ROP/CTE Digital Photography Rules and Class Expectations

Introduction

RegionalOccupationalProgram/Career Technical Education Digital Photography builds on the lessons of the digital photography course and places the student into an occupational or career environment. The coursework will focus on bringing their artistic interests and aesthetic to a more commercial use of photography.

The Envision Digital Photography course is a prerequisite for the course. Basic knowledge of camera controls and software will serve as a springboard to more developed and involved commercial curriculum. There will be some review of information for clarity, but extensive re-teaching will not occur. If a student finds themselves confused about any aspect of the course, please ask the teacher.

Content

Students will be lead through artistic work that will include Portrait, Fashion, Product Advertisement, Illustration, Journalistic, Architectural, Food, Wedding and Event, Promotional illustration, Music, and Sports photography. Career focus lessons will include discussions on careers in photography, student resumes and portfolios, and interaction with professionals. It is the goal of the ROP Photography course to gain real life skills that will benefit them regardless of their choice of profession.

Students will constantly evaluate the artistic skill, both aesthetics and expression, of their own and other’s work (aesthetic valuing) and placing the work in a broader context (connections, relationships, and applications and historical and cultural context). In addition, throughout the course, you will be constantly evaluating your own work and your own progress (connections, relationships, applications).

The Rules

1. Display the correct attitude (see below).
2. Be on-time and physically, mentally, and creatively present.
3. Treat the very expensive and precious equipment with care.
4. Behave and dress appropriately and professionally in the classroom and "on location".
6. No Cell Phones or Electronics. No Exceptions! This is a bell to bell rule.
7. No Food or Drink, No Exceptions! Because of the very expensive equipment we have in the computer lab, there will be absolutely no food or drink allowed in the lab. If I see it, it will be throw away!

Student's who misbehave in anyway outside of the classroom, this includes being off task, will have their camera privileges taken away for the remainder of the course. This policy is not taken lightly nor is it metered out without reason. It is my desire to spend my time teaching and not having to deal with discipline issues.

Attitude

Careers in creative mediums have the benefit of constant change: students should be ready to adapt, change, revisit, re-shoot, reinvent, and completely change projects as opportunities demand. Though there will be structure to the lessons and the process of learning the skills, flexibility will be required as we will have a real life experience in the rigors of work. Students should expect to perform and conduct themselves in a professional manner; on occasion, this will include expectations of dress and presenting themselves as if in a work environment.

Be prepared embrace the creative process and to learn from each other and share the studio. This includes your effort in learning new material, your desire to help me and fellow students, and your respect for our precious (and expensive) equipment and resources. Understand that rudeness and disrespect will not be tolerated. Be prepared to come to class every day with a positive attitude, showing patience, tolerance, respect, and cooperation.

Materials

No additional equipment need be purchased, but students may not take equipment from the school. You are welcome to use your own digital camera to complete assignments, but the camera must have MANUAL controls (you must be able to set the focus, aperture, and shutter speed manually; digital SLRs are the best because they allow for the most creative control) and be able to record EXIF data (date, time, settings). If you are thinking about using your own camera, please bring it in for me to evaluate whether you can use it for class assignments.

I very highly recommend that all CCA students keep a small Flash (or “thumb”) Drive with them. Ease in moving images that are far too large to send though email are common to the curriculum, often images are reduced in resolution and quality through this process. Permanent markers and lanyards make good tools to keep them from becoming lost.

It is highly recommended that students keep sketchbooks to sketch out ideas on projects as well as paper and writing utensils standard to classrooms.

Image Studies

Often during the course sequence of ROP Photography , the student will be working with visual materials such as works of famous photographers and illustrators, charts and diagrams, slides, VHS tapes/video disks, the World Wide Web, and computer programs. This material may contain elements of illustration and images that feature the human form often used in advertising. Although this will not be a focus of a high school curriculum, it will be discussed and presented for discussion. If you have questions, please contact me at .

Grading

50% of your grade will come from "Wednesday Scramble", a practical exercise we work though every week that simulates the experience of working in the real world of photography. Scramble refers to both the constant changes in partnerships and tasks as well as the need to get the assignment done within the time period. Initially, this exercise is very daunting, but past students have eagerly looked forward the task. The goal of Wednesday Scramble is produce a marketable image. This assignment focuses on portraiture, advertisement, and illustration work that can be completed within the frame of one period.

50% of your grade will come from "Presentation Work". Presentation work is all the "major" projects that you do; the ones that you will present to the class during critiques. Both technical skill and artistic skill (elements of art, principles of design, color theory, composition, and in most assignments, ability to communicate conceptually) will be evaluated in presentation-level work. Meaning and originality in the work is highly respected. There is always a self-evaluation component to every presentation-level project. And in addition to receiving a grade for the actual work, you will also be graded on your presentation and your ability to talk intelligently about your own and other's work during the critique. To prepare students for real work family members and photo imaging class members may not be subjects of presentation work. Subjects may not be repeated in presentation work. Connection with "clients" is an indespensable need for commercial photographers.

Students seeking an "A" grade must complete all aspects of all assignments and turn them in on time, even the smallest oversight may threaten your mark. Excellence in Photography is often found in the details.

Late Work and "Regrades"

Because you will be presenting your work to the class during critiques, it is vital that you turn in your completed project on time. If you do not, you will lose one grade (10%) per class day that a project is late. Once you have turned in a "Presentation Work" project and received your grade and feedback on it, you may redo the project for a higher grade if you wish. In order to have a project regraded, you must make an appointment with me for a “regrade conference” outside of class time and you must bring your original grading sheet to that conference. You can raise any aspect of your grade except for points lost due to turning in the project late. All regrades must be completed within ten school days of the posted grade.

Attendance

Prompt attendance to class is extremely important, as class begins when the bell rings. Work environment expectations as well as school policy will be enforced. This means that you need to be seated in your assigned seats and ready to work, I take attendance when the bell rings. Additionally, there will be a second roll at the end of the period; in order to be recorded present you must be in your seat.

Students should expect to explain in writing the reason for their absence or tardy. Discussion of good work habits will be commonplace in the course, these habits are not to be taken in the abstract.

Unexcused Tardy Policy- The CCA Tardy policy is as follows: 1st tardy - teacher warning, 2nd tardy - phone call home, 3rd tardy – Saturday School, 4th tardy – Referral to Assistant Principal. As I will begin immediately with an opening assignment for credit each day, it is imperative that you are in your assigned seat on time. If your going to be late to school a parent(s) or legal guardian must send a signed note or call the attendance office. Arriving more than 30 minutes late without a note or parent/legal guardian phone call constitutes a truancy.

If you are leaving class for a doctor’s appointment, athletic game, etc. in which you need a note from the attendance office, you are required to obtain the note during non-class time. You are not excused to leave during class to get the note.

Classroom Management Guidelines

Cell Phone Policy- Cell phones, pagers, etc. are not appropriate during class. If these items are outduring class time they will be confiscated.The equipment will be taken to the administration. Further violations will be dealt with on an individual basis by the Administration. Parents, please refrain from interrupting the education process by calling or text messaging your students and discourage them from this practice.

TheCanyon Crest Academic Dishonesty Policy will be enforced. Honest behavior is expected from all students. Any unauthorized collaboration, plagiarism, forgery, theft, or other dishonest behavior will result in disciplinary action. The consequences followed can be found in the CanyonCrest Student Handbook.

Student produced images are celebrated and used in art shows and online galleries of class work. If you prefer to not have your students appear in these photos please let me know on the attached form or by email request.

Conclusion

I am looking forward to my students work in the ROP photography course. I have been amazed not only by the work that they generate but also the students themselves. It’s going to be a great experience for all of us.

I hope to see you all at Back To School Night.

Kendall Younglund

Envision Arts/ ROP/CTE Teacher

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