© Arron Blum from his series The Prevailing Winds of Hills and Heritage

Photography II
Project 5: Open Theme

Goal: For this project, you will choose your own theme and subject matter. You will research different artists whose work lines up with your interests. You will then write a detailed proposal describing the details of what you want to photograph, how, and why. Once approved, you will begin shooting towards your project. This will be a long form project—you will spend several weeks shooting towards your project, so be sure to pick an idea that you want to stick with. Be prepared to reshoot and rework your ideas—practice is one of the best way to improve your skills as a photographer.

Because of the limited time we have left in class, you will only have 2 weekends to shoot towards this project. Pick a subject that you would like to continue shooting towards over the summer. When you return in August, we will look at your work and give you feedback!

​For final critique, you will turn in 7 strong, cohesive images towards your originally approved proposal.
DUE DATES:

Thursday, 4/25/19: You will use class time to research artists whose work you are interested in. You will then write a 1 page minimum proposal for the project you want to work on. Be sure to include these things in the proposal:
  • What subject matter you want to shoot and WHY.
  • What you hope to accomplish by undergoing this project. (Examples: I want to become a better photographer, or, I want to use photography as  a tool for social justice, etc.)
  • What you hope your audience will get out of your project—You should care about how others react to your work. Think hard about this.
  • How you plan to shoot. Will you use a specific lens/focal length? Will you shoot at a certain time of day or in a certain location? Will your final output be in color or black and white? 
  • Where and when you plan to shoot. You might find it helpful to draw up a timeline for yourself.
  • How do you envision the final presentation of this project? (Example: a series of large, black and white prints that will hang in the refectory.)
  • Be sure to include the works of at least 3 artists you are researching for inspiration. You may choose to talk about a specific series an artist shot, or maybe their general style across several bodies of work. You may also talk about how an artist shows/hangs their work for exhibition. Think about the artists we have discussed in class or that you have seen in museums or galleries—they do not all have to photographers.  Include an example of each artists' work in your proposal.
​You will type your proposal in the word processing application of your choice. You must email your proposal to me by 4PM on Thursday, 4/25/19. I will email you with feedback for your proposal and let you know if you're approved to work.

Monday, 4/29/19: Over the weekend, shoot 250 images towards your initial proposal. You will import your homework images in class and create a contact sheet. Label your contact sheet lastname_firstname_p5_cs_1 and turn it into your Project 5 folder in Google Drive by midnight for a grade.

​Wednesday, 5/1/19: Work day to process your images and choose your 5 strongest. We will have a soft critique on Thursday.

Thursday, 5/2/19: Soft critique during class

Friday, 5/3/19: Work day to process images or prep for weekend shooting homework.

Monday, 5/6/19: Over the weekend, shoot 200 images towards your project. You will import your homework images in class and create a contact sheet. Label your contact sheet lastname_firstname_p5_cs_2 and turn it into your Project 5 folder in Google Drive by midnight for a grade.

Week of 5/6-5/10: Work week to process ad print your images for critique.

Wednesday, May 15th, 2019: FINAL CRITIQUE. On this day, you must turn in for a grade:
  • 7 final images printed larger than letter size.
  • 7 final high res digital files (PSD OR TIFF, not JPEG) to your Project 8 folder in Google Drive.