Shooting Project#1: Personal Vision

PHD101

Introduction to Photography & Design

Shooting Project#1: Personal Vision

Personal Vision is the quality that makes a photographer’s work unique; it is the “voice” of the photographer and his or her signature style.  When you are developing a professional portfolio, you should aspire to have it express your personal vision.  Ideally, you’ll get hired not just for your technical prowess, but for the particular way you see the world.

Part I, Due Week 2

To develop (or discover) your personal vision, think both about what you feel compelled to photograph (i.e. subject matter) and how you tend to go about photographing (photographic seeing – the way you use light, color, and composition).

Start by asking:  What do I find beautiful? What kinds of subjects do I most enjoy photographing? What do I want to express through my photography?

During the course of the project time frame, set out to make at least 25 images representing what you find beautiful.  Without overthinking it (using your gut and intuition), shoot your chosen subject matter to convey your connection with the subject to the viewer.  Experiment with light, color, and composition, working on defining your personal aesthetic or how you see the subject matter.

Part II, Due Week 3 (no class, but have completed by Friday of Week 3)

To develop visual literacy and an understanding of the concept of personal vision, read the first blog post on the class blog.  Choose one photographer from the list provided whose work you find compelling, and respond to the post’s questions in the form of a blog comment. As an alternative to choosing a photographer on the list, you may choose a professional photographer whose work is a personal inspiration to you.

Then, add a website showcasing the photographer’s work to the class Webliography on eCompanion, selecting the label Personal Vision. 

Part I, Expansion & Revision, Due Week 4

After receiving feedback from the class, go deeper on your personal vision shooting project.  What did the class think were your strengths as a photographer? What could use improvement?  Shoot at least 25 more images that explore your personal vision in terms of subject matter and stylistic approach.

Your final grade on this project will be based on the effort made in your original shoot and the extent to which your revision has expanded upon and improved the original shoot.

Requirements

·       These images must be shot specifically for this assignment and previously shot photographs will not be accepted.   Make sure your date/time function in your camera menu is set properly.

·       Shoot in the exposure mode that’s comfortable to you and will yield the best results.  If you’re not comfortable shooting manually, use the program mode to get proper exposure.

·       Take care to avoid camera shake by shooting in brighter natural light so that slow shutter speeds aren’t necessary (or use a tripod in low light if you know how to do so)

·       Shoot in RAW + high fine jpeg

·       Use only available light – no flash

Submission standards

Bring all of your images on your external hard drive or flash drive to class on the due date.  Do not resize, rename, or manipulate any files yet.  We will review Lightroom workflow, discussion submission specifications, and submit your work after our lab session.

Grading

Part I: Shooting Project

All shooting projects are worth 50 points and are graded according to the following criteria:

·       Image management (following assignment specifications outlined during lab period)

·       Creativity of approach to concept (effort and thought demonstrated)

·       Visual impact (use of photographic seeing, basic mastery of technique)

Part II: Blog Commentary

This part of the project will be incorporated into your grade for Blog Comments & Posts.  Each Blog Comment or Post is worth 10 points, assessed on following criteria to completion, thoughtfulness and thoroughness of analysis, and clarity of writing.