PCAC 0505 SPRING 2020: How-To

Showing posts with label How-To. Show all posts

Monday, March 9, 2020

Trying to Write an Artist Statement...

Artist Statements: Helpful Resources

Pierre Louis Pierson, Portrait of Comtesse de Castiglone, c. 1863/66

Feeling stumped about how to write your artist statement? Here are some helpful resources:

Photoshop, GIMP, and Photo Editing at Home

Steven Klein

If you are interested in doing more advanced photo editing at home or after the end of semester, there are a number of great options open to you:

Photoshop is now on available as a subscription-based photo bundle for $10 per month here.
There is a 30-day free trial, so if you are considering this route, be sure to do the trial first.

There is also an extremely simplified version of Photoshop with just the most basic tools called Photoshop Elements. It generally comes bundled with the software that comes with Wacom Tablets or some printers and scanners.

Another great alternative to Photoshop that many photographers prefer is Lightroom. It is made by the same company as Photoshop, but is designed for photographers who may not need all of the advanced retouching and compositing functions available in photoshop. It's also a lot less expensive.
The student-priced version can be found here.

If you aren't interested in buying software, a popular option is GIMP, which is available for free download here: http://www.gimp.org. There are free tutorials here: http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

There are a lot of Photoshop and basic photo editing tutorials online. By far, the best are found on Lynda.com. It's a pay-membership site, but they've made quite a bit of their content available for free on their Youtube channel, found here.

This should get you started! If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please leave a comment.

Photoshop and Camera Raw Tutorials

Hi Everyone!

Here are a couple of basic Photoshop tutorials for your. Don't worry if you don't fully understand them--we will go over the material again in the coming weeks. Please write down any questions you have or if there is anything especially unclear.

Camera Raw Workflow:

Photoshop CC Interface:

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Fashion Photography: An Intro

David LaChappelle, This is My House, 1997

Hi Everybody!

In preparation for this coming weekend's collaborative shoot with the Fashion Styling class, I wanted to share some resources with you. These are all fairly quick reads, so please take a look before Saturday so that you come to class ready to go!

The History of Fashion Photography (this is a longer read, but will give you a great overview of the history of fashion photography, along with some inspiring images)

5 Quick Tips (this really sums up the key parts of what you'll be doing on Saturday-- collaborating with a stylist, developing the look, scouting a location and shooting

Everything You Need to know for a Successful Fashion Shoot This has great ideas for how to take the next step after Saturday's class. There is also a helpful list that I'll include at the end of this post.

10 Composition Tips This covers most of the same compositional techniques that we've discussed, but puts them into a specifically fashion context.

7 Lessons Learned on My First Fashion Shoot This has some great insights from a photographer after his first fashion job.

From the "Everything You Need to Know..." article, here is a list of things that you'll want to discuss with your partner stylist before shooting:

subject matter

location

mood

lighting

aesthetic

styling

hair

make-up

any references for theme or time period, if applicable

This should get you started! If you have any questions or want to share some of your favorite fashion photos or inspirations, please feel free to post them to the blog.

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Ethics & Model Releases

Gideon Mendel, Florence Abraham, Igbogene, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, November 2012

...in response to today's conversation about ethics and model releases:

Firstly, here is a link to a simple, easily modified Model Release:

Pocket Model Release

...and here is another template, along with a helpful article about copyright and privacy:

Model Release Form Template

Finally, here is a general guideline for Ethical Behavior for Image-makers (borrowed from Amy Finkel, with thanks!). It's geared towards filmmakers in particular, but is just as applicable to still photographers and time-based media artists:

ETHICS / RECORDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR

A filmmaker is representative of the social, political and economic interests of others
Should represent others with sensitivity to their own ideas of identity
There should be informed consent, consider how much your subjects know about your project
How much input and control do they have over their own representation
What does it take to record human behavior in a way that most successfully reveals the truth?
Prepare carefully, select the crew and the equipment that will do the best job
careful prep should lead you to a location where you have a high probability of shooting the behavior you're seeking
Trust & credibility (with subjects & audience)
The ability to discard preconceptions & plan for the unexpected
An understanding of how what is being shot relates to the edited film that will be made
The ability to be inconspicuous, non-interfering
To allow people to act differently in different situations (this is more naturalistic, their behavior will remain consistent with their beliefs about themselves and their place in the world)
Don't worry about behavior that happens off camera, shrug off a missed shot
Be active in the process of selection and decision making
What you point the camera at
How you shoot the subject matter (angle, framing, lighting)
When you turn the camera off and on

...and as an industry-specific counterpoint, take a look at the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics, found here.

It's an important conversation and I appreciate your openness to having it.

More Info about Exposure

Stuart Palley, Terra Flama I

Hi Everyone!

Today, we began looking at (and working with) Manual Exposure. If you missed class (or would just like a refresher), here are a couple of helpful articles about exposure for your reference:

Please be in touch if you have any additional questions!

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Rules of Composition

In case you'd like a refresher, here is a short overview of the 10 "rules" of composition:
http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Tips for Organizing Your Files

Hi everybody!

For the sake of ease and organization, I recommend organizing your hard drives / USB drives like this:

The workflow is as follows:
1. Download your cards to the "All Photos" folder
2. Copy or separate out any photos from your series to the "Series Photos" folder
3. Save your homework post images to the "Homework" folder

This is just a suggestion. Organize your files however is the most clear for your, and don't forget to back everything up!

How to Post to the Blog

Hi everybody!

Welcome!

Here is a short video about how to make a blog post:

Here is another on how to upload a photo to the blog:

You cannot upload a raw file, so you will need to upload using the .jpg file from your camera. If you post your images to the web already using Flickr or another online service, you can link that image directly.

Just a reminder that your first post must be made before our next class this coming Saturday, so if you are running into any trouble, let me know right away!

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2020

Hey everyone!

Just a quick head's up--the deadline to submit to the NYC Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is coming up soon on December 1st.

It's a fantastic opportunity, and I encourage you all to submit! Here is a little more information:

How are the New York City Scholastic Awards and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards connected?

The NYC Scholastic Awards is a regional affiliate of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. There more than 100 regional affiliates serving their communities across the country. The NYC Scholastic Awards serves Kings, Queens, Manhattan, Bronx and Richmond counties. Last year we received over 9,000 submissions. The top works receive either a Gold Key, Silver Key, or an Honorable Mention. The Gold Key works are automatically sent to National Judging which is run by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. National Medalists are invited to NYC to take part in National Events, which include exhibitions in NYC as well as a ceremony in Carnegie Hall. There are numerous scholarships available at the National level. Please click here to learn more.

How do I enter work in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?

Sign up!

Students can create an account to upload their work. If you are an educator, create your account to register your students. Submission deadlines vary by region.

Create!

The Scholastic Awards look for work that demonstrates originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. After you have created your work, upload it to your Scholastic Awards Account! Visit our online galleries to see examples of works from past National Medalists. Be sure to visit our copyright and plagiarism FAQ to learn more about submitting original works.

Complete your submission!

After uploading your work, print your submission form, have a parent/guardian and an educator sign it, and then send your signed submission form and payment or fee waiver to your local Affiliate. Submission form and payment instructions can be found on the submission form or on your local Affiliate’s website.

What else do I need to know?

Eligibility

Public, private, or home-school students in the U.S., Canada, or American schools in the rest of the world enrolled in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) are eligible to participate in the Scholastic Awards.

Category Descriptions

For a full list of category descriptions, click HERE.

Blind Judging

The Scholastic Awards are adjudicated without knowledge of the artists; or writers’ identity. Please make sure that your submission does not contain any personal information.

Freedom of Expression

Young artists and writers are free to explore any and all topics. There are no pre-defined prompts and no work is ever disqualified from the Scholastic Awards because of the nature of its content.

Judging Criteria

Originality

Work that breaks from convention, blurs the boundaries between genres, and challenges notions of how a particular concept or emotion can be expressed.

Technical Skill

Work that uses technique to advance an original perspective or a personal vision or voice, and shows skills being utilized to create something unique, powerful, and innovative.

Emergence of a Personal Vision or Voice

Work with an authentic and unique point of view and style.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Final Exhibition & Portfolio Details

Mike Brodie, from the series A Period of Juvenile Prosperity

Here is a break down of what is due over the next few weeks and how to turn it in:

Due 11/23 (this coming Saturday!):

20 new images from your series for in-class critique (our final!)
2nd draft of your artist statement
A self-portrait
Your 13 best images for the exhibition:

Can be any 13 images from this semester, as long as they are part of your series.
10 images will be printed 11x17", 3 will be printed much larger. Be sure to indicate which 3 should be printed big.
Should be highest-quality versions of these images, ideally saved as processed TIFs.
Will turn in at start of class. I will save them to my hard drive.

If I don't have these by the end of next class, you will not be included in the exhibition.

Due by 12/7 (last day of class!):

A USB drive or DVD labelled with your first and last name, containing the following:

A folder containing the 20+ final images of your series.

Should be highest-quality versions of these images, ideally saved as processed TIFs

A folder containing all of your homework assignments, separated by week.

These should be your original files or processed TIFs, and not images you copied off the blog.

If I don't have these by the end of class you will not receive credit for the semester.

The final USB can be turned in next class if you have everything ready early.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

What is Street Photography? Here are some ideas.

Diane Arbus, Child with a Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962

Hi Everybody!

Here are a couple of articles to help give you more tips and tricks on shooting street photography:

What is Street Photography?

A How-To Guide for Beginners

A Rookie's Guide to Developing Street Cred

Hopefully this will help get you started!

Monday, October 7, 2019