Syllabus for 22-3530, Photo Communications A+D Department, Columbia College Spring 2012

1. 22-3530: PHOTO COMMUNICATIONS
Spring 2012 | Tues 6:00 – 9:50 pm
INSTRUCTOR: Shawn Calvert
shawncalvert@gmail.com
last day to add a class Course Description
Monday, Jan 23
This course explores photography and its application in design communications. Knowledge from
last day to drop class Photography I is applied and expanded to explore the communicative potential of photography
Monday, Jan 30 in design. Course covers alternative photographic methods and materials, location photography,
studio lighting, and tabletop photography. Students create all their own images for their design
last day to withdraw and advertising layouts.
Monday, Mar 12
Pre-Enrollment Criteria
23-1100 Photography I
— and
23-1101 Photography I Workshop,
— or
23-1250 Digital Photography for Non-Majors
— and
22-3340 Intermediate Typography
22-2510 Advertising Art Direction
General Course Objectives
Students will gain the ability to preconceive the imagery necessary to communicate a design or
advertising objective. Course will enhance photographic aesthetic, technical, and language skills.
Disclaimer
This syllabus is subject to change at any time during the semester. You will be notified of any
changes or will be issued a new syllabus.

2. COUR SE DE TA I L S AT T E N D AN CE & AB S E N CE S
Attendance is required in all Art + Design classes. In each
Text
class, attendance is tied to specific learning outcomes and
No textbook is assigned. Readings will be posted in Moodle. to course grades. Any absence will affect your ability to
complete coursework successfully. There are no excused
absences. More than three absences is cause for failure.
Materials Here are some examples of the ways in which attendance
connects with learning outcomes:
n camera (we will discuss in class; needs to be approriate
for the project. Can be digital or film.) 1 Students critique and evaluate each other’s work
in class and it is essential for your progress and learning
n medium sized sketchbook experience to be present to do so. Critiquing develops
n pencils, pens, watercolors, markers of choice analytical skill and communication proficiency.
n storage media of choice (firewire/USB 2.0 external, ipod, 2 Students frequently collaborate on projects and
flashdrives) in-class exercises, and learning these skills requires
you to be present.
3 Participating in class discussions and critiques
Course Fee helps you develop skill in self-expression and
verbal/rhetorical abilities
Course fees are used to support special class materials and
activities. A certain percentage of the course fee will be Tardiness and early departure will also be considered a
credited directly to your student card after the add/drop violation of the absence policy. Attendance will be taken
deadline. The course fee funds on your card are directly at the start of each class. Being late to class twice (15
linked to this specific course and the balance will return to minutes or more), or leaving before the end of class twice
zero one week following the end of the semester. (or instructor dismissal), will equal an absence. While I
appreciate being informed if you are arriving late or leaving
early, the attendance mark is automatic nonetheless. Class
Students with Disabilities Statement will not dismiss earlier than 9:20, so if you leave before
then, you will receive and early departure. Attendance will
Students with disabilities are requested to present their be recorded in Moodle after each class; it is the student’s
Columbia accommodation letters to their instructor at the responsibility to keep track of their attendance record.
beginning of the semester so that accommodations can be
arranged in a timely manner by the College, the department
or the faculty member, as appropriate. Students with
disabilities who do not have accommodation letters should E X PE CTAT I ON S
visit the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities
(312-369-8134/V or 312-360-0767/TTY). To do well in this course, plan on an average of at least 6–8
hours of work per week outside of class. Project schedules
are designed to give students time for critical and creative
revisions; the drafts leading to the final version of a project
Academic Integrity
should represent active experimentation, critical self-
Academic integrity is one of the most cherished principles assessment, and personal commitment to the work.
of the Columbia community. You must adhere to this
Arrive at class on time, with your materials, your projects
principle: by understanding the nature of plagiarism and
prepared, and ready to work. There will be two 15-minute
by not plagiarizing materials; by refraining from the use of
breaks per class. While in class, you are expected to work
unauthorized aids on tests and examinations; by turning
on class projects; internet usage should be limited to class-
in assignments which are products of your own efforts and
related research.
research; and by refusing to give or receive information
on tests and examinations to or from other students. If You are expected to be an enthusiastic participant in this
you violate these principles of simple honesty, you risk class and take ownership of your work and development
embarrassment, course failure, and disciplinary action. It is as a creative professional. The function of critiques is not
simply not worth it. only to receive feedback on your work, but to build essential
skills of presentation, negotiation, and persuasion.
 | photo communications

3. GRADES COU R S E W OR K
A project will be evaluated by the following criteria: Each project will be provided with a detailed project sheet.
Be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Reread the
1 following instructions accurately and meeting deadlines,
directions prior to handing in your projects. Failure to
2 appropriateness of solution to project design brief, comply with these instructions will effect your grade.
3 uniqueness of solution, demonstration of creativity and We will critique work-in-progress as well as finished projects.
purposeful experimentation, Critiques are meant to develop skills of presentation and
discussion and should be approached in a professional
4 craftmanship and attention to detail, and manner. The presentation of work is an essential part of the
5 presentation. project as well as your development as a creative professional.
Creating the work is only part of the process—you must be
There will be something due each week that will affect your able to present your work as the right solution to the given
grade. Deadlines are clearly noted in Moodle and/or project design problem.
printouts. It is your responsiblity to keep track of when your
work is due and to ensure that you are clear on expectations Unless instructed otherwise, work must be printed out to be
before starting your projects. accepted for review, class viewing or grading. If you wait
until 10 minutes before class to print out your work and
All grades and comments will be posted through Moodle. then run into printing problems, that is not a valid excuse
for late work. Any work brought into class after a crit has
started will be counted as late. All work must be posted in
Grade Breakdown Moodle for credit; if the work is analog (like a pencil
sketch), it should be scanned or photographed and
Three projects — 100pts each
uploaded (image quality isn’t an issue).
Three large shooting assignments — 50pts each
Exercises/smaller shooting assignments — 10pts each
Projects vs. Exercises
Throughout the course, we will have around 10 in-class
exercises that will be graded on a credit/no-credit basis. The
exercises are intended to build specific skills that will be
needed for projects, or to reinforce topics and/or design
GRADE DESCRIPTION GRADE AVG techniques. You will be given time to complete exercises in
class.
A excellent 96-100
A- 91-95
B+ 88-90 Late Work
B above average 84-87
B- 80-83 All work will be due at specific dates as outlined in the
C+ 77-79 course schedule, and will be due at the beginning of class.
C average 73-76
Exercises If you do not complete the work in-class or are
C- 70-72
absent, then exercises must be submitted in Moodle before
D below average 60-69
the beginning of the next class (i.e., within one week). Late
F failure below 60
exercises will not be accepted for credit (not negotiable).
FX failure for non-attendance Project drafts/work-in-progress All in-progress project
P pass work must be turned in on the date specified. Missed
I Incomplete (not given) work will count a full letter off the final project grade. All
R course repeated in-progress work is posted in Moodle, so class attendance
W withdrawal is not required to the ability to turn in work.
Project finals If your project final is one week late, your
project will drop 1 full grade, two weeks late, your project
will drop 2 grades. Project finals will not be accepted after
two weeks. Please don’t miss class because you haven’t
finished your work.
Backing Up Your FIles
Losing work due to failed media or overwritten files is not
an excuse for late work. Students are expected to have an
effective backup strategy for all of their files. It is suggested
photo communications | 

4. CLA SS NE W S A ND U P DAT E S
I will be contacting you via email (through the Moodle
News Forum) with reminders, changes or any other
pertinent information. Please check your email at least
24hrs before class or more often. It is your responsibility to
manage your mailbox so that lines of communication are open
and available.
I will also be posting up-to-date project handouts,
presentation pdfs, and the syllabus/calendar with any
updates on Moodle. If you misplace your project handouts
you will find them on Moodle for the duration of the project.
CONTA C T I N G T H E I N S T R UC T O R
The best way to contact me is through email; I do check
my Columbia address a few times a week (scalvert@
colum.edu, but can be reached faster at my gmail account
(shawncalvert@gmail.com). If the issue is an emergency,
please call my cell phone: 773-332-0448. I am only on
campus during class hours, but will be available for student
meetings during breaks or after class.
ONLINE R E S O U R C E S
Moodle
All assignments, projects, resources and quizzes will be
posted in Moodle.
Moodle is a new learning management system (LMS) at
Columbia that is available as an alternative to Oasis. To
enter the Moodle site, go to moodle.colum.edu, log in with
your Oasis ID, and you should see our class under “My
Courses.” On the course site landing page, you will find
all of the same information that you would normally find
in Oasis; grades, attendance records, handouts, etc, but in a
more user-friendly interface.
Tumblr
We will post our shooting assignments in a public blog, at:
http://photocomm.tumblr.com/
You are not required to post all of your work in the Tumblr
blog; if you prefer not to post your work publicly, you may
post the work in Moodle.
 | photo communications

5. COURSE SCHEDULE (updated 1/31/2012)
1 /17 Introductions
Exercise 1 Quick portrait
for next week
Sh. Assign 1 100 photos
1 /24 Elements of Design in Photography
Sh. Assign 1 group edit
Tutorials
Exercise 2
for next week
Sh. Assign 2 Formalist photos
1 /24 Light and Composition
Sh. Assign 2 review
Tutorials
Exercise 3 Contrast
for next week
Sh. Assign 3 Light and Composition
Project 1 PSA/park event concepts and research
2/07 Color
Sh. Assign 2 review
Project 1 group review of concepts
Exercise 4
for next week
Project 1 PSA/park event layouts
2 /14 Modes of Photography
Project 1 group review
Exercise 5
for next week
Project 2 PSA/park event revisions
Reading GDS Unit 3
2 /21 Studio Shoot
Project 1 group review
Exercise 6
for next week
Project 2 PSA/park event final
Reading GDS Unit 6
2 /28 Crit
Project 1 final full class crit
Quiz 1
for next week
Project 2 Ad/book jacket thumbnails
photo communications | 

6. 3/06 Portraits
Project 2 group review
Exercise 9
for next week
Project 2 Ad/book jacket roughs
3/13 Studio Shoot
Project 2 group review
for next week
Project 2 Ad/book jacket revisions
3/20 Texture
Project 3 group review
Exercise 10
for the week after spring break
Project 2 Ad/book jacket final
3/27 Spring Break
4/03 Crit
Project 2 full class crit
for next week
Project 3 Fable/Cookbook entry/how-to thumbnails
4/10 Layout & Cropping
Project 3 group review
Exercise 11
for next week
Project 3 Fable/Cookbook entry/how-to revised
4/17 Montage techniques
Project 4 group review
for next week
Project 3 Fable/Cookbook entry/how-to revised
4/24 Review
Project 4 group review
for next week
Project 3 Fable/Cookbook entry/how-to final
5/01 Final
Project 4 full class crit
Quiz 2
 | photo communications

7. Photo Comm / Jan 24
AGENDA SHOOTING ASSIGNMENT 2: FINDING DESIGN PATTERNS
DISCUSSION of pixels & bits Take these elements of design:
pixel quality control
how to we critique photos? line, shape, texture, space, size, value
break and present 5 photos illustrating each. You may set up some
of your photos, but at least half should be found “in life.”
REVIEW create a contact sheet in Bridge
group reviews of shooting assignment Your goal is to create photos where a particular design ele-
individual presentation of 10 selections ment is dominant point of interest or compositional element.
break
OVERVIEW of shooting assignment 2
EXERCISE tone
TO DO Upload your 10 selects to Tumblr
PDF contact sheet of all 100 to Moodle
TERMS TO KNOW QUESTIONS
raster/vector Is there a particular aspect in photography that you look for?
resolution dependent
Bit depth When are you most likely to take photos?
256
Do you have a favorite camera?
8-bit
16-bit My best photos have been taken when ...
view percentage
Black point
White point
S-curve
High-key/low-key
Shadows & Highlights tool
Brightness/contrast tool
Highlight/shadow clipping
Plugged shadows
Blown out highlights
Unsharp mask
Posterization
Non-destructive editing
Compression artifacts
Lossy compression

8. Photo Comm / Jan 31
AGENDA SHOOTING ASSIGNMENT 3: Shooting natural light
DISCUSSION new class schedule Create 10 successful photos: 5 that use light as a composi-
Project 2 overview tional element, and 5 that explore the color of natural light at
b/w photo conversion different times in the day.
EXERCISE Ittens contrasts Explore different crop ratios, shutter speeds, field depths,
upload exercise + 2nd shooting assignment perspecitves, compositions, exposures and post-processing.
break Your photos should be well exposed and technically print-ready,
with attention to interesting and meaningful compostiions
REVIEW present shooting assignments
Shooting assign 3 overview
ITTENS CONTRASTS
Point/Line
TERMS TO KNOW Plane/Volume
Large/Small
b/w conversion tools: High/Low
using raw Long/Short
using black & white adjustment layer Broad/Narrow
hue saturation Thick/Thin
gradient map Light/Dark
channel mixer Black/White
Much/Little
white balance Straight/Curved
grey card Pointed/Blunt
aspect ratio
Horizontal/Vertical
3:2
frame dynamics Diagonal/Circular
rule of thirds Area/Line
active space rule Area/Body
frame within frame Line/Body
focal point Smooth/Rough
Hard/Soft
Still/Moving
Light/Heavy
Transparent/Opaque
Continuous/Intermittent
Liquid/Solid
Sweet/Sour
Strong/Weak
Loud/Soft

9. Photo Comm / March 20 CRIT QUESTIONS
Is the visual message clear and consistent?
Is the imagery compelling and appropriate?
Does the design use the format in an interesting way?
Do the type choices complement the message?
Does the type setting look professional?
TUTORIAL: PORTRAITS
Handy photoshop shortcuts: 1. Greycard: color correct the image by clicking on the greycard only.
Cmd + Alt + Shift + N (New Layer No Dialog)
2. Blemishes: Use the touchup tool of your choice to clean up the
Cmd + Alt + E (Stamp Down)
larger specks. Create a new merged copy of the layers, and apply
Cmd + Alt + Shift + E (New layer from visible) a dust & scratches filter, then apply a filled-in mask to that
Cmd + J (New Layer Via Copy) layer. Selectively add the layer in by painting white in the mask.
Cmd+ I (Invert Selection)
3. Tone_blemishes:
Cmd + G (Group Layers)
– adjust tone
– darken background
– brighten the eyes, saturate eye color, increase contrast
in lashes, eyebrows if needed
– touch-up larger blemishes
– dublicate layer, set to screen, lighted up shadows under eyes
– Darken the hands: duplicate layers again, darken, use mask
– Brighten up the face only
– Enhance the lighting on the hair
4. Tone_bw: convert the portrait to black and white, adjust for tone
and blemishes.
EXERCISE (10pt)
Take three of the portrait images that we worked on in class, convert
them to black and white, and scale them down into the “speakers”
boxes in the file “conference-banner.psd.” Special attention should
be given to how the images are cropped in their boxes and how their
tone is adjusted to work well as a group.
NEXT CLASS: APRIL 3
1. Extra Credti (15pt): 10 (new) photos in a series, posted in Tumblr.
2. Final Book Design: presented on a book, with all images. Should
be displayed on a book, with higher quality paper, with close
attention to presentation details.

10. Photo Comm / April 10 CRIT QUESTIONS
Does your concept tell an interesting visual story about the subject
Do you have a clear idea of the demographic of your publication?
Is your layout concept compelling, is the concept and direction well
thought out?
STUDIO SESSION, EXERCISE: PORTRAITS
In your session, you need to create three different approaches to the
same object:
1. Specular Lighting
Try a single main light source on its own, or with a reflector. Go
for a wider ratio between highlight and shadow, with harder
shadows.
2. Diffused Lighting
Use 2 or three lights with umbrellas, softboxes; create a soft
shadow and even light.
3. Creative Lighting
Transform your object in some interesting way.
After you have taken your photos, process the raw photos, adjust for
tone and color, touch up any dirt/specks and post on Tumblr.
EXTRA CREDIT (10pt) — Cookbook Card
Before Epicurious, one way that cooks would build a library of
recipes would be through stand alone printed cards, that would be
collected in a box or binder. Your assignement is to create a new
design for such a piece, using the copy posted online. You have
yoru choice between two recipes. Your design should feature food
photography promeniently; you can use stock images found online.
Size: 6x9.25in
Due 4/10—Research, draft of copy and design mockup.
Begin writing copy about your subject, identify your initial objects/
interiors, take test shots, being your layout.
Due 4/17—Printed mockup, including complete text.
All of your text should be final,
or at least blocked in, layout
direction should be clear.

11. 22-3530: PHOTO COMMUNICATIONS
Project 1 PSA/Park invite & poster
Overview:
You will design a poster & mailer for a local cultural event or a public service announcement. Your
goal is to create a consistent and coordintated message that is compelling and approprate to the
topic, audience and (if applicable) any exisiting identity.
A poster should tell When researching an event poster you must visit the location or main office and get a current
its story at once—a design schedule of events, as well as current print materials they are using (i.e. brochures, posters,
that needs study is not newsletters,schedules, etc.).
a poster, no matter how
well it is executed. When researching a social, political, or public service poster, examples and research data of your
subject must be sourced in books,internet, etc. and brought to class in book or printed form.
— Edward Penfield
Subject Requirements:
Your may choose either:
1) Promotional poster for a Chicago area cultural or recreational event(s), or
2) Social, political or public service posters.
Specifications
n POSTER: Trim size on the poster should be at lease 12 x 18 inches. If your colors bleed, trim
off the edges before presenting. Ask if you are unsure about how to set up bleeds and crop
marks when printing.
n MAILER: Maximum size 5 & 7/8’’ x 8 & 1/4’’. These cards would be mailed to announce the
event or make a particular population aware of animportant issue. Any ‘mailable’ format is
acceptable. Cards can use multiple folds, wafer seals,glue seals, etc.
Possible Topics
Below are a few suggestions; students are encouraged to work outside of this list.
http://www.adcouncil.org/
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/
Community Events Sexual Harassment
Park District Events Environment/Wildlife Protection
City Sponsored Events AIDS Research Fund-Raising
Orchestra/Opera/Musicals AIDS Awareness/Prevention
Museum of Contemporary Art Disease Awareness - Cancer, Diabetes, Etc.
Garfield Conservatory Humane Society
Millenium Park Community Recycling
Museum of Contemporary Photography Substance Abuse Awareness
Seasonal Festivals Educational Workshops Smoking and Drug Abuse
Music Events or Festivals Child Abuse
Local Galleries (Upcoming Shows) War / Violence
Ethnic Festivals/ Observations/Celebrations Terrorism
Physical Abuse Awareness Homelessness
Political Freedom/Repression Issues Eating Disorders
Family/Youth Issues and Problems Suicide
Distracted Driving

12. 22-3530: PHOTO COMMUNICATIONS
Project 2 Book Jacket
Overview:
A designer knows he has Your project is to create a redesign book cover/jacket for an existing book, using your original
achieved perfection not photography for both the cover and author portrait. Your goal is to create an appropriate design
when there is nothing left that not only reflects and understanding of the book’s content and tone but also works as a
to add, but when there is compelling sales tool that speaks to the intended readership.
nothing left to take away
Requirements:
— Antoine de Saint Exupéry
1) Must contain partial original photography on the cover photography + an original author
photo. The photos can be manipulated however you see fit.
2) You will be designing a dust jacket, so you will need to account for the extra width of the flaps.
3) The format should be based off of an actual book size, which doesn’t necessarily need to be the
size of the book you are redesign. When you present your printed work for review, you should
show the design on an acutal book.
4) You must include ALL of the copy used on the cover of the current design, including logos and
barcodes (but excluding photo and design credits of course).
Book Ideas
Below are a few suggestions for books to redesign. You may pick a book not on the list.
The Information— A History, A Theory, a Flood: A Visit From the Goon Squad: Jennifer Egan
James Glieck The Lover’s Dictionary: David Levithan
Tree of Smoke: Denis Johnson All I DId Was Shoot My Man: Walter Mosley
Catch-22: Joseph Heller The Design of Everyday Things: Donald Norman
The Unbearable Lightness of Being: Milan Kundera Vladimir Nabokov: The Real Life of Sebastian
Moneyball: Michael Lewis Knight
The LEGO Ideas Book New Fix-It-Yourself Manual: How to Repair, Clean,
State of Wonder: Ann Patchett and Maintain Anything and Everything In and
Around Your Home: Reader’s Digest
Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? (And Other
Concerns): Mindy Kaling Black & Decker The Complete Photo Guide to
Home Repair: with 350 Projects and 2000 Photos
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sky: John LeCarre
The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the
Windup Bird Chronicle: Haruki Murakami Remaking of the American City: Carl Smith
It Chooses You: Miranda July Devil in the White City: Erik Larson
Schedule
1. Due 3/6 — 5 sketches, research questionnaire. Download questionairre from Moodle. Upload
both as pdfs.
2. Due 3/13—3 mockups. Three polished mockups; photos can be placeholders.
3. Due 3/20—Single printed mockup, presented on a book, with all images.
4. Due 3/27—Spring Break
5. Due 4/3—Final Design: presented on a book, with all images. Should be displayed on a book,
with higher quality paper, with close attention to presentation details.

13. 22-3530: PHOTO COMMUNICATIONS
Project 3 Magazine Feature
Overview:
Your project is to write, photograph and design a magazine feature about a person and the
space they live in and/or the object they surround themselves with. Your article should provide
a brief bio of your subject, then explore their personality and interests through their living space
or possessions. Your photos will be accompanied by captions/anexdotes that you obtain from
an interview. your design and layout does need to appear as if it were extracted from an actual
magazine.
This project is based on features found in the New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair. In the
Times, they typically photograph the person in their environment, take several additional interior
shots and take isolated product shots of significant objects that are called out by quotes or stories
by the subject. The Vanity Fair version is called My Desk, and features a large photo of someone’s
workspace, with the arrangement of objects artfully disheveled, with call-out boxes containing a
quote or anecdote by the subject. Links to examples of these features are posted in Moodle.
Requirements:
1) Can be either two or three page layout
2) Trim size should be: 8.875 x 10.875
3) Must have a minium of 10 photos; that are taken by you, specifically for this project
4) will include:
1. running header with the section title (Domains) and a date
2. running footer, with a page number and photo credit
3. main title (something catchy)
4. a lead-in
5. by-line
6. question/answers
7. pull-quotes, call-outs, captions, etc
Schedule
1. Due 4/10—Research, draft of copy and design mockup. Begin writing copy about your
subject, identify your initial objects/interiors, take test shots, being your layout.
2. Due 4/17—Printed mockup, complete text. All of your text should be final, or at least blocked
in, layout direction should be clear.
3. Due 4/24—Revisions, studio shots. Near-final design,
with professional-looking photos.
4. Due 5/13—Final Design: printed.