2010-11 academic year

Photography Workshop (20382)

Degree/study: Degree in Audiovisual communication
Year: 1st
Term:1st
Number of ECTS credits: 4 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 100 hours
Teaching language or languages: catalan
Teaching Staff: Nuria Aidelman, Pedro Freixa and Anna Fuster

1. Presentation of the subject

The photography workshop subject focuses on studying concepts, methods and resources that characterize the photographic language, its analysis as well as the image production. From the activities that are suggested in each one of the three modules of the course, students will deepen in knowledge and experimentation of the main competences of photography. The fourth module will allow developing one of the aspects worked during the course articulating an author photographic project. The activities on image creation will allow us to promote a critical capacity when facing the contemporary image speech, learning to recognize codes, styles and current uses. The recognition of authors and previous works will allow us to talk and to know the photography history.

2. Competences to be attained

General and transversal skills:

1- Capacity to apply knowledge and understanding in a professional way in order to carry out the job or profession, and to have skills that are usually proved through the elaboration and uphold of arguments and solving problems in the field of study itself.
2 - Learning skills that allow continuing the studies in a widely self-guided or autonomous way.

Specific skills:

3 - Capacity and skills to manage the processes of direction and accomplishment of the photographic media.
4 - Skills in using techniques and procedures of photographic composition.
5 - Capacity and skills for creativity and innovation.

3. Contents

Unit 1: The nature of photography and its languages. The photographer's (and filmmaker's) choices. All possibilities, an image. Parameters and expressive resources I: framing, lens, focusing. The photography and the cinema times.

Unit 2: Looking at the world. Synthesis and narration. Elements of a photographic speech creation. Parameters II: Diaphragm and shutter speed.

Unit 3: The look and construction of an image: light and light measurement. Tonal representation. Subject and photographic object. The portrait, between the "street" and the "studio".

Unit 4: The concept of a personal photographic project: The photographer as the author of a speech. Edition introduction.

4. Assessment

The main assessment will be the capacity to link the theory competences with the assignments and the photographic creation that every student. We will also take into account the active participation in class as well as in the activities that the subject can suggest. The Assessment is individual and it's carried out in a continued way and with special attention to the evolution throughout the course. It is a condition to pass the subject to carry out all the activities suggested during the course. The final grade of the subject will take into account the partial assessment of the activities carried out during the course (70%) and the final assignment (30%).

5. Bibliography and teaching resources

5.1. Basic bibliography

BARTHES, R. La cámara lúcida. Barcelona: Paidós, 1990.

BERGER, John. Mirar. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2001.

FONTCUBERTA, J. Fotografía: conceptos y procedimientos. Una propuesta metodológica. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 1990

FONTCUBERTA, Joan. (ed.). Estética fotográfica. Una selección de textos. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili 2003 (2a. Ed).

LANGFORD, M. Fotografía básica. Barcelona: Omega, 1986.

SONTAG, S. Sobre la fotografía. Barcelona: Edhasa, 1981.

AA.VV.: Contacts: les plus grands photographes dévoilent les secrets de leurs images. (DVD1 and DVD2)

5.2. Complementary bibliography

ALMENDROS, Néstor: Días de una cámara. Barcelona: Seix Barral, 1990

BENJAMIN, Walter, Sobre la fotografía. Valencia: Pre-Textos, 2007

BERGER, John (ed.).: Modos de ver. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2000.

HILL, Paul, COOPER, Thomas: Diálogo con la fotografía, Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2001.

MARZAL, Javier: Cómo se lee una fotografía. Madrid: Cátedra, 2007.

NEWHALL, B.: Historia de la fotografía. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili, 2002.

VAN DER KEUKEN, Johan (ed: F. Albera): Aventures d'un regard. Paris: Cahiers du cinéma, 1998.

5.3. Teaching resources

The subject provides students with a whole series of resources in the virtual space of the subject in the Campus Global:
1- Program and session schedule

2- Practice instructions

3- Technical Manuals for complementary reference
4- Extracts of class notes (authors, references and concepts)
5- Monographic Texts of reference authors
6- Portfolios of reference authors
7- Announcement board with ongoing exhibitions and photography activities
8- Glossary of authors

6. Metodology

The subject is distributed in four modules that organize the course contents and articulate the master classes with the assignments and suggested exercises. Every module is developed during 3 weeks of the course. The three first modules are structured by master classes, seminars, guided assignments and individual exercises. The fourth module is carried out during the last week and the two following ones, and it is structured by a master class, the individual assignment by students and the individualized tutorship.
In every module, a first master class is used to introduce concepts, ideas and referents that will be worked on.

The guided assignments proposal, in group or individual depending on each case, allows obtaining visual materials for its discussion, correction and debate. These assignments are also meant to approach and familiarize with the photographic material and improve knowledge to use them. They are also useful to experience the own expressive resources in the photographic language.

The proposal of an exercise or an individual assignment for each module allows evaluating knowledge, used resources and expertise during the module

The final project carried out individually and with a follow-up by a personalized tutorship, allows developing a first autonomous photographic speech, contemplating all phases: ideation, planning, realization and edition.

7. Planning of activities

Week	activity	description
1^st	Master class	Common activity. Concepts presentation and works viewing in the classroom.
1^st	Assignment: teamwork	Guided Assignment of photographic and cinematographic viewing, understanding and selection.
2^nd	Seminar: teamwork	Shot filming
3^rd	Seminar: individual work	Presentation, review and discussion of the works made by students. Ideation or realization of photographic images.
4^th	Master class	Common activity. Concepts presentation and works viewing in the classroom.
5^th / 6^th	Seminar: teamwork	Presentation, review and discussion of the works made by students and confrontation with historical and contemporary referents.
5^th / 6^th	Seminar: individual work	Ideation or realization of photographic images.
7^th	Master class	Common activity. Concepts presentation and works viewing in the classroom.
7^th	Assignment: teamwork	Lighting and photographic portrait assignment
8^th / 9^th	Seminar: teamwork	Presentation, review and discussion of the works made by students and confrontation with historical and contemporary referents.
8^th / 9^th	Seminar: individual work	Ideation or realization of photographic images.
10^th	Master class	Common activity. Concepts presentation and works viewing in the classroom Presentation of proposals for final projects
11^th / 12^th	Individual tutorship	Personalized follow-up of the project that each student develops individually.
All the course	Assignment: individual/team work	Creation of a glossary in the Campus Global. Each student will develop an author.