Short Title:Creative Photography
Full Title:Creative Photography
Language of Instruction:English
Module Code:FOTO H1007
  
Credits: 5
NFQ Level:6
Field of Study:Audio-visual techniques and media production
Module Delivered in no programmes
Reviewed By:GLENN MEHTA
Module Author:TOM JENNER
Module Description:The purpose of this module is for students to explore manual camera controls, techniques, and fundamental ways of photographic seeing, in order to produce and evaluate their own creative photographic work.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to:
LO1 Use a single lens reflex camera manually to accurately expose 35mm film.
LO2 Construct a pinhole camera, measure exposure and develop paper negatives and contact prints in a darkroom.
LO3 Work independently and communicate ideas visually through the medium of photography, demonstrating an awareness of the techniques of composition in the construction of message and meaning to produce resolved bodies of work within a context driven narrative approach to the medium.
LO4 Use a bevel-cutter to window-mount a series of photographs to a high standard.
LO5 Present, reflect on the production process, evaluate and critique photographs.
Pre-requisite learning
Co-requisite Modules
No Co-requisite modules listed
 

Module Content & Assessment

Content (The percentage workload breakdown is inidcative and subject to change) %
Creative Photography
Pinhole camera construction; disposable camera use; the single lens reflex camera; lenses; manual camera controls; focusing; aperture control and the effects of depth of field; shutter speeds and the effects of movement; film speeds using the ISO rating system; taking accurate reflective light readings; exposure latitude; an appreciation of the qualities of ambient natural and artificial light; the appropriate use of a tripod and cable release; choosing suitable film and recognising its inherent limitations and characteristics; techniques for composition; print selection; captioning; print finishing, mounting and presentation; the evaluation and critique of images; black-and-white and colour photography; aesthetic and technical factors affecting the use of black-and-white or colour; health and safety considerations for the traditional darkroom. A high degree of self-expression will be encouraged through individual practice-based project work and the production of context driven photographic narratives rather than the production of one-off discrete images without meaning. The elementary contextual aspects of the medium will be studied, with reference to the social and cultural history of photography and its development as a vehicle for creative communication. 		100.00%
Assessment Breakdown%
Course Work100.00%
Course Work
Assessment Type Assessment Description Outcome addressed % of total Assessment Date
Project The project this semester will comprise of production-based work using student-made pinhole cameras, disposable cameras and 35mm SLRs. Work will be processed and printed externally at a photo lab, or for the pinhole project in the darkroom; and then presented to a high standard. Students will be required to keep a project workbook throughout the semester, which will form an intrinsic part of all project work completed. The purpose of the workbook is to give each student the opportunity to present, to a high standard, an in-depth study including all background material and supporting work involved in production (see module Content). 1,2,3,4,5 60.00 Sem 1 End
Project Students will write up their own notes throughout the semester, which will then be presented in the workbook (see above), detailing their contextual research, progression and development of ideas, technical notes, exhibitions and seminars attended, etc. Appropriate academic referencing and bibliographic conventions should be applied throughout. All project work will be assessed holistically under the following criteria: Concept (e.g. contextual research and understanding, development of ideas); Production (e.g. technical proficiency, working competence, creativity); Presentation (e.g. attention to detail, print quality, final presentation). 1,2,3,4,5 40.00 Sem 1 End
No End of Module Formal Examination
Reassessment Requirement
Repeat the module
The assessment of this module is inextricably linked to the delivery. The student must reattend the module in its entirety in order to be reassessed.

IT Tallaght reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment

 

Module Workload

Workload: Full Time
Workload Type Workload Description Hours Frequency Average Weekly Learner Workload
Lecturer/Lab Students will attend lectures and participate in practical workshops, lecturer-supervised learning, tutorials, seminars and critiques. 3.00 Every Week 3.00
Independent Learning Students will undertake independent research and related practical work outside of scheduled class times. 2.00 Every Week 2.00
Total Weekly Learner Workload 5.00
Total Weekly Contact Hours 3.00
This module has no Part Time workload.
 

Module Resources

Recommended Book Resources
  • Bate, David 2016, Photography: The Key Concepts, 2nd Ed., Bloomsbury
  • Heine, Florian and Brad Finger 2016, 50 Contemporary Photographers You Should Know, Prestel
  • Ingledew, John 2016, How to Have Great Ideas: A Guide to Creative Thinking, Laurence King
  • Langford, Michael, Anna Fox & Richard Sawdon Smith, eds., 2016, Langford's Basic Photography, 10th Ed., Focal Press
  • Lowe, Paul 2016, Photography Masterclass: Creative Techniques of 100 Great Photographers, Thames and Hudson
  • Peterson, Bryan 2016, Understanding Exposure: How To Shoot Great Photographs With Any Camera, 4th Ed., Amphoto Books
  • Sheehan, Tanya and Andrés Zervigón, eds., 2015, Photography and Its Origins, Routledge
  • Silverman, Kaja 2015, The Miracle of Analogy: or The History of Photography, Part 1, Stanford University Press
  • Wells, Liz, ed., 2015, Photography: A Critical Introduction, 5th Ed., Routledge
  • Wright, Terence 2015, The Photography Handbook, 3rd Ed., Routledge
  • Renner, Eric and Nancy Spencer 2014, Poetics of Light: Contemporary Pinhole Photography, Museum of New Mexico Press
  • Warner Marien, Mary 2014, Photography: A Cultural History, 4th Ed., Laurence King
  • Berger, John and Geoff Dyer, ed., 2013, Understanding a Photograph, Penguin Classics
  • Durden, Mark, ed., 2013, Fifty Key Writers on Photography, Routledge
  • Higgins, Jackie 2013, Why It Does Not Have To Be In Focus: Modern Photography Explained, Thames and Hudson
  • Ingledew, John 2013, Photography, 2nd Ed., Laurence King
  • Hacking, Juliet, ed., 2012, Photography: The Whole Story, Prestel
  • Keeney, Chris 2011, Pinhole Cameras: A Do It Yourself Guide, Princeton Architectural Press
  • Phillips, Sandra S, ed., 2010, Exposed: Voyerism, Surveillance and the Camera, Tate Publishing
  • Berger, John 2008, Ways of Seeing, (first published 1972) Ed., Penguin
  • Renner, Eric 2008, Pinhole Photography: From Historic Technique to Digital Application, 4th Ed., Focal Press
  • Rosenblum, Naomi 2008, A World History of Photography, 4th Ed., Abbeville Press
  • Sontag, Susan 2008, On Photography, (first published 1979) Ed., Penguin
  • Stepan, Peter 2008, 50 Photographers You Should Know, Prestel
  • Trachtenberg, Alan, ed., 1980, Classic Essays On Photography, Leete's Island Books
Recommended Article/Paper Resources
  • Aperture - international journal specialising in photography, quarterly journal
  • British Journal of Photography, monthly journal
  • Source - magazine of contemporary photography in Britain and Ireland, quarterly journal
Other Resources