Fall 2019 Course Syllabus Course: PHTC-1311- Section: 01 Fundamentals of Photography

Instructor Information
Instructor	Maurice Abelman
E-mail	abelmanm@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6389
Office	Location: Student Center - Room: 413 Hours: M,F 9-11 T,R 9- 12:30
Department	Business and Industrial Technology Chair: Sheila Guillot E-mail: guillsr@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6381 If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Course Information
Description	An introduction to camera operation and image production, composition, flash usage, and use of exposure meters and filters
Prerequisites	None
Learning Outcomes	CSLO 1. Understand the importance of art in digital design. (PSLO 1,2) CSLO 2. Acquire the basic knowledge of creating design elements. (PSLO 1,2) CSLO 3. Describe current trends in photography and graphic design. (PSLO 1,2,4) CSLO 4. Understand the creative process and demonstrate professionalism. (PSLO 1,2,3,4,5)
Core Objectives	* Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication. * Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. * Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view. * Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Program Student Learning Outcomes	PSLO ALPHA: Reading skills - Demonstrates comprehension of content-area reading material. PSLO 1. Prepares design elements for inclusion into a digital product PSLO 2. Creates original design elements for inclusion into a portfolio PSLO 3. Describes current trends in graphic design. PSLO 4. Demonstrates ethics and professionalism within the graphic design field.
Textbooks	Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book (2019 Release) ISBN-13: 978-0135261781 ISBN-10: 0135261783
Lecture Topics Outline	Week 1: Lecture: Course intro, Syllabus review, Discussion on Camera vs digital projects, Lecture on what is Adobe Photoshop is and Camera Intro. What is a pixel and what does it have to do with resolution. 1st project: Man and his Best friend, planning your shots. Demos: Introduction to your camera. Histogram. Photoshop CC: Explore Workspace, Tools, Layers, and Panels. Learn how import pics and use basic tools. Magic wand, rotate, selection tool, crop. (Ch 1-2) Week 2: Lecture: Understanding photos and Photoshop. RGB vs CMYK. Formatting photos for print. Demos: Intro to basic photo retouching. Levels, clone stamp tool, content aware patch, image sharpening, resizing. (Ch 2,3,4) Week 3 Lecture: What is photo manipulation? Show Examples. Demo: Adjustment layers, Smart Filters, techniques for isolating objects. (Ch 5-6) Week 4 Critique 1: Man and his Best friend Lecture: Project 2: Me, Myself, and I overview. Developing a concept. Choosing a scene to photograph. Planning for multiple shots. Lighting. Demo: Positioning a camera. Techniques on taking multiple shots. Camera timers. Week 5 Lecture: Basic photo composite intro. Demo: Integrating multiple images in Photoshop. Developing a strategy for the composition. Mapping out the image. Week6 Demo: Creating shadows. Working with layer masks. Printing Demo. How to use the printer. (Ch 6) Week 7 Critique #2 Me, Myself, and I Lecture: Project 3: My Great Invention. Strategies to coming up with ideas. Class Discussion. Team Project guidelines. Demo: Intro to Photo Studio Booth. How to position and take photos in Photo Studio Booth Week 8 Lecture: What is a vector? Intro to Illustrator: Using Illustrator and Photoshop together. (Ch 8) Demo: Compositing organic and inorganic forms. Blend modes. Week 9 Demo: Intro to the brush tool and effects. Creating complex masks. Channels. (CH 9,10) Critique: Project 3: My Great Invention Week 10 Lecture: Project 4: You are a Star! Intro to typography and text (Ch 7) Discuss design layouts for magazines. Demo: Text demo, how to set up a magazine layout. Week 11: Demo: Intro to Adobe Indesign, Combining Photoshop images and Indesign Files. Critique: You are a Star! Week 12: Lecture Final Project: Movie Poster Spoof. Demo: Strategies for laying out a Movie Poster. Week13: Work Week Week 14 Final Critique: Movie Poster Spoof.
Major Assignments Schedule	Project 1: Man and his Best Friend (3 week project) Camera Phase: Take a series of photos that demonstrates use of shallow depth of field and deep depth of field. The subject matter will be you and your pet. If you do not have a pet then ask a friend or family member if you can borrow theirs. You will provide three series of photos. The first a static shot of your pet showing depth of field. The second photo will be an action shot of your pet moving showing depth of field. The last photo will be of you and your pet interacting. Pick your best photos of each to submit for grading. Keep the second half of this project in mind. Design Phase: Using the photos you took during the camera phase of this project transfer the images of you and your pet from the photos into another scene. Choose a background scene from one of these categories; science fiction, fantasy, steam punk, or post-apocalyptic. Project 2: Me, Myself, and I (3 week project) Camera Phase: Set up your camera on a stable mount and take a series of photos of you in a scene doing an action. Make it interesting. Choose the best five images to submit for a grade. Design Phase: Use the photos you took from the camera phase of the project to create a composition that includes at least five different versions of yourself interacting in the same photo. Project 3: My Great Invention ? 3 week project Camera Phase: Choose a partner in class to team up with through the duration of this project. Brainstorm some ideas of creating the next big invention. This invention could have a functional purpose or just some weird crazy gizmo that looks cool. Take a picture of five different elements; a background setting, a figure interacting with the invention, an organic object, a metallic object, and the last two other items of your choosing to use that will create the invention. Submit these photos for a grade. Design Phase: Using the elements you took pictures of during the camera phase of this project create a composite picture of your invention interacting with the figure in a background setting. Project 4: Your a Star! (3 week project) Camera Phase: Select your favorite magazine cover that shows a figure in a dynamic setting. The aim of this project is to recreate this magazine cover using you as the main figure. Take a series of photos that you will need to construct the cover. Submit one of each element you took for a grade. Design Phase: Using the photos you took from the camera phase of this project recreate the magazine you choose. Make sure to include a typographic element in the cover and the logo for the magazine. Final Project: Movie Poster Spoof. (3 week project) Camera Phase: Select your favorite movie poster. Break down the elements in the poster and take pictures of each. Make sure to include you as the main character and at least three other people you know. Submit these images for a grade. Design Phase: Using the photos you took from the camera phase of this project recreate the movie poster to the best of your ability.
Final Exam Date	December 5, 2019 - 8:00 AM   Through  December 5, 2019 - 10:00 AM
Grading Scale	Passing grades: 100-90= A 89-80=B 79-70=C Failing Grades: 69-60= D 59 and Below= F
Determination of Final Grade	Camera Phase Projects- 20% Design Phase Projects- 20% Critique- 30% Final Project- 30% Camera Phase Projects- Students will be required to submit photos for each project as described in the project outline. These photos will be graded on creativity of the photo, photographic technical skill, and how accurate the subject matter is to the project (20%) Design Phase Projects- Students will be required to submit a final design of their project that use photographic elements from the camera phase of their project. Students will be graded on creativity of the design, technical skill, and how well the design relates to the project objectives. (20%) Critique - Students will be required to give a critique over their project and discuss with the class the details of the final design. The class will then have an open discussion about the design. Students will be graded on creativity of the design, technical skill, and how well they present their project (30%) Final Project- The student will be assigned a final project for the last three weeks of the semester and will be required to present this design to the class. Students will be graded on creativity of the design, technical skill, and how well the design relates to the project objectives. (30%)
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	This is a learning environment so work hard. Show your committed to the class and your projects and you will do great!! These computer programs are very challenging at first but if you follow my instructions you will learn them quickly. I believe in you. This class is about learning how to be creative using photography and digital media. I promote learning, dedication, and fun. If you don't promote these objectives yourself, this class will be hard for you. I practice the GOLDEN RULE "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I reward good behavior in class. If you disrupt class and distract other students from learning or working on their projects, you will be asked to leave. If you break any of the rules below you may be asked to leave or may result in other disciplinary actions: NO FOOD OR DRINKS IN COMPUTER OR PRINT LAB! Sorry this is a campus rule. This is a new computer Mac lab, so this rule will be enforced! (If you have medical issues and require food let me know we can work something out.) Turn off cell phones before entering class. Unless you are using it for a photo project. Three Strikes and you?re out. This applies to the whole semester. Do not use any class room computers or print lab equipment for none academic reasons. If I catch you on a website that doesn't have an academic cause without my permission you will be warned, if a second violation happens you will be asked to leave. Do not use print lab equipment without permission. Using school resources for none academic reasons could result in disciplinary actions. If you don't know how to use any print lab equipment come get me, we will figure it out together. * I hold the right to change these rules according to each situation or unforeseen events.
Attendance Policy	Late Policy I will give students 2-3 minutes before I take role and consider you late be in your seats by then. If you are constantly late I will feel like your breaking the Golden Rule and that won't make me happy. Attendance Research has shown a cause and effect relationship between attendances and college success. Students that came to class more were more successful in their education than students that didn't come to class. Come to class! Be successful! My attendance policy is simple. After 3 unexcused absences your final grade will drop by one letter grade. After 8 unexcused absences you will receive a F for the course.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
Facility Policies	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
Important Information
ADA Considerations	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
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Other	* I hold the right to change these rules according to each situation or unforeseen events.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.