Assignment 1: Shooting, Editing and Planning
Assignment Overview
As discussed in the
lectures, it is important to consider the order of your images when
completing your portfolio or any body of work.
Your portfolio likely
contains images that were not created to work together as a series of
images, therefore, it is important to consider the relationship among
the images that you include in your portfolio to avoid a situation in
which your images are not interrelated or sequenced properly. Once you
have selected most or all of your final portfolio images, you should
place your images in an order to present a cohesive and clear
representation of your work. You should keep in mind the order and flow,
the layout, and the beginning and the ending, as well as updating, as a
part of this process.
When working on a comprehensive portfolio project, it is important to be able to identify specific areas that need improvement.
On the basis of previous feedback and goals, you should start to work
on any remaining goals and areas of weakness with regards to your
portfolio
This assignment will ask you to utilize the prioritized list created during Week 2 and the Weekly Journal created in Week 3
to guide this week's shoot. After completing your shoot you will fill
out a Weekly Journal for the upcoming weeks. Using this list, you will
set goals and create a working plan to meet these goals during upcoming
weeks. You will also reorder your portfolio images.
Associate Degree Final Portfolio Standards
The final portfolio must demonstrate
the skills that are the key components of your program of study,
demonstrate your personal brand and style, and be targeted towards a
specific market audience, whether this be a future employer or potential client.
In order to demonstrate acquired skills, the content of the portfolio must:
- Prove technical ability that meets industry standards (lighting, exposure, depth of field)
- Images demonstrate the ability to convey a concept beyond image content
through the use of appropriate techniques (the image should tell a story of sorts; the viewer should be able to tell the "meaning" behind the image)
- All photographs must reflect an individual voice and be directed towards a
market audience (Consider who you want to sell your work to)
- Cohesive theme within a genre with appropriate variety and depth of
exploration
(Ensure that there is a sense of diversity in your protfolio in terms of
male vs. female models, different models, different products,
locations, etc.)
- Demonstrate command of shaping light using a minimum of three
strobes (2-3 images in the portfolio should clearly show the use of 3 strobe lights)
- Must show command of working with the human form in at least three
images
- Quantity of images – 15 – 20 minimum (includes website and print; the same images that you print should be the same images on your website)
- Professional quality 11 x 14 inch prints (minimum) (This refers to your print images only!
The images that you submit to your website will remain the standard 3:2
aspect ratio. The images you print however, will have to be cropped to
a different aspect ratio so you can print an 11x14.)
A print portfolio of
archival quality prints presented in a professional quality portfolio
binder in addition to supplemental materials:
Résumé
Website
Postcard design
All Portfolio standards must be met in order to successfully complete the portfolio class (any exceptions to these standards require departmental approval).
Assignment Description
In this assignment, you will
shoot new images, complete a weekly journal and rearrange your images
to have the most effective order and flow.
In W2A1 and W3A1, you assessed your final project and
indicated the areas of your portfolio that were the most in need of
improvement. Focusing on the needed improvements to your portfolio,
shoot new images.
You will create a PDF
portfolio that contains 15–20 of your portfolio images considering your
order, flow, and background choices as well as multiple image page
layouts. Think about the images that you want to start and end with as
well as the order of the images with regard to composition, design,
color, and editing choices.
Focusing on the needed improvements to your portfolio, fill out a Weekly Journal for upcoming weeks.
Assignment Step-by-Step Instructions
Part 1: Shooting
- Take a moment to read, evaluate, and update the gaps and goals you identified during W2: Assignment 1 and in your Weekly Journal.
- Formulate
a plan to complete the project according to the description and
objectives that you previously identified. (Choose a new subject to
photograph for this assignment and ensure that your subject fits the
chosen sub-genre of photography that you've been working on thus far; do
not change sub-genres.)
- Choose a two light set up: key + fill.
Add a background light to either a paper/muslin backdrop or at a
location. Be creative with your lighting; decide if your subject
requires soft light or hard light.
- Shoot and present a minimum of thirty new images that address your prioritized list of improvements from W2: Assignment 1 and your Weekly Journal from W3: Assignment 1.
- You may choose to shoot more than 30 although, please be sure to narrow down all of your images so that you're only submitting 30.
- Adjust your composition
throughout your shoot: shoot both vertical and horizontal images.
Adjust your focal length, shoot from different points of views as well
as angles throughout the photo shoot.
- As a reminder in regards to lighting & use of light meter: At this point, all of you have been asked to use your handheld light meter for the rest of the term when shooting new work for your chosen sub-genre. Take a new photograph of your light meter at the location where you are shooting your W3A3. Include this photograph in your contact sheet.
- Please
note: If instructor is not able to read the information on the screen
of your handheld light meter, you will not receive points for using it.
Please
note: If instructor is not able to read the information on the screen
of your handheld light meter, you will not receive points for using it.
- For
further instructions on how to use your handheld light meter properly,
please refer to the post in the Questions for the Professor section
titled, "Handheld Light Meter: How to Show Each Contact Sheet & How to Use".
When you have set up your 2 lights
for this assignment, take a wide-angle image of your gear. Ensure that
all of the gear you are using is clearly displayed in the image. If
you're photographing a human model or an inanimate object, ensure that
your photo is clearly showing where your lights were in relation to the
subject. Please see the examples below:
- Select
3 top images that could be added to your portfolio and edit these
images, taking them through the full postproduction workflow and turning
them in as final prints.
- When working
on revising your portfolio, think about image strength, gaps and
weaknesses, post editing revisions, and order and flow.
- Students
are encouraged to keep his/her edits simple. Try to avoid having your
photographs look as though they were put through an "Instagram Filter".
Try to avoid adding heavy vignettes (dark and light). Edit your image
to be marketable in the commercial field of photography.
- Refer
to the "Editing Guidelines" noted in the Course Home section in the
post titled "Welcome: Guidelines for Succeeding in Class" for further
details.
- Generate contact sheets for your thirty images with no more than 9 images per page with metadata (Resolution: 300ppi, Quality: 85%, Profile: sRGB).
- Include complete metadata: frame number, shoot date, ISO, exposure and focal length
- Combine your 3 edited images (full page) with the contact sheets into a single PDF document titled PHOA209_W5_A1_lastname_firstinitial_contactsheet.pdf.
- Sequence your full-page lighting set up shots so that each one precedes the final shot you have chosen.
Part 2: Portfolio Draft
- Adjust
the images in your current portfolio based on the feedback you've
received. Include some of your new images based on the feedback you've
received. Choose the images you want to place first and
last. The sequence might change eventually, but by considering the order
first, you will most likely develop a strong flow. Think of this as you
would the process of putting together a puzzle—start from the outside
and work your way in.
- Edit your images based on the feedback that you received thus far.
- Start
moving your images around and consider what images work best beside one
another, what images feel too repetitive when placed side by side, and
what images might feel out of place if arranged with the wrong images.
Try different options and, if needed, change your first and last image
to see what works best. You're encouraged to place your images in order based on subject.
- Include a cover page with a strong and professional logo.
- Include
an end page that repeats the logo, smaller in size and centered over
your contact information. Your contact information should include your
full name, the name of your business (if it's not already in the logo), your city, state, website (or Behance link), and e-mail.
- Place one image on each page. Your background color is also important. Choosing neutrals, such as white or grey is often a good choice.
- Use Adobe Lightroom to create a slideshow of your final image sequence. Export your document with the following settings:
- Quality: 85%
- Custom Size: 1200x800 pixels
- Save your slideshow as a PDF document titled PHOA209_W5_A1_lastname_firstinitial_slideshow.pdf.
- Write
a brief bullet point statement (150 words) indicating some of the key
areas you focused on improving. Describe the method and approach you
adopted for making those improvements. Copy and paste your description
directly into your discussion post.
Part 3: Journal Entry
- Review this week's
portfolio draft and shoot and address whether they meet the Portfolio
Standards Consider the feedback you received from your instructor and
peers.
- Click here to download the journal self-evaluation document and read each required section.
- Your
journal should be focused and specific (not broad and blanketed) with a
clear concept and intention, and address both technical and conceptual
aspects that are measurable. Each section should have between 50-100 words.
- There are two sections:
- Weekly
Outline and Goals - Clearly indicate what you will be shooting next
week, what you intend to achieve and be sure to address concept.
- Journal
Entry - What will you be addressing next week, be specific - address
conceptual aspects. Be sure that you focus primarily on the new images
that you will create this week and be sure to include specific shoot
ideas.
- Include
visual examples to support any written ideas. Describe the examples you
submit and how they inspire your direction. Cite the sources of your
examples in MLA format. Save these examples along with your weekly
journal document as one cohesive PDF file titled PHOA209_W5_A1_lastname_firstinitial_weekly_journal.pdf.
- Be
prepared to make adjustments to your plans and continue a discussion
with your instructor about what you have covered in your journal this
week.
Submission Steps:
- Post your Part 2 statement
directly to the discussion thread. Combine the contact sheet, portfolio
draft and, journal into a zip file labeled PHOA209_W5_A1_lastname_firstinitial.zip and post the it directly to the Discussion Area by Week 5, Day 7.
- Note: This assignment is due on the last day of the week. The due date has been set to help ensure that all students have ample time to complete the work successfully. Please avoid submitting your assignment after this due date, which would then be "outside the week it was given", as it may not be accepted.
(Please refer to the Late Work Guidelines in the posted titled "Welcome: Guidelines for Succeeding in Class" within the Course Home section for details.)
- By Week 6, Day 1,
review and comment on the posts of at least two of your peers. When
critiquing your peers' work, remember to give at least two suggestions
on how they might improve their work. In addition, point out the aspects
of their work that were the most successful.
| Assignment 1 Grading Criteria |
Maximum Points
|
| Part 1: |
| Revised
the project and used program required equipment to create a minimum of
thirty new images based on the areas identified in W2: Assignment 1 and W3: Assignment 1.
Submitted a contact sheet of minimum thirty images and edited three
final image selections. Complete metadata was included in contact sheet.
Images meet portfolio standards. Included full-page lighting set up
shot(s). |
50
|
| Part 2: |
|
| Posted
a PDF portfolio that has an effective order and flow with regard to
composition, color, design, editing choices, and visual elements within
images. PDF portfolio has made effective use of background color or tone
as well as any other visual choices and modifications. Portfolio
adheres to portfolio standards. |
120
|
| Completed a brief written description that addresses the approach to revising the final project material. |
10
|
| Part 3: |
|
|
Completed the Weekly Outline and
Goals section by answering all questions and identifying clear specific
goals that address measurable technical and conceptual aspects.
Completed the Journal Entry section by identifying appropriate goals and gaps.
Focused primarily on new images included specific shoot ideas.
|
20
|
| Included visual examples to support written ideas. Described why the examples were chosen. |
5
|
| Offered
specific and substantive feedback to the projects that were submitted
by at least two peers, providing at least two suggestions for
improvement. |
5
|
| Total: |
210
|
Point values show lower limit of grade bracket, with the exception of "F":
| A |
B |
C |
D |
F |
| 193 |
172 |
151 |
126 |
124 |
For
assistance with any problems you may have when completing this
assignment—OR—to offer your assistance to classmates, please use the Problems and Solutions Discussion area located through the left side navigation link.
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Respond link to post responses and materials that pertain to this assignment. Use the 