Intro to Photography

Students will learn the fundamental techniques of digital photography through a series of photography assignments. Students will explore their personal lives and experiment with photography's communicative abilities.

Designed for

Students who are interested in learning about photography

Level

Grade 8-10

Class format

One-on-one and small group (Max. 7 students/class)

Class Introduction

This class is designed for both beginners and advanced photographers. The concentration is on assessing the student’s current photographic abilities and then structuring the assignments to help the student improve technical skill, artistic vision, and digital editing technique and style. The instructor will review the weekly photographic assignments with the student and provide guidance leading to the presentation of a final portfolio for the course that demonstrates the skill and technique necessary to capture and edit imagery that shows a thorough understanding of composition, exposure, and unique creative vision.

Outcome

Demonstrate foundational skills in image capture through mastery of exposure settings and depth of field.
Show an awareness of the basic principles of artistic composition within the images selected for the final portfolio for the course.
Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary for efficient and effective digital file management and editing using Adobe Lightroom or a comparable program.
Complete a photographic portfolio that can be used for future high school/college applications and competitions

Course Content

Texts:

The Art of the Photograph: Essential Habits for Stronger Compositions by Art Wolfe and Rob Sheppard

Materials:

MacBook with Photoshop
A digital camera
Homework should be submitted in the JPEG format

Lesson	Topics
1	Course introduction: Appreciation of the 2021 World Press Photo award-winning photographs
2	Photography Exhibit: Homework presentation
3	Student self-photography day
4	Photography Work: Student showcase and discussion Introduction to Photoshop:
5	Photography Work: Student showcase and discussion Photoshop practice
6	Photography Work: Student showcase and discussion Magnum photographers: Introduction and Discussions

Feedback

Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on graded assignments via email. At the end of the course, the student will receive a final report card, which thoroughly speaks to their overall participation in the course, including major assignments.