104213 - PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECTS

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Rafael Suarez Gómez

Trimester: First term

Credits: 4

Both the teaching of the subject and the support material will be given in Catalan. S'acceptaran preguntes formulades en qualsevol dels tres idiomes indistintament (català, castellà i anglès) i es respondran en el mateix idioma que s'han formulat, de cara a facilitar la comprensió de l'estudiant. 

The subject of Photographic Projects puts the knowledge and the photographic technique achieved once the two previous subjects ofLighting i Photographic Equipment & Techniques of first course, as well as other specific ones introduced to the practical component of the same, to the reach for the development of two personal photographic projects, using a determined methodology and allowing to execute it.

Visual narrative techniques are articulated in order to ensure coherence between aesthetics, content and meaning, thus deepening the photographic resource as a form of visual expression.

This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19. In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured.

At the end of the course the student must be able to:

-RA1: Identify the concepts of audiovisual language. 

-RA2: Analyze the illumination of any image. Be aware of the lighting of any image medium from painting, photography and moving image. 

-RA3: Use correctly the basic principles of lighting and the basic lighting scheme. 

-RA4: Be able to illuminate and create environments with a reduced set of three spotlights, and on the set of the University. 

-RA5: Explain and solve the technical needs of fundamental photographic situations. 

-RA6: Use indoor and outdoor lighting techniques to determine and control expressive, formal and technical quality.

-RA7: Define and acquire digital photographic images, selecting and configuring their content to achieve certain expressive values. 

-RA8: Apply basic photo retouching techniques. 

-RA9: Encourage the study and analysis of the audiovisual as a narrative language with the intention that the student develops their ability and style when developing a project to assess others.

and in a complementary way:

-RAC1: Deepen in the state of the photographic art, like base to elaborate future personal photographic projects.

-RAC2: Deepen the knowledge of the camera itself trying to make the most of the different modes and options available.

-RAC3: Solve complex situations of light, portraiture and other specific situations.

-RAC4: Acquire the basics of photographic composition and its exceptions.

-RAC5: Acquire a dynamic in the photographic selection with respect to a set of concrete and objectifiable criteria.

-RAC6: Encourage the photographic critical spirit, elaborating constructive critiques and defending them.

The course consists of four hours a week distributed as follows: 2 of theory and 2 of practices. Classroom work will be based on classes where the teacher will explain the concepts of theory, accompanied by a very significant collection of photographs. Both individual and collective experimentation through exercises are proposed.

The activities of a practical nature, as well as the projects will be carried out in the laboratory, the set and / or in exteriors previously defined and agreed. In the scheduled sessions, the necessary tools will be given to be able to solve these activities, although it is expected that the student will finish them outside the hours of formally of laboratory, being these the previously conceived within the frame of the hours of autonomous learning.

Students are encouraged to use their own Reflex camera, if available, to nurture greater autonomy in both performance and learning.

This course, due to the situation generated by COVID, the theoretical sessions will be taught online. With regard to internship sessions in smaller spaces (such as laboratories, studios or sets), work will be carried out simultaneously in several spaces in order to ensure that the conditions established by the safety protocols are met.

1. AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPHY

1.1 Description and analysis of the main photographers of the XNUMXth century.

1.2. Photographic currents.

1.3 Revisitation and Appropriation.

2 PHOTOGRAPHIC GENRES

2.1 Photographic and pictorial currents. Influences.

2.2 Description of the different photographic disciplines. Formal and technical characteristics.

3. COMPOSITION

3.1 Leit-Motive.

3.2 Photographic Language.

3.3 Position and Angle of the camera.

3.4 Framing: H / V, Rule of Thirds, Reframing. Rotation.

3.5 Depth and Scale.

3.6 The Decisive Moment

3.7 The Light.

3.8 The Color. B&W.

3.9 Shapes, Rhythms and Textures.

3.10 Other Techniques.

4. THE PORTRAIT

4.1 Leit-Motive.

4.2 Language of Communication.

4.3 Position and Angle of the camera.

4.4 Framing: Type of Plan. Rotation. Fund Treatment.

4.5 Visual Communication. The Rule of Sight.

4.6 The Light.

4.7 The Color. B&W.

ACTIVITY 1: PRACTICE 1: CAPTURE IN MANUAL AND RAW DEVELOPED MODE (3%). [E10: RA8].

A shot shot in RAW format in MANUAL mode will be revealed to experience the advantages and possibilities of RAW format to the JPG file, controlling the shutter speed and aperture in order to achieve the desired effect.

Advanced RAW developing techniques will be applied to obtain reservations in areas of the image that require it.

The student will have to deliver two photographs acquired according to the own specifications of the practice.

ACTIVITY 2: PRACTICE 2: REVEALED WITH PHOTOSHOP (3%) [E10: RA8].  

The photo shot will be revealed in Practice 1 in order to know and apply the most important settings of the Adobe Photoshop CS5 Post-Production Program.

Techniques for improving color and lighting will be acquired, applying layers on the original image. Selection techniques will be learned in order to reveal an image by zones.

The student will have to deliver two photographs acquired according to the own specifications of the practice.

ACTIVITY 3: PRACTICE 3: HDR LANDSCAPE (3%)  [E10: RA6, RA7 and RAC2].

It will be shot in a very contrasting scene. Different techniques will be applied to achieve a depth of field HDR landscape. Deliverables:

1. 2-step bracketing with tripod, resulting in three photographs that must be processed with Photoshop to obtain a single photograph.

2. Photographic capture overexposing the lights, revealing by zones the different areas of the photograph.

The student will have to deliver four photographs acquired according to the own specifications of the practice.

ACTIVITY 4: PRACTICE 4: STUDY PORTRAIT (3%) [E8: RA3, RA4 and RAC3; E10: RA7].

You will experiment with the photographic portrait in the Photographic Plato to experiment with the different lighting schemes, how to measure the light of a studio flash and how to control the accessories of the flash in order to obtain a good portrait.

The student will have to deliver four photographs acquired according to the own specifications of the practice.

ACTIVITY 5: PRACTICE 5: PORTRAIT WITH SEPARATE CAMERA FLASH (3%) [E8: RA3, RA4 and RAC3; E10: RA7].

You will experiment with the photographic portrait using the separate external camera flash in order to carry out the different lighting schemes with front, side and backlight, combining ambient light with artificial light.

The student will have to deliver two photographs acquired according to the own specifications of the practice.

ACTIVITY 6: PROJECT # 1: AUTHOR REVIEW (20%) [E5: RA7; CB5: RA7].

Individual project that will consist of the elaboration of a personal project from the previous study of the work of a recognized photographer. The project will include two parts:

-A report that incorporates the following points: Justification of the Election. Technical File (Photographic Equipment and Camera Parameters), Intentions and Personal Assessment.

-A photographic production that will include a minimum of three revisitations of his work.

ACTIVITY 7: PROJECT # 2: THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHY (30%) [E5: RA7, RAC5 and RAC6; CB5: RA7 and RAC7].

The Project will consist of the acquisition of a series of photographs on a chosen topic proposed by the student and approved by the teacher.

The work may be of a topic worked on individually or collectively as long as it is justified that more than one student participates in the topic or scope, clearly defining the roles of each. The theory session will present all the different photographic topics, in order to facilitate the initial process of choosing the topic to be developed by the student.

The body of the work will consist of two parts:

-A report describing the thematic photography work, the motivations, locations and methodology to be used, accompanied by a collection of background (photos of other recognized and current authors), which have served as a starting point and background inspiration to develop the work.

-Final Images. The volume of photos will depend on the work: from 5 to 15 photos for an individual work and from 10 to 30 photographs for a collective work. This set will be presented accompanied by a PDF file where the series is presented accompanied by an explanatory text. Optionally, each photograph may be accompanied by an individual title.

All original images in RAW and final ones processed in JPG must be provided according to delivery specifications. It will be necessary to apply the conditioned graphic edition to the final means of diffusion.

ACTIVITY 8: EXAM (35%). [E5: RA1, RA2, RA5, RA9, RAC1 and RAC4]

The exam responds to the test-type format and consists of 20 questions, with four possible answers each and a single possible solution (which can be vision o false, according to the wording of the question). Incorrect Answers penalize 25% of a correct answer.

The exam will take place without notes, on a day and time set by the head of studies at the beginning of the course.

This activity is recoverable.

In case of confinement the following changes will be applied:

1. The software for the internships and projects available in laboratory 5 (eg Camera Raw and photoshop) will be replaced by free software.
2. In case of imminent risk of confinement, the order of activities 4 and 5 (corresponding to the practices to be carried out on the set and in specific material of the sermat) will be exchanged for activities 2 and 3, in order to ensure as much as possible, its realization in face-to-face format.
3. In case of confinement, activity 8 corresponding to the exam will be carried out online.
    

The final grade will be based on the weighted average of the grades of the assessable activities mentioned, as specified below:

• THEORY (35%): TEST EXAM (It will be necessary to obtain a minimum mark of 4 to be able to apply the corresponding weighting and to choose to the approved of the asignatura) [].
• PRACTICES (15%): [5 internships x 3%]
• PROJECTS (50%):

• PROJECT # 1: Author revisitation: 20%.
• PROJECT # 2: Thematic Photo: 30%.

[]: This activity is the only one recoverable through a RECOVERY EXAM (Again, it will be necessary to obtain a grade of not less than 4 to be able to apply the corresponding weighting) evaluable, in order to calculate the corresponding final average).

In case of confinement the two scheduled exams of the subject (ordinary and recovery) will be conducted online.

ESPINOSA DURÓ, Virginia, Notes of the theory sessions in pdf. 2020 edition.

FREEMAN, Michael., The Photographer's Eye. Blume Photography, 2009.

PRÄKEL, David. Composition. Blume Photography, 2014.

FREEMAN, Michael. Digital Photography of People. Taschen Benedikt, 2005.

MELLADO, José María, High Quality Photography. Technique and Method. CS5. Ediciones Artual SL 2013.