Mission San Jose ROP Photo 2014: 2015

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Final Exam - Period 4

For your Final Exam, you will create a blog post titled "Final Exam" (10)
You will send an email with the subject "Period 4 - Final Exam" (10)
Your email signature will have your blog and weebly site. If I cannot access those sites, I will not be able to grade the remaining part of your final exam. (10)
On Monday we reviewed the New York Times Lens blog article about Magnum photographers. Today you will choose your transformative photo. What single photo have you taken this school year that changed how you view photography? Why? (include the photo and an explanation) (20)
What is the difference between shape and form? Include the links from your Elements of Art post that define Shape and Form (10) You might need to include two links or one from your blog. (To clarify, include your posts where you took the photo illustrating the concept.)
What is the difference between pattern and repetition? Include your links that define pattern and repetition. (10) You should include two separate links. (To clarify again, include your posts where you took photographs and explained the concepts.)
Include the link to your Weebly About page. This page should be complete. Also include a separate link to another photographer's About Page who inspired you. (10)
Include your last three project links. Also identify which of these projects was your best? Explain why you believe this is your best work. How did this project change you? How did you learn to see differently? (20)

Final Exam - Period 3

For your Final Exam, you will create a blog post titled "Final Exam" (10)
You will send an email with the subject "Period 3 - Final Exam" (10)
Your email signature will have your blog and weebly site. If I cannot access those sites, I will not be able to grade the remaining part of your final exam. (10)
On Monday we reviewed the New York Times Lens blog article about Magnum photographers. Today you will choose your transformative photo. What single photo have you taken this school year that changed how you view photography? Why? (include the photo and an explanation) (20)
What is the difference between shape and form? Include the links from your Elements of Art post that define Shape and Form (10) You might need to include two links or one from your blog. (To clarify, include your posts where you took the photo illustrating the concept.)
What is the difference between pattern and repetition? Include your links that define pattern and repetition. (10) You should include two separate links. (To clarify again, include your posts where you took photographs and explained the concepts.)
Include the link to your Weebly About page. This page should be complete. Also include a separate link to another photographer's About Page who inspired you. (10)
Include your last three project links. Also identify which of these projects was your best? Explain why you believe this is your best work. How did this project change you? How did you learn to see differently? (20)

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Final Exam - Period 2

For your Final Exam, you will create a blog post titled "Final Exam" (10)
You will send an email with the subject "Period 2 - Final Exam" (10)
Your email signature will have your blog and weebly site. If I cannot access those sites, I will not be able to grade the remaining part of your final exam. (10)
Yesterday we reviewed the New York Times Lens blog article about Magnum photographers. Today you will choose your transformative photo. What single photo have you taken this school year that changed how you view photography? Why? (include the photo and an explanation) (20)
What is the difference between shape and form? Include the links from your Elements of Art post that define Shape and Form (10)
What is the difference between pattern and repetition? Include your links that define pattern and repetition. (10)
Define the principle of design - Movement. Use one of your photos; include an explanation. You may also link to your earlier explanation when we defined principles of design. (10)
Of the last three projects, which one was your best? Include the link to your best work and explain why you believe this is your best work. How did this project change you? How did you learn to see differently? (20)

Final Exam - Digital Photo

For your Final Exam, you will create a blog post titled "Final Exam" (10)
You will send an email with the subject "Period x - Final Exam" (10)
Your email signature will have your blog and weebly site. If I cannot access those sites, I will not be able to grade the remaining part of your final exam. (10)
Yesterday we reviewed the New York Times Lens blog article about Magnum photographers. Today you will choose your transformative photo. What photo have you taken this school year that changed how you viewed photography? What is your decisive photo? Why? (include the photo and explanation) (20)
What is the difference between shape and form? (10)
What is the difference between pattern and repetition? (10)
Define movement using one of your photos and an explanation. You may also link to your earlier explanation when we defined principles of design. (10)
Of the last three projects, what was your best work? Include the link to your best work and explain why you believe this is your best work. How did this project change you? How did you learn to see differently? (20)

Monday, June 8, 2015

1. Lens - Magnum Chooses the Decisive Photo. This is good practice for your final

2. Finish the MVROP survey

3. Share your final project with the class; open your web gallery and walk around the class.

Prepare for final with a quick discussion and reflection about the year's successes... going back to our first assignment and your three rules of composition.

bf

Thursday, June 4, 2015

About A Bunch of Things - About Me, Shadow and Light

As we finish the year, I am tying up some loose ends.

When I assigned you "About Me" page, I suggested that you include a recent photo. I also suggested that you ask someone to edit your text. I probably should have taken my advice. I thought that I would include some of my About Me pages so that you can learn from my mistakes. (Hopefully, I will fix my errors before the year ends.)

My photography page
My photography blog
My old photography blog (more than kids)
My LinkedIn profile
My AboutMe page

You might not notice some of my bigger mistakes, but I have made them. Perhaps this will hold me accountable.

Life Magazine included Mary Ellen Mark's photo essay about street life today. Some of you might be searching for last minute inspiration. You can view Streets of the Lost here.

Today in class we listened to an interview "Infiltrating the Dark Net" about internet trolls and other hidden places online. This is worth hearing a few times. We have discussed similar issues many times when students bypass the iBoss filter; however, there is a much bigger discussion about anonymity and responsibility.

I realize that I forgot to post some links from an earlier Movie Monday. So in case you want to view these later, you can find them below.

Joe McNally's Great Lighting Tips
Joe McNally's Dance Photo Video
A Quick Thing About Shadow
Lindsay Adler's Dream "Dress" Rehearsal
10 CS6 Photoshop Tips for Beginners
Dr. Brown's Top 6 CS6 Tips
Julieanne Kost's 6 CS6 Tips

Friday, May 29, 2015

Student Website Reviews

Review the weebly websites from the different classes. See the list here.

Review a site from each class period. Pick a photo that you think is their best photo and give one reason. Post on your blog and include the link to each weebly site. Do not send me the link. We will review your posts in class twelve minutes before class ends today.

This is a participation assignment.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Photo Weebly Sites - Mission San Jose Photo Students

We have collected weebly sites for the four Digital Photo classes at Mission San Jose High School for the 2014-2015 school year. Most of our work has been saved on Blogger sites.

For the Spring Expo, we printed 11x17 inch photos. Many people wondered if the student photos were taken by me or some other adult. Some people also asked if the students prints were available for purchase. You can contact the students if you wish. I have also included my site and blog at the bottom so that you can see that I did not do the work. My photos look different than the student work. Students do almost all of their work. If I took their pictures or edited their photos, it would be the same thing as answering questions on their test. I don't do it.

First Period Weebly Sites

Second Period Weebly Sites

Third Period Weebly Sites

Priyanka Bajaj: pabphotography.weebly.com
Mahad Belgaumi: mbphotoz.weebly.com
Pavi Bhatter: bhatterup.weebly.com
Carlye Chan: carlyechanphotography.weebly.com
Gracie Chan: gchannnn.weebly.com
Derek Che: http://www.msj-derek-che-photography.com/
Simar Chhabra: simarsphotos.weebly.com
Mansi Chopra: mansichopra.weebly.com
Connie Chou: chouconnie88.weebly.com
Varsha Dinesh: varshmallowphotography.weebly.com
Catherine Hou: cathyhou15.weebly.com
Ethan Hu: ethahu123.weebly.com
Alexander Lee: we-int.weebly.com
Katherine Lin: klin2015.weebly.com
Andrew Liu: aliuser.weebly.com
Barry Liu: xx-barry-xx.weebly.com
Preeti Mal: preetimal.weebly.com
Kevan Mathis: kevanmathisphotography.weebly.com
Aarti Panda: aartipandaphotos.weebly.com
Shriva Patel: shrivapatel.weebly.com
Judith Silverberg-Rajna: judithmargit.weebly.com
Hugh Smith: omnom725.weebly.com
Jason Stiltz: gr8j8.weebly.com
Rudrik Suthar: rudriksutharmsjphotography.weebly.com
Jasmit Tamber: jasmittamberpics.weebly.com
Alexander (Junior) Wei: capnjumper.weebly.com
Lucas Williams: missionphotoclass.weebly.com
Hong Wu: happyhongie13.weebly.com
Jason Wu: jasonwuphotography.weebly.com
Anita Yen: anitayenphotography.weebly.com
Henry Yu: henryyuphoto.weebly.com
Yilong (Gary) Zeng: yilongzeng.weebly.com

4th Period

My photo blog here.

You can see my photography website here.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Reflection - Presentation Project

Submit a complete piece of paper that I can easily read

Did you receive an email approval from me?
When?
Did you send me 5 print ready images that were 17 x 11 inches and were at least 240 dpi or ppi?
Did you post 5 web ready images on your weebly website in a gallery or portfolio?
Did you put those same 5 web ready images on your Blogger blog post with a link to your weebly website?
Are your blogger and weebly links in your gmail signature?
What is one thing that you will remember about this project?
What do you want to do for your final project?
What is your weebly web address
Describe your best photo from this project

Send one email addressed to Cara, M.C. and Haroon with your weebly link and the blog post that includes your five web ready photos. Please cc me on the same email. ONLY send one email.

Submit your papers to one of those three and they will organize them in alphabetical order. Due before class is over.

4th period send your emails to Cara, M.C. and Haroon
3rd period send your emails to Cat, Lucas and Kat
2nd period send your emails to Rashi, Ryen and Mohini
1st period send your emails to Anish, Ashley and Aileen

Friday, May 15, 2015

Presentation Project

On May 21st, Mission San Jose High School will have the Spring Expo. The Digital Photography program will finish a project in time for the expo.

I will assume that you are working on your own, unless I approve your group project. You may work with any amount of people, but your project must be more complicated for each group member you add. The project can be a commercial shoot or a photo story. I must approve the project before you begin.

If you do not have an email confirming the project, the project has not been approved.

You will provide five print ready photos and five web ready photos for your weebly gallery. The photos may be the same, but their dimensions will vary. The photos will have a specific theme that I must approve. (see note above.)

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Depth of Field - Aperture

Depth of Field Study - In my garden

What is an aperture? Can you guess the aperture setting on each photo? How do you know? Why is it important?

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

First Commercial Shoot

Due Friday May 8
Choose a project group of 3 or 4 members
Select an inspiration from a commercial shoot
One person from the group will send me your choice and cc the other group members
5 photos total from your group's first commercial shoot.
Each person must take one of the 5 total pictures.
One of the photos must be print ready (11x17)
This is a project grade... if the assignment is late, you will lose 15 percent of the grade for each class day.

Post all of the images on your Blogger blog and credit the photographer who shot each image (include the photographer's name and blogger site.)

We will share work at the end of class Friday

Our first commercial shoot was inspired by Dave Hill's Vanity Fair Hollywood Edition Photo Shoot.

We have studied other fashion and commercial photographers. Some students chose well known fashion photographers for their Masters of Photography project. (for example, Irvin Penn)

I am including an ongoing list of photographers and sites for your group to use.
In the second section of the Dave Hill documentary, Hill shot Film Noir inspired images. I have included photographer George Hurrell so that you can learn more about this time period.
You can search Vogue Magazine's photographer list and see Irvin Penn and many others.

We watched a few Annie Leibovitz videos, including this B-Roll video. How did the production team improve the photo?

We also learned how to use a softbox different ways.

Below are some photos of our class at work

Friday, April 24, 2015

Creating Your Website

Digital Photo students will begin creating their websites this week. By the end of the week, students will have created their site and their "about me" page. Students will send me the link before class ends Friday.

Three students from each of the four Digital Photo classes met online and decided to use Weebly for our class websites. The twelve students will communicate other decisions in the future.

If students have not been able to complete the assignment before Friday, students can refer to these images I took last year. After the student chooses the weebly subdomain, the student continues to the new site and adds "about me" information. Each student has already chosen their best photo to use on the new website.

Please replace the template photos on the site so that you have created all photos, with the possible exception of your profile photo. If one of your classmates took your profile photo, please seek permission and give proper credit.

Be prepared to explain why you deserve a high grade for your project. Why is it good?

Thursday, April 23, 2015

And the winner for Best Picture

Before you create your Weebly website, you will choose your best photo and research other photographers' websites. (The online group of twelve Photo 1 students decided to use Weebly instead of Wix.)

1. Choose your best picture - this one photo will tell the viewer who you are as a photographer (this is the most difficult part of the assignment). It is the first image people will see when launching your website.
2. Post your post picture in a Blogger blog post (before creating your Weeebly site)
3. Find five About (or Info) pages of photographers that you like. Post those links. (This is an individual assignment)

We are going to share our best pictures at the beginning of class; then you will create your Weebly site and add your best picture to your Weebly photography website (do not chose the weebly blog option.

When you are finished with this assignmentt,email the link

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Photo Story MCW

Your Multi-cultural Week photo story is due today; however, I extended the deadline to the beginning of class tomorrow. You are graded on image quality and your ability to tell a story.

You were to tell a story with 5 to 7 pictures. Last week I gave the example using the booth that sold Kentucky Fried Chicken.

5 to 7 images

Boxes of chicken (at the KFC)
People buying chicken
People eating the chicken
People throwing chicken boxes
People cleaning up the booth\
People dancing like a chicken (this image can be anywhere and/or included throughout. For example, someone could dance like a chicken while eating chicken)

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Movie Monday - Eugene Smith

Last Monday we began watching the W. Eugene Smith documentary "Photography Made Difficult." Gene Smith was a master photo storyteller who often spent weeks preparing stories. His photo essays are classics. Last week, we studied his 1948 photo essay Country Doctor.

Today you will continue watching the documentary. (If for some reason, you are unable to watch any video, continue working on your photo story that is due at the beginning of class Tuesday.)

Part 3.
Part 4
Part 5a
Part 5b

Last week, we also learned that "after Smith learned how to make a single beautiful photograph, he became a master a telling stories with groups of photos. So, what is your best single photo? You do not need to answer this question on Monday, but you will need to answer this question a few more times before you finish the school year.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Story with a photo - and then your title

Begin class by reviewing Eugene Smith's Country Doctor photo essay (or photo story).

I will share my recent blog post and my story telling process.

Practice

telling

your story

by telling stories

Today you will post one of your photos and write something about the photo. Publish and share the post. Tell me when you are done.

Please do not title the post "and then your title"

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

MSJMCW Story

Write a story
Share a story
Tell me you are finished

When you finish, research Eugene Smith's Country Doctor photo essay (or photo story).

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Shutter Speed and Everything After

Synthesizing your lessons.
Pair with someone not in your group.

In the post, mention your partner or partners.

Lens Blog Photo
1. Fast or slow - why?
2. One rule of composition per person, with an explanation.
3. Element of Art - list one with an explanation
4. Principle of Design - list one with an explanation

Each person post on your blog... first twenty five minutes of class.

On the same post, publish one photo from "Tuesday with Farley's Kids"
In the caption area, list (or guess) the shutter speed.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

April Fools

Monday, March 30, 2015

Movie Monday - Lens Blog Videos

Mad Men: The Carousel
First Video about fashion photographer Arthur Elgort

The Importance of Failure
Our Man in Tehran More Videos

Monday, March 23, 2015

Movie Monday Half Past Autumn Part 3 and 4

Today we will finish Gordon Parks' - Half Past Autumn

Please begin the class by browsing the Gordon Parks Foundation site and read his biography.

For the last section, answer the following questions. Post the answers in a blog post after the segment.

Part 3 and 4

What is your definition of successful?
What have you given up to become successful?
What did Parks give up to become successful?
Who was Genevieve Young's father?
How much was Parks advanced to write his first book (and eventual best-selling autobiography)?
How much money did Elijah Muhammad offer Parks to do a story on The Nation of Islam?
Why did Parks refuse the money?
What was significant about the movie The Learning Tree?
What was significant about the character Shaft?
What was Gordon Parks' choice of weapons?
What reason did Genevieve Young give for the divorce?
In 1984, Parks directed Solomon Northrup's Odyssey. What recent feature film told the same story?
Who was Gordon Parks, jr?
What is your favorite Gordon Parks photo?
What will you remember about Gordon Parks in ten years?

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Daily Participation Expections

Classroom Expectations

On time, On task.
Do your own work (Don't steal or "borrow" pictures)
Be helpful
Participate in class; participate with your group
Problem Solve/ Identify Problems

Students meet my average expectations by doing the first three items on the list. Students meet my above average expectations by participating in class and with their group. Students exceed expectations by identifying and solving problems and doing the other four items.

Phone - You may use your phone only for photography assignments
Classwork from different classes - May you work on other assignments when you are finished with your photography assignments? Yes, but you are never finished with your photography assignments. (If you think you have finished, study the masters, research technique or your personal photography interests.)
Photography Assignments in your other classes - I expect that you will not disrupt your other classes by doing photography projects in other classes. This is not the time to study for your other classes.
Do you remember signing the appropriate computer use contract? We can provide a copy.
When contacting the teacher about a grade or important issue, please send the message to his school email. (I have two.)
Food and drink should be kept away from the computers.
When taking pictures outside with your group, students

leave with their group
stay with their group
return with their group

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Principles of Design - Structures

We have started shooting The Principles of Design. (Here is one common list. )

You will create a separate blog post for each Principle of Design.
You will photograph a structure that illustrates your understanding of each principle. A structure can be a building, bench, or fence for example. The structure does not always need to be the entire part of the picture, but the structure needs to appear in the photo.

For your assignment to be complete, you will include the Camera Raw edits (for example, how much did you increase or decrease exposure), the edited photo and an explanation of how your photo meets the principle of design.

bf

Balance

Emphasis

Movement

Pattern
Repetition
Proportion
Rhythm
Variety
Unity

Friday, March 6, 2015

Elements of Art - Plant Life

We have been learning The Elements of Art by photographing plant life. Compared to rules of composition, the elements of art are consistent across artistic disciplines and languages. (There are some lists that also include Perspective)

For each assignment, photograph plant life and emphasize the element of art.
Edit the photo in Camera Raw and include your edits.
Create a separate post for each Element of Art. You may include more than one photo for each element if you wish, but you many not use the same photo twice.

After the final day, I will begin posting some of my photos from our shoots. The photos appear below the description of the element.

bf

Line - a line can be straight or curved; it is probably the "simplest," but not necessarily the easiest element to reproduce.

Shape -

Form -

Space - The area around object (often called "negative space"). My attempts to describe space are similar to my attempts to define wind. We can often see the result of space.

Blossoms at Mission San Jose HS, with LGG3

Exposure -15
Contrast +27
Highlights +27
Shadows +32

Color - Our students used the Twister game wheel.
4th Period (Green bottom left corner)

Green, "right foot" (lower right quadrant)

Texture -

To see other examples, a former Instagram Community Evangelist work.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Half Past Autumn - Gordon Parks pt 1 and 2

Movie Monday - Half Past Autumn

Post the answers in a blog post after the segment. You can continue adding responses to the same post after future segments.

On the day Gordon Parks was born, how did the doctor save Gordon's life?
Where was Gordon born? (what state?)
What did Gordon's class adviser, Ms. McClintock, tell him about college?
How old was Gordon when his mother died?
Where did Gordon move after his mother died?
Did Gordon graduate from college?
How did Gordon begin his fashion photography career?
What is a "double exposure?"
Who was boxer Joe Louis?
What instrument did Gordon play?
What was the purpose of the Farm Security Administration?
When Roy Stryker hired Gordon for the FSA, what was Stryker's first assignment for Gordon in Washington, D.C.?
Who was Ella Watson?
What was the inspiration for Grant Wood's American Gothic?
What did Gordon learn from Stryker about photography?

to 21:44

16. When did the FSA shut down?
17. After Gordon moved to New York, what magazine did he shoot for?
18. Who was the picture editor of Life Magazine when Gordon walked into the Life Magazine office?
19. What was the first major story Parks covered for Life Magazine?
20. Who were some of the artists that Gordon Parks mentioned influenced his work after he moved to the Paris Life Magazine bureau?
21. How did Parks shoot fashion when he lived in France?
22.Where was Parks' concerto performed?
23. Who was Parks' second wife? (Who was her father? What did she do?)
24. How old was Flavio de Silva when Parks met him?
25. When did Parks meet Flavio?
26. Where did Flavio live when Parks first met Flavio and his family?
27. How is Gloria Vanderbilt? Who is her famous son? Who are her ancestors?
28. How did Vanderbilt describe their relationship?

to 48:00

Part 3

What is your definition of successful?
What have you given up to become successful?
What did Parks give up to become successful?
How much was Parks advanced to write his first book (and eventual best-selling autobiography)?
How much money did Elijah Muhammad offer Parks to do a story on The Nation of Islam?
Why did Parks refuse the money?

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Communications Assignment

Before I started using email, I collected mail. I still collect mail. Now I also collect messages online. I have several email addresses and websites. I stop using some email addresses when I change jobs. I lost thousands of saved email addresses when my email server changed a few years ago. Some of my email addresses just fade away.

Online communication was marketed as a tool to make our lives easier. Perhaps that has happened. Online communication has also made it easier for our lives to be more clutter.

Today we will clean up some of the clutter. Each person will fix their email signature. The signature should include the student name, grade, school and blog link.

Each student adds a link list with the blog links of the current group members. Each group members verifies all of the links on the link list. By verify, I mean that you click on the link. If it does not work, fix it.

As we say in 3rd Period, "Remember, that computer is more expensive than your shoes."

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Top 5 Photos Ranking by Group

Each group will rank the top five photos from the Lens Blog Empowering the Poor and post the group's choices in order.

Include the links to each photo, not simply the gallery.

Post today! Each group leader verifies that the assignment is complete before we rank the posters.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Photos for Compositing

Use these photos when practicing Photo Composites, as shown in Julieanne Kost's tutorial. Composites can be digital or analog. They can be realistic or surreal. Photoshop started before digital cameras. Jerry Uelsmann used film (analog) to create surrealist images. Other photographers, such as Ralph Clevenger creates composites with composites that appear more realistic. (Note: not all of Ralph's images are composites.)

This picture was taken this morning with my cell phone. All the other images were taken with my 5dMarkII

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

New Students - Favorites

Today you will select a "Favorite Photo" from the Lens blog post called "From Smartphones to Museum Walls." Please read the Lens article too. (It mentions the Photo League.) Choose one photo and write your own blog post with a title. Include a link to the photo and provide three (3) reasons that this photo is your favorite.

In the Comment Section below, write the photo number that you chose as your favorite.

You may read more about the traveling (or is it mobile?) exhibit that is currently at the Columbus Museum of Art.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Movie Monday - The Photo League

Ordinary Miracles - The Photo League

What was The Photo League's credo?
What organization did The Photo League separate from?
What was the workshop?
Who taught "the workshop?"
If you were to devote one year of your life to one project, what project is worth your time and energy?
What was The Harlem Document?
Who started The Harlem Document?
A photographer discusses a photograph where "the children looked like they came out of a __________ painting. Who was the painter?
Why did the photograph mentioned in #8 look like it was by the painter?
Who was Lewis Hine? (name two significant contributions)
Who was Weegee?
How did The League change when The Nazis took power?
How did The League change during WWII?
How did Siskind change after WWII?
What was the Saturday Evening post?
Who was Barbara Morgan? What did she photograph?
What eventually undermined the Photo League?
What was the "Growing Menace" mentioned in the film?
Who agreed to serve as President when The League was under investigation?
What happened to the league?

Notice these things too

The picture of Chicks Candy Store and the Charlotte Russe
Henry James
Frank Capra
Glenn Miller and The Andrews Sisters
The Photo Hunt
The Munich Agreement
Alfred Stiegligtz
Daguerre