparation for your senior thesis while contemplating your theme choices something you want to be an expert in by the time you graduate. Topic must be approved by instructor. non-digital media majors The research assignment is a two-three page paper on an approved topic related to digital photography. Final project themes and topics will be discussed during lab and posted to BbL in a timely manner. The final project will need to be submitted to your online site and printed and bound into your final photo book. Every Digital Media major is required to work toward a senior thesis. This is an area of endeavor within Digital Media (print, web, photography, videography, management, leadership, logistics, sales, etc.) that you will study outside of class time during each DIGM course you take. In each DIGM class beginning with 2350 you will be asked to do research on your theme and, in doing so, expand your knowledge base. In DIGM 2352 you should explore potential research topics then write your findings in a a 750-1000-word paper that meets APA manuscript requirements. Your research theme will culminate when you are a senior taking DIGM 4378. If you are not a Digital Media major, write a 750-1000-word paper that meets APA manuscript requirements. Topics must be related to digital photography and approved by Ms. Charleville. We ll discuss topics during lab. If your paper has more than three spelling or grammatical errors, you will earn no higher than a D. If the topic is explained well and the English grammar and spelling are OK, you will earn a C. To earn an A you must also provide supporting documentation (bibliography, photographs, links, samples, cost analysis, and so forth). A B paper has some documentation, but is sketchy. Extra credit: Overall course extra credit may be earned through participation in the University of Houston chapter of the International Graphic Arts Education Association (UH/IGAEA). Students who join UH/IGAEA and attend a minimum of three association meetings will earn three points extra credit on their final grades. UH/IGAEA officers will receive five points of extra credit on their final grades. Should the IGAEA not meet during the semester, your instructor may assign alternative course extra credit assignments. Miscellaneous extra credit: From time-to-time there will be opportunities to earn extra credit during the semester. You must be present during lab to earn it. page 5 of 8
Due date policy: Classroom/Lab Policies: Netiquette: Expectations: Assignments must be turned in on schedule. See the class schedule and BbL for specific dates. Late work will receive a grade penalty of 10% per class session. If you cannot attend class on a day that an assignment is due, you must make arrangements to get the work to the instructor no later than the next business day. Please adhere to the following classroom rules: No cell phone use turn OFF your cell when you enter the classroom. No disruptive behavior No profanity/obscenity/vulgarity Do not use any printers in the lab for anything other than class work. Janitorial services are rarely provided in rooms 102A-T, 102B-T and 102F-T. For this reason, and to keep the equipment clean, no food or drink is allowed in the room for any reason at any time. Please clean up after yourself and leave your computer station in good order for the next person to use. You will be expected to maintain a clean lab. The instructor will ask for your assistance when appropriate. Downloading of any software will be considered theft, which is a violation of the University s Academic-Honesty policy. The Department Chair will be informed of all occurrences of software piracy. Any affected student will be suspended from class until a Departmental Hearing is called. Lack of adherence to the classroom rules can result in a grade reduction. It is extremely rude to use your computer for surfing the web, answering e-mails, playing games, or other off-task functions during class. It is also a waste of your money since your lectures are packed with important information being presented by your professor who knows more about the topic than you do. You are paying money to be in class. Do not waste your money by trying to ineffectively multi-task during class! Your professor realizes that you are an adult and are free to squander your time any way you want. However, if you insist on texting, e-mailing, or surfing, please step outside the lab where you won t bother anybody. Students in this course are expected to be capable and motivated professionals. No such student should be content with a grade less than B. Please provide the attention, motivation and effort necessary to reach this grade expectation. If you meet the minimum requirements of any assignment, then you have done an average job which will earn you a C. You must do more than the minimum requirements if you want to earn a higher grade. page 6 of 8
In a creative class, some grading criteria are subjective. Just remember that your professor is your client, and just as in the professional world, you will be expected to meet the approval of the client. Adds/drops: Incompletes: TechConnect: Student Showcase: Please refer to the University s Undergraduate Catalog and the Schedule of Classes for the appropriate add/drop dates and procedures. Those procedures must be followed to the letter. An incomplete grade will only be issued if the student is maintaining an acceptable level of achievement and cannot, due to some factor beyond the control of the student, complete one or more major assignment. If a student wishes an incomplete grade, s/he must explain the situation to the instructor in advance, and make specific arrangements to make up missing work no later than one year after the incomplete is issued. The College of Technology is excited to present TechConnect. This tool will allow you to upload your resume, research companies, and apply for jobs and internships. Please register for TechConnect by going to https://tech-uh-csm. symplicity.com. You will need to complete a profile. Once you do that, you will have access to postings by Digital Media firms. Internships and jobs are also posted to our Facebook page. Please like the UH Digital Media Program page to receive notifications about these jobs. All Digital Media students are encouraged to post their best work on our site s Student Showcase. Entries can be in any Digital Media field and from any Digital Media course. Please go to www.digitalmedia.tech.uh.edu/showcase/ click the Submit Your Work link on the left side of the page, complete the Student Showcase Submit Form, and upload your project. Please note that for us to approve your posting, and make it visible on the web, we must have on file for you a UH Content Release Form, which can be downloaded from the Student Showcase Submit Form. Other Important Information: As a student of the University of Houston, information available at www.uh.edu/provost/stu/ will be critical to you in insuring that your academic pursuits meet with success and that you encounter the fewest financial and academic difficulties possible. Please take a few moments to review each of the areas, and become familiar with the resources detailed on the website with regard to: The UH Academic Honesty Policy: the UH Academic Calendar; Students with Disabilities; Religious Holy Day FAQs; and Other Information. FAX: Americans with Disabilities Act: The college will not accept assignments that are faxed to the office. There is no use trying. Any student who may be in need of additional help under the ADA guidelines should contact Prof. Snyder ASAP. page 7 of 8
Course schedule ALWAYS subject to change. Session Partial reading assignments. See BbL for complete assignments. ONLINE Lecture Topic Online Quiz Lab Topic and Assignments Weekly Photo Assignments 1 Introduction and orientation Pre-test Introduction and lab orientation Classmates/ Strangers 2 Kinghorn: Chapters 1 2 Lightroom 4: Chapter 2 Introduction to photography. Equipment: camera types and lenses. Quiz 1 Photography in your life. DoF 3 Kinghorn: Chapter 4 Lightroom 4: Chapter 3 Basics of photography: light, shutter speed, aperture, ISO speed, depth of field, white balance. Quiz 2 Getting acquainted with your camera. Shoot and import images with varying lenses and/or zoom. Setup photo site. Shutter Speed Aperture & ISO 4 Kinghorn: Chapters 3, 5 Lightroom 4: Chapter 4 Exposure Quiz 3 Shoot and import: color temperature, shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Experiment with exposure. Lightroom assignment TBD. WB 5 Kinghorn: Chapter 7 Lightroom 4: Chapter 5 Composition Quiz 4 Composition. Shoot and import: rule of thirds, s-curves, rhythm, horizon lines, etc. Lightroom assignment TBD. Composition 6 Kinghorn: Chapter 6 Lightroom 4: Chapter 6 Basics of digital photography: file formats, resolution, flash, media Quiz 5 Shoot and import: various quality settings, resolution, and file format settings. Lightroom assignment TBD. Telling Stories 7 Kinghorn: Chapters 8 & 10 Lightroom 4: Chapter 7 Telling stories with photographs. Quiz 6 Prepare images and webpage for online midterm portfolio. Lightroom assignment TBD. Portraits & Environmental Portraits 8 Midterm Exam Midterm Exam. Midterm portfolios due. Choose final project theme. Midterm Portfolio Review 9 Kinghorn: Chapter 11 Lightroom 4: Chapter 7 Lightroom 4 Quiz 7 Research paper due. Discuss final project specifications. Organizing images in Lightroom: Where. LA Color Final Project week 1 10 Kinghorn: Chapter 14 Lightroom 4: Chapter 8 Soft proofing using ICC profiles. Photo output. Archival processes. Quiz 8 Organizing images in Lightroom: What. LA HDR Final Project week 2 11 Lightroom 4: Chapter 10 Large format printing. Panorama. Photos for 3D Printing. Virtual Tours. Quiz 9 Large format printing. Panorama. Photos for 3D Printing. Virtual Tours. LA Panorama Final Project week 3 12 Lightroom 4: Chapter 11 Various photographic composition techniques. Image Editing Quiz 10 Final Project. Lab Assignment Prepare Books Final Project week 4 (if needed) 13 Kinghorn: Chapters 15 Advanced image editing. Quiz 11 Final Project. Advanced image editing. 14 Kinghorn: Chapters 16 Advanced image editing. Final Project. Advanced image editing. 15 Final Exam Final Exam. Final Project Due. Final portfolio due. page 8 of 8