Overview#
Course Description#
This advanced studio course builds upon and expands students’ technical and conceptual knowledge of digital tools and workflows in photography. The course emphasizes the development of a personalized artistic vision while critically engaging with the ways technology shapes image creation and circulation in contemporary digital culture.
Through a combination of technical workshops, class discussions, and creative assignments, students will refine their practical skills and explore the conceptual implications of established and emerging technologies. The course focuses on resolving students’ technical challenges within their current artistic production, encouraging them to analyze their images and identify effective solutions.
Alongside practical problem-solving, students will engage with issues of contemporary photography through lectures and group discussions. These critical frameworks will allow students to better understand and question the evolving role of photography in digital culture.
Students will produce a series of smaller projects that reflect advanced technical knowledge and a strong conceptual foundation. Assignments are designed to encourage experimentation and the exploration of digital photography’s evolving possibilities, enabling students to demonstrate their technical proficiency and creative engagement with the themes of the course.
Objectives#
- Support student’s production in their studio classes.
- Refine advanced technical skills by building proficiency in digital photography workflows, including advanced Photoshop techniques, scanning, printing, and digital asset management.
- Analyze and interpret critical readings on digital culture and photography, connecting theoretical perspectives to personal artistic practice.
- Engage critically with the relationship between digital technologies and photography, examining how AI and online platforms influence the creation, presentation, and circulation of images.
- Deepen understanding of photography’s evolving role within digital culture and media theory.
Materials & Fees#
Photography department fee: All students must pay $60 for each 3-credit course. Please pay online via Concordia Fine Arts fees and email the receipt to the professor by Week 4. The names of students who have yet to pay by this date are given to the technicians, and students will only be able to access the labs or borrow equipment once the fees are paid.
Students must bear the cost of all photographic materials needed to complete their assignments.
Suggested Materials#
Colour calibration tools
- Monitor calibration: X-Rite Colorimeter or Datacolor Spyder
- Color Checker Chart
Access to film camera and film
- Anti-static cloth
- Gloves
- Scissors
Storage
- External hard drive (Recommended: Lacie Rugged Mobile Storage)
- Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
- CDA storage (10GB)
- Storage boxes and/or tubes for negatives and prints
Grading#
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Assignment #1 | 20% |
| Assignment #2 | 30% |
| Assignment #3 | 40% |
| Participation | 10% |
Grading System#
A+, A, A-: Outstanding — Work surpasses expectations. Highly resolved conceptually and technically.
B+, B, B-: Very Good — Above average completion and participation.
C+, C, C-: Satisfactory — Minimal completion of assignments and projects.
D+, D, D-: Marginal Pass — Work is completed, with little effort or personal investment.
F: Poor/Failure — Work is incomplete and/or unsatisfactory.
A+ 90–100 · A 85–89 · A- 80–84
B+ 77–79 · B 73–76 · B- 70–72
C+ 67–69 · C 63–66 · C- 60–62
D+ 57–59 · D 53–56 · D- 50–52
F 0–49
Please refer to the Concordia Academic Calendar, section 16.3.3 for additional information on the grading system.