Academic Catalog

PHOT 7A: DARKROOM I

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2025
Units: 4
Hours: 3 lecture, 3 laboratory per week (72 total per quarter)
Advisory: This course is included in the Analog Photography family of activity courses; not open to students with credit in PHOT 1.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable
Formerly: PHOT 1

Student Learning Outcomes

  • A successful student will demonstrate the ability to apply introductory-level photographic and darkroom techniques to communicate ideas through analog black and white photography.
  • A successful student will demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the history, aesthetics and work of photographers from diverse backgrounds working with black and white analog photographic processes.

Description

Fundamentals of black and white still photography. Introduction to the historical development of the medium and the role that photography has played in shaping social issues and its effect on culture. Practical investigation of photography's potential to contribute to personal visual expression. Exposure to multiple perspectives on photography as practiced and exploration of contributions by photographers from diverse cultures. Topics cover visual culture, photographic seeing, camera operation, use of aperture and shutter settings for aesthetic and exposure control, film processing, and printing.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Describe the applications of photography and basic tools and resources used in photography today.
  2. Identify influential photographers, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and their styles.
  3. Use a camera with technical control of film, aperture, and shutter speed appropriate to various lighting conditions to achieve specific visual effects.
  4. Develop film to industry standards.
  5. Create full-scale prints.
  6. Compose imaginative photographs to fulfill specific assignments.
  7. Communicate personal expression through the photographic medium.
  8. Discuss the significance that photography has had on past and current social concerns and beliefs.
  9. Recognize and appreciate the motivations, concerns, and differences between selected photographers.
  10. Understand how to approach and critique photographs made by others and formulate intelligent interpretations.

Course Content

  1. The role of photography in contemporary life
    1. What photography is and is not; how it differs from other media and art forms
    2. How photographs record space and time
    3. Genres of photography, including documentary, fashion, journalism, fine art, and scientific, and their place in the history of art and communication
    4. Major styles, subject matter, and techniques in photography
    5. Historical development of the medium, including influential photographers from different cultures and backgrounds
  2. Learning the language of photography and how to "see" rather than merely "look"
    1. Use of natural light
    2. Composition basics
    3. Elements of design
  3. How the camera records an image
    1. Attributes of different films
    2. The Exposure Triangle: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, and how they work together
    3. How to control depth of field using aperture settings for creative effects
    4. How to control motion using shutter speed for creative effects
    5. The Daylight Exposure System, or the "Sunny 16 Rule"
  4. Techniques of processing negatives
    1. Lab procedures, including proper handling of equipment and chemicals and environmental concerns
    2. Time, temperature, and dilution of chemicals as controllers of negative densities and contrast
  5. Printing from negatives
    1. Printing procedures and proper use of chemicals
    2. Printing techniques, including the use of filters, burning, and dodging
  6. Critique artistic photographs and place them within a larger social and cultural context
    1. Appreciation of how the photograph can reflect and portray individuality
    2. Factors and approaches in evaluating and critiquing photographs
    3. Resources for viewing photographs, including galleries, museums, books, periodicals, zines, and digital platforms
    4. Explore the motivations and concerns of photographers, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures, who have made significant contributions to the field of photography

Lab Content

  1. Film development, including the proper mixing and disposal of chemicals
  2. Photographic printing, including the proper mixing and disposal of chemicals
  3. Print finishing techniques
  4. Field trips to museums and/or galleries
  5. Image sharing and technique discussions
  6. Development of skills in the expressive photographic print

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Cameras suitable for natural light film photography.
2. Light-proof laboratory areas equipped for processing film, printing enlargements, and finishing prints.
3. Stocks of all required chemicals and facilities for mixing and storing same.
4. For all sections of this course, students will need access to a computer with internet connectivity and access to the college's learning management system.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

The course grade is based on the technical and aesthetic quality of photographs submitted for specific assignments
Additional methods include written papers, objectively-scored quizzes, final exam, class participation
Demonstration of involvement in the course material through written and verbal critiques of projects and assignments, followed by the instructor's evaluation of both the project and the critique
Oral presentation of photographer

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture presentations and classroom discussion using the language of photography
Demonstration and practice of photographic techniques in the classroom, field, and darkroom
Group presentations of projects followed by in-class discussion and evaluation
Virtual discussions and/or chat to support learning
Field trips to locations for practice and learning as needed

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Marquardt, Chris, and Monika Andrae. The Film Photography Handbook, 3rd ed.. 2022.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Gallery/museum reports
  2. Review of handouts and relevant reading material
  3. Research and planning of individual creative projects
  4. Reading and study of the textbook
  5. Paper on the life of a photographer
  6. Reflections on learning and procedures in written form

Discipline(s)

Photography