Photo Digital Imaging I Syllabus for 2021-2022
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Instructor Information

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

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If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

The Tutoring for Success policy applies to any student whose grade or performance in the course falls below a departmentally determined minimum threshold. In either of those cases, the instructor will direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. Under this policy, the instructor will follow specific departmental guidelines governing the use, duration, and grade component of the tutoring need.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

PHTC-1300-001 Photo Digital Imaging I

Prerequisites

Course Description

Instruction in the computer as an electronic darkroom. Topics include color and grayscale images and image conversion and presentation.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 2 lec, 4 lab)

Class Type

Tech Supported

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

none

Supplies

Supply List

1 flash drive at least 1 TB or larger* (this can be used for all of your classes)

Digital camera, min. 10 megapixels, (photo majors should have a DSLR)

Adobe Photoshop CC 2020 software

*For a hard drive to be able to be read/write on both a PC and Mac computers, it must be formatted to ExFAT or FAT32 file format. FAT32 has several limitations, including a 4 GB per file limit. Formatting must be done before using the drive.

Technology

Learning Remotely

This course will be taught on online and will meet at the scheduled times throughout the semester. We will use the video conferencing software Zoom (zoom.us). The software is free. To prepare for taking a tech-supported class students will need the following equipment at home:

• Laptop or desktop computer (PC or MAC)
• Computers will need to meet the minimum requirements for Adobe Photoshop CC 2021
• Microphone – this may be built into your laptop or computer, or you may use an external device such as a USB microphone or headset.
• Webcam – a camera may already be built into your laptop, but you can also use an external USB camera for video conferencing.
• Internet – either commercially provided (ex. AT&T, Suddenlink), or a wireless hotspot through your mobile phone.

Camera: Students will need at minimum a 10 mega pixels camera (memory cards and batteries, etc.). All photo majors are required to have a DSLR; a list of suggested cameras is on the Photography web page: https://www.actx.edu/photography/fundamentals-of-photography-i

Adobe Photoshop CC: Students can purchase a subscription to Photoshop CC through the Adobe website: http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography.html (This link is for photography only, and is cheaper than the full CC, which has a lot of other programs that students may or may not need. Make sure to get the student pricing.)

AC Digital Labs: Students who do not have computers, Wifi, and/or Photoshop at home may work on campus - Parcells Hall 220 should be available during class time. There are 4 Mac Labs (Rooms 220, 306, 308, and 312) available in Parcells Hall for students to work on projects (available hours are posted outside each lab). The Underground also has PC available with Photoshop (basement of Ware Student Commons 371-5429 / underground@actx.edu) .

Technical Help

During the first week of school, students are responsible for resolving software and hardware issues so that coursework is easy to accomplish.

For Parcells Hall computer and software issues: Seth White, PARC 310, 371-5094, sethwhite@actx.edu

For questions related to personal equipment, passwords, and Blackboard: Ask AC (806) 371-5000 / www.actx.edu/contact

Financial Aid: Students may purchase cameras, computers, and other supplies through the AC Bookstore during the first week of school: funds are withdrawn from the student's account just like books and other supplies.

Student Performance

Course Description

An introduction to computer and software instruction for electronic imaging. Includes color, gray scale, image conversion, presentation, and ethics. (WECM)

End of Course Outcomes

Produce examples of photographic retouching, color corrections, copy, and photographic restoration; explain the hardware and software used in electronic photography; and organize images in a catalog or database system.

Specific Course Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge of digital imaging software and equipment
2. Begin to define your own rhythm and approach as an artist-photographer
3. Develop concepts and strategies for expressing visual ideas through digital imaging and how to translate your concept to the finished image
4. Identify and analyze the compositional design elements used to create digital images as well as the differences between realism and abstraction and the possibilities and limitations of each
5. Manage digital image files
6. Discuss their photographs in verbal and written form
7. Present work for grading in a professional manner, as directed by the instructor
8. Participate meaningfully in critique
9. Maintain a professional and respectful attitude
10. Maintain classroom facilities and shared supplies

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Course & Conduct

AC Connect (Blackboard)

The syllabus, assignment sheets, screencasts, videos, quizzes, and other documents are located on the AC Connect web page for this course (also referred to as Blackboard). Students should contact AskAC with questions regarding login. Students are responsible for downloading and printing documents as needed.

Attendance & Participation Policy

Due to Covid-19, it may not be possible to attend class or to meet in person. Therefore there is no attendance policy for the course. Materials will be available online to successfully complete the course. All in-person activities are optional. Students are required to attend Zoom meetings, participate online, and submit projects by the due date.

Communication
The preferred method of correspondence is email: rwest@actx.edu.

Announcements: This will be used for big events such as schedule changes, class cancellations, and extra credit opportunities.

Calendar: All relevant course information will be listed on the calendar. Students should check the calendar for the lectures, activities, due dates and other important information. The calendar will be updated to reflect changes to the schedule.

Email: I check email in the morning and then later in the day. Students should expect a response within 24 hours. I do not regularly check email on the weekends but will respond as soon as possible. When sending email to the instructor, please include the name of the course in the subject line. The instructor and Amarillo College will use student’s Gmail account and AC Connect (Blackboard) for correspondence. For this reason, students are responsible for checking both on a regular basis. Students cannot submit assignments as email attachments; the image file size is too large. Please use WeTransfer (wetransfer.com) to send large files.

Grading: Generally speaking, students can expect project grades to be posted with one week of the due date. Grades are released when all student projects have been graded and some take longer than others.

Phone Calls: To speak by phone, please schedule an appointment.

Office Hours: My Zoom account will be available. After the first person, a waiting room will be enabled so that students are not interrupted. Zoom meetings may also be scheduled for questions, discussions, and tutoring.

Copyright Notice
Students must be aware and responsible for the Copyright Notice for the course: The materials in this course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for the purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

Critique Policy

In order to provide each person with a thoughtful critique of their work, all other activities must stop once a critique begins, and students need to engage in the critique process. So that everyone feels comfortable expressing their ideas about images, students need to listen to each other and respect varying viewpoints. To ensure students are able to hear all comments about their work, refrain from private conversations and direct all comments to the group discussion. Students learn about the creative process not only though creation, but also through looking at other work. Learning to use visual language to think and talk about photographs is another key component of the learning process. Before class review handouts on visual thinking, come prepared to discuss photography. A portion of the grade for a project is connected to critique participation, to earn full credit students must stay for the entire critique. Student projects not completed by the start of critique are late. (Refer to “Late Work Policy” for details) In fairness to those who completed their projects on time, please set aside incomplete projects so as not to distract from the critique. Unfortunately, the course schedule does not allow time to provide late projects with a group critique; the instructor will assess late work on the appropriate grading rubric.

College Disability Statement Any student who because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact Disability Services (SSC 119, Phone: 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Drop Policy

Should the need arise; the student is responsible for dropping a course. See the Amarillo College master calendar on the AC website and the course calendar for the date of the last day to drop a course. 

Coursework & Exams

Exam Policy There are two exams and no quizzes. The midterm exam covers material from the lectures, slide presentations, class content on AC Connect, and demonstrations learned in the first eight weeks of the semester. The final exam is comprehensive. Both exams are available on AC Connect and are open for a week before the due date. Students may take exams twice and the lowest score is dropped. The midterm exam is due on the Sunday evening before midterm break at 11 pm. The final exam is due by 11 pm on the first class day of the final's week.

Homework Policy Although some open lab time is scheduled during class, successful completion of this course will require work outside of class. To earn full credit for projects students must have exercises and portfolios completed at the start of class on the scheduled due date.

Make-up Exam Policy Both exams are available online for a week. In order to be fair to students who take exams as scheduled, failure to take tests by 11 pm on the last scheduled date will result in a zero for that exam score. Exams are available for a week online; this provides students with the flexibility to work it into their schedule. There are no make-up exams.

Department

Photography Policy Throughout the study of photography, students must make new photographs for each assignment; this ensures that students are using their cameras on a regular basis and refining their visual thinking and technical skills. Submitting old photographs or photographs used as an assignment in another class will earn a zero for the project. Appropriation of images, regardless of the source, is plagiarism (refer to Plagiarism Policy).

Lab Policy Only students currently enrolled in photography classes are allowed to use photography labs. Do not invite friends and family into the labs. The computer labs, darkrooms, and studios require students be enrolled in a course, or have taken specific courses, before using those areas.

Plagiarism Policy It is crucial for students not to pass off the ideas or words of another as their own, to do so is considered theft and will be treated accordingly. When paraphrasing or quoting another source always use parenthetical citation to credit the source, and include all websites and/or books reviewed in the bibliography. In fairness to other students who worked hard on their essays and photographic projects, students caught plagiarizing will earn a zero for the project and may be subject to additional disciplinary actions by Amarillo College.

Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria / Grade Scale

Percentages for assignments breakdown as follows:

5 Exercises: 50%

Abstraction, Scanograms, Juxtaposition, Restoration, Retouching (10% each)

Ethics Discussion Board: 5%

Transparency Portfolio:  15%

2 Exams: 10% (5% each)

Constructed Space Portfolio: 20%

Refer to handouts for the requirements on each assignment.

Grading Format / A-F  100-0%

A = Excellent 100-90%

B = Good 89-80%

C = Adequate 79-70%

D = Weak 69-60%

F = Unacceptable 59-0%

Grading Policy

Assessment of projects will be based on the following:

Visual Expression

Individual interpretation of the assignment

Intentional compositional design

Explores the concept of digital imaging as visual art

Technical Skills

Demonstrates knowledge of Photoshop and archival pigment printing

Presents technically well-crafted digitally composited images in a professional manner

Displays an understanding of the concepts and techniques assigned

Professional Practices

Attends lectures, labs, and demonstrations

Shows work in progress

Discusses ideas and asks questions while projects are in progress

Comes prepared, stays on task, and brings appropriate materials

Presents projects on time and meets the requirements of each assignment

Late Work Policy Projects considered on time will be ready for presentation at the beginning of class on the scheduled due date. In fairness to students who finish projects on time there are penalties for late projects. Late projects submitted within one week of the critique date receive a 10% reduction in total points for the assignment, and for projects submitted within two weeks, there is a 20% reduction in points. Projects not submitted within two weeks are not accepted.

Attendance

Due to Covid-19, it may not be possible to attend class or to meet in person. Therefore there is no attendance policy for the course. Materials will be available online to successfully complete the course. All in-person activities are optional. Students are required to attend Zoom meetings, participate online, and submit projects by the due date.
Zoom Participation: During Zoom class meetings students are expected to have their cameras on during class discussions, lectures, breakout sessions, and work in progress critiques. Students may use a background image if they do not want their location visible. Cameras may be turned off during videos and screencasts. Students should be available to respond at anytime, and should post a comment in the chat room if they need to leave for a moment. Please use a picture of you as the image, this will help everyone with face recognition.

Calendar

Additional Information