This is a new course to be offered for the first time in Winter of 2004.
 

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Required Text
Text is not required, but I'll suggest periodicals, manuals, and books you might do some research in.  I might even refer to some web resources.  You must bring your camera manual to the first and every class.

Required Materials
1. A digital camera of 3 mega-pixels or costing at least $300 with a minimum of 5 automatic settings.
2. At least 1 128 or 256 MB memory card/disk for your specific camera.
3. You will also need a 100 or 250 MB zip disk, 256 MB portable USB storage device ($50 at Costco), or CD's.
4. Art lab and Computer lab fees required.

Introduction, Goals & Course Outline
Digital Photography I is a course designed to give a beginner’s introduction to digital photography, Mac, and Photoshop basics.  The class is geared towards the general student body with a focus on fun and usefulness of semi-automated digital picture taking.

The goals are to help the students develop:
1. Comfort, speed, flexibility, and intuitive ease with their own digital camera and the picture taking process.
2. A relaxed comfortable attitude about using their camera, Mac, and Photoshop, have fun, or use the digital camera for work, personal, or practical purposes.
3. The knowledge and skills needed to use the digital camera as a “super” scanner.
4. A sense of "digital camera literary".

o Taking pictures of human activity.
o Taking pictures indoor or outdoor events.
o Taking low light, stage-light, and night scenes pictures.
o Taking “macro” closeup and telephoto pictures.
o Taking pictures using design concepts like, texture, pattern, scale, etc.
o Taking picture using layout and composition ideas.
o Taking pictures using the appropriate “modes” offered by your camera.
o Learn technique for downloading your pictures to the computer.
o Learn about computer file formats relevant to photography such as "JPEG", "TIFF", or "RAW".
o Learn about how to prepare and send a picture as an e-mail attachment.
o Learn about how to prepare a picture for displaying on a website and create a very simple web page to display your picture(s).
o Learn about how to prepare and to print a 5x7 image to a desktop printer.
o Learn the context for taking pictures from the broad historical perspective through its:

- relationship to art
- relationship to science
- relationship to the societal mores
- relationship to itself ­ it continues to change

You, as a person, bring unique creative potential to harness the tools and apply your skills and knowledge to the class assignments.   The tools and applications are powerful but, you are the most important ingredient in the picture taking process.

We all have our strength and weaknesses ­ you’ll see mine and I’ll see yours.  It’s very important to know your own strength and weaknesses.  Tip-toe on your strength to reach your full potential.  Avoid the pot-holes on our road to creativity by knowing truly being aware of your weaknesses.
 At the same time, don’t under estimate the creative potential from the so-called mistakes.  Accidental discoveries have the potential of taking you beyond your narrow framework.

Once you’re introduced to new tools and techniques, jump on it like a creative kitten.  Play with it ­ bat it around, roll with it, and see what it does.  I will teach you digital camera and computer production techniques to help you play safely.

Attendance
Each class session builds on the knowledge and skills gained from the previous class.  This makes attendance very important.  If you want to get the most out of this course, attend every class on time, and do all the assignments.

Grades
Attendance alone does not result in good grades.  Participation, commitment, follow through are required to earn a strong grade.  You must complete and turn-in all the assignments and the final notebook.  The grade will be based on technique, presentation, idea, photographic design elements, and composition
 

 email: Kenji Tachibana - kenji@tidecomm.com
website:  Kenji Tachibana's Tidemark Communications
phone: office 206-526-0062

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 NORTH SEATTLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE - 9600 COLLEGE WAY N., SEATTLE, WA 98125
ART DEPARTMENT (206) 528-4535 email - echriste@sccd.ctc.edu