Course Title: Refine writing and editing techniques - Photography for Writers
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2008
Course Code: COMM5415
Course Title: Refine writing and editing techniques - Photography for Writers
School: 345T Creative Media
Campus: City Campus
Program: C5181 - Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing
Course Contact : Brendan Lee
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4368 Brendan Lee
Course Contact Email:brendan.lee@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Don Porter
Building 94, level 2, room 6
23–27 Cardigan Street, South Carlton
0418 504 004 (phone); 9925 4362 (fax)
don.porter@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 85
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
At RMIT Refine Writing and Editing – Photography is delivered and assessed along with the following competencies.
•CUVCOR04A - Originate concept for own work and conduct critical discourse
•CUVCOR13A - Research and critically analyse history and theory to inform artistic practice
•CUECOR01B - Manage own work and learning
•CUSADM03A - Manage a project
•CUVDES05A - Interpret and respond to a brief
Through the development of these competencies, you gain the skills needed to manage your work and learning while responding to a range of project briefs. You research the work of other writers and photographers and apply your findings to your own work through the development of a concept into a finished work.
Course Description
This unit covers the knowledge and skills required to work with text and digital photography. You learn about the photographic industry while using industry standard software to manipulate and enhance text and photographic images for a variety of purposes and in a range of contexts.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBP553 Refine writing and editing techniques - Photography for Writers |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to take photographs and manipulate them in order to support a variety of written text.
Details of Learning Activities
Students learn through a variety of methods. Classes are, in general, a mixture of lectures, discussion, practical exercises and assessment.
Students will participate in a research as well as design and photography units. The assessment is carried at the end of each semester with students gaining ongoing assessment and advice in each class to gauge their progress.
Teaching Schedule
| Week | Teaching Schedule |
| 1 | Introduction to Digital Photography Outline of course Visual presentation “The Start” History: Henry Fox-Talbot to Ansel Adams |
| 2 | Digital Photography What’s so different? How to use the camera Introduction to Research Project History: Athol Shmith and Helmut Newton |
| 3 | Lighting Intro to PowerPoint The influence of the Renaissance Photographers: Henri Cartier Bresson and Cazneaux |
| 4 |
Speed and movement Looking at Photoshop History Link: Erich Soloman |
| 5 | The Close-Up From Copying to Forget-Me-Nots Using a studio light and a reflector, photograph a product that can be combined with an “outside” background History: Forerunners |
| 6 | The Camera and how to use it Women Photographers 1 (At War): Margaret Bourke-White, Dickie Chapelle and Lee Miller |
| 7 |
Designing with Photography The design process and how to use it Women Photographers: Imogen Cunningham, Tina Modotti, Dorothea Lange, Annie Leibovitz, Mary Ellen Mark and Sarah Moon |
| 8 | Transposing Design to Artwork Introduction to InDesign Photographers: Sport – The Choice at a Millisecond |
| 9 | Chasing Shadows Using shapes in photographs Photoshop Image – Adjustments – Brightness/Contrast Australian Photographers: Max Dupain |
| 10 | The Flexible Ozzie, An Australian view Australian: Athol Smith and Rennie Ellis |
| 11 | Fashion and Art: Helmut Newton and Sarah Moon |
| 12 | The Photojournalist What is it? Introduction of Major Assessment Item Photographers: Alfred Eisenstedt and David Moore, Time Life and National Geographic |
| 13 | Photography in conflict: Robert Capa, W Eugene Smith |
| 14 |
Nature and landscape What is the “essence” of a “Subject” Capturing the moment of a preselected theme that will give the complete story |
| 15-18 | Working on Major assessment Item |
| 19 | Intro to Semester’s Program: Manipulation to perfection Presentation Research Project Photography: Vietnam War |
| 20 | Making your Picture better History Link: The “Unknowns” |
| 21 | Planning the Illustrative Image: Following the Romanticists Portraits: Andy Warhol and Arnold Newman a Comparison |
| 22 | Working to a Theme: For publication or exhibition History Link: The Heide Bunch – Albert Tucker |
| 23 | One–day exercise around Melbourne: Saturday or Sunday Developing a Theme as a group PowerPoint presentation |
| 24 | The Business of Photography: Business Practice from the start From extra money to the whole thing The Theme: Will McBride |
| 25 | Promotion of the Business Types and Styles of Photography as a Business Presentations Used by Photographers in the Advertising a Business General or Specialist. Travel photography |
| 26 | Intro to Major assessment Item Presentation of Thematic Images: The Exhibition The Specialist Book The Promotion Package History: Diane Arbus |
| 27 | Making the selection Selecting photos from a shoot. Do they tell the “Story” History: Ansell Adams and Minor White: Perfection |
| 28 | Working on Major assessment Item History Link: Man Ray |
| 29 | Working on Major assessment Item History Link: Robert Capa |
| 30 | Working on Major assessment Item History Link: Mario Gravo Neto |
| 31 | Working on Major assessment Item History Link: Imogen Cunningham and Judy Dater: Generations of Power |
| 32 | Working on Major assessment Item |
| 33 | Working on Major assessment Item Designing promotional materials for Exhibit History Link: Szilia Mucsy |
| 34 | Presentation of Research Project History Link: Exhibition Design |
| 35 | Working on Major assessment Item Mounting and Framing History Link: Promotion Design |
| 36 | Working on Major assessment Item Presentation of Exhibit History Link: Exhibition Recording |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Students will receive additional handouts in class
Overview of Assessment
Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, oral presentations and through the completion of practical and written projects.
Assessment Tasks
1. Semester 1 class exercises
You will undertake theoretical, practical, studio, design, photographing and image manipulation tasks. These will equip you to complete the assignments throughout the year.
Date due: 13 June
Weight: 2%
2. Product photograph assignment
Submit one photograph of your own choice, selecting one lighting style and using at least basic computer-image manipulation.
Date due: 13 June
Weight: 5%
3. Portraiture assignment
Submit a portrait using the lighting style not used in the previous assignment and using at least basic computer-image manipulation.
Date due: 13 June
Weight: 5%
4. Landscape photography assignment
Submit a landscape/nature photography that combines a living creature and a separate landscape image integrated in Photoshop.
Date due: 13 June
Weight: 5%
5. Illustrative photography assignment
Submit an illustrative photograph prepared from research into the German illustrative style of the 1920s and 1930s.
Date due: 13 June 2008
Weight: 5%
6. Sports photography assignment
Submit a sports photograph showing the ‘essence’ of the sport.
Date due: 13 June
Weight: 5%
7. Photojournalism assignment
Create 2 double-page A4 magazine spreads on the topic of ’my street’, including a 700-word article of your own writing and 9 accompanying images. Presentation will be a full-colour print-out from a commercial printery.
Date due: 13 June 2008
Weight: 23%
8. A written research project on the photographic industry
Write an essay of 1500–2000 words on the photographic Industry, process or opportunities (looking at the structure of the Photographic Industry and it’s workings. As well as written source material, you should interview at least one person working in the industry.
Date due: 31 October
Weight: 13%
9. Semester 2 class exercises: tasks on perception and action in photographing
The exercises include a series of short photographic sessions around the city on a series of individual exercises of “looking and seeing”.
Date due: 7 November
Weight: 2%
10. Manipulation to perfection
Make advanced use of Photoshop ito prepare an image for display or printing.
Date due: 7 November
Weight: 5%
11. Thematic plan
Submit rough notes for developing a theme in photography.
Date due: 7 November
Weight: 5%
12. PowerPoint Presentation
Prepare a PowerPoint Presentation:of the your best images for the year and present this to the class.
Date due: 7 November
Weight: 5%
13. Promotion for a Photographic Business
Present a concept for the corporate image of a photographic business: logo, business card, letterhead and invoice.
Date due: 7 November
Weight: 5%
14. Final exhibition
Design, organise and present a group exhibition (inc. promotion material and production of mounting).
Date due: 20 November
Weight: 15%
Assessment Matrix
Course Overview: Access Course Overview