Syllabus for PHO-101
INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY
Introduction to Photography is an online course designed to help you discover and develop the skills required to use photography confidently and effectively. The course introduces you to basic photographic and artistic principles and concepts. A major emphasis is placed on improving visual awareness and producing artistically engaging and technically competent images. Examining the work of professional photographers, using the Internet to create and share photos, and interacting frequently with other participants are all major elements of this course.
Advisory: Students will need a digital SLR (DSLR) camera that allows independent manual control of shutter speed, aperture, and focusing distance. Most contemporary SLR cameras will offer the option of both automatic and manual control; for assignments in this course, they must be set in full manual exposure mode. “Mirrorless,” “Point-n-Shoot,” and smartphone/tablet cameras are not presently allowed in this course, even though some may offer rudimentary manual controls and/or interchangeable lenses. If there is any doubt about a particular camera, please contact your mentor prior to the beginning of the course. Ancillary supplies include a memory card, batteries (or rechargeable batteries and charger), and flash (if not already built into your camera).
After completing this course, you should be able to:
CO1 Use an SLR camera with manual focus and settings, demonstrating command of shutter speeds, apertures, exposure, depth of field, and focusing lenses as evidenced by the photographic exercises you submit.
CO2 Describe camera formats and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.
CO3 Use basic image-editing tools and techniques as minor enhancements to competent and engaging images produced in-camera and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the digital darkroom.
CO4 Apply basic rules of composition and light—including framing and cropping, choosing a subject for engaging and artistic content, point of view, light direction and quality, degree of diffusion, metering, and artificial lighting devices—to take quality images and to achieve a variety of effects.
CO5 Develop visual literacy and demonstrate that literacy in self-produced images.
CO6 Evaluate and critique images produced in relation to identified criteria (both your own images and techniques and those of others).
CO7 Discuss historical photographs, contemporary examples of the use of digital images, contemporary art theory, trends, and photographers.
CO8 Exercise aesthetic sensitivity and understanding sufficient to produce creative works showcasing competent two-dimensional image design and thoughtful content and composition.
CO9 Produce and assemble a cohesive portfolio of work (twenty images) that adheres to a demonstrably cohesive theme.
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
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Introduction to Photography is a three-credit, online course consisting of six modules and a final project. Five modules center on a photographic exercise and its associated online participation (self-critique and subsequent class discussion). Modules include objectives, getting started study materials (including reading from the required textbook and a creative exercise), and activities. Module titles are listed below.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to complete five photographic exercises, five photographic discussion forums (self-critique and subsequent class discussion), and seven creative exercises, take part in an online Introductions Forum, and complete a final project. See below for more details.
Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
Introduction to Photography requires you to participate in five photographic discussion forums (in Modules 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6). These assignments involve taking, processing, selecting, editing, and displaying photos in an online photo album. You will present a self-critique of your photos and participate in online discussions of others’ work. You will be graded on your participation in the discussion forums.
To complete these assignments, you will need to create an account with Flickr, which is a free service that provides complete access to EXIF (exchangeable image file format) data, which is required in evaluating and grading your photographs.
Introduction to Photography requires you to complete five photographic exercises (in Modules 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6). These assignments build on the photographic discussion forums and allow you to consider peer feedback before submitting your photos for grading by your mentor. You will be graded based on the quality of your photos and the fulfillment of requirements as outlined in the instructions for the corresponding photographic discussion forum.
Introduction to Photography requires you to complete seven creative exercises. The creative exercises involve reflection on various topics covered in each module and posting responses in class discussion forums.
Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Since we believe significant discovery occurs through studying and sharing commentary pertaining to visual materials, this course has been designed for maximum communication and collaboration among students, mentor, and contributing consultants for the course.
Meaningful participation in discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
For posting guidelines and additional help with discussion board activities, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course website.
For the final project, you will create a portfolio of 20 images that demonstrate an understanding of the techniques explored throughout the course and that express a personal or critical point of view. Accompanying the images will be a narrative (artist's statement) that adheres to a demonstrably cohesive theme that:
A photography portfolio is a cohesive body of work that tells a visual story. The final project is your opportunity to apply the techniques and ideas covered in the course to the production of a portfolio of images whose subject is of your own choosing. You may elect to revisit and expand on one of the topics or approaches covered in earlier activities, or you may head off in another direction entirely. The choice is yours. Your images, however, must relate to one another. In other words, your portfolio should not be a collection of your “greatest hits” but rather a formally and conceptually unified body of work.
Your portfolio, like a well-written book, should have a unifying theme. This theme can be conceptual, technical, or, ideally, both. The best portfolio themes are those that are open enough to provide many creative and engaging imaging opportunities, but specific enough that the images will reference your concept as a group. Take your time and create a themed portfolio that is personally meaningful to you; this almost always helps you do your best work. Portfolio themes that incorporate both design and compositional elements along with a larger subject distinction can work very well. For example, a larger open subject such as “mountain bike culture” along with technical elements such as motion capture/blur and dynamic composition, along with more connected ideas like bike shops, rallies, portraits of those who enjoy or participate in mountain biking, and so on, will give you plenty of image possibilities while ensuring the set works together in its entirety.
Choosing the right images to put in your portfolio will be a time-consuming process. By the nature of the portfolio itself, only your best pieces should be placed within the portfolio. If you don't have too many top picks, spend some more time photographing until you get the desired results. Working ahead is crucial to your success in this capstone assignment; you should start work on it immediately after your proposal is approved in Week 4. Your portfolio is something you should be proud of, not something thrown together out of impatience and haste. Make sure that the images are in a logical order—either chronological or through mood development.
For additional information on the final project, go to the Final Project section of the course website and reference the Course Calendar for due dates.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.
Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.
All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.
Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.
If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)
Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.
Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.
Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.
For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.
Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
Writing Assistance at Smarthinking
Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.
If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.
If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.
Possible sanctions include:
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