Introduction to Photography and Related Media
Introduces history and contemporary practices in artistic photography through projects, lectures, artist visits, group discussions, readings, and field trips. Fosters visual literacy and aesthetic appreciation of photography/digital imaging, as well as critical awareness of how images in our culture are produced and constructed. Provides instruction in the fundamentals of different camera formats, film exposure and development, lighting, black and white darkroom printing, and digital imaging. Assignments allow for incorporation of a range of traditional and experimental techniques, development of technical skills, and personal exploration. Throughout the term, present and discuss projects in a critical forum. Additional work required of students taking the graduate version. Lab fee required. Limited to 20.
Fall 2007
Topics
- Course philosophy, introduction to facilities, term assignment, introductory slide lecture
- Introduction to 35mm camera (bring your camera if available), darkroom orientation: film development, contact printing
- Darkroom workshop: printing, drying; production time / individual reviews
- Introduction to digital imaging
- Darkroom workshop: large format printing / experimental techniques
- Site visit: Pawan Sinha presentation, metal and wood workshop tour, experimental photographic techniques, discuss Hirsch reading
- Adobe Photoshop workshop I, introduction to medium format cameras
- Student presentations, view camera workshop, darkroom workshop: retouching and mounting, large format camera workshop with Charles Fendrock, MIT alum
- Presentation of exhibition proposal with BCS
- Student presentations, Adobe Photoshop workshop II, List Visual Arts Center exhibition visit
- Student presentations, Anne Cahill (Nikon) digital camera and flash workshop
- Tour of local art scene with Bill Arning
- Student presentations, workshop: exhibition installation
- Class review
- Museum of Fine Arts visit
- Production day / individual reviews
- Clean up and film
Readings
- Sacks, Oliver. “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.” In The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales . 5th ed. New York, NY: Touchstone, 1998. ISBN: 9780684853949.
- Elkins, James. “Just Looking.” In The Object Stares Back: On the Nature of Seeing . Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 1997. ISBN: 9780156004978.
- Horenstein, Henry. Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual (excerpts) . New York, NY: Little, Brown, 1983. ISBN: 9780316373142.
Fall 2002 · Introduction to Photography
This course combines practical instruction, field trips, group discussions, and individual reviews intended to foster a critical awareness of how images in our culture are produced and constructed. Student-initiated term projects are at the core of this exploration of the relationship of image to language and issues of interpretation and personal history. Besides, this course also offers practical instruction in basic black and white techniques, digital imaging, fundamentals of camera operation, lighting, film exposure, development and printing. Course provides opportunity for continued exploration.
Prerequisites & course information
Subject meets with 4.342 Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) 3-3-6 units. HASS-A
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2007
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2002
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.