Brea

 Lets talk in class tonight and develop a plan to bring you current.   Okay? 

Connie

Where has the time gone??

We are almost at the point where our semester will be over.  As usual, we are running short of time to complete everything that I had wanted to cover in class, so I'm going to make some revisions to our syllabus to accommodate my optimistic understanding of what we would have time for. 

Tonight; Nov. 24th.
We will work to complete any bits of work that you need to finish to put your still life portfolios togther to turn in.  Remember that these need to have your negatives, contact proof sheet, trial prints and test strips that show evidence of your practice with sepia toning and handcoloring, two final sepia toned and handcolored prints along with a brief written statement that addresses which technique you thought worked the best for you and whether or not you feel the addition of sepia tone and handcoloring helped or hurt your images. 

We will also work to develop your portrait negatives and work towards getting two final portrait prints. If you believe that your final portrait prints would look better sepia toned and/or handcolored, this will be available for you to use on your prints.  These prints will be the last ones that are required in your summative portfolio. 

We will also work toward getting ready for our critique.  For this critique you should have ready to display your two still life final prints and your two final portrait prints for a total of four final prints for critique. 

December 1st:
This will be our last critique.  After the critique I will distribute the take home written final and demonstrate the tone drop out technique that will be your demonstration final for the semester.  The requirements for your summative portfolio will be discussed.

Summative Portfolio Requirements are:
1.  Final landscape print
2.  Final two selective focus prints; one that shows wide depth of field and one that shows    narrow depth of field.
3.  Final two motion prints: one that shows blurred or captured motion and one that shows stopped motion.
4.  Final two still life prints.
5.  Final two portrait prints.
6.  One final tone drop out print from your performance final that you will perform and finish next week.

This is a total of 10 prints.

December 8th:
You will have time in class to perform your demonstration final in the darkroom.  For this you will need your portrait negatives, your technique sheet that addresses the tone drop out technique and your 8x10" photo paper.  You should turn in your completed take home written final along with your summative portfolio for grading. 

This is our last day of scheduled class.  Graded Summative Portfolios may be picked up when you deliver your camera to Ms. Werner on or before 12/10. 

On a personal note:
I have so very much enjoyed teaching this class this semester.  I have enjoyed watchng your progress in class and seeing your personal application of this medium begin to take shape.  I hope that you will consider signing up for Photo 2 ... creative shooting, printing and materials are explored to a greater length in this class. 

Enjoy your second semester classes! 

Connie

Portrait Assignment

Portrait Assignment:
Our portrait assignment is important because we will be using these negatives to perform the next two assignments that deal with creative printing techniques. 

When shooting for this assignment, I want you to think about a classic black and white portrait; where the subject's head and shoulders  pretty much fill the frame and the background is very secondary to the subject.  You should strive to capture an attitude about your subject that depicts a feeling or emotion.  To further the emotive aspect of your portrait we are going to "push" your film when you shoot. 

To "push" your film, you will use our regular 400 ASA film, but fool your camera into thinking that it has much faster film then it really is using ... so change your film speed setting to 1600 if possible, or 800 if you can't set it as high as the 1600 mark.  When you do this, your camera thinks it has faster film than it really does, so your negatives are underexposed.  To compensate for this under exposure, you will over process your film.  The formula that you follow simply increases the original time to the original time + half for each step increase.  So if your original time is 8 minutes, you add 8 + 4 and process your film for 12 minutes instead of 8.  You do this for each step increase (doubling of your number) of your ASA setting. 

Why do this?  This changes your film so that the grain is increased, the contrast is heightened and the edges of your image softens.  Your image is altered creatively more and more the further you push your film.  It becomes a technique that gives you control over how the final image is shaped ... you're not limited to the technical expectations and the make-up of your films' chemistry. 

Keep only one person in your picture.  It does not have to be the same person, but it can be.  Stay aware of what your F-stop is set to.  You want to have a somewhat shallow depth of field, but you don't want such a limited focus that only one feature on their face is in focus.  You should generallly focus on the eyes of your subject, but since you are shooting a full roll of film, play with that rule a bit; focus on a whisp of hair, the curve of the neck, an earring, etc. on a few frames.

and have fun!

Aesthetic Puzzle for the week of November 3rd

William Carlos Williams and the Icebox:

The following is one of William Carlos William's best-known and most often anthologized poems:

     THIS IS JUST TO SAY
    
     I have eaten
     the plums
     that were in
     the icebox
     and which
     you were probably
     saving
     for breakfast.

     Forgive me
     they were delicious
     so sweet
     and so cold.

What, if any, difference should it make if someone discovered that Williams had not written this as a poem, that he had never intended it for publication, and that, in fact, it was just a note he had left on the door of a friend's refrigerator after eating all the plums?

Class Cancellation

I have sent emails out to all of you, but I thought this might be the best way to contact you. 

I'm sorry for the late notice, but I must cancel class tonight due to illness.  I will set up the chemistry in the darkroom so that you can complete printing your still life assignment.  We will sepia  tone and handcolor your final prints next week.

Thank you for your understanding.

Aesthetic Teaser

The Captive Cat:
At Columbia University, a bronze statue of a cat stands on the floor at the head of a staircase.  Presumably it is of some value, for university officials have fixed a chain around its neck and fastened the chain to the stair railing.

Should the artwork be appreciated as a statue of a chained cat, or is it simply a chained statue of a cat?  Becuase the chain is visiable, is it possible to exclude it from one's aesthetic appreciation of th e work?

Aesthetic Puzzle for the week of October 11th

Tatarkiewicz's Definition of Art  .....(to further our discussion):
    
     The literature of aesthetics contains an embarrassment of riches when it comes to definitions of art.  In "What is Art? The Problem of Definition Today," Wladyslaw Tatarkiewicz defines a work of art as follows:  "A work of art is either a reproduction of things, or a construction of forms, or an expression of experiences such that it is capable of evoking delight, or emotion, or shock." 
     Note that this sentence defines art disjunctively ("Anything is a work of art just in case it is A or B or C."), whereas most definitions are conjunctive (Anything is a work of art just in case it is A and B and C").  Tatarkiewicz regards this as an advantage.  But what this means is that there are three things (reproductions, constructions, expressions) and three reactions or responses they are capable of evoking (delight, emotion, shock), any one or more of which from each set is a logically sufficient condition for something's being a work of art.  The only necessary condition is that a work of art must be at least one of the three things and must be capable of evoking at least one of the three responses. 
     Is this an adequate definition of art?  Do some works of art fail to satisfy Tatarkiewicz's definition?  Is there anything that is not a work of art that satisfies his definition?
    
    - taken from "Puzzles About Art, An Aesthetics Casebook".


Now this is to point out that most Aestheticians do not consider "Everything is art" as an adequate definition, which was most of your stated definitions so far, with the exception of Sonny.  So I want you to spend some time thinking about the above definition, and we'll discuss this in class Tuesday as part of our critique.  Pretend you have to come up with a more concrete definition for what you consider to be art. 

Aesthetic Puzzle Note

Your opinions regarding the Aesthetic Puzzles are your personal opinions.  No one else needs to agree with you, but it is good to form an opinion.  Once you state an opinion, it is always open to revision based on your rethinking of the issue or the input and/or arguement of one of your peers. 

Aesthetic Puzzle for the week of September 29th

After a heavy winter snow, a woman walks from her front door, down a winding drive, to her mailbox.  Upon her return to the house, she notices the beautiful pattern of light and shadow that her footprints have left in the snow.  She takes her camera and takes a series of pictures of the footprints, snow, shadow and light.  She makes a large black and white print of her footprints.   She studies this photo and takes charcoal and white conte and creates a mytical, lyrical drawing of the footprints. 

What in this series of creations; footprints in the snow as she walked, black and white photo of her footprints, and drawing of her footprints in the snow is a work of art?  If you decide that all are works of art, once the snow melts and the footprints disappear what happens to that art work?  Does something have to be permenant to be a work of art?

Is there a hierarchy to art?  Are the results of some mediums better art work than other mediums.  Is the drawing "better" art than the photo?  Is the photo better art than the melting footprints in the snow?  Who decides?  Is it art work if the creator of it thinks it is or is it art work if the viewer thinks it is?

Blog Work

After three weeks of having the blog up and running I still have no followers!!  I still bellieve that this could be a very good manner of enhancing the class and communication about the arts.  So, I am going to post Aesthetic Questions every week from now on that you are to respond to for points.  These responses should be one paragraph (5 - 6 sentences long minimum) long in the blog.  Hopefully, you will read the responses of others and be inspired to enter into a debate regarding the issue at hand.   I will respond to your entries and points will be given for your participation. 

Tuesday's Class; 9/29/09

Last class was basically a lab night. 
1.  We worked on processing the motion assignment with the goal that you leave with cut film in a sheet protector and a contact proof sheet to study for that assignment. 
2.  We worked in the darkroom on completing the depth of field prints.  Our goal was to have two final prints; one that showed wide depth of field (everything in focus) and one that showed shallow depth of field focus (only what you focus on in focus). 
3.  Portfolios for this assignment were to be completed and turned in for grading if possible.  If not, they should be turned in at the beginning of the hour next week.

Depth of Field Stars

Wow!

I saw a lot of really nice depth of field photos in class last Tuesday.  Very nice! 

Class Update

Tuesday's class: 
1.  A Pop quiz was given at the beginning of the hour over depth of field. 
2.  A new shoot assignment was reviewed covering the use of the shutter to shoot captured and stopped motion.  This shoot is shutter priority meaning that you will set your shutter to fast and slow setting to capture 3 final pictures; one that shows frozen motion (for instance throwing a basketball and capturing it frozen in mid-air), one that shows captured motion (for instance the blur of motion as a runner passes you as you take the picture) and a third one that is experimental as you capture panning (following the movement of an object as you engage the shutter button) while obtaining an average light meter reading by adjusting the aperture each time. 
3  You should use a 24 or 36 exposure roll of black and white film and take a series of pictures to capture stopped motion with your shutter set on 500 or 1000. 
4.  You should take a series of captured motion pictures with your shutter set on 1, 2, or 4.
5.  You should take a series of experimental pictures where you play with both captured or stopped motion or panning to complete your shoot.
6.  We will process this roll of film in class next Tuesday and complete printing your depth of field final prints.

Quote

"Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston

Alzheimer's Memory Walk

We're gathering participants in the Annual Memory Walk to support a treatment or cure for Alzheimer's Disease; people who wish to walk as part of our team to honor our mother who died from this disease, or people who wish to contribute money to sponsor the team.  The walk is at the Zoo on October 3rd; you get free admission to the zoo and walk a mile past the new tiger exhibit, so it should be fun as well as helpful.  To sponsor a walker just contact me and we'll add your name to the list and collect your donation.  To join our team just let me know.  My sister and I appreciate any support you can offer.

Thank you
Connie

Quote

"The ability to make a truly artistic photograph is not acquired off-hand, but is the result of an artistic instinct coupled with years of labor."  - Albert Stieglitz

Newman Photo Students

Hello.

If you missed information Tuesday night, following is a summary of class activities.
1.  We used the landscape negatives that you processed to create your first contact  proof sheet.  We then analyzed your frames to choose one that you thought would work best to create your first print.  You were to look for the 5 pictorialist rules of composition in your work:  one center of interest, that center of interest shifted off dead center, lines of direction that kept your viewers eye inside the frame, horizon line on the top 1/3 or bottom 1/3 of the frame and use of a serpentine line. 
2.  After having identified that negative you wanted to use for your first print we made a series of test strips; one with no filtration, one with #3 filter, #4 filter and the #5 filter.
3.  You chose the best exposure time and filtration and made your first print.
4.  You were given the second shoot assignment; depth of field.  This assignment is meant to familiarize you with the use of aperture priority shooting, controling shallow and wide depth of field by taking a series of pictures with foreground, midground and distant objects using f16 or f22 and f2 or f2.8.  Light meters are adjusted by compensating with your shutter setting.

For next week, don't forget your reading assignment on "Making the print" and "The camera lens".

Quote

"Photography records the gamut of feeling written on the human face - the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited: and the wealth and confusion that man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man." - Edward Steichen

Hello Newman Photography 1 class.

My hope is to keep information on this blog the pretains to our previous and upcoming class. I'll post upcoming events, handouts, brief lecture notes, etc.

You, on the other hand, can keep me informed of absences, late attendance, questions and /or problems that you have with regard to the class.

I hope that this will be a useful tool as we work together the next couple of months learning black and white photography. I'm looking forward to it!