This studio-laboratory based unit of study will explore the principles and practice of digital fine art photography and equip students with the knowledge to develop, implement and complete a digital fine art photography project in the context of contemporary art practice. Working with a variety of cameras including the digital SLR, students will learn about aperture, shutter speed, ISO settings, white balances and a range of lighting techniques. Image processing techniques using Photoshop and other organisational and editing tools will encompass editing workflows, file formats, image resolutions, colour profiles and creative image editing. The photography project will draw upon art research practice and related writing students have completed as part of their previous visual art studies, with a view to producing a cohesive folio of their finished artwork for public presentation such as a website, online exhibition, and/or artist's book. Research and investigation exploring the meaning and rationale of fine art photography in the 21st century will be a core component of the unit.

Unit details

Location:
Footscray Park
Study level:
Undergraduate
Credit points:
12
Unit code:
ACF3003

Prerequisites

Students enrolled in course code ABAB or LBLA must have completed two of the following units: ACF1003 Life Drawing, ACF2002 Aesthetics and Art Criticism, ACF2005 Experimental Art, ACF2006 Drawing and Painting.

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Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. Compose and collate a folio of fine art photographic work;  
  2. Critically review the context of the fine art photograph in contemporary visual culture and relate this to their own photographic practice;  
  3. Investigate problems encountered in contemporary lens based fine art practice and research and propose solutions; and  
  4. Elucidate potential for inter-disciplinary fine art practices exploring a range of material and conceptual approaches to individual and collaborative visual art making.  

Assessment

Assessment type Description Grade
Presentation Research Presentation 20%
Essay Exegesis/Critical and Conceptual context for creative work 20%
Creative Works Technical finish 10%
Creative Works Fine Art Photographic Folio 50%

Required reading

Photography: a critical introduction, 4th edn,
Wells, L (ed) 2011,
London/New York: Routledge.

Where to next?

As part of a course

You can choose to study this unit as part of the following courses. Refer to the course page for information on how to structure your course to include this unit.

Course Study as part of
Bachelor of Education Studies Art (Ed Studies) - Major
Bachelor of Education (P-12) Art (Education) - Major
Bachelor of Arts Visual Art - Major
Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts Visual Art - Major

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This unit may be available as a single unit of study.

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