Welcome to Intro to Photography class! We are going to have a great time together and we are going to learn a lot. I am so excited for us and I look forward to our time together this 12 weeks!

Course description: Great photography comes from a combination of being in the right place at the right time and on having a strong skillset to capture the moment. People who take consistently great photos have an understanding about the elements of great photography and technical knowledge of camera operations. This class is intended to provide the basic techniques and procedures for taking great pictures. We will learn basic camera operation (including shooting in manual mode), composition founded on design principles and elements, digital editing, and portfolio presentation. Students will use the techniques and projects presented to begin to develop their own photographic style.

Typical Weekly Class Schedule: 

I want to maximize our time together and give you a lot of class time to experiment and have fun with photography. I find this schedule works best for this class:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: These are days to introduce the weekly concept, to learn about cameras,  to work on our inspiration books, to share our work, and to participate in photography contests. Your inspiration book is due every Tuesday. It stays in my room.
• Wednesdays and Thursdays: You get time to take pictures and play with editing software. 
• Fridays: Your photography assignments are due on Fridays. Put on PowerPoint or Google Slide. Log into Canvas and turn them in and print a copy. Need more time? You can also use this day to work and turn it in by Sunday. Assignments will close after two weeks and they will not re-open.

PREPARATION AND WORK

• I will provide you with logbook or notebook to be used just for this class.  You will use this logbook daily for notes, assignments, and handouts. I will collect it from time to time and score it and to offer you feedback on reflections and creative projects. This will be your keepsake book at the end of class.
• To be successful in this class, you will come to every class everyday on time and  prepared to work. We will have daily discussions on various aspects of photography, including technical details and style and structure, along with making connections to the larger purpose of the works. We will spend a lot of time on photography projects. This is not designed to be an on-line class and if you have major issues with attendance, it will be challenging to pass.
• If you are absent, I expect you to check Canvas for class materials and activities. I expect you to look at it if you are out for extended periods. I promise to always have the modules updated for you before the school week starts. I will unveil assignments right before we do them.
• If I am absent, you will always find my expectations for the day on Canvas. I expect you to open it and do the assignment. Subs will have plans too but it is up to you to take initiative and get the work done!
• It will be rare that I assign homework. You need to use your class time well and be productive. When homework is assigned, students are expected to always come to class with evidence of having tried to do the work independently. If you do not understand a question or a piece of an assignment, do it in the way it makes sense to you. Perhaps your way may better.
• Photo of the day (optional but encouraged): Beginning today, make it your goal to make one photo every day on your cellphone that is significant to you. At the end of the day go through every photo you have taken, whether it is one or 500, and select the one that you want to remember that day by. Even if you have taken one hundred good photos that day, limit yourself to choosing the “one” (don’t delete the others, though). Save your “one” photo in a file called Significant Photo with the day’s date.

TYPICAL BREAKDOWN OF GRADES*

The majority of a student’s grade is determined by earning points from assigned projects. All photography must be new, shot for this class and a majority of photos taken outside of the classroom to facilitate productive use of class time.  Reflection and goal setting are also critical element of growth in this class.

• Assignments/ Projects ( creative photography projects, photo editing assignments, weekly  inspiration journals and reflections) = 90%
• Participation/ Professional skills (a weekly grade for engaging actively in small and large group conversations, for bringing in new ideas and insights to share, for class leadership, and for on-task behavior in and outside of the classroom. Unauthorized cell phone use or reports of off-task behavior in the hallways will equal points lost for the week.) 10%
• Weekly Bonus Points/ Grow Your Knowledge: These are often opportunities to explore famous photography, photojournalists, or to grow your Photoshop Skills.
• The grades are roughly broken down this way to ensure that there is a fair balance between the kind of work that is done and the grades that are received.  Therefore, I reserve the right to adjust percentages if workloads shift at any point in the trimester.

MY DOOR IS OPEN TO YOU:

MY CLASSROOM IS YOUR SANCTUARY AND A PROFESSIONAL WORK SPACE. I have an open classroom during lunch. If you need a quiet place to work, read, study, rest or unwind, come on in.  I will give you the space you need. My only request is that you give others the space they need in here too and that you clean up your messes.

After school, I am here most days (except some Tuesdays and Fridays) until at least 3:00, often later. If you need help with assignments or a quiet place to work, come on in. The only request I have is that you let me know if you need me to work with you so I do not schedule meetings with others. If you do not see me in room 206, look for me in the library.

Disclaimer for Photography Students:
You currently will have access to, and will be entrusted with, the use of equipment not largely available to other students. This is a privilege which comes with elevated responsibilities.

Be aware that you could be held liable for any damage that occurs to this equipment, through negligence or abuse, while in your possession. That means if things break because you are mistreating the tools, you could be made to pay for the damages. Please treasure the equipment and inform me IMMEDIATELY if you are noticing issues with any of your equipment, to help avoid this unpleasant situation.

• In order to use this equipment, you must sign a digital camera user agreement. No cameras will be signed out to you without a signature on this form. You can find this form in the first module (see below)