CREATIVE IMAGING SP.747 Ground Rules and Logistics, Feb. 6, 2003
GRADING: This course is letter graded. There is no final examination nor do we presently plan any quizzes. Grades will be based on completion of homework, the presentation of your best five black & white prints and completion and presentation of your term project.
We shall expect each student to carry out a term project. The suggested nature of this project is as follows:
First:
Each student should photograph a series of B&W images using Ilford HP-5 film. You should experiment. Shoot several rolls of film. Select a theme for your series; we encourage you to relate it to experiments you are doing at the Institute. The negatives should then be developed in the Edgerton film darkroom. 8 inch by 10 inch prints from these negatives should be made using the Edgerton print darkroom.
As a first object, we ask that each student prepare and present to the class an idea or descriptive sequence in five images. These five 8" by 10" B&W prints should be done using your best talents in the print darkroom to make them truly good prints. This needs to be completed for presentation by March 20th
Next:
Prints may be scanned on our HP flat bed scanner. Negatives should also be scanned using the Leaf 45 scanner or the Nikon Coolscan in the Edgerton digital image room. After enhancement using Photoshop, digital B&W prints should be made for comparison with your conventional prints.
You should also take at least one roll of pictures using color print film. This you will have to have developed commercially; we recommend Kodak or Zona. From these you should pick the best images to scan. Your scanned images can then be printed on our Kodak 8600 dye sublimation printer. Because of printing expense, we must restrict you to a maximum of four (4) color prints on this printer.
Once you have done the initial work using chemical darkroom and conventional camera you may do some of your work using digital cameras instead of scanning your classical images. We do, however, insist that you demonstrate a facility in classical photography.
In addition to the Kodak 8600 dye sublimation printer we also have the Epson Stylus 3000 ink jet printer with a maximum size 17" by 22" print capability using CMYK colored inks. Using the Epson and special glossy paper, we have produced 8" by 10" prints indistinguishable from dye sub prints. Initially, we ask that you use the less expensive coated ink jet paper. Within reason, we expect to accommodate student final project needs for glossy paper.
There is a color laser jet printer available in our digital electronic classroom, 26-139. There are also two Epson flatbed scanner in 26-139, one with a transparency adaptor.
For the truly ambitious, we have a Hewlett Packard 650C large format ink jet printer. You can make prints 3 feet wide and almost as long as you wish on roll paper.
Finally:
The term project will consist of at least one digital image, composed in Photoshop from various components. You should prepare the project for presentation, for posting on our bulletin board, and also for posting on our Web page.
We shall be using Photoshop 7.0 throughout this course. Your Adobe Photoshop 7 Classroom in a Book text, available at Quantum Bookstore in Kendall Square, contains a CD_ROM with the lesson images for the course. You will also need to purchase blank CD-Rs and at least one 100MB Mac- formatted Zip disk. You will use this disk to transport your image files around campus. These are readily available at the Dome Cafi on the 4th floor above Lobby 7 at MIT, at Calumet on Bent Street and at the MicroCenter on Memorial Drive.
A Photoshop help system and a Photoshop 7 tutorial is installed in the digital classroom. A consultant is available there afternoons, evenings and certain weekend hours according to the schedule posted on the classroom door.
Grading will be based primarily on the project. Cooperation among students is encouraged. Those with special skills in photography, darkroom work, or digital imaging are asked to pair up with other students who may need extra help. Final images, however, should result from individual efforts.
LOGISTICS: Lectures are in Room 4-402 in the Edgerton Center. The darkrooms, the Edgerton Athena station and printer, and the digital imaging room are immediately adjacent. You will be given the door code for access to all except the digital imaging room. For the latter, you must borrow the key from the seminar assistants. Students in this course must arrange among themselves to share the key when necessary on evenings or on weekends. Do not share this key with anyone outside our seminar group. The person signing out the key remains responsible for returning it promptly even if it is shared.
Limited image file space is available to you on the Mac G-3. You should also save your files to a Zip disk. There will be one class Zip disk available for use. Further you have 50MB on your own Athena account. Please do not add any applications to the machines at the Center. Do not change any Control Panel or Preferences settings.
Our electronic classroom is Room 26-139. It is assigned exclusively to us on Thursdays from 2 to 5 PM. An On-Line version of the Photoshop 7.0 User's Manual is available on the computers in 26-139 and in the Edgerton Center.
Not all of our G-3 Macintosh computers in the Digital Imaging Room at the Edgerton Center have floppy disk drives. None of the G4 computers in 26-139 have floppy drives. Stick with your Zips.
You will need access to a camera.
If you do not have a 35mm or other larger camera, you have several options:
a) Team up with a class member who does.
b) If you buy a 35 mm camera, we suggest you avoid fully automatic point and shoot models. They are too expensive. Besides, you will need aperture and speed control. Do not buy a throwaway - you will need the camera throughout the term. Do not buy an Advanced Photo System (APS) camera or film. The film is only 60% of the size of 35 mm film and will not work in any of our scanners or enlargers.
Some suggestions:
a Pentax K1000 35 mm Single Lens Reflex (SLR).Very rugged and reliable. Price just a bit more than the plasticautomatics referred to above. Other cameras of equivalent priceand make are: Ricoh KR5-3 and Yashica FX3 Super 2000.
get an Ansco point-and-shoot camera for about $15 and show us how well you can do with it. This is minimal, but one student produced some very respectable results with it. A Seagull 6x6 TLR Camera WWSC-120 priced at $140. is available from Calumet Photo.
if you are still really stuck, see us about a 35 mm or 2 1/4 loaner.
A detailed classroom schedule is provided separately. If all else fails come to Room 4-402 where class location will be posted if there is a sudden change.
Instructor:
Class Assistants: