Digital Photography

Digital Photography is a 5-Tech course which explores the art and history of photography and digital photography. This class mainly involves the taking of photographs, relating to various themes, settings, and ideas, outside of class using a digital camera, though students must have their own camera. Students are also given access to a computer, during class, which has Adobe Photoshop CS2 on it to improve the quality of their pictures as well as make interesting changes to them. This course is taught by Mr. Joel Winston and Ms. Jan Juracek.

Curriculum
The course begins with the discussion of the art of digital photography, specifications and features of digital cameras and how to use them, elements of art, the makings of a good photograph, and some of the tools and uses of Adobe Photoshop. Throughout the course, the beginnings and history of photography and digital photography, as well as the difference between digital and film photography, will be explored. Many lessons will also involve the showing of powerpoint presentations of pictures by many famous classic and contemporary photographers, as well as documentaries about these photographers and their works. Students will also be taught the effect of lighting in pictures, and given access to a studio in the school, with various lighting tools, for part of the Portraits/Lighting assignment.

However, the class mostly revolves around taking pictures with a digital camera, and tweaking the pictures on Photoshop. Soon after the beginning of the term, students will start to receive assignments where they have to take pictures of certain themes, settings, objects, or ideas. These include:


 * Primary Colors
 * Waterfront
 * Neighborhood
 * Depth of field/motion
 * Children playing/Elders/Animals
 * Portraits/Lighting
 * Fashion or Product or Model (theme)
 * NYC famous structure/Urbanscapes/Landscapes (theme)
 * Tell a Story/In the Moment (theme)

Students will also be assigned to make a collage of their favorite things, using layers in Photoshop. There are also written assignments once in awhile, which can be stand-alone, such as writing about classic and contemporary photographers, or part of another assignment, such as the collage, where students have to write about the objects they used in their collage. In addition, students will have to complete assignments which involve two topics introduced near the end of the course: Anaglyphs and Restorations. Anaglyphs are 3-D images, created from usual 2-D images, which can be viewed with 3-D glasses that have red-blue lenses. Restorations are old photographs which have been restored to (or made to look like they are in) their original condition. Both of these can be done using a picture from the internet or one's own photograph, and requires the use of Photoshop.

Near the end of the course, students must also write a gallery review, comparing two different photo galleries, as well as submit a powerpoint presentation and/or folder containing their best photographs.

Mr. Winston
Mr. Winston is a very laid-back and friendly teacher. While giving a lesson or lecture, he usually stands up in front of the room to speak about the topic, picture, or whatever he is showing. He shows the class many Powerpoint presentations of photographs or documentaries about photographers' and their works every once in awhile. On some days, especially at the beginning of the course, Mr. Winston also puts notes on the board, relating to topics recently discussed. Other times he sits at his desk in front of his computer, occasionally checking off a student's work in his gradebook, or walks around the room, while students are working, often with Photoshop, or just talking (supposedly after students are done with their assignments).

Although Mr. Winston gives deadlines for his assignments, he often extends them, and even allows students to hand in assignments late, even at the end of the term. Despite this, it is recommended that assignments be completed on time, as they can pile up in the end. He is also very flexible with some of his assignments, such as allowing students to replace a set of anaglyphs with a restoration, or vice versa, or even replacing a theme with either a set of anaglyphs or a restoration. He also gives extra credit to students who complete more sets of anaglyphs and more restorations, in addition, to the few other extra credit options he gives.

Ms. Juracek
Ms. Juracek, like Mr. Winston, is lenient and friendly. Classes consist of lectures, lab periods, and artist critiques. In her lectures, Ms. Juracek tends to use a projector to display Word documents from her eChalk page that contain her notes. She gives a lesson based off these notes. In lab periods, students are in the photography lab Photoshopping their images or doing other work for the class on the computers. During artist critiques, each student's work is projected in front of the class, and the rest of the class offers its positive and constructive criticism.

Ms. Juracek gives several projects per semester and is very flexible with due dates. At times, this flexibility is a necessity as students must find time during their free periods or afterschool to use the photo printer to print their photographs. She gives several extra credit opportunities and in general is very generous with grades.