DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE | MODULE THREE

A customisable digital photography course

Building on the knowledge gained from the two previous modules, this digital photography course module 3 is a fully interactive online course that extends your knowledge of photography and leads you to create your own fully formed researched photographic project.  The photography course makes full use of Zoom for online meet-ups. It will be based around weekly Zoom video sessions in group or individual mode, leading you through 8 units including your personal themes, historical & contemporary practice, creative exercises, project planning, realisation, editing and sequencing.  In a new development in photographic learning this comprehensive bespoke programme allows you to customise the curriculum to spend more time learning in the areas you want.

Comprehensive:

Unit 1:  Delving deep into your collection. What themes can we draw out from your back catalogue, what unknown gems can we bring to the surface.

Unit 2:  Composition analysis and cropping exercises in a group. Is there shared understanding in how we respond to particular photos and why do some images work better than others.

Unit 3:  What can we understand about the relationship between intention and outcome by looking at photographers from the past and present.

Unit 4:  Digging deep into technical aspects that individually have been unclear to you.

Unit 5:  In three parts, this unit includes practical exercises which cover; developing visual strategies and approaches, devices for narrative storytelling and processing for subtle impact.

Unit 6:  Delving deep on two photographers of your choosing.

Unit 7:  Individual project creation, mentoring & evaluation.

Unit 8:  Final presentation of your project and mapping out a future pathway.

PROGRAMME

UNIT 1 – Back catalogue / or images from the first modules – 1.5 hours

It’s ideal to begin by looking at some of your previous photos ether unedited on your drive or in a selection edited by you.  Either screen sharing your own catalogue system or sending the files to me for uploading to a gallery, are available options.

We will set some personal goals for the course.

UNIT 2 – Analysing composition – 1.5 hours

Looking at a variety of images in a group setting, we can begin to understand what’s a stake when making a good or even better photograph through framing.

UNIT 3a – historical referencing – 3 hours

19th Century – Pioneers – Tim O’ Sullivan(US)/Frank Sutcliffe (UK)

1920’s/1930’s – The shift to Modernism – Weston, Man Ray & Formalism

1940’s/1950’s – Callahan takes photography to new places.

1950’s -1970’s – Humanism and street – A. Sander, V.Maier & W.E. Smith

1970’s – Getting ordinary with colour & the new topographical.

1980’s/1990’s – Keeping it personal, Sherman, Mann & Goldin

UNIT 3b – Contemporary Practice Overview – 3 hours

Fine art representational – The Dusseldorf School & US soulful.

Manipulation in the modern age – From Gursky to McCurry.

Street / reportage – Tracing design from C.Bresson to A.Webb.

Romanticism in the landscape – Joe Cornish & ICM.

The influence of Instagram – Documentary lifestyle. 

Humanism today –  The appeal of group scenes.

UNIT 4 – Technical aspects and fieldwork – camera – 1.5 hours

Controlling exposure, DOF, understanding hyper-focal distance, focal lengths, compression, tonal separation and using phone apps. Landscapes, night photography, filter use for seascapes, indoor portraiture, close-up work. 

Technical aspects – computer – 1.5 hours

Workflow, interpreting an image, tonal separation, localised editing, layer masks and using gallery views. Looking at processing examples such as A. Adams ‘Moonrise’ and his different interpretation of the negative.

UNIT 5a – On location visual practical exercises local to where you live – 3 hours

Example list:

Mixing mediums creatively in a sequence using shutter speed, aperture and focal lengths.

Rationalising 3D into 2D.

Framing discipline and keeping subject proportions similar through a sequence.

Portraits –  simple & complex lighting, colour palette, angle.

UNIT 5b – Narrative exercises – 3 hours

Example list:

Diptychs & triptychs: an interpretation of space.

Creating an objective and subjective view of one location.

Arranging items or people in groups.

Finding elements to create a beginning, a middle and an end.

UNIT 5c – Post processing exercises – 1.5 hours

Example list:

Light touch creative processing. Setting limits.

Styling your shots – tonal compression and colourising.

UNIT 6 – Photographers in depth – 3 hours

This is an opportunity to research and present the work of two photographers that you admire and who are likely to inform your own photography. In group feedback we will draw out what can be carried across into your own photography.

UNIT 7 – Individual project mentoring – 6 hours total

Feedback and discussion on sketching out your own shortlist of ideas based on the intimate and local or the more ambitious overseas theme.

Viewing preliminary images including evaluation and feedback.

Moving towards setting the final framework for the series or project.

A group midway review and feedback.

Processing and sequencing evaluation.

The final selection will be uploaded to a gallery and viewed by a small handful of creatives who will also provide feedback.

UNIT 8 – Setting your path – 3 hours

Including some of the following:

Identifying the tribe your photos most closely relate to and where next for your photography.

Realising a photo book. Weighing up handmade versus production.

Writing an accompanying artist/personal statement.

An overview of potential destinations –  publications, websites, exhibitions.

Evaluating a shortlist of other projects.

Future direction and guidance on a selected next theme.

Setting personal goals.

Learning:

Weekly meet-ups online to follow a progressive course structure.

A focus on creative development and the steps needed to build more individual portfolios.

To make photographs that appeal to you and stand up to scrutiny.

Bespoke:

You can assign each of the 8 units a percentage a weighting in hours based on your own preferences, or leave as suggested. Online contact time will be a minimum 30 hours with either 3 or 1.5 hours per week slots spread over 3 – 9 months with pacing to develop, reflect and complete practical exercises, and your personal project.

THE PATHWAY TO IMPROVEMENT:

The course is about developing your portfolio and is centred around creative personal photography.

AVAILABLE TO ENROL AT FOUR POINTS IN THE YEAR:

November, January, March and May

EXTENSIVE FEEDBACK ON YOUR IMAGES

FLEXIBLE COURSE LENGTH:

FROM 3 – 9 MONTHS

COURSE FEE: £495

 

MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS

 

CREDIT CARD PAYMENT

THE NEXT ROUND OF REGISTRATION CLOSES:

April 3oth

WHEN COMPLETING TO SIGN UP

YOU CAN ADD NUMBER VALUES TO THE BOXES INDICATING PERCENTAGE WEIGHTING.

Once I’ve gathered all the returns, I’ll put together groups with start dates.

Additional information:

Building a community is also crucial so we can share what we like about photography and also open our eyes to how other people make visual sense of the world around them.  Working in groups creates an environment to exchange tips and ideas, promoting learning from each other, so there will be shared time online for sessions where it’s beneficial to view the work of others and also one on one teaching time to keep an overview of your individual pathway.

The digital photography course encompasses many avenues of photography including found still life, landscapes, portraiture and reportage(street), but the concept of genre is used fluidly. The focus is to develop your approach to photography through contextual awareness, creative exercises, project work and evaluation. Improving your self critiquing skills is also a focal point and you can do that via access to the best quality content that I’ve found, so your time is more creatively productive.

Keeping you abreast of high quality image-making that connects with you will lead you to a deeper practice and depth of ideas.  We don’t preach on the altar of originality but we do think you shouldn’t reinvent the wheel.  We’ll put you in touch with top quality photography but also point out the less brilliant. Often the differences are small but significant.

The main thrust of the photography course is very much geared towards creative representational imagery created on location, where my own expertise resides, rather than post-production based work or digital art.