Final Grades

I have finished grading your finals and putting your grades into the spreadsheet.  There are several people who were absent but did not give me excuse forms.  This is seriously affecting several people's final average.  Can you please get me your excuse forms ASAP so that I can post grades when it opens up for the final semester averages?  Thanks!

Great job on Friday.  Thanks for all your hard work and commitment to the class.  It showed.

Ginger

Capture a newsworthy image that conveys any combination of emotion, interaction or conflict.

If you enjoyed the photojournalism assignment, you might want to consider entering this contest.  It is free to enter!

Prizes:
One 1st Place Winner

PRINT: A 30” x 40” digital gallery plexi print with wood brace of winning image (Value $505) (40” will be the long dimension by fall)

STORE FRONT EXPOSURE: Winning image will be displayed with photo credit at Duggal’s corporate location located at 29 w 23rd Street New York, NY 10010

MAGAZINE EXPOSURE: Featured in Digital Photo Pro Magazine
Only one image and story can be submitted per artist. Online submission of digital photographs via the website.

Image requirements: JPEG at 150 DPI or higher, please make sure your file size is 5mb or larger.
Judging criteria: creativity, photographic quality and effectiveness.

• Copyright: You will retain full copyright of any image submitted and acknowledge and accept Duggal’s right to use your image for external purposes with adequate crediting to your full name as submitted by you to Duggal.
• Eligibility: Open to all photographers, worldwide.
• Entry fee: Free
• Entry deadline: 31 May 2014

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:  http://duggalconnect.com/duggals-photojournalism-contest-opens-april-1/

The Final is Friday at 9 am on 3rd Floor Journalism

 10 fabulous matted images for the final.

Final exam:

• 10 matted images 
• Image sized 8x12 (except for the David Hockney or the Anna Atkins if you wish)
• Mat sized 16x20

Your 10 images can be composed from each of the class assignments or they can be a series of images from your favorite assignment. It is important to edit down your images to the 10 strongest that represent what you have learned in PHO 111.

Grading criteria:

• Strong Compositional Elements demonstrated?
• Strong Use of Color?
• Intended subject In Focus?
• Crisp Edges?
• Clear of Distractions?
• Interesting Lighting?
• Interesting Subject?
• Interesting Perspective?
• Cropped correctly?
• Correct Mat Size?
• Trimmed Neatly?
• Perfect Print Quality?
• Participated in Critique without being asked?

In order for you to be able to take your prints with you after critique, can you please have your ten images up on your blog by Friday, May 2nd?  This way if I have questions while I am grading then I can refer to the images on your blog since I won't have your printed/matted work in front of me.

It has been a privilege and an honor to be your instructor for PHO 111.  I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.  Please keep in touch.

Ginger

Exhibit Today and Final on Friday

Hope to see you today, Wed at 2 pm in the student center on 2nd floor with your pictures.   If you can't make it, you can leave your matted photos at the print lab and I'll take them over for you.

Friday is the final.  We will meet on 3rd floor of Journalism where we had our mid-term at 9 am.  Bring your 10 matted images to display and discuss.  I can't wait to see what you decided for your final 10.


FYI from 3rd Floor Check Out : Check Out will close Friday @ 1pm.  All equipment must be back into Check Out no later than 10am on Friday May 2 or a hold will be put on your records.  

Wednesday April 30 from 2 pm to 4 pm PHO 111 Photo Exhibit

The photography media area of the Art Department presents the end of the semester PHO 111 final portfolios! Come see the terrific work our students have been up to!
Wednesday, April 30, 2-4 on the second floor of the student center!
SEE THE ART
PHOTO EXHIBIT
WEDNESDAY 
4/30 2-4
2nd FLOOR STUDENT CENTER
BE THERE
Because we’re awesome!

Friday, April 25 Mat Day in the Print Lab

There will be a sign in sheet for you at 9 am on Friday April 25 in the Print Lab in Wathena.

Please note the earlier blog post that your assignment has changed from 20 matted images to 10 for the final exam.

David will present a matting demonstration at 10 am in the mat room.  You will need at least one of your final images printed in order for you to mat an image.  Your images are to be 8x12 in a 16x20 mat.

If you want to try to do a cyanotype like Anna Atkins, I will be on 3rd floor of Journalism to do a mini-workshop.  You can use one of these for your final images.

Wednesday, April 30th is the PHO 111 show at the Student Center on the 2nd Floor.  You will need to bring your 10 matted images to the 2nd floor of the Sam Rayburn Center by 3 pm.  We will have a space for our class to present images.  You will get to meet all the other PHO 111 students and see their work.

See you on Friday!

Check out is closing May 2nd

Notice from 3rd Floor Check Out:

All equipment must be checked back in by 10 am on Friday, May 2nd.  If you do not have the equipment back on 3rd Floor by 10 am, a hold will be placed on your record.

You are invited....

Please feel personally invited to my Master's of Fine Art Thesis Show reception on Tuesday, April 22 from 5-7 pm.  The show is in the University Gallery at the Art Building. There will be cookies and milk!  Hope to see you there.

Good News for the Final Exam

Your final number of images for the final has been reduced from 20 to 10!

You only need  10 matted images for the final.  But let's make them 10 fabulous images.

Final exam:

• 10 matted images 
• Image sized 8x12 (except for the David Hockney or the Anna Atkins if you wish)
• Mat sized 16x20

Your 10 images can be composed from each of the class assignments or they can be a series of images from your favorite assignment. It is important to edit down your images to the 10 strongest that represent what you have learned in PHO 111.

Grading criteria:

Strong Compositional Elements demonstrated?

Strong Use of Color?

Intended subject In Focus?

Crisp Edges?

Clear of Distractions?

Interesting Lighting?

Interesting Subject?

Interesting Perspective?

Cropped correctly?

Correct Mat Size?

Trimmed Neatly?

Perfect Print Quality?

Participated in Critique without being asked?

Please have your ten images up on your blog by Friday, May 2nd at 9 am.

No Class on Good Friday

What could make Good Friday any better than no PHO 111 class?  Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend.

However, if you want/need to talk to me I will be on campus.  I will either be in Wathena in the print room or in the gallery in at Art building.  Just let me know.

If you are planning on participating in the Cyanotype Workshop next Friday, you might want to start drying some flowers/leaves if you wish to do botanicals.  The purpose of the workshop for us is to pay homage to Anna Atkins. If you don't want to do plants, you might want to think of objects you want to collect to bring to class. If you have any old negatives that you want to make prints of that will work also.  Just keep in mind your print will be the same size as your negative.

The paper size is 3x3 and 5x7 for your final prints.

Inspirations on Anna Atkins:
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=1542&page=1
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/photographyinbooks/record.asp?RecordID=3048

You can also use this process to make a "Rayograph" as Man Ray liked to call them or photograms as others call them. 

Tentative calendar for the remainder of the semester

April 18th: Good Friday, no class.  I will be on campus working if you need to visit with me or ask questions.  Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend.  May I suggest you spend this time working on your final project or your photojournalism assignment?

April 25th:  Cyanotype/Pinhole Workshop/Print and Matting Day in the lab.

9:00 am.  Photojournalistic images due on your blog. There will be a sign up sheet in the print lab in Wathena for you to sign in at 9 am.  Please use this time to begin printing your final images.  Or you can print on the 3rd Floor of Journalism.  Just stop by the Darkroom and tell me you are printing.  You will need at least one (1) printed image for the matting demonstration.

10:15 am.  David will do a matting demonstration in the Mat/Print Room in Wathena. You will need 10 matted images for your final project.

11:00 am.   Those of you who wish, may participate in the Cyanotype/Pinhole Workshop.  I will be on the 3rd Floor of the Journalism building in the Dark Room area.  We will be paying homage to Anna Atkins from the Famous Photographer's lecture.  You can use one or more of these images for your final 10.

April 30th: PHO 111 Student Show, 2nd Floor, Sam Rayburn Student Center.  10 images matted.  Be sure to have your name, class, instructor and semester on the back of each matted picture. The event is usually from 3 pm to 5 pm but I do not have the exact time at the moment.

May 2nd:  Begin Final Exam.  10 images matted.  Formal critique by class members.  Bring snacks and drinks to share with the class if you wish.  Critique will be on the 3rd floor of Journalism where we had the mid-term critique. If we finish, we will not have class on May 9th.

May 9th:  Finish Final Exam.  10 images matted.  Formal critique by class members.  Bring snacks and drinks to share with the class if you wish.

Assignment #9: Photojournalism

Create 4 (four) 8x12 images using Sam Craft's lecture on photojournalism as your inspiration.

You can shoot 4 to create a storyline or you can shoot 4 feature journalist images. Your choice.  

The final images will be evaluated on the story produced by your photograph(s), elements of the creation of an interesting image, use of compositional tools, use of color, use of natural lighting, clear of distractions, and focus on subject.

Due: Friday, April 25th at 9 a.m. on your blog.  You do not have to print the images at this time.  You may want to print at a later date for your final 20 on the final exam.

If you have the images posted on the blog by 9am you will receive a 100. If you do not have the images posted on the blog by 9am you will receive a 0. 

Remember there are no late assignments accepted or extra credit assignments provided in this class.

Guest Speaker: Sam Craft, Award Winning Photojournalist

The Paris News earns awards

Sam Craft named Star Photojournalist of the Year

Posted: Monday, April 7, 2014 11:13 am

Paris News chief photographer Sam Craft was named the top community newspaper photojournalist in Texas for the second year in a row, and The Paris News once again was recognized as one of the top community newspapers in the state at the annual Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest.

I am pleased to announce that Sam Craft, award winning photojournalist will be speaking to our class on Friday, April 11th.  I think you will find him to be engaging, interesting and inspiring.  He and his work inspires me to aspire to be a better photographer. Much thanks to Sam for taking the time to drive to Commerce to talk to our PHO 111 class and share his journey in photography.

I asked Sam to share with us a little of his story about becoming a photojournalist.

Sam Craft

I grew up in a small town in Texas and have been around the East Texas area all my life.  After graduating from high school I attended Tyler Junior College where I majored in computer networking before making a faithful decision to switch to journalism.  After that I interned at the Tyler Morning Telegraph as a photographers assistant and later as a part time photographer before moving to Nacogdoches to attend Stephen F. Austin State University.

At SFASU I joined up with the student newspaper “The Pine Log” and was introduced to some great colleagues that became even better friends.  In my time at SFA I covered division I sports, got my feet wet with freelance assignments for the Houston Chronicle, documented the space shuttle Columbia disaster for USA Today, worked with MTV for a fraternity house give away and other general assignments.  After earning a degree in Photojournalism and a minor in art I moved to Paris for a staff job at The Paris News.

My time here has been eventful to say the least.  I've seen race riots, crimes of all sorts, national and state championships won and lost and everything in between. Documenting peoples lives is my passion and I'd like to think that it shows in my work whether it be my editorial assignments, sporting events or weddings.

Awards include:

• 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 – Texas APME Class A Star Photographer of the Year; 
• 2006, 2010, 2011 – North East Texas Press Association Photographer of the Year;
• Numerous awards from the Texas APME and the North East Texas Press Association for spot news, feature and sports and
• TIPA awards from my college days.

The link to Sam's website is www.samcraft.com.

Students:
You might want to take a few moments before class and do a little bit of research about what a being a photojournalist entails.  Take a look at Sam's website to get an idea of his style and aesthetic. I ask that you please prepare at least three questions to ask Sam in class on Friday.

Suggested Photographers For Homage

British Algae, Anna Atkins, 1843 

Below is a list of photographers covered in the lecture on Friday, April 4th.  Please select one of the noted photographers on the list as an inspiration to complete Assignment #8.

Anna Atkins, Matthew Brady, Timothy O'Sullivan, Andrew J. Russell, 

Henry Peach Robinson, Julia Margaret Cameron, Jacob August Riis, 

Edward Curtis, Alfred Stieglitz, Gertrude Käsebier, Clarence White, 

Edward Steichen, Lewis Hine, Man Ray, Eugène Atget, Claude Cahun,

André Kertész, Berenice Abbott, Imogen Cunningham, Minor White, 

Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, William Eugene Smith, 

Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Frank, Mary Ellen Mark, William Eggleston, 

Stephen Shore, Nicholas Muray, Richard Avedon, Deborah Lou Turbeville,

Sarah Moon, David LaChapelle, Steven Meisel, Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, Cindy Sherman, Lorna Simpson, Nan Goldin, Nikki Seung-hee Lee, Yasumasa Morimura, Abelardo Morell, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Anna and Bernhard Blume, Beate Gutschow, 

John Pfahl, Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Luc Delahaye, Robert  & Shana Parke Harrison, 

Sandy Skoglund, Teun Hocks, Andreas Gursky, and Gregory Crewdson.

Trolly, New Orleans, Robert Frank, 1955

Assignment #8: Homage to a Noted Photographer

Create 4 (four) 8x12 images using a noteworthy photographer as your inspiration.

You can do 4 of the same photographer or choose a variety of individuals. Your choice.  Please add your inspirational photographer and the image that inspired your photograph to your blog.

The final images will be evaluated on the inspiration image(s) elements of the creation of an interesting image, use of compositional tools, use of color, use of natural lighting, clear of distractions, and focus on subject.

Due: Friday, April 11th at 9 a.m. on your blog.  You do not have to print the images at this time.  You may want to print at a later date for your final 20 on the final exam.

Be sure to include your final images along with your inspirational images.  Identify the photographer who you chose to emulate.

If you have the images posted on the blog by 9am you will receive a 100. If you do not have the images posted on the blog by 9am you will receive a 0.

Remember there are no late assignments accepted or extra credit assignments provided in this class.

What Every Aspiring Photographer Should Know

The following is a blog from a friend of mine on Deviant Art.  Just thought I'd share it with you.  

Here is the link to the blog: http://www.cjmentoring.com/#!What-Every-Aspiring-Photographer-Should-KnowStill/cja0/3

These are my thoughts, nothing more and nothing less.

I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer. 

Here’s my answer. 

• Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.
• Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.
• Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a consensus.
• Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.
• Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.
• You cannot specialize in everything.
• You don’t have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don’t have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.
• Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.
• Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.
• Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”….but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?
• Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer."
• Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.
• It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you've got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don’t spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you've outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.
• Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.
• Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.
• Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.
• Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.

 - CJ

Abstract Expressionism Assignment due Friday April 4th at 9 am

Create 6 (six) 8x12 images employing the spirit of abstract impressionism.

Due: Friday, April 4, 2014 at 9 a.m. on your blog.

You do not have to print the images at this time.  You may want to print at a later date for your final 20 on the final exam.

What: Bring the files of all images on your hard drive to class.


If you have the images posted on the blog by 9am you will receive a 100. If you do not have the images posted on the blog by 9am you will receive a 0.

Remember there are no late assignments accepted or extra credit assignments provided in this class.

You might want to read this article: 

Aaron Siskind: Ideas in Photography

By Ronald J. Hill

Published by: Princeton University Art Museum

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3774626

What to bring to class on Friday....

1.  Your alphabet images.  Large file size please, not the images you sized for the web.  Please download these onto my computer as soon as you get to class.

2.  Your camera.  We are going to go downtown and have a demonstration on abstract impressionistic photography.

3.  Any images you want help on correcting in Photoshop from the mid-term in order to re-print for the final 20.

4.  Your files from the photo montage assignment.

When you get to class will you please pull up your blog sites for everyone to see your work?

Can't wait to see what you have produced over the week.

Ginger

Useful links for creating a Maggie Taylor...ish image

Great tutorial on creating layers for a beginner: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr00RUwC5f0

How to combine two images seamlessly in photoshop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17BxDq8sOjk

To layer in camera while taking photographs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taJzcMItcEk

How to composite images using photoshop in Lynda.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmwrWCMdYqI

Links to useful examples for photo montage assignments

Example of how to create a levitation image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgzdiiC8_pc

How to automatically create a photomontage:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGqCf8IEFKI

Examples of how to create a multiple me image:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVP1GkJvJfU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAdubp4_fF4