| Semester 1, 2020 Online | |
| Short Description: | Foundations of Photography 1 |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 100700 - Communication & Media Studies |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Other requisites
Students undertaking the Professional Photography major will require access to a 35mm *DSLR camera; two manually operated, interchangeable lenses (that retain a constant aperture); a colour checker passport; and personal storage space (e.g. portable external hard drive, cloud storage). These will be used throughout all courses in the Professional Photography major.
*Students who are taking this course as an elective may rely on other styles of camera, including smart phone cameras.
If you wish to check the suitability of your camera, please contact the course examiner.
All students will have free access the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app’s Adobe Creative Suite software, so must ensure their computer has capacity to efficiently use the software. Students may incur extra resource costs for photographic printing.
All students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.
Rationale
Professional photographers must be literate in the technologies of industry, and must be proficient in producing a professional standard of photographic imaging. This foundation course in the Photography major provides students with the opportunity to acquire fundamental skills in digital imaging, which they will adapt throughout the rest of the program. It is also designed to provide students with a historical framework through which to practise photography.
Synopsis
Students in this course will be introduced to the fundamentals of digital photography and imaging software, so they begin the process of developing professional skills in photographic imaging. Through practice-based learning, they will begin to define and interpret elements of photographic composition including shutter speed, exposure, angles, composition, depth of field, and perspective. Students will also be introduced to professional software such as Photoshop, Lightroom and Bridge. Through examination of case studies and other forms of academic inquiry, they will also explore the development of photographic practice from the nineteenth century to contemporary digital photography, and will gain knowledge of the underlying principles and concepts of photographic practice as a tool of communication. Through this, students will also begin to examine the philosophies and ethics through which they will practise.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- Articulate the importance of photography as a tool of effective communication or creative practice
- Describe how historic developments in photographic practice have shaped contemporary digital processes
- Identify and analyse the work of photographers using appropriate and ethical communication contexts
- Apply emerging technical knowledge and skills for a specific professional context and purpose
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Photographic process and practice | 50.00 |
| 2. | Principals: context, technique and influence | 30.00 |
| 3. | Photographers: historical perspectives | 20.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=PHT1000)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
(used across multiple courses in the photography major.)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed ¾«¶«´«Ã½app | 39.00 |
| Independent ¾«¶«´«Ã½app | 126.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 15 | 02 Apr 2020 | |
| Project | 100 | 35 | 07 May 2020 | |
| Portfolio | 100 | 50 | 04 Jun 2020 | (see note 1) |
Notes
- This assessment item is completed progressively throughout the semester.
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
ONL Attendance Requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative items for the course. -
Examination information:
Not applicable. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Not applicable. -
¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment notes
-
Referencing in assignments must comply with the Harvard (AGPS) referencing system. This system should be used by students to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ library’s referencing guide. This guide can be found at .
Evaluation and benchmarking
In meeting the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app’s aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course:
1. conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement.
2. forms part of the Bachelor of Communication and Media and is benchmarked against the internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review.