Assignment 1: Shooting and Revision
Assignment Overview
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, résumé, and written statement. You will
finalize your goals and journal.
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:
Resume
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
Earlier in the class, you assessed your
final project and indicated the areas of your portfolio, résumé, and
statement that were the most in need of improvement. Focusing on the
needed improvements to your portfolio, résumé, and statement, revise and
turn in all three documents once again.
Assignment Step-by-Step Instructions
Perform targeted improvements to your portfolio. Take a moment to read, evaluate, and update the latest gaps and goals you identified in your past Weekly Journal.
- Shooting:
- 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.)
- After
viewing your "old" portfolio, consider style of lighting you need to
incorporate and/or improve upon for your final portfolio. Ask yourself,
does my portfolio need to show an image that uses stronger hard light
or soft light? Or - does my portfolio need to show a stronger image that
demonstrates mixed lighting? (etc.)
- Depending on the needs of your portfolio - choose a lighting scheme that suits your new subject well. Choose
your own key and fill light choices. From there, add a background
strobe 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. Does your background light require a gel?
- Shoot and present a minimum of thirty new images that address your prioritized list of improvements from past assignments.
- 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.
- 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 lights set-up 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 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.
Submit your work based on the following specifications:
- 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_W8_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_W8_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 pos
- Update
your Bēhance web portfolio with any new or revised images and post your
Bēhance web portfolio link. Make the necessary changes to your
statement and résumé that have been pointed out in the past. Be sure to
also update the About section of your web portfolio site. Complete the following screenshots:
- Project page (landing page)
- About page
- Each of the portfolio pages (15–20 images)
Combine all of your screenshots into a single PDF file titled PHOA209_W8_A1_lastname_firstinitial_portfolio.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.
- Zip the contact sheet, résumé, statement, and portfolio, and post the zip file directly to the Discussion Area by
Week 8, Day 7 by Week 9, Day 1. (An extension has been given for the Easter Holiday.) In addition, include a link to your web portfolio.
- 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 9, 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. Note: your assignment and peer responses are due on the same day; please be sure to "check back in" on your classmates work.
| Assignment 1 Grading Criteria |
Maximum Points
|
|
Revised the
project and used program required equipment to create a minimum of
thirty new images based on the areas identified in W7 Assignment 1 journal.
Submitted a contact sheet of minimum thirty images with complete
metadata and edited three final image selections that meet portfolio
standards.
|
50
|
| Updated the portfolio, résumé, and statement within the web portfolio site. Portfolio materials meet portfolio standards. |
70
|
| Completed a brief written description that addresses the approach to revising the final project material. |
10
|
| Offered
specific and substantive feedback to the projects that were submitted
by at least two peers, providing at least two suggestions for
improvement. |
10
|
| Total: |
140
|
| A=133 |
B=119 |
C=108 |
D=91 |
F=82 |
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 