87569 VC Alternative Photographic Practices

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2022 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Design
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Description

This subject requires students to experiment with a range of photographic capturing and processing techniques used in professional practice. With a focus on art direction and innovative problem-solving, students research and apply a range of digital and analogue photographic processes relevant to the theoretical and conceptual frameworks presented throughout the lectures. Through a series of practical exercises, students develop an understanding of experimental image-making, and photographic and visual narrative, and expand their ability to link their practice to a globally oriented visual communication context.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1.	Communicate work through written presentation
2.	Communicate work through oral presentation
3.	Execute range and quality in visual processing
4.	Appropriately challenge convention through design
5.	Utilise appropriate levels of technical skills
6.	Demonstrate professional work practices
7.	Develop well-supported arguments and rationales
8.	Critically reflect on practice
9.	Accurately reference secondary sources using Harvard UTS style

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

Work cooperatively and professionally as part of a team, initiate partnerships with others, take a leadership role when required, and constructively contribute to peer learning. (C.1)
Communicate an informed well-researched viewpoint. (C.2)
Create designs that respond to their context in formally or conceptually innovative ways. (I.1)
Advance ideas through an exploratory and iterative design process. (I.2)
An ability to critique your own work and the work of others with reference to standards drawn from contemporary design practice. (P.1)
Independently engage in self-directed learning and select and apply appropriate methodologies specific to the project. (P.4)
Employ a range of qualitative research approaches including practice-led visual and material exploration and social and participatory methods. (R.2)

Teaching and learning strategies

Weekly sessions of 3 hours. The sessions will combine lectures and supervised projects in both tutorial rooms and in the photographic darkroom. Students experientially achieve an introductory level of knowledge and expertise through a self-directed choice of alternative photographic practices, with an emphasis on analogue photo imaging practices. Projects are briefed and supported by lectures; guest presentations; case studies and external visits as required.

Lectures introduce key principles and dimensions of professional work practices in photography and alternative practices that challenge these conventions, through case studies situated within broader social and cultural contexts. They will add to your understanding of and give your work meaning in a contemporary global setting.

Tutorials: Students work both individually and collaboratively in group exercises in the tutorial and darkroom, and engage in low stakes collaborative peer feedback throughout the semester. Projects and exercises cover ways of identifying and balancing the many requirements of successful communication of information and ideas.

Pre-work: The program includes pre-work sections each week that describe what you need to do to prepare for and bring to lectures and tutorials. Learning activities variously engage students in secondary research, online discussion, peer-group critique on work in progress and presentations. At the end of each session, please read the Pre-work section for the next session. Pre-tutorial resources and subject materials are accessible via UTS Online.

Collaborative Work and Peer feedback: This subject involves non-assessable collaborative activities, such as group discussions and giving and receiving feedback on each other’s work.

Assessment feedback: Students will have several opportunities to receive feedback during the subject. The feedback provided will vary in form, purpose and in its degree of formality:

Formative feedback will be provided during the learning process, typically provided verbally by the subject's teaching staff. It will address the content of work and a student's approach to learning, both in general and more specific ‘assessment orientated’ terms. It is designed to help students improve their performance in time for the submission of an assessment item. For this to occur students need to respond constructively to the feedback provided. This involves critically reflecting on advice given and in response altering the approach taken to a given assessment. Formative feedback may also, on occasion, be provided by other students. It is delivered informally, either in conversation during a tutorial or in the course of discussion at the scale of the whole class. It is the student’s responsibility to record any feedback given during meetings or studio sessions.

Summative feedback is provided in written form with all assessed work. It is published along with indicative grades online at UTS ReView. Summative feedback focuses on assessment outcomes. It is used to indicate how successfully a student has performed in terms of specific assessment criteria.

REVIEW: the REVIEW and the online Self and Peer Assessment Resource Kit (SPARK) criteria-based assessment systems are used in the marking of subjects to provide students feedback on their development of relevant graduate attributes over the course of their studies. These systems also enable students to self-assess to encourage a self-reflective approach to their learning, work and practices.

Attendance: Pre-work for lectures and tutorials are part of an interconnected system, in which the high degree of continuity across the semester means that missing one week can mean you are ill equipped to participate in the following week’s session. Students must submit and pass all assessments to pass the subject. 80% attendance is required at lectures and studio sessions. Students are expected to come to all sessions adequately prepared.

Content (topics)

This subject enables students to begin to specialise in the area of analogue and historical photo imaging, montage and collage that can be further developed over later stages of study. Professional practice in analogue photo imaging is an important focus of this subject and develops the student’s understanding of the technical problems and constraints of these processes. Students will gain an intermediate knowledge of and skills in the design and production of text and image based visuals in area of analogue photo imaging.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Written critique of an alternative photographic practitioner

Intent:

This task requires students to engage in a research-informed critique of conventional photographic practices by researching an alternative practitioner. The task signals challenges to such conventions through critical engagement with the practitioner’s work, professional and historical context and techniques.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 7, 8 and 9

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, P.4 and R.2

Type:

Presentation

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

25%

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Effective written communication skills	15	1	C.1
Effective oral presentation skills	15	2	C.1
Demonstration of well supported arguments and rationales	25	7	R.2
Ability to reflect on practice	25	8	P.4
Appropriate academic referencing	20	9	P.4

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Experimental photographic images project

Intent:

This task requires students to engage in an experimental project technically or conceptually inspired by the practitioner researched in task 1, to produce a set of original images using alternative photographic techniques. The aim is to develop your skills and understanding of the alternative photographic techniques introduced in class through practical experiments.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 3 and 5

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.2, I.2 and P.1

Type:

Project

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

25%

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Communication via oral presentation	33	2	C.2
Demonstration of appropriate technical skill	33	5	P.1
Range and quality of visual processing	34	3	I.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Alternative photographic practices in Visual Communication project

Intent:

This task requires students to apply the alternative photographic techniques learned so far to a modern visual communication context. It provides an opportunity for you to challenge photographic conventions by creating a client scenario and producing three designs through alternative analogue techniques. Reflecting professional practice, you will produce a written rationale and conduct an oral presentation, describing the client and project, and arguing a case for your use of alternative photographic techniques.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, C.2, I.1, P.1, P.4 and R.2

Type:

Project

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

50%

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Effective written communication skills	17	1	C.1
Effective oral presentation skills	17	2	C.2
Demonstration of appropriate level of technical skill	17	5	P.1
Understanding of professional work practices	17	6	P.4
Ability to develop well-supported arguments and rationales	17	7	R.2
Ability to challenge convention through design	15	4	I.1

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

References

Bendando, L & Antonini, 2015, M. Experimental Photography: A Handbook of Techniques, USA, Thames and Hudson Campbell, A. The Mac Designer’s Handbook. Australia, Collins Angus and Robertson, latest ed.

Cohen, L & Wendling, T, 1995, Professional Studio Techniques Design Essentials (2nd ed), Adobe Press, Mountain View, USA

Heller, S & Drennan, D, 1997, The Digital Designer: The Graphic Artist’s Guide to the New Media, Watson Guptill, New York

Hirsch, R., 2009, Photographic Possibilities: The Expressive Use of Equipment, Ideas, Materials, and Processes (3rd Edition), Focal Press, UK

James, C., 2009, The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes (2nd Edition), Delmar, Cengage Learning, Canada

Kobayashi, S, 1990, Color Image Scale, Kodansha International, New York

Kobayashi, S, 1998, Colorist: A Practical Handbook for Personal and Professional Use, Kodansha International, New York Lambrecht, R., and Woodhouse, C., 2011, Way Beyond Monochrome 2e: Advanced Techniques for Traditional B & W Photography, Focal Press, UK

Lester, P, 2000, Visual Communication: Images with Messages (2nd Ed), Wadsworth Thomson Learning, Belmont USA

Reeder, R., and Hinkel, B., 2007, Digital Negatives, Focal Press, UK

Renner, R., 2009, Pinhole Photography: From Historic Technique to Digital Application (4th Edition), Focal Press, UK

Whitbread, D, 2001, The Design Manual, UNSW Press, Sydney

Design Graphics Magazine, Digital Publishing - http://www.designgraphics.com.au/

Desktop Magazine, Niche - http://desktopmag.com.au/

On-line design magazines - http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/magazines/

Eye Magazine - http://www.eyemagazine.com/

Alternative Photographic Practices website - http://www.alternativephotography.com/

British Journal of Photography - https://www.bjp-online.com/

Historical Photographic Techniques - http://www.ntm.cz/projekty/fototechniky/en/