COMM 114 - Introduction To Black & White Photography

3 Credits: (2 lecture, 2 lab)

Course Description
This course is an introduction to basic photography techniques, providing the novice photographer with the skills necessary to take, develop, and print black and white photographs. Although the main focus will be on skill development, a portion of the course will introduce the student to the concept of photography as an art form.

Note Access to a 35 mm camera with manual over ride is required.

Text
London, Barbara, and Jim Stone. A short course in photography: film and darkroom: an introduction to photographic technique. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2019.

Objectives
The student will be able to:

A. Use the various functions of a 35 mm SLR camera in manual mode.

B. Identify the different types of lenses and the conditions when they are used.

C. Identify the types of film and the situations in which they would be used.

D. Develop film, selecting, mixing and using chemicals.

E. Achieve a basic level of proficiency using dark room equipment and chemicals.

F. Evaluate photographic composition strategies.

G. Identify the key historical aspects of the development of photography.

H. Identify techniques used by some of the masters of black and white photography.

Content
A. An examination of the basic functions of a 35 mm SLR camera and the peripheral gear, including a light meter, flash equipment, and filters.

B. An analysis of the various types of film and their uses.

C. Training and practice in the safe use of developing equipment and chemicals, including proper disposal.

D. Training and practice in basic printing techniques.

E. A review of basic photographic composition choices, including content, background, framing, balance, light and dark contrasts, perspective and point of view.

F. A historical review of the development of photography and its role as a communication medium.

G. An analysis of the work of famous photographers.

Student Evaluation
Evaluation will be based on the demonstration of skills in the taking, developing and printing of black and white photographs. Examinations, quizzes and demonstrations may also be used in the evaluation process. A paper involving critical analysis will also be required.

Bibliography
Adams, Ansel. The Camera. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1980. The Negative. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1981. The Print. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1983. Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1983.

Cahn, Robert. American Photography and the National Parks. New York: Viking Press, 1981.

Calder, Julian and John Garrett. The New 35 mm Photography Handbook. New York: Crown Publishing, 1990.

Cartier-Bresson, Henri. The World of Cartier-Bresson. New York: Viking Press, 1968.

Craven, George M. Object and Image: An Introduction to Photography, 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990.

Eastman Kodak Company. The Joy of Photography. Boston:Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1979. More Joy of Photography. Boston: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1988.

Eisenstaedt, Alfred. The Eye of Eisenstaedt. New York: Viking Press, 1969. Witness to our Time. New York: Viking Press, 1966.

Engh, R. Sell and Resell Your Photos. 4th ed. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books, 1997.

Frost, L. Night and Low Light Photography. New York: AMPHOTO, 1990.

Galassi, Peter. Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Early Work. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1987.

Hedgecoe, John. The Photographer’s Handbook 3rd ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.

Herko, Robert. Composing Photographs. Stamford, CT: Longmeadow Press, 1990. Using Creative Techniques. Stamford, CT: Longmeadow Press, 1990.

Horan, James David. Matthew Brady, Historian with a Camera. New York: Crown Publishing, 1995.

Horenstein, Henry. The Photographer’s Source Book. New York: Simon and Shuster, 1989.

Kodak Black and White Darkroom Dataguide. Rochester, New York: Eastman Kodak Company, 1992.

Kozloff, Max. The Privileged Eye: Essays on Photography. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1987.

Langford, Michael J. Basic Photography: A Primer for Professionals. New York: Focal Press, 1977.

Schwarz, Ted. McGraw-Hill’s Handbook for Professional Photographers. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984.

Smith, B. Designing Photographs. New York: AMPHOTO, 1985.

Swedlund, Charles. Photography, A Handbook of History, Materials and Processes. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1981.

Walsh, George, Michael Held, and Colin Nalor, Eds. Contemporary Photographers,2nd ed. Chicago: St. James Press, 1981.

Willis-Thomas, Deborah. Black Photographers 1840-1940. New York: Garland Publishing, 1985.