COMM 233 - Portrait Photography and Lighting

3 Credits: (3 lecture)

Course Description
This course introduces the photography student to the classical and contemporary methods of subject lighting. Film photography, digital photography, the black & white and hybrid darkroom will be used in this course to edit and perfect photographs. Students will learn techniques for creating portrait images. Studio and outdoor lighting techniques and model posing will be a few of the subjects studied for photographing people of all ages, families, and pet portraits. Professional retouch, color correction, and on-site lighting will be experienced through actual and theoretical situations.

Note A 35 mm film camera and a 35 mm digital camera with interchangeable lenses are required for this course. Fall semester only. 

Prerequisite COMM 110, COMM 120, and COMM 219.

A. Use a variety of lighting setups to capture the desired portrait.   

B. Pose the subjects in expressive positions.   

C. Capture the elements of portrait photographs with a film camera and a digital camera. 

D. Perfect student-manipulated photographic images in the darkroom and on the computer.  

E. Prepare commercial quality images. 

Content
A. Subjects in the studio and on location 

B. Dynamic compositions  

C. Traditional, contemporary and classic lighting setups 

D. Specific lighting setups  

E. Control lighting   

F. Dynamic lighting setups  

Student Evaluation
Evaluation will be based on assignments, presentation, and the quality of work presented by the photography student.  Bibliography
The Art of Photography. New York: Time-Life, 1971. Print.  

Begleiter, Steven H. 50 Lighting Setups for Portrait Photographers: Easy-to-follow Lighting Designs and Diagrams. Buffalo, NY: Amherst Media, 2008. Print. 

Busselle, Michael. Master Photography: Take and Make Perfect Pictures. New York: Rand McNally, 1978. Print.  

Crouch, Stanley. One Shot Harris: the Photographs of Charles “Teenie” Harris. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 2002. Print.  

Feininger, Andreas. Light and Lighting in Photography. Garden City, NY: Amphoto, 1976. Print.  

Feininger, Andreas. The Complete Photographer. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1978. Print.  

Feininger, Andreas. Total Picture Control. New York: Amphoto, 1970. Print.  

Finn, David. How to Look at Everything. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000. Print.  

Hedgecoe, John. The Photographer’s Handbook. London: Ebury, 1977. Print.  

Herko, Robert. Composing Photographs. Stamford, CT: Longmeadow, 1990. Print.  

Peterson, Bryan. Understanding Exposure. Revised ed. New York: Amphoto, 1990. Print.  

Reynolds, Clyde. The Photoguide to Filters. London: Focal, 1976. Print.  

Rice, Mark, William Johnson, and Carla Williams. Photography from 1839 to Today: George Eastman House, Rochester, NY. Köln: Taschen, 2000. Print.  

Rush, Michael. Video Art. London: Thames & Hudson, 2003. Print.  

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