Academic Catalog

PHOT 57B: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2024
Units: 4
Hours: 3 lecture, 3 laboratory per week (72 total per quarter)
Advisory: PHOT 5 and PHOT 72, or equivalent experience.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • A successful student will organize and manage photographic exhibition of students work in cooperation with fellow students.
  • A successful student will create support materials to match student's goals in photography including but not limited to postcards, websites, resumes and business cards.

Description

Organization of photographic work from prior classes and projects to meet individual goals, including transfer, exhibition, and employment. Development of professional materials, such as resume, website, and business cards, as well as finalization of a photographic portfolio. Develop support materials for applications and exhibitions. Share work with photography community through exhibition or other methods of display.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Organize past successful work and portfolios into a diversified portfolio or portfolios demonstrating a proficiency in photography and appropriate to individual goals in photography
  2. Discuss and evaluate student's work and the work of fellow students with instructor and peers
  3. Conduct information interview with someone in the field of photography
  4. Present a paper addressing personal goals in photography
  5. Develop support material to meet student's goals, including but not limited to business cards, resumes, exhibition announcements, websites, CDs, and artist statements
  6. Present a portfolio in a competent and professional manner, all photographs appropriately prepared for exhibition as directed by the instructor with support materials suitable to goals in field

Course Content

  1. Review of current field of photography
    1. Educational opportunities
    2. Exhibition opportunities
      1. Non-profit galleries
      2. Commercial galleries
      3. Alternative spaces
      4. Web spaces/digital options
    3. Employment opportunities
      1. Overview of self-employment
      2. Overview various photographic occupations
  2. Goal setting
    1. Development of personal goals for photographic career
    2. Development of business/action plan to meet these goals
  3. Development of support materials for individual goals
    1. Resume
    2. Artist statement
    3. Business card
    4. Digital presentation of images
    5. Copy slides
    6. Press releases
    7. Researching contact people/institutions
  4. Feedback
    1. Discussion/practice in giving/receiving feedback
    2. Implement information gained from class critique and discussion
    3. Guidance in sensitizing student to the importance of input from diverse cultures and backgrounds in enriching the aesthetic content of a project in the arts
  5. The finished portfolio
    1. Review presentation techniques, both traditional and non-traditional
    2. Preparation for exhibition
    3. Produce chosen support materials for career advancement
  6. The exhibition
    1. Working collaboratively with faculty and fellow students
    2. Securing an exhibition space
    3. Sequencing, hanging, presenting exhibition
    4. Shipping techniques
    5. Pricing work

Lab Content

Lab hours consist of one or more of the following options:

  1. Students will work in the traditional or digital lab on to improve images for portfolio and/or exhibition
  2. Student will meet one-on-one or in small groups with instructor for feedback
  3. Students will have discussions on trends in the field and on promotional techniques
  4. Students will prepare promotional materials for own and group events; plan and implement events
  5. Students will attend exhibitions (both independently and as a class). Students will then write summaries based on their exhibit attendance
  6. Students will conduct and informational interview with a role model in the field of photography and share results with class

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. For students working in traditional media, a photographic laboratory equipped for color and black & white printing, and for finishing photographs.
2. For students working in electronic media, a computer lab equipped with computer, scanner, printer, and related software.
3. Space to assemble and organize the student portfolio during open labs and/or as arranged by the student with other instructors. Exhibition wall space, a room suitable for slide projection, and/or a room suitable for computer screen display, as dictated by particular portfolio needs.
4. When taught via Foothill Global Access, on-going access to computer with email software and hardware; email address.

Method(s) of Evaluation

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

Presentation of portfolio (slide/digital and print)
Participation in class discussions and critiques
Presentation of goals and plan for reaching these goals
Student resume, artist's statement, other support materials
Informational interview
Participation in exhibition(s) or other display of work

Method(s) of Instruction

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

Lecture presentations and classroom discussion of all aspects of presenting and promoting a portfolio, from goal setting to final presentation
Critique and discussion of photographs
Presentation by students about a photographer followed by in-class discussion and evaluation

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Melber, Jonathan, and Heather Bhandari. ART/WORK: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career. 2009.

Sanders, Dane. Fast Track Photographer, Revised and Expanded Edition: Leverage Your Unique Strengths for a More Successful Photography Business. 2010.

Kleon, Austin. Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered. 2014.

Although these texts are older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, they remain seminal texts in this area of study.

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

  1. Reading assignments from course text(s) and journals in the field
  2. Gallery/museum reports
  3. Review of handouts and support materials
  4. Review of websites about photographers and photographic organizations

Discipline(s)

Photography