Photography 3: Personal Directions in Photography

Howard High School

Mr. Hanson

Course Description:
In this course, a student will develop a thematic body of work that can be used for Advanced Placement Portfolio, college
admissions, scholarships, and student exhibitions. As students move from the second to the third level in photo studio,
the content sharpens its focus upon self assessment and evaluation. Students continue working in a sketchbook/journal to
refine personal imagery based upon the study of master artists. This course is taken as a follow-up in order to continue the
development of a thematic body of work begun in Photography II: Portfolio Development.

Course Objectives:
1. Evaluate and analyze work from Photo II and related experiences, portfolio review.
2. Understand the need for and participate in the monitoring of their work through various in-process assessments such as response forms,
checklists, calendars, etc.

3. Analyze and apply ways cultural exemplars, artists, their work and other curricular disciplines serve as catalysts for in-depth pursuit of
a personal idea for an artwork or thesis project.

4. Demonstrate an understanding of ways to collaborate with peers and instructors in the development of a written justification of purpose.
5. Develop a written statement of purpose explaining personal artistic pursuits in relation to master and contemporary artists, cultural
exemplars and other disciplines in order to reflect upon and explain personal development.

6. Maintain a sketchbook / visual journal to develop personal imagery and meaning using their written commentary as a catalyst for plan-
ning and executing a thematic series of work.

7. Manage the content and presentation of items in a portfolio by selecting, editing, updating and documenting for an audience, application
or professional purposes.
8. Select and display a body of work for a specific audience that encompasses the development of ideas and skills.

Required Materials:
1 inch 3 ring binder. The binder will be used for storing negatives, taking notes and sketching out ideas to solve creative problems
throughout the school year.

Suggested Materials:
35 mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR) Camera with MANUAL focus and exposure settings. Having a camera is
not required for this course, however it is extremely helpful to the student. Ask parents, aunts, uncles, family, neighbors, etc. to
borrow one for the class. If you are looking to purchase one, I recommend shopping on ebay for a pentax k1000.
Studio Guidelines:
All students are expected to observe and adhere to all policies defined in the Student Agenda Book regarding lateness and con-
duct. Lateness will not be tolerated. As a studio class, attendance and promptness are critical to the success of the student in
Photo I. Students are expected to maintain the studio and darkroom. The developing, enlarging and printing of black and white
images takes place in the classroom and in the darkroom, where chemicals are used and stored. It is very important that students
are serious and thoughtful about their behavior and actions. Dangerous or inappropriate behaviors will result in the loss of dark-
room time. Students are responsible to be where they are assigned during the class period. Students are expected to participate in
class discussions, critiques and activities.

Sequence Contact Person Consequence

Teacher Warning
1st offense Teacher
and Parental Contact
Detention and
2nd offense Teacher
Parental Contact
Grade Level Assigned Consequence
3rd offense Administrator and Parental Contact
Grade Level Assigned Consequence
4th offense PBIS Leader and Parental Contact
Grade Level Assigned Consequence
5th offense Administrator and Parental Contact

Photography / Darkroom Equipment Guidelines:

Because photography requires the use of many expensive, complex equipment and tools, you must treat all tools (cameras, enlarg-
ers, filters, darkroom equipment, chemistry, computers, dry-mount press, etc.) with utmost care and respect. Equipment that can
be signed out for out-of-school use is used at your discretion. The cost of lost, damaged, or broken cameras, tripods, etc. will be
the responsibility of the student who signed out the equipment. Failure to comply with proper use and responsibility of any or all
photographic tools and equipment will result in a phone call home and may result in loss of privileges in signing out or using the
equipment.
Photo equipment can be signed out for 5 days, (if one student signs out), or 10 days (if two students team-up). For each day past
the date the equipment must be returned, the student will be penalized 5 points of his/her grade for that assignment.

Photography Problem Structure:

We will assess each photo problem while it’s in progress and/or when it is complete by way of many different methods. These
methods may include: written reflections, individual critiques, peer critiques, or (most often) group critiques. Intelligent, thought-
ful, and open-minded participation in the assessment process is mandatory, and will affect your marking period grade, (see below).

Step 1: Introduction of a New Shooting Assignment. To begin, the instructor will present works by exemplar photogra-
phers and previous students that model strong solutions to the problem. Often students will critically analyze the works, and en-
gage in discussions about them together in class. Then a portion of class time will be used to generate ideas for their own solutions
to the new problem in their sketchbooks. All artist exemplars, handouts, and other information regarding lessons are available on
the Photo 3 classroom blog:
www.howardphoto3.blogspot.com
Step 2: Thumbnail Sketches and Written Proposals. Occasionally, students will be asked to “previsualize” solutions to a
problem by creating sketches along with any written reflection/ideas in their sketchbook.
Step 3: Contact Sheets & In-Progress Critiques. After students process their film and make a contact exposure of these
images, the student will have an independent in-progress critique/reflection to help the student decide which negatives to print.
Occasionally these in-progress critiques will count for a grade.

Step 4: Final Class Critique. The final assessment of a student’s artwork will take place during a final class critique. The final
critique is designed to allow students to personally reflect on the success of their own work, as well as their peers.
During the final critique, students will:
1) Evaluate and score their final works using the assigned criteria.
2) Participate in the final critique by responding to a written reflection and sharing their thoughts.
3) Students will receive a separate grade for their participation in the critique. Students who are illegally absent the day of the
critique will receive a zero for this participation grade. Students who are legally absent that day will receive an “incomplete,” (will
not go against grade) as final class critiques cannot be rescheduled.

Step 5: Teacher Assessment. Lastly, the instructor will grade the work based upon the assigned criteria. I will collect the work,
along with the critique sheet at the end of the final class critique. The grade sheet I will use will be the same as the one the student
uses during the critique. Every assignment will be graded using the criteria described below.

Grading Criteria:
Objective – Successfully solving the problem in a unique or elegant way. Critical thinking, brainstorming, and
the concepts expressed through the work will be assessed in this category.

Studio Skills – Handling/using the photographic tools and equipment in a way that helps effectively communicate the student’s
solution to the problem. Studio skills may include actual physical processes like “correctly selecting the right aperture and shutter
speed on the camera,” as well as implied skills like “demonstrating correct application of principles of composition.” A student’s
management of studio time and care for all classroom studio materials will also be assessed in this category.

Craftsmanship / Presentation – Neatness and respect for your work should be evident in the appearance of a completed as-
signment. This grade addresses overall presentation and physical care for the artwork and materials in all stages, especially when
matting final photographic prints.

Design – The use of the photographic principles of composition to create an elegant, “visual pathway” in a photograph. Consider-
ation of how the arrangement of the subject matter and the overall composition of the photograph helps to clarify the concept or
idea behind the work. Most times the sketchbook is the tool used to previsualize a strong composition in a photograph.

Grading System
Grading for photography will be based on a point system. Assignments will be given a certain number of points based on a variety
of factors such as time, amount of work and importance. The amount of points each assignment is worth will be at the discretion
of the teacher.

Homework:
In Photo 3, the bulk of our homework will involve completing shooting assignments. Please plan your time accordingly to com-
plete all shooting assignments on time. In addition to shooting assignments, Photo 3 students will be required to research, criti-
cally analyze, and visually/verbally respond to various creative problems that pertain to further understanding the historical events
surrounding photographers and their work. It is in the student’s best interest to use their regular class time wisely to complete
assignments. If in-class time is not used wisely, more out-of-class work may be the result. Parents can check on all due dates
and assignments at any time by looking at the classroom blog! (howardphoto3.blogspot.com)
Due Dates / Late work:
Assignment deadlines are set at the discretion of the instructor when the assignment is given. It is the student’s responsibility to
make up any missed work due to excused absences, and to collect daily objectives, handouts, and notes. Students are also respon-
sible for scheduling appointments with the teacher to discuss make-up work. If the student is absent on the day an assignment is
due, the assignment should be handed in on the following day. Late work from unexcused absences or otherwise will not be given
full credit. For each day late you submit any assignment (homework and class-work), after the deadline, you will be deducted one
letter grade, (or 10%).

Academic Integrity:
Each student is responsible for upholding and maintaining academic integrity. If there is a question in reference to a student’s
academic integrity, they will be referred to their administrator by way of a disciplinary referral, given due process, and receive the
appropriate consequence based on Howard High School’s Academic Honor Code. Any violation of academic integrity will impact
a student’s eligibility for credit in this course.

Denial of Credit / absences:

According to county-wide policy, students are not to miss more than 5% of any credited class for the entire school year. Missing
studio art classes can place a student in a difficult position for making-up work. All students are responsible for making up missed
assignments on their own accord. Only students who provide proper notes documenting an excused absence will be given
exemption from the daily letter grade penalty. Students are responsible for keeping all proper documentation to defend
their excused absences.
Howard High School Photography Department Syllabus Contract
This syllabus is a contract. By signing below, you and your parents / guardians are acknowledging that you have gone
online and read the entire Photo 1 course syllabus, and will abide by and support all of its stated policies.

Student Signature Parent / Guardian Signature

Student Name (printed) Parent / Guardian Name (printed)

I would like to provide an email address that can be consistently used if the instructor needs to contact me
regarding my child.

Email Address

I would like to provide a reliable phone number that can be consistently used if the instructor needs to contact me
regarding my child.

Phone Number

Best time to be reached

Cameras and photography equipment

I own / can acquire a 35 mm SLR (single lens reflex) camera with manual settings for the use during Photo II.

I plan on using the school provided cameras to complete the course work in Photo II.

I have photography equipment (cameras, darkroom supplies, etc.) I would like to donate to the
Howard Photography Program, please email me directly at Matthew_Hanson@hcpss.org

Parents, you are more then welcome to check out all of the classroom activities, assignments, student exam-
ples and obtain handouts through the Photography 3 website at howardphoto3.blogspot.com

Please feel free to contact me anytime through email at Matthew_Hanson@hcpss.org