Conceptual photography is a type of fine art photography. It is about work that starts with a concept or an idea and usually challenges the artist’s creativity and imagination. For this project, students draw topics then create two ideas for a conceptual image. For a preparatory activity, students create two sketches with a plan. Next, students execute their plan to create the conceptual challenge image and edit in post production. Students write about their process in a blog post with original and edited images. Finally, students print and mount an 8x12 image and present it in class. Conceptual projects are judged by several groups and awards are announced at the final reception.
EDITING TIPS: Be sure to reserve plenty of time to edit, merge and fine tune them in post production. Remember to reduce your computer screen brightness when edit photos to 50 – 65% (depending on how bright your monitor is) so it won’t appear to dark on other computers and when you print this. You will likely need to lighten your shadows so the detail is not lost when it is printed. You will also need to sharpen the image or it might print a bit blurry. We will demo these edits in class.
Google it: Conceptual Photography
You may want to check Erik Johansson’s work: http://www.erikjohanssonphoto.com/
Equipment
DLSR Camera; Tripod; Auxilary light
Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom
Instructions
1. TO START
Students will draw three words (noun, verb and adjective), then choose two words to make a total of five words. The challenge is to create a conceptual image that tells a story that includes all five words, without writing the words on the image.
2. SKETCH YOUR IDEA
Sketching is an important step of the design process. The best photographers always plan ahead their photoshoots and many of them use the sketching process to do so. Erik Johansson is a great example of a professional conceptual photographer that plans ahead and sketches his ideas before going out to shoot.
Here is an example of how he sketched and idea, planned the composition, the highlights, and the shadows of his picture before shooting.
3. EXECUTE YOUR CONCEPT
Execute your idea and create one final conceptual photograph. Then make a blog post that includes your sketches, original images, your final edited image, and your process.
4. BLOG POST
Write a detailed process,with at least two paragraphs discussing your conceptual challenge process. Include the final image near the top at large display size. Then show all original images used at medium or thumbnail size (be sure they are clickable to view them larger) Your conceptual image should include all the basic requirements.
5. SUBMISSION:
– Follow the Submission Process
– Before 9am Wednesday, choose your best photo (only one) from this project and add it to the correct Class Facebook album. NOTE: Go to Photos > Albums — in the left upper column of the FB Group.
CAUTION: Your assignment is not complete until you submit it here. However, you are allowed a one-time extension, if you choose to use your mulligan. (See syllabus). We check your blog post for completion right at the deadline, so please do not add things after submitting your link, until it has been graded. In accordance with Comm Dept. policy, late work will not be accepted.
Rubric
NOTE: Meeting the minimum requirements is “average” and constitutes an 80% or B- grade, according to the University Grading Guide. To receive a higher grade, students should excel. However, quality and/or difficulty is more important than quantity.
√ SIZING: Photos sized to 1024 pixels on the long side. First part of jpeg filename is student’s name. Example: JakeSpencer-Tetons.jpg. Photos displayed at “Large” size in blog post, per instructions in Week 1 > Photo Blog Instructions. Photos are clickable.
√ PROCESS: Detailed paragraph (3-5 sentences) about the process; Detailed Labels : Title, DTP, Focal Length, Fstop, SS, Camera.
√ INSTRUCTIONS: 1+ final conceptual image from given words; original images;
√ PHOTO QUALITY: Light – Focus – Composition – Creativity
√ APPROPRIATE EDITS for professional display
√ SUBMISSION: Link submitted was a true hyperlink and linked directly to the completed blog post. Best photo in FB by 9am Wednesday.
CAUTION: YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL YOU SUBMIT A LINK TO IT HERE. However, you are allowed a one-time extension, if you choose to use your mulligan. Please read about it in the syllabus. We check your blog post for completion right at the deadline, so please do not add things later. Everything needs to be complete when you post the link.