Course Description
Introduces students to photography as a form of personal and professional visual communication. Provides foundations of camera operation and principles of visual literacy and communication. Students develop a critical eye toward visual imagery and learn to make better pictures, whether for personal or professional goals.
Athena Title
Photography and Storytelling
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in JRLC 3700E
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will make better pictures -- whether for a media outlet, personal use, or a client. They will assess and apply technical, compositional, and storytelling methods.
- Students will determine quality storytelling methods to tell a coherent and compelling narrative through their photo(s).
- Students will examine how photography can serve a greater purpose to themselves and to the world.
- Students will evaluate the various career paths they can take in photography and how photography can enhance other careers.
Topical Outline
- UNIT ONE - Technical
Topics covered include camera types, the importance of light, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, motion, using the histogram, and captioning photos.
- UNIT TWO - Composition
Topics covered include understanding the main character and scene, advanced depth of field (aperture, distance, and zoom), vantage point, proximity, advanced motion (light painting, long exposures, freezing motion), advanced light-finding, cropping, and toning photos, and how to talk about photos/critique.
- UNIT THREE - Storytelling
Topics covered include building on units one and two to discuss advanced camera topics, what makes a good story, what makes a good visual story, how to build an effective sequence, and storytelling through longer captions.
- UNIT FOUR - Inspiration
Topics covered include photography for a broader purpose, how photography can fit into your life and values, the power of everyday/mundane photography, shoulds/should nots of when to make a photo, how to photograph what you love, how to deal with mean photographers, and how to be a helpful photographer to others.
