Print Display Project (PDP) Details  -  Repeating Assignment for 3rd thru 6th 6 weeks

 

This major project counts as two (2) major grades (4 grades…or approximately 30% of your 6 weeks grade). Beginning with the 3^rd six weeks, and for each six weeks thereafter, you will produce this project. A contact sheet/index sheet (or processed negatives) is due by the 3rd Wednesday of the 6 weeks to be included in the interim progress report. A lack of this contact sheet will constitute a temporary failing grade for the progress report. The enlargements (details below) are due in class the Monday of the last week of the 6 weeks. The FINAL due date is the WEDNESDAY before the last day of the 6 weeks. (except for the 3^rd and 6^th 6 weeks, which is the Wednesday BEFORE exam week). Check the school calendar for exact dates. See http://staff.beaumont.k12.tx.us/gloker/Display.htm for most current details

 

You will need to use your own film OR digital camera. Please plan ahead to make sure you have the equipment available to you. If you do not have a camera, you may use a disposable film camera…however, results will be unpredictable and could be of low quality. See Supplies for camera recommendations. It is strongly recommended that you start shooting 6 WEEKS ahead of time. For example, start shooting for the 3rd 6 weeks right away. Shoot for the 4th 6 weeks during the 3rd 6 weeks, like during the Christmas Holiday, etc.

 

Project Details:

1.      TWO TOPICS, ONE PRINT OF EACH TOPIC, are due each six weeks. You will need to take 24+ exposures, outside of school day time. Expose at LEAST 12 pictures of each subject. Less than 12 pictures per subject will reduce your grade. MORE pictures are expected if shooting digital. The pictures can NOT be from a previous shooting experience/session nor can they be shot during the school day, such as class shoots or field trips. Although, you CAN start shooting for future 6 weeks work. Evening meetings are an exception and can be used for PDP work. Be sure to complete a “Shooting Log” for all pictures taken. Digital camera shooting logs need only consist of the subject, names of any people who appear in your photo, and notes about the shooting including what you are changing between the pictures. Film logs should also contain the exposure information. This log will be turned in with the prints.

 

2.      Processing: A contact/index sheet is due prior to the 3-week interim to avoid a failing progress report.

a.       For film, develop at any local processing lab. You may either choose to ask for an index print at the time of processing, or have a single set of 4x6 prints made. If you do not want a set of prints, ask for “Processing and Index Print Only. Please cut and sleeve”. It is not necessary to have prints made, but they are helpful in determining what print you will enlarge to 8x10. If you DO get prints made, you do NOT need to have an index print made. For the 3^rd 6 weeks, you may also make your own contact sheet. In which case, you would ask for “Processing only…please cut and sleeve”.

b.      For digital, ask for a separate sheet of instructions for assistance for transferring your images to your computer. Plan to bring the images to this class as well on a jump drive or CD. Starting in the 4th 6 weeks, at least 12 selected images per topic will need to be uploaded to PicasaWeb or shown in class.

 

3.      Preferably in consultation with the instructor, choose two appropriate images, one for each topic. Failure to have the instructor’s approval may result in an unacceptable results and a deduction in points. The instructor’s approval is an indication that the print MAY turn out. It is not an indication that the image will yield you a print with a good grade, as a print may need reprinting to be acceptable. Do NOT wait until the deadline to print to allow for reprinting.

 

4.      Print an 8x 10 of each selected image. You will mount on a display board ONE of the two images per 6 weeks. On the back of the mount board, put a label with your info on it. Turn in your other 8x10 in a Print Protector with the following: your contact sheet (or 4x6 prints) (30 pts) with your name on the back of the contact sheet or print envelop, your shooting log (5 pts), Print Display Tracker (5pts), and Print Display Grader (10pts). Please also refer to this page regarding what Photo Labs and machines can be used. Absolutely do NOT use home inkjet or laser printers nor Kodak Print Makers.

 

Topics shall be chosen from the list on the other side. Topics may not be repeated. You must also avoid repetitive use of the same subject (ex: same pet, same sport, same person) even if a different topic. The goal of this assignment is the production of quality display work. Selections from the best prints will be entered into the End of Year Contest and used in a display of West Brook Photo Department work.

 

Start planning and photographing early! Most students will need to complete this assignment completely outside of class. It will take you time to get the film developed or have the images made into a contact sheet, and produce the final prints (and mount one), so start EARLY! And if a mistake is made resulting in lost images, or your shoot is unacceptable, you will have to RESHOOT the assignment, so start EARLY! Each print counts as two MAJOR grades (4 total)…so make them count! This is a long-term assignment. That means it MUST be turned in by the date listed. If you are absent that day, turn it in the day BEFORE, or it will still be counted late! Send it with someone trustworthy if necessary to avoid a late penalty. ALL PICTURES FOR THIS PROJECT MUST BE SHOT AFTER THE START OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND THIS ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN MADE.

 

Waiting until the last minute, and then being faced with lab challenges does NOT constitute an emergency on my part or an excuse for being late. YOU are still responsible for YOUR grade. The early deadline each 6 weeks and focusing on this an enitre 6 weeks in advance is to allow for any challenges at the lab.

 

It is YOUR responsibility to get a camera and shoot your assignment. This assignment will be officially underway by the end of the 1st 6 weeks. Don't wait to the last second incase you need to reshoot. You can NOT borrow somebody else's pictures. However, you CAN go with a friend and use a camera together. If shooting film, shoot one roll of film per person...do NOT share the film. If shooting digital, be able to clearly separate which pictures belong to each person. One of you all record exposures and notes while the other shoots, etc.

 

Grading:

     - 30 NCS = No Contact Sheet (IOW, your maximum grade will START at a 70 with out a contact sheet...so don't even think about turning in your assignment with out a CS).

     - 5 NSF SC = Insufficient Self Critique

     - 5 PDPT = Print Display Print Tracker

     - 5 NSL = No shooting notes/log

     - 20 OT = Off topic...generally...those shot at school turned in for home shooting. (10 pts per picture)

     - 20 NSF Images = insufficient number of images capture (10 points per topic)

 

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Composition. There are 17+ guides to composition. Try to use as many of them as you can, especially the ones we have learned in class. In general, get close, get close, get close! An otherwise plain shot can come alive with an unusual perspective by getting close or finding a unique angle. Look at things differently. See what other people see, then shoot for something different.

 

Possible Topics to shoot for: Choose your topics with a plan. Many people start out shooting the easy topics. Think about what topics will go best with the time of year. Like covering sports when there are sporting events to cover, or special effects around Christmas time. Remember that you need to choose two NEW topics for each 6 weeks, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th AND 6^th. You will do a total of 8 topics this year; two for each of the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th 6 weeks. You can not duplicate any topics that were previously done. However, it may be possible that a subject may fall in to more than one category. Like a soccer game. The action on the field could be sports/action, journalistic essay, or current events. You could also do some up close shots of a player as a portrait. Or product of the soccer ball, etc.

 

1.       LANDSCAPES/Scenery – i.e. Nature Photography. East Texas abounds with beautiful sites…get out of Beaumont. This topic is not merely a snapshot, but it should depict a special setting. Special attention should be used to assure good composition and lighting. Sunsets and sunrises can enhance scenic photography. Be sure there is a good center of interest. Get close to your subjects to fill the frame with a center of interest. Do not shoot trees off at a distance. Do not plan on cropping the picture.

2.       ARCHITECTURE - Although this topic would NORMALLY fall in the category or landscape, to help separate the large number of prints in this category, architecture is a picture mainly about the building or structure. Like a picture of the River Front Park and the bridge would go in this category. A picture of a railroad could go in either. If it is primarily a landscape and there happens to be a picture of a RR, then it is a "landscape". If the picture is mostly the RR tracks, or a RR bridge crossing, then it is architecture. You can NOT shoot a picture of a residential house...unless it is a REALLY special house, like the Brown Center...or the Phelan Mansion, or some other significant landmark.

3.       FLOWERS/PLANTS: Generally, this category would be a close-up/macro of a flower. Careful attention should be given to make sure that the background is not distracting. Control of the depth of field (the area of sharp focus) should be great enough that the flower is in focus, but the background is pleasantly out of focus. Close-ups of flowers go in this category...not CLOSE-UP/MACRO. Only ONE flower per person per year! Funny quote: "I hate flowers. I paint them because they're cheaper than models and they don't move." - Georgia O'Keeffe

4.       CLOSE-UP (Macro) - Must be REALLY close up to qualify. Your picture must be in focus...although not necessarily all of it...so be sure you control your depth of field. Ie. WHAT or HOW MUCH should be infocus. You PROBABLY will need a tripod and may need to use your self timer. Close-ups of a flower MUST go in the FLOWERS/PLANTS category. IOW, only ONE flower per person per year!!  Have plenty of light so the aperture can be closed down.

5.       SPORTS/ACTION - Motion rendition can be done two different ways: stop action (where the peak of action is sharp and the background may or may not be sharp) or slow motion (where the motion "smears" across the scene but the rest of the scene is sharp). You can visualize this in many ways. Consider a sports scene for example: If there is a ball or other object that is central to the action, such as a soccer ball, be sure that it is showing. It is extremely important to remember that the motion is central to the theme of the picture and be sure and show the motion as it fits into the natural setting of the scene. Remember, while is action/motion is the topic, you must show good composition and not just produce a snapshot that has movement in it. The motion must be obvious and adequate. In other words a person running not walking. No fences!

6.       ANIMAL or WILDLIFE - This shows animals in their natural habitat; this includes pets, farm animals, or wild animals. Good composition should be used. Do not photograph an animal through a fence. Watch your camera angle and background. Do not shoot down at the animal. Make extra sure that you can fill the frame with your subject. If you can’t, DO NOT TAKE IT!

7.       PORTRAITS - A portrait is defined by Webster as a pictorial representation showing the face. That doesn't completely cover this assignment. You are to produce an outdoor casual portrait (NOT a snapshot) that represents your subject and/or an aspect of his/her life. Think of this portrait as being the kind a senior would have made professionally and could actually use to exchange with friends (just don’t charge them). You may show the subject involved with the props of an activity, but the emphasis must be on the person, not the activity. Be sure to avoid distracting backgrounds; parks provide many pleasing posing locations. Lighting must be carefully considered. Remember, this does not have to be a “model” session with the person(s) looking at you. It can be any variety of pictures of people with a special insight into that person’s personality. Self Portraits do NOT qualify as a Portrait as far as this assignment is concerned. If the person is POSING for you...like a formal portrait, then there should NOT be any people in the background. Your person should want to get wallets made.

8.       PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY - This is the type of photography done in advertising; the product should be in sharp focus in a setting that is conducive to its display.  You should consider how to arrange your product - don't just sit it on a table and take a snapshot! You may need more than one of your product to produce an effective advertisement. There should also be special consideration to the lighting as Product Photography is ordinarily done in a studio with multiple lights.

9.       STILL LIFE – A picture of inanimate objects. Common still life subjects include vessels, food, flowers, books, clothing. A still life painting which reminds us of life's fleeting qualities is called a vanitas. A still life image of things associated with breakfast is called an ontbijt or breakfast piece. This is a different than Product. Still life is artistic…where the objects collectively have a meaning.

10.     ABSTRACT – Defined as “reduced to essentials, non-specific, or causing attention to wander”. This could be interpreted as close-ups of objects, so that you do not see the “whole” picture. Where it might take a person a while to figure out what it is. Screen saver is taboo!

11.    CURRENT EVENTS – A picture of an event. The “event” can be anything going on around you. It can be of your days at school, or outside of school. It should be journalistic in nature, ie. of people doing things. It could be sports, a wreck, a guest speaker, etc. If your event is yearbook or newspaper worthy, please plan to provide a digital file (scan your 8x10 if shooting film).

12.     JOURNALISTIC ESSAY – Four to six 4”x6” photographs mounted to tell a newsworthy story. Each picture should be well composed. Titles and brief captions will need to be printed and pasted on to the mounting board.

13.     TECHNICAL PROCESS ESSAY - Four to six 4”x6” photographs mounted to explain how to do something. Each picture should be well composed. Titles and brief captions will need to be printed and pasted on to the mounting board.

14.    SPECIAL EFFECTS - This topic is open to your imagination; however, so there will be no misunderstandings, it would be a good idea to discuss your topic with the instructor before photographing it. This topic can include night time exposures (like Christmas lights), close-ups, double exposures, trick photography, texture screens, addition of colors, and many other ideas. Many types of photography that fall in this category require special equipment; most cannot be done with a simple non-adjustable camera, so plan ahead and carefully. In any case, the special effect must enhance the original photo. The instructor has a list of suitable assignments if you need help coming up with an idea, but some independent study will be necessary as individual instruction by the instructor is very limited. A special effect must start with a quality photograph, not to cover up for not having a good picture.

* Cell Phone -  ONE (and ONLY ONE) of the above topics can be from a cell phone. The cell phone MUST be high enough resolution to produce a quality 8x10 which means generally 5mp and higher. Be sure you CONFIRM this before you shoot the topic. You MUST have 12 pictures of the same topic & subject shot during that shooting session. Due to the recent tech improvements with high resolution cameras included with many cell phones, this category is being added. Please not that older cell phones may have a high resolution camera, but the sensor is too small to support printing an 8x10. It is even extra important to shoot plenty of pictures as viewing the image on a cell phone will give a false sense of quality. You will need plenty of pictures to select a best image from which to print. Remember, your cell phone can only be used for one topic. Eventually, it may be that cell phones get good enough to not need a separate category, and any of the above can be shot with a cell phone. Cameras like the 5mp iPhone 4 and 8mp Droid are yet another catalyst in the evolution of photography. This category has been created to recognize that sometimes, our best photos come from the least opportune times...just be sure you shoot plenty of pictures. And the general rule of thumb is to have a camera with you at all times. A cell phone camera is ok for spontaneous, causal shooting, but when some really important happens, don't leave home with out the real deal. And you absolutely can NOT shoot with an iPOD (it is only a 1.3mp camera).

 

Remember: You will do a total of 8 topics this year; two for each of the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th and 6^th  6 weeks. You can not duplicate any topics that were previously done.

 

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When you are completely done with each PDP, for digital, please submit to me via SynchronEyes. Before sending, make sure the image has your final title (the name of the image).

 

Here are some additional samples of actual student items as they should appear, including Contact Sheets, Print Display Tracker, and Critique Sheets, Final Mounted Project (coming soon) and Exposure Log:

 

Photo Log: Take notes while you are shooting. Below is a Film Log that was used while shooting digital. I now have digital logs just for shooting digital. This is an important part of your learning while shooting...and is worth 5 points of this major project. If you don't do it, you will still have the potential to make a 95, but you will also be missing out on a very important learning opportunity to know what your camera is doing when you are taking pictures. If you do not have a preprinted log, you may make a simple one, or simply take notes while shooting. It should be obvious that you took notes DURING shooting, not afterwards. Shoot a few, look at your pictures, take some notes, then shoot some more, etc. This is kind of

 

Print Display Project Tracker: This will be filled out each 6 weeks (starting in the 3rd). It will returned with your project each time. Hang on to it, as it will be needed again, with my check marks. If you do not turn this in, or recreate it, you will loose 5 very valuable points. Be organized and keep up with this when I give it back to you. The reason I need this is it is a record of what you shoot previously. Since you are not allowed to repeat topics, I use this sheet to keep up with what you have done previously.

NOTE: Web Galleries are now used in lieu of printed contact sheets. The web gallery is

Contact Sheet (by Dillion Dupre, 2007...see selected image below): This server several purposes. By the end of the 3rd week of the 3rd 6 weeks, and each 6 weeks after that, you will need to show me your Contact Sheet as Proof of Life". This will let me know that two topics have been shot, and that you have enough pictures for each topic. Notice the example below that has 12+ pictures of a landscape at sunset, then 12+ pictures of a person playing the drums. This is a GOOD contact sheet. Starting in 2010, this can be done online initially in Picasa Web. Just make sure you know what you are doing. I will give instructions for printing a contact sheet in the 2nd week of the 3rd 6 weeks. If you are doing it on line, you will need to email me a link to your gallery. Make sure that the only pictures in that gallery are for that 6 weeks, and that it is clearly labeled.

 

Sample of 8x10 as printed from the contact sheet above:

"Train to Forever" by Dillon Dupre (2007):

 

Contact Sheet (by Macy Riggs, 2007): Note the consistency of subject within the selected topic, but with variation of composition.

 

Contact sheet (by Cameron Dyson, 2007): Not the consistency of subject within the selected topic, but with variation of composition.

 

Print Grader Sheets: (Note: Your sheet may not look EXACTLY like this, but you should complete all areas except the final score...and Instructor Critique)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few samples of various Topics listed above.

All of these were taken here locally (Beaumont area). Maximize your screen for best viewing. (F11 with Explorer):