UNT PHOTO 2

Entry Review Box

2011-12-01T08:46:00.001-08:00


This is the upper left hand corner of the front of your drop front box. You box is bigger and may be a different color.

Here is what needs to be in your box for the entry review portfolio:

15 matted prints of 2 series of photographs, a series is made up of a minimum of 5 photographs

One series will be color inkjet prints and the other will be black and white silver gelatin prints.

A typed statement for each series. This will be about 100 words double spaced in 12 point Times New Roman.

A copy of your unofficial transcripts with the following prerequisites highlighted: Drawing 1 & 2, Design 1 & 2 and Art Appreciation.

On the outside of this box on the upper left hand corner of the front (see above picture) you will put your name. It does not have to be in tape, you can use a label or marker, as long as it is legible.

All of this is due Thursday, December 8 at 9 p.m. in Erin's office in the photo lab.

Fall 2011 Entry Review Information

2011-11-10T07:23:00.001-08:00

If you are planning on purchasing your matt board online, I would suggest Conservation Board from Archival Methods. Get it here. I would also suggest purchasing one of these boxes from Archival Methods. I would get the 11 3/4 x 15 x 3 sized box.

Next week were are back in the Art building for the exam review and test. You will get that score back on Tuesday Nov. 22, when we meet back in Oak Street hall. That is the day you will need to turn in a statement for your color entry review series and show me your color prints.

Dec. 1 is when group one has their critique and Dec. 6 is when group two has their critique. The entry review boxes containing15 matted prints, two printed double-spaced statements, your unofficial transcripts with the prerequisites highlighted is due on Dec. 8.

We have less than 30 days, good luck.

Hilary Walsh and Magdalena Wosinska

2011-10-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

In class we looked at a videos and the work of Hilary Walsh and Magdalena Wosinska. We also looked at their work. Walsh here and Wosinska here.

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

2011-09-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Philip-Lorca diCorcia is one of the major influences on the current state of fine art photography. You can find a large number of his works on the David Zwirner website. You can also find some here. In this article he talks about what he considers his best shot. We read the transcript of a radio interview for class. Here is a good review of his show Eleven.

Here is a video where he discussing his work Eleven. Here is part two.

Lars Tunbjork

2011-09-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

Lars Tunbjork is a Swedish photographer who brings a sense of humor to his work. We watched this video.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

2011-09-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

Henri Cartier-Bresson coined the term the decisive moment. He defined it as:

"The simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression... . In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotif."

Cartier-Bresson was also a found of Magnum Photos. This website put together by the MoMA contains a wide variety of his work.

What we covered this week

2011-09-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

We covered a lot of information this week. The biggest thing that I encouraged all of you to do is try out autofocus and the back button focusing. Also, remember to check the date and time on your camera to make sure that it is correct.

We went over printing. We also talked about color space.

Make sure that your camera is in the Adobe RGB 1998 color space. That will be in the menu somewhere on your camera under color space.

It would be good to have a print to show me next week. Also, if you want bring some images to class and we can look at them and give you some feedback.

Parallax Links

2011-09-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the links for Parallax:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/10402001027/

http://www.untparallax.blogspot.com/

http://untparallax.tumblr.com/

Labor Day Lab Hours

2011-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00


Mural by Diego Rivera

This weekend is Labor Day. The lab will be open regular hours (12 p.m. - 7 p.m.) on Saturday and Sunday. It will be closed on Monday.

For a more updated look at industry in Detroit. See Anthony Suau's images from the Rouge Plant Dearborn 2011 on Facing Change.

Grant Achatz Interview

2011-08-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is the link to the interview I talked about in class. The following is a quote from Achatz.

"If I present to you something that I call 'root beer float,' but it's not in a glass — it's on a plate — it's not liquid — it's solid — and it's not brown — it's completely clear — and I say 'root beer float,' and you look at it and you look at me and you think I'm crazy, I think that's a good thing, because now you're engaged. We're engaging you on so many different levels. And then the payoff is when you put that perfectly clear bite-size cube in your mouth, it tastes like a root beer float."

That is another good metaphor and way to think about pictures.

Lise Sarfati

2011-08-30T06:04:00.001-07:00

Lise Sarfati is a French photographer who has photographed a number of topics related to the idea of portraiture.

Inkjet Printing

2011-08-27T21:46:00.001-07:00

This post will deal with the steps it takes to get an image from the camera to paper. The first thing you want to do is copy your images to a hard drive. You can convert them to DNGs if you like, but that is something that will be discussed later. Once all of the files are converted or copied, point Adobe Bridge at the folder and starting going through your images.

Adobe Bridge is useful for sorting images and rating them.

When sorting through your images you want to choose your selects and give them one star. You can filter through all of these images and then give the images you are going to print four stars. We will then open the image in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) hosted in Bridge. ACR can be hosted by Photoshop (PS) or Bridge.

Once you have the image selected to print, open it in Adobe Camera Raw.

Adobe Camera Raw is where nearly all of the image editing will take place in this class. We want to start with the basic panel and set the white balance and do some basic color correction. Camera Raw is pretty good at cloning out large spots, but there will be times where this will need to be done in Photoshop. Camera Raw is good at making global color corrections, where the whole image is changed. It is also effective at local color corrections, where a particular part of an image is corrected. This is done by using the adjustment brush. With the adjustment brush you paint the areas you wish to select and then refine the area with the controls.

Lens Correction Panel

One great feature of ACR is the lens correction panel. ACR reads the information from the metadata attached to the image and corrects the image based on what lens you used. This is also where you will correct for Chromatic Aberration.

Once you have your image looking the way you want it to, open it as a Smart Object in Photoshop. If you hold the SHIFT key down the Open Image button becomes Open Object. You are then moved to PS where in the layers panels you can tell the image is opened as a Smart Object. If you double click on the icon, ACR will open back up. That is truly the beauty of this workflow. Any work you will do in ACR is right there, you do not have to add adjustment layers, just go back to ACR and make your adjustments there.

The Layers Panel with a Smart Object open.

This workflow is really easy to remember: Bridge to ACR to PS as a Smart Object and then print. You do not need to resize the image at all, that will done in the printer driver.

Click the direction the image will be on the page and click Print Settings to set your paper size.

Choose letter if your paper size is letter or 8x10 if it is that size.

Once this is done you need to make sure you select the correct paper profile. I chose the one for Red River Arctic Polar Luster, which is the paper I am using.

This is a long list, but it is important to choose the right profile.

Once that is set I will uncheck the center image box and adjust the size in the Scaled Print area. I set the width to 3 inches, which gives me a small enough print to test at first. You can move the image around in the box to get more than one test print, which is helpful. Once all of these settings are correct, load your paper into the printer and click print.

You test print will come out and you will have to evaluate it.

Are the midtones muddy?
Are there highlights that are blown out?
Is the black really black or is there detail in the shadows?
Does this look like what I want, or do I need to change it a little?

You are more than likely going to need to tweak your print. It will never look like what is on the screen because it is ink on paper versus light emanating from a screen. Those will never match up, ever. All of the screens are calibrated, so it should be close, but tweaking will be needed. If you print is wildly off, you might have chosen the wrong paper profile.

If you need to make an adjustment to the image, click on the icon in the layers panel and bring up ACR to adjust it. With practice this process will get easier. The only way that will happen is if you follow the same workflow over and over again. It takes practice, just like making images.

When the test print is the way you want it, it is time to resize the scaled image to about 6x9 inches. When you do this, the image in the printer driver will be pixelated. Do not worry about this. It will be OK, click print and trust me.

Even though the image is pixelated and blurry, click Print, it will be fine.

This is straightforward way to make a print. If you find that your image is a bit soft, you can sharpen it in ACR, or use the Unsharp Mask in PS. Just make sure you do not over sharpen it. This entry is designed to get you going, we will be discussing workflow more in class as the semester progresses.

Jack White on Creativity and Restriction

2011-08-25T11:33:00.001-07:00

Tri-X

2011-08-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a solid black and white film, you can't go wrong with Kodak Tri-X. You can find it at Freestyle, B&H and Adorama.

Black and White Film Supplies

2011-08-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

After spring break will be switching over photographing and printing black and white film. You will need to make sure you have a working 35mm or 120 film camera and lenses with manual control. There are lots of options out there for finding film cameras. One place that is a good resource is keh.com. The sooner you get this equipment, the better because if it does not work for one reason or another, you will be able to rectify the problem.

Don' Photo Equipment in Dallas carries a lot of used film cameras along with a selection of film and paper. You need to purchase fiber paper. Glossy or Pearl is fine. You can not use matte or warmed toned paper in this class. Ilford Multigrade IV is a good choice.

Freestyle Photo has variety of black and white options outside of Ilford and Kodak. You will need to purchase at least 10 rolls of black and white film. The film speed you choose is up to you and will depend on the content you are photographing. You will also need to purchase negative sleeves along with the film and paper. An anti-static cloth is also a good investment along with a can of air to keep the dust off of your negatives. If you do have dust and scratches you will need to spot them. The lab has spot tone, but having your own brush size 0000 helps.

Negative sleeves are needed to keep your negatives safe.

We will be developing our own film. To do this, you will need a developing tank. The lab has some, but they have been used by a lot of people. You can purchase a kit like this one, which works well if you have never developed film before, plastic can be easier than metal. If you decided that developing film is your thing, I would suggest getting a metal tank and reels, especially these reels, they are expensive, but they work a lot better than the cheaper ones.

We are having one full black and white critique of 8 prints. You will be expected to have a black and white print to show in the third critique. A box of 100 sheets should cover you for the semester. Make sure that the paper you purchase is fiber paper, resin coated paper is not allowed in this class.

To recap, you will need:

film camera and lenses with working meter and manual controls and strap
film for the camera, at least 10 to 15 rolls
negative sleeves and binder for the sleeves
an old hand towel for the darkroom
developing can and reels
multigrade fiber based enlarging paper
spot tone brush
presentation supplies for the entry review portfolio

The sooner you get all of this squared away, the better because we are headed into film right after spring break. These supplies are getting harder and harder to purchase locally. If you have any questions about a camera or any other supply that is needed, please ask.

Inkjet Paper and Textbook

2011-08-25T10:25:00.001-07:00

For printing you need to purchase your own inkjet paper. The two papers that are supported in the lab are Red River Ultra Pro Satin 2.0 and Canon Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss. Buy one of these two papers for class. Letter size is acceptable because I am more interested in the process of learning to print, not just making larger prints. The largest size you can get for the printers we use is 13x19 inches. Printing will be demonstrated on Tuesday, January 25 in Oak Street Hall. We will have three inkjet critiques, so 100 sheets of paper should be enough for class and any prints for the entry review portfolio.

The main textbook we will be using is Photography by Upton, London and Stone. The current edition is the 10th edition, but the 8th or 9th will work for class. The book is used in Photography 3. When it comes to digital workflow the majority of information will come from the book Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS5 by Fraser and Schewe. I strongly suggest you get this book for class. I will present information from it, and it is a good resource.

Preparing the Entry Review Box

2011-04-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Your box may be a different color and that is fine. Your name must be in the left hand corner of the front.

Here is what needs to be in your box for the entry review portfolio:

15 matted prints of 2 series of photographs, a series is made up of a minimum of 5 photographs

One series will be color inkjet prints and the other will be black and white silver gelatin prints.

A typed statement for each series. This will be about 100 words double spaced in 12 point Verdana.

A copy of your unofficial transcripts with the following prerequisites highlighted: Drawing 1 & 2, Design 1 & 2 and Art Appreciation. This can be a computer print out.

On the outside of this box on the upper left hand corner of the lid on the front (see above picture) you will put your name. You make a label or use blue tape like I did.

I will be checking boxes during class time on Thursday, May 5 in Oak Street Hall.

All of this is due Friday, May 6 at 4 p.m. in Erin's office in the photo lab.

Entry Review Test Reminder

2011-04-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that Tuesday is the test at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. in room 313 of the Art Building. If you are not taking the test, I would work in the lab. Group 1 has critique on Thursday.

Albert Watson drops knowledge

2011-04-13T12:44:00.001-07:00

W. Eugene Smith

2011-04-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

This documentary about W. Eugene is a bit contrived in places, but it covers his life well. He is a major figure in the history of photography. His Jazz Loft project has been collected here. Here are some of the images he made during his time in Pittsburgh. Here is a link to a documentary about that time.

Black and White Photographers

2011-04-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of some photographers who work in black and white. There are lots more, this is just a starting point. Fraction Magazine is also featuring a number of achromatic photographers.

Debbie Felming Caffery

Cary Conover

Danny Wilcox Frazier and here

Thomas Roma

Kai McBride

Sally Gall

James Luckett

Walker Evans

W. Eugene Smith

Daido Moriyama

Robert Adams

Lee Friedlander

Robert Frank

Nicholas Nixon

Emmet Gowin

Tod Papageorge

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Gilles Peress

Bruce Gilden

Larry Towell

William Gedney

David Goldes

Philippe Gronon

Jacob Aue Sobol

Rhondal McKinney

Wu Jialin

Keith Carter

Jeff Curto

Gary Ciadella

Isa Leshko

Ellen Rennard

Suzanne Révy

Jake Mendel

O. Rufus Lovett

David Ondrik

Yola Monakhov

James Whitlow Delano

David Bram

Julia Calfee

Sylvia Plachy

Bruce Davidson and here

Michael Kenna

Josef Koudelka

Jane Evelyn Atwood

Kathryn Cook

Vanessa Winship

Graciela Iturbide

Mary Ellen Mark

Martin Parr

2011-04-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Martin Parr knows exactly what it is he is after when photographing. He is also very adept at speaking about his work in a way that is direct and straightforward.

Lise Sarfati

2011-03-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

Lise Sarfati is a French photographer who has spent a lot of time photographing teenagers in America. She is also a member of Magnum Photos. Her portraiture is clean and direct, but she is after something deeper than just a portrait. There is a lot of information on her website that is worth checking out. Here is an interview too.

Richard Benson Drops Serious Knowledge

2011-03-01T18:24:00.001-08:00

Blind Spot Conversations 02: Richard Benson and Arthur Ou from David La Spina on Vimeo.
Richard Benson knows what he is talking about. You could buy his book. His bold statements ring true. There is also a podcast that is good here.

Emily Shur in Japan

2011-02-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

"I decided in my last few hours of shooting there that I wouldn’t take a picture if it looked like a picture I would take. If it was easy or obvious, I wasn’t going to do it."

Emily Shur on photographing her continuing Japanese project.

Phillip Toledano

2011-02-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

Phillip Toledano is a New York based photographer whose projects have a wide variety of content. His work is based in ideas and in the video below he goes into those ideas a bit more.

inside the photographers_studio #6 from andrew hetherington on Vimeo.

A Definition of Photography

2011-02-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

When thinking about what you want to accomplish in photography, consider this definition of what photography can be from Geoffrey Batchen.

"…if we continue to identify photography with certain archaic technologies, such as camera and film, those technologies themselves embody the idea of photography, or, more accurately, a persistent economy of photographic desires and concepts. The concepts inscribed within this economy include things like nature, knowledge, representation, time, space, observing subject, observed object. Thus to attempt a momentary definition, photography is the desire, conscious or not, to orchestrate a particular set of relationships between these various concepts."
Geoffrey Batchen, Burning With Desire: The Conception of Photography, (Cambridge, London: The MIT Press, 1997), 213.

Michael Ackerman

2011-02-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

Michael Ackerman is an American photographer based in Berlin. His work illustrates the emotional space where life happens. Here is a video interview of him. Below is another.

Michael Ackerman : nocturnes errances ‎
Uploaded by Alsace20. - Watch original web videos.

Bruno Boudjelal

2011-02-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Bruno Boudjelal is a French-Algerian photographer who is represented by Agence Vu in Paris. Here is a video of him at work. He pushes the boundaries of acceptable focus and blur when making his images.

Philip-Lorca DiCorcia, Eleven

2011-02-16T19:43:00.001-08:00

Philip-Lorca DiCorcia has a show of his fashion work at the David Zwirner Gallery in New York. The work can be found here. Here is a link to an interview her did with The New York Times. Below is a video of him talking about his work. Here is a review you should read about the show.

Digital File Reminder

2011-02-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

You will turn in digital files in a folder named lastname_crit1. All of the files will be 2000 pixels on the long side at 200 pixels per inch. They will be named lastname_crti1_01.psd through lastname_crit1_08.psd.

Links from Tuesday 2/15/11

2011-02-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

Today we looked at wide variety of work. The Collier Schorr video is here. Her work can also be found here and here. Catherine Opie's work can be found here and here. Terry Richardson's work can be found here.

Everyone Loves a Texas Hero

2011-02-15T13:33:00.001-08:00

Tips for the Statements

2011-02-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

When writing your statement be direct and focus on the pictures.
Keep it to 150 to 200 words.
Please use 12 point Verdana and double space it.
Focus on the pictures.
Think of the statement as a framework for the images. You are giving the viewer a hint about the pictures.
Leave some mystery in it.
Click here for the other statement entry.

Last Roll of Kodachrome and Steve McCurry

2011-02-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Steve McCurry, a New York based photographer and member of Magnum Photos, photographed with the last roll of Kodachrome. Vanity Fair has a slide show of the images here.

Lisa Kereszi

2011-02-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

Lisa Kereszi is a fine art photographer who also does editorial work along with teaching. She is interested in going out in the world and finding the poetics of the place.

Feedback

2011-02-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

This article on feedback is a must read. Any place you read graphic design substitute the word photography. Clarity is key the manageable feedback.

Tuesday's links

2011-02-08T15:01:00.001-08:00

We spent a fair amount of time going over some of the work featured on Fraction Magazine. If you need to read some good examples of statements, Fraction is the place to turn to. We also spent some time discussing Emily Shur's work.

Jim Goldberg and Larry Sultan

2011-02-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Open See from Jim Goldberg on Vimeo.
In the Doug Dubois video he mentioned working with Larry Sultan and Jim Goldberg. Goldberg is a member of Magnum Photos. His work can also be found here. The video below shows the making of the 25th anniversary box set of his book Rich and Poor. Larry Sultan's work can also be found here. and here.

Here is a video about Sultan.

Adobe TV Videos

2011-02-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

There videos come from Adobe TV which has a lot different tutorial videos. The two above videos are a good review of what can be done with Adobe Camera Raw. The following video comes from Julieanne Kost and covers the DNG format. She also has a number of videos that deal with composting. If you are interested in that, I would spend some time watching them.

Stefan Sagmeister

2011-02-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Stefan Sagmeister is a graphic designer. His ideas about serious failure are something that matters for all creative endeavors.

While he is not directly addressing photography, his thoughts on the creative process are valuable.

No School Feb. 3

2011-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

We do not have school school Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011. I will update you when I get the final schedule worked out, but critique will be pushed back a week. Here is a video of how things used to work.

"Moving Stills" (1978) by Behnam Attar from David Burnett on Vimeo.

No School Feb. 1

2011-01-31T21:34:00.000-08:00

School is cancelled Tuesday, February 1, 2011 in Denton. Critique is pushed back one day. Spend your time wisely.

Daido Moriyama on Compact Cameras

2011-01-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

Daido Moriyama is a pivotal figure in the history of Japanese photography. In this video he talks about why he uses a compact camera.

Tim Davis on William Eggleston

2011-01-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

American Suburb X features a lot of different writings about photography. This one in particular, by Tim Davis, talks about William Eggleston and is worth a read. Check out Tim's work too. This is a blog that chock full of content.

Neil Leifer at PDNB

2011-01-28T11:36:00.001-08:00

Neil Leifer, one of the best photographers of sporting events, will be at Photographs Do Not Bend in Dallas Saturday, January 29, 2011 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Whatever feelings you have about sports should be put aside and you should go to this show, because the photographs are worth it. You will not see sports photographs like these any more, because of how the events and leagues have become big business and they are much better at controlling their images.

What we Covered Thursday

2011-01-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

If you were not able to make it to class because you were sick, which seems to be happening this week, take care of yourself and get better.

We covered Channels, Color Space, and reviewed Camera Raw and workflow.

We also looked at some HDR images, the work of Joey L. and Dave Hill.

Have a good weekend, and get some rest if you are run down, and remember to wash your hands.

Doug Dubois

2011-01-26T18:53:00.000-08:00

Doug Dubois Interview from Georgi Unkovski on Vimeo.

Doug Dubois who has extensively photographed his family, talks about his process. This comes from the website Sunday and Wednesday which has a lot of content to check out. Liz Kuball has a blog post about how Dubois' work has influenced her.

Laurel Nakadate

2011-01-25T20:16:00.001-08:00

Laurel Nakadate was featured in the New York Times this past weekend. You can read the story here. It is a good read because it talks about how she took risks and how that has paid off for her.

Center Deadline is Upon Us

2011-01-25T19:14:00.001-08:00

Call for Entries - Center Awards and Review Santa Fe from Laura Pressley on Vimeo.

I was lucky to attend Review Santa Fe this past year. The deadline for applying for this year is Thursday the 27th. Get your work together and send it out there. The Choice Awards has also been good to me, so send those in too. Center is staffed with good people who care about photography.

Printing in the Lab

2011-01-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

Adobe Bridge is useful for sorting images and rating them.

Once you have the image selected to print, open it in Adobe Camera Raw.

Lens Correction Panel

The Layers Panel with a Smart Object open.

This workflow is really easy to remember: Bridge to ACR to PS as a Smart Object and then print. You do not need to resize the image at all, that will done in the printer driver.

Click the direction the image will be on the page and click Print Settings to set your paper size.

Choose letter if your paper size is letter or 8x10 if it is that size.

Once this is done you need to make sure you select the correct paper profile. I chose the one for Red River Arctic Polar Luster, which is the paper I am using.

This is a long list, but it is important to choose the right profile.

You test print will come out and you will have to evaluate it.

Are the midtones muddy?
Are there highlights that are blown out?
Is the black really black or is there detail in the shadows?
Does this look like what I want, or do I need to change it a little?

Even though the image is pixelated and blurry, click Print, it will be fine.

Win Seal's Camera

2011-01-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

Steve Huff, a photography blogger, is having a contest where you can win Seal's Leica M9. Seal recently upgraded cameras and is offering this camera up to a lucky photographer. Follow the directions and see if you get lucky, like Seal.

Henry Wessel

2011-01-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

Henry Wessel breaks photography down to its core in these two videos.

Dornith Doherty Speaking at UNT on the Square

2011-01-18T15:57:00.000-08:00

Dornith Doherty, a photography faculty member, is speaking at the UNT on the Square about her series Vault. You can find more information here. Her work was recently featured on Elizabeth Avedon's blog here.

Critique 1

2011-01-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

This is the only time this semester where content for your photographs is suggested. For the remaining critiques you will come up with the content. To help you focus on workflow and printing for the first time, you will choose one common genre of photography and make a series of photographs that relate to each other and the genre chosen. All of the images will be printed in color. Black and white will only be allowed when we work with film.

Think of this as your chance to make those photographs you wanted to in Photography 1 and did not get the chance. This is your chance to make pictures that you want to make, as long as it relates to one of the following:

● Landscape

● Portraits

● Action

● Vernacular

● Nature

● Fashion

● Food

What you have to do:

Choose one genre. Define it for yourself and know why you chose it. This is the key part to assignment. How you define this genre will determine what your pictures may look like. You do not want to make cliche images. You may not do a typology. The genres are vague and open to a variety of interpretations. Make at least 300 RAW images. Edit those down to 8 selects. Print the selects and then bring them to class for critique. How this is completed will be covered in class.

What will be turned in:

You will write a 200 word statement and print it out. Please use 10 point Verdana and double space it. This print out will be turned in along with a folder 8 images saved in the .psd format. All of the images will be 2000 pixels on the long side at 200 pixels per inch.

All of the files will be named: lastname_crit1_01.psd through lastname_crtit1_08.psd. If you do not name these files correctly you will lose 11 points, which means that you will not be able to achieve a grade of an A if the files are not named correctly. This is an important lesson we need to learn, which is why I am stressing it. All of the files will be in a folder named lastname_crit1.

You will not turn your prints in. You will hang on to them and keep them safe.

Film supplies

2011-01-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

Negative sleeves are needed to keep your negatives safe.

To recap, you will need:

film camera and lenses with working meter and manual controls and strap
film for the camera, at least 10 to 15 rolls
negative sleeves and binder for the sleeves
an old hand towel for the darkroom
developing can and reels
multigrade fiber based enlarging paper
spot tone brush
presentation supplies for the entry review portfolio

Archival Methods for Entry Review Supplies

2011-01-17T08:08:00.000-08:00

Archival Methods is a good resource for the supplies you will need for the Entry Review Portfolio. They have the boxes that are needed along with packs of 2 Ply Museum Board and 4 Ply Museum Board. You want to purchase bright white board. The color of the box is up to you. You will need both. If you make 6x9 inch sized prints you can purchase 11x14 board. If you print larger, you will need larger board and box. They also carry Tyvek tape that makes the process of matting images go smoother. It is suggested that you order these supplies sooner rather than later. There are other places where these supplies can be purchased, but they have what you need and making ordering easy.

Links for Paper and Books

2011-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

Spring 2011 Semester

2011-01-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

I created this blog a year, the last time I taught the class. I will be reviving it and updating it with new material. Check out the links on the side, good stuff to be had there.

Last Post: Access vs. Intentionality

2010-05-11T04:30:00.000-07:00

Thomas Struth has a show of new work at the Marian Goodman Gallery in New York. Here is a review of the show. He recently took part in an open discussion about his work. A question about the privileged access came up and he apparently side stepped it and said it was all about intent. Here is a report that needs to be read. This is a serious question that deserves more than just this blog post. Taryn Simon's name came up in the question, and you should look at her work.

Photographers Talk about work for ESPN the Magazine

2010-05-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

ESPN The Magazine Photographers Project from Joseph Rodriguez on Vimeo.

Lise Sarfati Interivew

2010-05-06T13:45:00.000-07:00

AmericanSuburbX has an interview with Lise Sarfati that is worth reading if you like her work.

Amy Elkins

2010-05-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

Amy Elkins' has a wide variety of work on her website. The above is from her Wallflower series. Each series also has a clear statement.

Last Minutes with ODEN

2010-05-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.

This is a piece about a guy having to deal with the end of his dog's life. All of the sound and voiceover add to this. All of those elements add up to a narrative that is strong and tells a story in a way still photographs could not. Something to think about.

Statement Writing Information

2010-05-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to the information about writing statements. You can also click on the picture to get there.

test

2010-05-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Rangefinder Radio: Constantine Manos interview

2010-05-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

Constantine Manos was interviewed for Rangefinder Radio. It is difficult to find a direct link but if you go to the iTunes Store and search for it in podcasts you will find it. You might be able to find it on the Rangefinder Magazine website. If you have wondered why we need to know all of the technical stuff, listen to what Manos has to say.

Here is a very short multimedia piece from some of his color work.

One Picture Look

2010-05-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

David Bram started a new feature on Fraction Magazine this month called One Picture Look. If you have a picture he has to see upload it to the Fraction Magazine Flickr group or email it (fractionmag at gmail dot com) to him. This is a worthwhile opportunity for you.

Preparing your Entry Review Portfolio

2010-04-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignnone" width="575" caption="This is the upper left hand corner of the front of your drop front box. You box is bigger and maybe tan. "][/caption]

Here is what needs to be in your box for the entry review portfolio:

15 matted prints of 2 series of photographs, a series is made up of a minimum of 5 photographs

One series will be color inkjet prints and the other will be black and white silver gelatin prints.

A typed statement for each series. This will be about 100 words double spaced in 12 point Times New Roman.

A copy of your unofficial transcripts with the following prerequisites highlighted: Drawing 1 & 2, Design 1 & 2 and Art Appreciation.

If you would like to take Alternative Processes in the fall please write a typed note in 12 point Times New Roman stating this.

On the outside of this box on the upper left hand corner of the front (see above picture) you will put your name.

All of this is due Friday, May 7 at 4 p.m. in Erin's office in the photo lab.

Anders Petersen

2010-04-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Anders Petersen is a Swedish photographer who works in black and white. There is a raw directness to his images.

Lise Sarfati

2010-04-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

Lise Sarfati is a French photographer who is a member of the Magnum Photos cooperative and is represented by the Yossi Milo Gallery. Her portraits and fashion work has bit of the dead pan influence. Sarfati has photographed a wide range of topics from post Soviet Russia to teenage life in America. Her website has a number of resources beyond the photographs.

New Home

2010-04-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

This will be the new home for the blog. I am doing that to separate it so it can be updated in other semesters. Add this feed to your rss reader.

READ THIS: David Alan Harvey Interview

2010-04-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

"AT: What do you look for in a photographic series or a photographer today that you didn’t look for three years ago?

DAH: The key for photographers today is that they must be idea people. Concept people. It is no longer any advantage to have technical skills. Today one needs idea skills, to really have something to say, either journalistically or artistically. I see photography as a language far, far from dead. In my opinion, just being born. I look for visual literacy in a body of work. The makers must be visually literate and the audience must be visually literate as well. Seeking this happy medium of literacy from creator to audience is a full time preoccupation that will never end. However, the pursuit of this ideal is in and of itself an art."

This comes from an interview with David Alan Harvey that you should read in full. If you have not checked Burn out before, there is always something interesting to look at over there.

1970s Color Photography

2010-04-22T03:36:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in the work of William Eggleston, Stephen Shore or Joel Meyerowitz you should read this review of show of their work here.

More Cartier-Bresson

2010-04-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Right now we live in a truly magical time. No I am not talking about some machine with a funny name, I am talking about the the amazing website MoMA created for the Henri Cartier-Bresson retrospective. Being able to access this is amazing and I hope that you have taken advantage of it.

I just finished watching an interview Charlie Rose did with Peter Galassi, Martine Frank and Agnes Sire. Go to this website and look for recent shows it aired 4/15/10. Truly amazing.

Listen to Galassi describe the photos, it is poetic.

Here is a full interview Rose did with Cartier-Bresson.

JH Engström

2010-04-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

JH Engström + Still/Moving Workshops from Martin Hampton on Vimeo.

JH Engström talks about a workshop he did. This idea of breaking down barriers is good advice.

Check this: Multimedia

2010-04-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Lumix Festival for Young Photojournalism announced their shortlist for multimedia. Check it out here. Strong work.

Writing Statements

2010-04-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

I put this together to give you some guidance on statements.

Good Portrait Advice

2010-04-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Clay Enos breaks down portraiture into easy to understand bits.

Links of Note

2010-04-12T04:03:00.000-07:00

The Mix

Rob Galbraith on CS5 Photoshop

How do you sequence photos?

Marina Abramovic Documentary Trailer

VII The Magazine

The Future, whether you like it or not

The Price of Admission

Darkroom

2010-04-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

You can also refer to chapters 5 and 6 in your textbook.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

2010-04-07T02:59:00.000-07:00

The Museum of Modern Art in New York is holding a retrospective of French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. If you do one thing today you should spend an some time with this website. It contains a number of his iconic pictures along with some lesser known images. Peter Galassi also talks about some of the pictures, so it is worth clicking through all of the work.

Most of the his pictures were taken with a camera similar to this.

Here is the first of a few videos of Cartier-Bresson.

Fashion is popular this semester

2010-04-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Fashion seems to be a popular topic this semester. If this interests you are all, go here and read this interview with Tom Hines about being a fashion photographer.

Alec Soth goes to Mardi Gras

2010-04-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Alec Soth is doing a series for the New York Times. His first installment, on Mardi Gras, is here.

Koudelka Advice

2010-03-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

I don’t know what’s important to the people who look at my photos. What’s important to me is to make them. I work all the time, but there are only a few of my photos that I find really good. I am not even sure that I am really a good photographer. I think that anyone working as I do could do the same. But my purpose is not to prove my talent. I photograph almost every day, except when it’s too cold for traveling the way I do – as in this time of winter. Sometimes my photos are OK, other times they are not, but I think that eventually something will come out of my work. I don’t worry about it.

–Josef Koudelka

via aphotostudent.com and aphotoeditor.com

Archival Box Option

2010-03-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

Here is another option for the box. Three inches is deep enough.

PDNedu Student Contest

2010-03-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

PDNedu has a gallery of work from their student work contest. You should go check it out here.

Portraits by Gilles Favier

2010-03-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

On the Agence Vu website there is a good video of Gilles Favier making portraits in a small places with simple light. Check it out here.

More Black and White Photographers

2010-03-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Sylvia Plachy

Bruce Davidson and here

Michael Kenna

Josef Koudelka

Jane Evelyn Atwood

Kathryn Cook

Vanessa Winship

Graciela Iturbide

Mary Ellen Mark

Stella Kramer on Content-Aware Fill

2010-03-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Stella Kramer, a well known and respected photo editor and consultant, posted her thoughts on the CS5 I linked to below.

"As for me, I don't know how anyone is going to be able to trust any photograph at all anymore. I know I won't be able to tell that this has been done to a photograph. So what's going to stop our history from being completely rewritten, with photos to prove it!"

I picked a pointed comment from her for the quote. Think about what you saw? What do you think?

Zoe Strauss talks about her editing process

2010-03-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Zoe Strauss talks about her editing process here. The quote I would like to highlight is this:

"Do people need to know any of the reasons for why these photos were chosen? Or about the decisions that went into the placement of these photos in the installation? No, they don't. Anyone who sees them can make their own narrative, of the indvidual images and the connection between the photos."

RIP Jim Marshall

2010-03-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Jackanory Films presents a Jim Marshall show and tell from andrew hetherington on Vimeo.

Jim Marshall, a giant in photography, died in his sleep Tuesday night. Watch this video go look at his pictures.

\

His battered camera. Here is Rolling Stone's obit.

Content Aware Fill

2010-03-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

So Adobe is going to announce CS 5 in less than a month. Is the content aware fill going to be in PS CS 5? Not sure. Not sure how I feel about this feature either. It is a "glittering lure" for sure.

Mark Romanek

2010-03-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

In this video about director Mark Romanek he talks about the process of making movies and music videos. All of his points relates to making a series of images, like we are doing in this class. His editing process is similar to questions you could ask yourself: are all of the right elements in this frame? Do I have any extraneous elements that need to be removed? Is my message clear?

W. Eugene Smith and the Jazz Loft

2010-03-20T02:36:00.000-07:00

When I made the list of black and white photographers I tried to go beyond the usual suspects. Those that we have seen before. One of the those I left off the list was W. Eugene Smith, a legendary photographer from the middle 20th Century. He photographed World War II, a Spanish Village, Minamata, Japan and Pittsburgh. One of his largest projects though was his series from his loft in New York City. It has now been collected and turned into a book and website. The Jazz Loft Project features thousands of hours of musicians rehearsing or jamming. Smith also used over 1,000 rolls of film photographing inside the building and from his window. The New York Times has put together a short online slideshow narrated by Smith. Smith's work is varied but dramatic because of his printing style. He would print dark then bleach up the highlights, among other things.

Ryan Pyle

2010-03-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Ryan Pyle is a photographer based in China. He has a blog about riding his motorcycle in China. He also has a blog about his photography. Check it out. The black and white work in the video is worth a look.

Black and White Photographers

2010-03-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a short list of some photographers who work in black and white. There are lots more, this is just a starting point. Fraction Magazine is also featuring a number of achromatic photographers.

Debbie Felming Caffery

Cary Conover

Danny Wilcox Frazier and here

Thomas Roma

Sally Gall

Daido Moriyama

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Bruce Gilden

Larry Towell

William Gedney

David Goldes

Philippe Gronon

Jacob Aue Sobol

Rhondal McKinney

Wu Jialin

Keith Carter

Jeff Curto

Gary Ciadella

Isa Leshko

Ellen Rennard

Suzanne Révy

Jake Mendel

O. Rufus Lovett

David Ondrik

Yola Monakhov

James Whitlow Delano

David Bram

Julia Calfee

The Massive Dev Chart

2010-03-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

The Massive Dev Chart is a handy database for finding the right time for film development. If you have an iPhone/iPod Touch there is an app. We suggest you start with D-76 1+1 at 69 degrees, which translates to 20C. You can try other times, but start with this.

Working with natural light

2010-03-16T01:54:00.000-07:00

This video shows Mark Seliger photographing Rielle Hunter for GQ. Seliger uses natural light for these setups where he is shooting into the light.

What is in pockets and purses

2010-03-15T03:05:00.000-07:00

On the Lens Blog, there is a good entry about Francois Robert's series "Contents". If you are interested in what we carry, it is worth a look.