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PHT1000 Foundations of Photography 1

Semester 1, 2023 Online
Units : 1
School or Department : School of Humanities & Communication
Grading basis : Graded
Course fee schedule : /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules

Staffing

Course Coordinator:

Overview

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.

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. 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.

Course learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. articulate the importance of photography as a tool of effective communication or creative practice;
  2. describe how historic developments in photographic practice have shaped contemporary digital processes;
  3. identify and analyse the work of photographers using appropriate and ethical communication contexts;
  4. apply emerging technical knowledge and skills for a specific professional context and purpose.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Photographic process and practice 55.00
2. Principals: context, technique and influence 35.00
3. Photographers: historical perspectives 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

Fox, A & Sawdon, R 2015, Langford’s Basic Photography: the guide for serious photographers, 10th edn, Routledge.
(used across multiple courses in the photography major.)
Students undertaking the Professional Photography major will require access to a DSLR camera (either full frame or mirrorless, or a micro four thirds system); two manually operated, interchangeable lenses (recommended are one wide-angle lens [zoom or prime] and one normal-telephoto zoom lens);

Adobe Creative Cloud subscription (including Adobe Bridge, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop – students must ensure their computer is capable of efficiently running the software); and personal storage space (portable external hard drive, and cloud storage). These will be used throughout all courses in the Professional Photography major.

If you wish to check the suitability of your camera, please contact the course examiner.

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..

Student workload expectations

To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.

Assessment details

Approach Type Description Group
Assessment
Weighting (%) Course learning outcomes
Assignments Written Quiz No 10 1,2
Assignments Written Report No 40 1,2,3,4
Assignments Practical Practical No 50 1,3,4
Date printed 9 February 2024