BARTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

I. GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

Course Number:      ARTS 1246 Course Title:            Digital Photography I Credit Hours:           3 credit hours Prerequisites:          None. Division/Discipline: Liberal Arts and Sciences/Art Course Description: This course covers the visual and technical aspects of digital photography. Students will learn about exposure, depth of field, resolution, white balance settings, file compression, formats, composition, and design. They will also learn about digital image acquisition, manipulation, storage, display, and the ethics of the digital image process.

II. CLASSROOM POLICY

Students and faculty of Barton Community College constitute a special community engaged in the process of education.  The college assumes that its students and faculty will demonstrate a code of personal honor that is based upon courtesy, integrity, common sense, and respect for others both within and outside the classroom. 

The college reserves the right to suspend a student for conduct that is detrimental to the college’s educational endeavors as outlined in the college catalog. 

Plagiarism on any academic endeavors at Barton Community College will not be tolerated.  Learn the rules of, and avoid instances of, intentional or unintentional plagiarism. 

Anyone seeking an accommodation under provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify Student Support Services.

III. COURSE AS VIEWED IN THE TOTAL CURRICULUM

Students interested in this class should have a working knowledge of the photographic process, a computer operating system, access to a scanner or digital processing center, and This course will acquaint you with the exciting world of digital photography and provide you with a learning opportunity to use it as a rewarding hobby and/or as a skill for current or future employment. Photography is a creative medium, which is equal parts communication and expression. You will discover the greatest asset to you is your eye: the way you see, the ability to use the textures from everyday life, to imagine a moment in time frozen in your lens/screen. You will also find creative challenges using the image enhancing software when you manipulate and enhance your images. Digital Photography I can be used to fulfill general education degree requirements as a depth studio humanities course in the area of fine arts.

This course may be used to help fulfill program requirements for some degrees. General education requirements and the transferability of all college courses will vary among institutions, and perhaps even among departments, colleges, or programs within an institution. Institutional requirements may also change without prior notification. Students are responsible to obtain relevant information from intended transfer institutions to insure that the courses the student enrolls in are the most appropriate set of courses for the transfer program.

IV. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING / COURSE OUTCOMES

Barton Community College is committed to the assessment of student learning and to quality education. Assessment activities provide a means to develop an understanding of how students learn, what they know, and what they can do with their knowledge. Results from these various activities guide Barton, as a learning college, in finding ways to improve student learning. 

The student will: 

1. Develop an understanding, appreciation, and mastery of the technical and creative aspects of the digital photographic process.

2. Create digital images from standard photographs and enhance those photos.

3. The student will use the medium of digital photography to seek answers to creative questions using experimentation, observation, and discovery.

4. Use knowledge of the principles and elements of design to evaluate the compositional make-up of your photographs to produce a photograph that has balance, proportion, and that is clear uncomplicated and precise.

5. Develop an understanding and application of digital editing software used to develop, enhance, and refine the image.

V. COURSE COMPETENCIES

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to: 

1. Identify the controls of a digital camera. 

2. Identify how to download or capture digital images to a computer. 

3. Identify digital file formats. 

4. Identify and use the different digital storage media. 

5. Identify the different digital shooting and scene assist modes. 

6. Demonstrate how to capture a conventional photograph into a digital image. 

7. Identify and employ proper use ethical behavior when employing, incorporating, and modifying digital images. 

8. Demonstrate how to control sharpness, color temperature, color balance. 

9. Identify the types of lenses available for photography. 

10. Demonstrate the use of light and/or flash. 

11. Identify the different exposure settings and how the use of different aperture, shutter settings and film speeds affect the final image. 

12. Demonstrate how resolution and the compression of the image affect your final photographic image. 

13. Demonstrate using computer software to enhance and manipulate a digital image. 

14. Identify care and maintenance of digital cameras. 

15. Demonstrate an electronic transfer of a digital image.

VI. INSTRUCTOR’S EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS IN CLASS

BARTonline distance learning classes are designed in weekly blocks. This concept allows the student to complete the assignments any time during the seven-day block period.

Students are expected to complete all required reading, take required quizzes, submit completed photo projects, and participate in required threaded discussions on a weekly basis. Work that is submitted late (after 11:59 CST on the last day of the weekly block) will not be graded.

A DSLR or (compact camera with manual (PASM) modes) or access to one is required. A phone camera, no matter how expensive, or how many megapixels, will not suffice.

In the event of technical problems or natural disaster, contact the instructor by phone at 785.784.6606 ext 718, or send an E-mail to: [email protected]. Late work can be prearranged if the student contacts the instructor before the due date. 

Courteous participation in course threaded discussions is the standard. Disruptive and/or offensive behavior in the electronic medium will not be tolerated.

VII. TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS

The Digital Photography Book, by S. Kelby, Peachpit Press, Second Edition, 2012. (ISBN: 978-0321934949)

You may order your book from our online bookstore by clicking the following link: http://bartonccc.textbookx.com/institutional/index.php# 

You will need to know the course number - ARTS 1246 

Ordering via this Barton County Community College Virtual Bookstore is an easy, convenient, and money-saving method to order your course materials. However, if you prefer to order via the telephone, please call 800-325-3252 to place your credit card order.

VIII. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION

Shooting Assignments Shooting assignments require you to take 1-10 NEW photographs each week based on that week's lesson. That means NEW photos that YOU took that week...period. If you have a photo you want to share or discuss, feel free to add it, but it will not count toward fulfilling the assignment Gallery Discussions Gallery discussions are two week long discussions that allow you and your peers to discuss concepts, techniques, and your own photos. Since most online students do their work over the weekends, the discussions are two weeks long to allow you time to post and respond to other posts, hence the term discussion. Unit Reviews Each week there is a very short unit review that reinforces the concepts discussed that week. Pay close attention and review the questions you miss. The review questions bear a striking resemblance to questions on the mid-term and final exam. Tests There will be a mid-term test at the end of Unit 4 and a final exam at the end of the course. Please make sure you understand the questions you have missed on your reviews before you take either exam.

IX. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND LATE WORK

Class attendance in Barton distance learning classes is measured primarily by student participation in threaded discussion and submission of weekly assignments. Timely submission of assignments and participation in discussions will be a major factor in your final course grade.  Post discussion entries often and early. Work that is submitted late (after Midnight CST on the last day of the weekly block) will not be evaluated. In the event of technical problems or natural disaster contact the instructor by phone at 785.784.6606 ext 718, or send an E-mail to: [email protected]. If you plan on dropping the class, you must use the drop/add link that is located on the left side of your BARTONline home page. Please review the drop/add dates and refund policy that is contained in the academic calendar portion of the bartonline.org web site.

X. COURSE OUTLINE

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