Monday, December 6, 2010

Final Schedule Update!!!

Our final critique will be on Wednesday, December 15 from 7:00pm - 9:45pm.

I apologize for the change in plans. Here's the email from the Art Department chair requiring us to meet on both Monday and Wednesday of finals week.

"Evening classes meeting at 4:00PM or later must hold all of their meetings during finals week. For example: a class meeting TTH or MW at 4:00PM or later must hold meetings for both sessions during finals week. You can schedule the final exam or critique sessions for both class meetings, or schedule the review session for one meeting and the final exam for the other meeting during finals week."

Class will be held at the normal time on Monday the 13th.

This will be the last day to print your final projects.

All files and prints due by the beginning of class on the 15th.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Final Project Scedule

Printing and lab time for the final project will be on 11/29, 12/1, 12/6, and 12/8. These are the only times when you can print. Plan ahead, not everyone will be able to print on the last day. Printer time is first come, first serve.

All the image files and final prints are due at the beginning of class on 12/13. Class will meet at the regular time from 7-950.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Class Canceled

Class canceled.

I'm sitting in my car as I type this and it won't start. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to class this evening as taking the train and bus would have me arriving way late. I'll figure out a way to make up the time to you all. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

-Sean


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Final Assignment

Throughout the semester we’ve learned that there are many ways for a digital images to originate. They can come from a digital camera, scans from negatives or old photographs, searching the Internet for images – the possibilities are almost endless! The way digital images can exist is also equally diverse. We’ve made zines, fine prints, and posted our images electronically on the Internet - maybe not in class but you are all on Facebook, right?

For your final project, you will be producing a portfolio of no less than seven finished images. The number of final prints will depend on your choice of final project. You have 480 square inches of paper and ink to make prints for your final. This can be one Large print, or several small prints. It's all up to you. Seven finished image files are due for this project.

Please do not hesitate to ask me about this.

The origin and content of the images is your choice but they MUST be yours, and they must be cohesive.

The remainder of the semester will be open lab with the ability to print at EVERY class meeting.

Think about the ways we have worked and look over the technical assignments. Are there ways of making images that you would like to learn more about? Are there ways of making images that are more enjoyable to you than others?

Our final critique will be during finals week. Your final prints and your files are due in the drop box by the beginning of class.

Write a one paragraph, typed proposal outlining your plans for the final project. This is due at the beginning of class on 11.15.2010.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Zine Zine Zine!!!















Here's the zine template. It uses two 8x10 inch canvasses that will be printed back to back. One canvas contains pages 8, 1, 4, and 5. The other canvas contains pages 2, 7, 6, and 3. On Wednesday the 11th, I'll go over the layout. This new template will allow the zine/book to have 4x5 inch pages and use the same amount of paper as the smaller 2.5x4 inch page version. Bring the content to class and begin laying out your sequence. We'll be printing our zines on Monday!!!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Class on Monday November 1st

Please bring the following to class on Monday the 1st.

- Camera with charged battery and a memory card with plenty of free space

-Tripod if you have one

-Flashlights or external flash if you have one

-Glow sticks??? They're fun!

-A jacket

Monday, October 25, 2010

What's due for the panoramam and scanning assignment??

Panoramas:

Two completed panoramas that are composed of at least three images each.


Scans:

1. One photograph scanned and free from dust and scratches (use the clone stamp and healing brush tools).

2. One image from some type of print media that requires the use of the descreening filter.

3. One three dimensional object.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Pano and Scanning Assignment Due Dates...

The scanning and pano assigments are due at the end of class on Wednesday, October, 27th.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Class Canceled

Hi All,

Class will be canceled tonight due to illness. I have a fever.

And no, I'm not doing this to watch baseball. There is no game tonight.

We'll go ahead with critique on Monday.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Assignment - Tools

For the next assignment, we will be learning some new techniques. They are...

Panoramas - Photographing, constructing, and printing panoramic images.

Scans - Scanning and resizing images from print (newspapers, postcards, magazines), translucent material (film negatives and slides), three dimensional objects, and photographic prints.

Retouching - Repairing faded, cracked, dusty and otherwise damaged or flawed images.


Part I - Panoramas

Begin photographing your panoramas and bring them to class on Monday, October 18th.

Here are some simple guidelines to photographing panoramas

Tripod - Whenever possible, use a tripod. This will make the construction of the image in photoshop much easier. It will also slow down the process of photographing - allowing more time to contemplate the scene being captured.

Vertical (Portrait) - Whenever possible, make the photographs vertically (portrait). This will maximized the resolution of your final image. Think about it.

Overlap - For each exposure that is made, the next exposure should share about 20% of the frame as the previous one.

Start Simple - Avoid visually complicated scenes at first as they are more difficult to construct later.

For the panorama portion of this assignment, complete two final images.


Part II - Scanning

There are several different pieces of software used for scanning images. Some are made for a specific scanner, some are third party applications. Even with the differences, the steps for scanning anything are the same...

1. Place your object/image on the scanning bed.
2. Preview your scan.
3. Determine the resolution of the scan.
4. Choose the area of the scanning bed to scan.
5. Modify any additional settings such as the descreen filter.
6. Scan.

Here are some tips for how to scan different types of documents, photographs, objects, etc. We'll cover film scanning later...

Photographs - Always scan as full color (even if the original image is black and white). This will add resolution. You should not apply any filters or special adjustments when scanning a photograph.

Three dimensional objects - Scan the same as a photograph.

Images from print media (postcards, magazines, newspapers) - use the descreen filter. This will abate the presence a moiré pattern in the final file. Most scanning software contains a descreen filter with settings for magazine, newspaper, fine art print, etc.

Please being the following to class on Monday, October 18th.

-A translucent object, no larger than 8x10 inches. A piece of photographic negative film, or positive (slide) film would be best.

-A three dimensional object no larger than 8x10. Please nothing made out of sandpaper or other abrasive material. Please nothing wet and disgusting, like a sandwich.

-An old photograph that needs to be altered or repaired in some way. It must be optically printed and not from a magazine, etc.

-An image from a book, magazine, newspaper, postcard or other print media that you find particularly interesting.

You will be turning in three images total. All images are to be scanned at 600dpi or higher.

You'll be turning in...

1. One photograph scanned and free from dust and scratches (use the clone stamp and healing brush tools).

2. One image from some type of print media that requires the use of the descreening filter.

3. One three dimensional object.

Place the files in the folder on the scratch drive labelled, "scans for sean's class". I will move them to the drop box for you.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Class Monday 10.11.2010

On Monday, there will be a demo and introduction to the next assignment during the first half of class. If you haven't printed your portrait assignment yet, there will be btime during the remainder of class.

The critique for the portrait assignment will be on Wednesday the 13th. Six files and three prints are due at the beginning of class.

Attendance is mandatory.

Nice Blog

http://www.twofortheroadblog.com/page/14

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Class Cancelled 9.29.2010

Class is cancelled the evening of 9.29.2010 due to power failures.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Richard Avedon

Clone Stamp Tutorial


Doulbe click on the video to watch it on YouTube's site.

Spot Healing Brush Tutorial


Double click on the video to watch it on YouTube's site.

Color Balance Tutorial

Curves Tutorial

Magical Sharpening Techique

1. Make a copy of the background layer, or the layer you want to sharpen. To do this, click on the layer in the Layers Palette, then chose Layer -> Duplicate Layer..

2. Click on the duplicated layer in the Layers Palette to make it active, then choose Filter -> Other -> High Pass. Enter 10 in the for the radius and click OK.

3. Things now look a little odd, huh. Click on the layer you adjusted with the high pass filter, then from the drop down list on the Layers Palette, select Soft Light. Magic.

4. Adjust the opacity of the high pass layer to achieve desired sharpness.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Larry Sultan - Pictures from Home

Portrait Assignment

We've looked at several different approaches to portraiture. Your assignment is to define what you feel makes a successful and interesting portrait.

Produce six images, all portraits.

One must be a portrait of some one without including them in the image, and one must have some kind of artificial/altered light.

Ann Hamilton

Watch the full episode. See more ART:21.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Sean's Show - Go

Upcoming Exhibition: Residency Projects Part II

Artists' Reception Date & Time: Thursday, September 2, 6-8pm

Exhibition Dates: September 2 – October 9, 2010
Film Screenings: Work by Terry Berlier on Saturday, September 18, 3:30pm & Wednesday, October 6, 7pm
Location: Kala Gallery, 2990 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley, CA 94702

The Kala Gallery is proud to present our 2009-2010 Fellowship artists in a two-part exhibition. Residency Projects Part II features work by Terry Berlier, Jeffrey Hantman, Sean McFarland and Ranu Mukherjee.



Black and White Assignment Details

For the Black and White assignment, you will be turning in 6 total files, each a different image. You will be making 3 prints of your 3 favorite images.

All images should contain at least two adjustment layers. Your adjustments should be improvements to the image.

Specifications for the files are as follows:
  • Do not change the resolution or size of the files
  • Should be *.psd files, unflattened
  • All images should be black and white
  • Place the files in a folder with your first and last name before placing them in the drop box
We will begin printing on Wednesday of next week. At the end of that class the due date will be announced.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Holiday

Remember, September 6th, 2010 is a holiday. No Class!

How To: Image Adjustment Tutorials

Here are three informative videos (all using pets) on image adjustment using Adobe Photoshop. They are made using a windows interface and a previous version of the software, but remember, all the same menu items exist on the Apple computers we are using in class.





How To: Color -> Black and White

Please note. This is one of several ways to convert your images to black and white. We'll be working with other methods later in the semester. For this first assignment, please follow the instructions below.

1. Open your image in Photoshop.

2. Chose Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Black and White...

3. A dialog box will appear. Click OK.

4. Chose File -> Save As.

5. Save your image as a *.psd file. This will preserve the black and white adjustment layer that was created. Make sure you provide your image with a filename that will not overwrite your original file.

Below is a video tutorial that describes using this tool in depth.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Light - Black and White Assignment

We will be looking at light. Photographing light. What hides in shadows, what makes your eyes squint. Photograph the things in the world that you can't touch, or see. Stop where it's warm or where it's cold and make a photograph. How is the temperature changing the light, if at all? Re-visit the same scene throughout the day.

Make no less than 300 exposures. Bring the images to class on Monday, August 30th. Three 8x10 inch black and white prints will be due at a date to be announced.

Todd Hido

Destructive vs. Non-destructive Edits

Photoshop edits files in the following two ways. They are...

Destructive edits - changes modifying content in a way that it cannot be changed back to its original state. An example of a destructive edit would be to make a levels adjustment to an image by modifying a layer directly, thus altering it's content permanently.

Non-destructive edits - changes modifying content that modifies the edits rather than the original content. An example of a non-destructive edit would be to make an adjustment layer. Changes can be made to that edit, or adjustment layer without altering other layers or original content. A real world analogy would be walking outside and putting on sunglasses. In doing so you make the world appear darker without actually making it darker. Once you remove your sunglasses, everything is the same as when you put them on.

Destructive edits are BAD! They destroy data, which is information, which is ultimately resolution. Use non-destructive editing techniques whenever possible.

Here's a few types of Adjustment Layers you can add to your image using Photoshop. Please note, these are not all of them, we'll get to the rest later! If you only use adjustments layers to edit your images, you will be making non-destructive edits!

Levels - Adjusts the brightness and contrast using a histogram that represents the tonal values in an image.

Color Balance - Adjusts shifts of color in an image. If an image appears too blue you can make it warmer or more yellow using this tool.

Hue Saturation - Hue is the name of a color, saturation is a color's intensity. An image with no saturation contains no color information, only information on the brightness or darkness of each pixel. This tool adjusts the saturation of any particular hue in an image, or the overall saturation of all the hues.

How to make a New Adjustment Layer in Photoshop CS4?

Chose Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Levels (or any other desired type of adjustment from the list)

Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts

I came across the COMPLETE list of Photoshop CS4 shortcuts. It's a bit overwhelming. Feel free to use it, but need some endless patience and a magnifying glass. They are almost identical to the shortcuts used for CS5.

LINK TO EVERY SINGLE PHOTOSHOP CS4 KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

The handout provided in class provides a much smaller list of useful keyboard shortcuts. No magnifying glass required.


Monday, August 23, 2010

ASSIGNMENT one PART two

Please turn in the images for #27 along with the three other assignments you chose from the Learning to Love You More website.

Re-size your images to be 800 pixels wide and save them as .jpg. This will be covered in class on 8.23.2010 and again on 8.25.2010. There is also instructions on how to do this below

On the desktop, make a folder labeled with you first name, last name, and LTLYM. Place that folder in DropBoxes -> Sean McFarland. This procedure will be followed to turn in all assignments throughout the semester.

All images are due no later than at the end of class on 8.25.2010.

Campus Lab Hours

OPEN LABS FOR ARTDM STUDENTS
Digital Media A303 Lab:
Monday: 6:00PM-7:00PM
Tuesday: 2:00PM-6:00PM
Wednesday: 6:00PM-7:00PM

Digital Media ATC110 Lab:
Saturday: 9:00am-1:00pm

Digital Media Lab in Library:
The lab is located on the ground floor of the library near media services.
NO TECH AVAILABLE IN THIS LAB
Monday: 8:00am -7:00pm
Tuesday: 4:00pm to 9:45 pm
Wednesday: 8:00am -7:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am -7:00pm
Friday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Terms, Downloading, and Resizing!

Terms to know:
Resolution = Information
PPI
DPI
Megapixel
Monitor Resolution vs. Printer Resolution
Bit Depth
Grayscale
RGB
CMYK
JPEG
TIFF
RAW
PSD

Review basic camera operation

Downloading images to the computer
1. Turn on and plug your camera in the computer.

2. iPhoto may automatically launch and ask if you'd like to use it to download your photographs. You don't. Quit iPhoto when it launches.

3. Make a new folder on the desktop named with the date and your name. For example, I would make a folder named "8.23.2010_mcfarland".

4. Click on the hard drive icon on the desktop and navigate to the applications folder. Double click and open the application "Image Capture". It has a camera for an icon.

5. It should recognize your camera. From the "Download To:" drop down box, chose "Other", navigate to the folder you just created on the desktop and click the "Open" button.

6. Click the "Download All" button. Your photographs will begin downloading to the computer, into the folder your designated. You may chose to only download some of the images on the camera. If so, click the "Download Some" button, select the images you'd like to download.

Resizing images for the web using Photoshop
1. Save a copy of your image with a new name. You'll want to do this to avoid overwriting a high resolution image with your new smaller re-sized image. For example, the original file might be named "landscape.jpg", the new file could be called "landscape_for_web.jpg"

2. From the menu, chose Image -> Image Size

3. A dialogue box will appear. In the top of this box is a section labelled "Pixel Dimensions". Change the width to somewhere in between 500 and 800 pixels, make sure the "Constrain Proportions" option is checked.

4. Click "OK" and save your image as a jpg.

John Chiara

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Some Hints and Rules for Students and Teachers

Rule 1
Find a place you trust and then, try trusting it for a while.

Rule 2
General Outline of Duties of a Student:
Pull everything out of your teacher.
Pull everything out of your fellow students.

Rule 3
General Outline of Duties of a Teacher:
Pull everything out of your students.

Rule 4
Consider everything as an experiment.

Rule 5
BE SELF DISCIPLINED. This means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way.

Rule 6
FOLLOW THE LEADER. Nothing is a mistake. There is no win and no fail. There is only MAKE.

Rule 7
The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It is the people who do all of the work all the time who eventually catch on to things. You can fool the fans – but not the players.

Rule 8
Do no try to create and analyze at the same time. They are different processes

Rule 9
Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It’s lighter than you think.

Rule 10
We are breaking all the rules, even our own rules. And how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.

HELPFUL HINTS:
Always be around. Come or go to everything.
Always go to classes.
Read everything you can get your hands on.
Look at movies carefully and often.
Save everything. It may come in handy later.

Learn more about John Cage here...

Assignment ONE

Go to http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com.

Look over the assignments. Complete assignment #27, along with 3 others of your choice. Document the results using your digital camera.

DO NOT alter or adjust your images before we meet in lab. Instead, spend your time and effort on photographing! Remember to bring everything you need to get your images off your memory card/camera and onto the computer.

Please bring your images to class on Monday 8.23.2010.

P.S. this one is really amazing.
http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com/reports/47/hearn_kara.php

Monday, August 16, 2010

Photography and Us

Syllabus

Diablo Valley College – Fall 2010
ARTDM 136 – Beginning Digital Photography
Location: A-303
Meeting Time: 7:00pm – 9:50pm
Instructor: Sean McFarland – mcfarland.sean@gmail.com
Office Hours: TBA

Course Objectives
1. Identify, discuss and apply the basic principles of digital photography, as well as comparable concepts in traditional photography
2. Acquire skills necessary to capture images digitally
3. Evaluate creative content development
4. Critically evaluate and interpret digital photographs
5. Apply creative visual communication using digital photographic images
6. Acquire necessary skills for resolution management and output of digital files to print
7. Apply lighting techniques for digital photography

Expected Course Outcomes
1. Students completing the course will be able to apply lighting techniques for digital photography.
2. Students will be able to critically evaluate and interpret digital photographs.
3. Students will be able to acquire necessary skills for resolution management and output of digital files to print.

Required Text
There is currently no requirement for purchasing a textbook. Most, if not all readings throughout the semester will be provided.

Attendance and work expectations
Regular, on-time attendance and active participation in class discussion and critiques is required of all students. Expect to spend an average of at least 1-3 hours a week outside of class time photographing and working in the lab. If you miss a class you are responsible for obtaining all notes and handouts from that day – you must let me know if you have to miss class.

All handouts can be found at the class blog: http://artdm136fall2010.blogspot.com

If you miss a lab, you are responsible for finding the time to make up the work on your own. Absences and lateness can result in a lower participation grade, potentially lowering your final grade. Please show up for class on time and come prepared. Students are expected to produce original, independent work. Plagiarism is against school policy and will not be tolerated.

Assignments
All assignments must be handed in complete and on time. In the rare case that work is handed in late your grade will be lowered by 20% for each full week it is late. Work handed in more than two weeks after the due date will not be accepted and/or graded as an F.

Grading
75% - Participation and Studio Project Assignments (all equal in weight)
25% - Final Project

A Inspired Growth and/or consistent excellence, strong contribution to class critiques, punctuality and appropriate class behavior

B Consistent, high quality response to assignments, active participation in critiques, punctuality and appropriate class behavior

C Average response to assignments, average attendance and participation

D Unsatisfactory or missing assignments, unsatisfactory behavior, poor attendance

F None of the above

Required Equipment
Digital SLR or Equivalent – must be able to perform manual adjustments of focus and exposure.

Flash Drive – at least 1GB of portable storage. If you already have a portable hard drive, you are welcome to use it.

Email Account and Blog – you will need to set up a blog that will be used specifically for this course. We will be going over this in our second class meeting.

Tripod and Cable Release – these are not required but are highly recommended.

Lab
Open lab hours are Monday and Wednesday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm