Student Work - 2015
I’ve had the pleasure of teaching fifteen different courses at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division, where I have been an Assistant Professor for the last three years. When a student has submitted an exceptional assignment, I ask their permission to publish the image on my blog, the First Years Focus and Fire. This gives me an opportunity to discuss their work and techniques towards approaching the assignment. It also gives my students an opportunity to be published, which is great for their resume. Below are examples of my students’ work. Some of these images have also been published on the First Years Focus and Fire blog. I have started with the higher level courses and move towards the lower; ending with the course where students first learn to use their lighting kit.
PHOA409 – Valentine, Rich, from E-Folio, “Portrait” and “Fitness Portrait”, 2015.
In PHOA409: E-Portfolio, formally PH431, our Bachelors students take a huge step towards preparing for graduation and entering the “real world” of commercial photography. Students are tested on the concepts and materials required to create and manage an e-folio, an online portfolio of images. Students build a website to display their strongest work to help build their clientele. Throughout the course, students study trends in social media in order to help them understand and advertise to those who would be considered the student’s “market”. Students also create promotional items to help them advertise their business. Through their e-folio, social media outlets, and promotional items, students simultaneously build their “brand”.
PHOA409 – Valentine, Rich, from E-Folio, “Product”, 2015.
PHOA409 – Tiger, Iretta, from E-Folio, “Interior Architecture”, 2015.
PHOA409 – Tiger, Iretta, from E-Folio, “Interior Architecture”, 2015.
PHOA109 / PHOA209: Portfolio I, formally PH312, are the final courses that our Certificate and Associate students take prior to graduation. There are a few goals for this course: create a solid portfolio that is centered on one genre of photography along with developing an editing style that reflects the student’s brand. Students also work on his/her logo in the course and use this to brand important documents, such as their resume and statement. A big part of this course also involves creating a Bēhance Profile Page. Students upload their portfolios to this online page along with their resume, statement, and links to other social media outlets. Below are photo examples from my PHOA109 and PHOA209 students that were pulled from their final assignments. You can also access their entire final portfolio, by clicking on the links below the photos.
PHOA109 – Oliver, Nanette, from Portfolio, “Fashion”, 2015.
PHOA109 – Oliver, Nanette, from Portfolio, “Fashion”, 2015.
PHOA209 – McKay, Carlene, from “Engagement” Portfolio, 2015
PHOA209 – Taulton, Michael, from Portfolio, “Horror Portraiture”, 2015.
PHOA209 – Olney, Kristy, from Portfolio, “Decaying Architecture”, 2015.
In PHOA302: Portraiture II, formally PH323, students learn about the different sub-genres of Portrait Photography. Students learn about the differences between Editorial, Retail, Advertising, and Fashion. Each of these genres has it’s own concept and styles within the market. Students take their basic photography skills learned in past courses to develop a new portfolio on a chosen sub-genre of portraiture. Students are encouraged to be creative with their choice of shooting in the studio, on location, method of lighting, composition, and use of props. The goal is for the student to develop their own sense of style.
PH323 – Oliver, Nanette, from “Genre Diversity”, “Using the Weather Outside, Regardless of the Conditions”, and “Flexibility as a Photographer”, 2015.
PH323 – Paula, Moore, from Portfolio, from “Mixed Lighting Environment” and “Final Project”, 2015.
PH323 – Oliver, Nanette, from “Flexibility as a Photographer”, 2015.
In PH222: Portraiture I, students learn how to collaborate with their human models in this class. The idea that Portraiture is a collaboration is examined within PH222. Students learn how to arrange their strobes to create the Rembrandt, Split, Loop, and Paramount lighting schemes. In this class, students study both traditional and nontraditional methods of Portraiture. The handheld light meter becomes an important tool in this course, particularly because the students are shooting strobes. With the image of their handheld light meter in use and the wide-angle shot of their lights set-up, I’m able to offer them feedback on how to improve their exposure and scheme. Students are introduced to the concept of a “hair light” and an emphasis is put on creating light separation between the model and the backdrop. Student’s are taught how important it is to adjust their focal length throughout the course when trying to take someone’s photograph: shooting a head shot, a 3/4 length shot, a full length, and a sitting shot. Towards the end of the class, students start taking group portraits!
PH222 – Massey, Tim, from “Rembrandt, Split, Loop, and Paramount Lighting”, 2015.
In PHOA302: Location, formally PH331, students learn how to prepare for a photography shoot that takes place at a specific location. Students learn how to use their strobe lighting kits as well as how to scout out a location for a specific type of shoot. Throughout the class, students are asked to keep journals about their scouting trips, their lighting schemes, props for shoots as well as model and property releases. Students are asked to visit different locations and are encouraged to shoot outside of his/her home. Students are also asked to photograph a variety of subject matter: portraits, interior and exterior spaces.
PH331 – Luce, Arnett, from “Creating a Sun-Like Effect without the Sun”, 2015.
PH331 – Wilson, Emily, from “A Business Executive Portrait”, 2015.
PH331 – Berg, Mike, from “A Business Executive Portrait and a Group Portrait”, 2015.
PH341: Portfolio Exploration: In this course, students will begin to build his/her portfolio by exploring creative and professional possibilities. Students become familiar with different types of portfolios, both the online and printed portfolio. From the start of the course, students are encouraged to choose one sub-genre of photography to focus on. It’s explained that this choice is not made in order to “pigeon hole” them as one specific type of photographer, but merely how to build one portfolio (out of many that s/he will have) that focuses on said sub-genre. Students explore their target market, learn about advertising and write important documents such as resumes and statements. Below is my student work from this course:
PH341 – Wright, Elaine, from “Final Portfolio: Seniors”, 2015.
To see Elaine Wright’s full portfolio featured on my First Years Focus and Fire blog, please click “here“.
PH341 – Binford, Jessica, from “Final Portfolio: Child Lifestyle Portraits”, 2015
To see Jessica Binford’s full portfolio, please click “here“.
PH341 – Thorne, Courtney, from “Final Portfolio: Couples”, 2015.
To see Courtney Thorne’s full portfolio featured on my First Years Focus and Fire blog, please click “here“.
In PHOA202: Studio, students begin to use their strobe lights. In the previous lighting course, PHOA113, students use their modeling light and/or tungsten lights. Moving forward with the strobes, students are working with brighter lights and learn how to manipulate the light more so while simultaneously learning more about manual exposure. The light modifies play a bit role in this course and students also learn more about light separation. All of the assignments are completed in the studio. Students are taught traditional lighting techniques such as “Dark Field” and “Bright Field” lighting as seen below.
PHOA202 – Kitt, Scott, from “Dark Field” and “Bright Field”, 2015.
PHOA113: Lighting is a course that introduces students to different aspects of lighting, which help them learn to take photos more successfully. Students learn how to use natural light, tungsten light and fluorescent lighting. Students are often encouraged to recognize unique lighting when it’s found. Students focus not only on learning how to manipulate light but also how to better control his/her exposure and white balance. Throughout the course, students are challenged to consider building on his/her compositional skills. The assignments for this course ask students to shoot their photos both in the studio as well as on location. Students are asked to photograph a variety of subject matter as well; from still-lifes to portraits to landscapes and architecture. Many students have commented on how fun this course was to take because they were able to photograph a lot of different ideas.
The favourite assignment of many of my PHOA113 student’s is the “Miniature” assignment. This gives students an opportunity to think “outside the box” and to consider a conceptual shoot when photographing inanimate objects. The key to this assignment is to have students recognize the main difference between still-life and a miniature; to recognize the different characteristics of these two styles of shooting.
PHOA113 – Selby, Dallas, from “The Character of Light Applied to Gender”, 2015.
PHOA113 – Montana, Bryan, from “Indoor and Outdoor Architecture”, 2015
PHOA113 – Gavin, Angela, from “Photographing Miniatures”, 2015.