Photography and Imaging

This course introduces ALL photographic film formats: small, medium, large, film, and digital, along with a simple but essential Introduction to traditional darkroom practices, their tools, processes, and outcomes.

Students will learn to define the problem at hand and to understand the difference between an idea and a developed concept. The class will explore the nature of the creative process and the value of a focused work ethic. Students will discover ways to think visually and to understand that the quality and quantity of decisions made while working define one's creative style. Students will begin to construct images that show evidence of their understanding of the value of light, pose, gesture, composition, and environment and how to fashion these elements for creative effect and to take responsibility for every aspect of their image.

This course is about understanding the anatomy of Psych, Perception, and how we see, observe, and interpret; with an introduction to composition, lighting, and color.

In this class students will examine the fundamental elements of pictorial construction and learn to apply these through a series of assigned projects. These projects will be based on one or more of the compositional problems examined in class and will give students an opportunity to exercise and apply these compositional concepts. The assignments will begin with simple principles and, as students learn to juggle more complicated material, increase in complexity. In addition to the photographically based assignments students will be required to keep a sketchbook for ideation sketches and drawing. Through drawing students will explore strategies for compositional analysis as well as figural investigations from the live model. The subject matter in the first half of the trimester will be still life followed by figural work in the second half.

This class is designed to give the student a good working knowledge of the use of the View Camera. Both the technical and creative uses of the camera are explored through demonstrations and class assignments. Work will be critiqued in class. Students are encouraged to explore their personal vision.

This course will provide students the functions, procedures and applications of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to expand students' creative vision and help them define their personal style. Students will learn to master workflow and develop best practices for photographers. The class will address retouching images, adjustment layers, exposure histograms, color theory and management, color temperature, white balance, resolution and histograms. The course will also introduce students to inkjet and Chromira printing as well as flatbed scanning of images.

This class allows students to move past the beginning stages of digital photography, exposure and printing and to start to become a power user in a variety of digital software and hardware. Students will learn to work more efficiently and speak the language of digital imagery. After this class, photographic creativity should not suffer due to insufficient technical knowledge. Compositing and retouching should be seamless.

The Advanced Photographic Processes I class course deals primarily, but not exclusively with the concepts of correct exposure of film, its subsequent development, and reproduction of the negative images into positive prints. After considerable time, energy, and effort in exploring the conceptual entanglements of "Exposure and Development" the student will understand what a good quality negative is, and how it translates into a good quality print.

There is authenticity and luminance to a Gelatin Silver Print. The print itself has value as an object of beauty. This course sets out to advance your understanding of the use of black and white film, paper, and chemistry to produce images of exceptional craft. This course will build upon your technical foundation of the silver gelatin medium, however the main goal is to use the techniques to ensure the success of a 10 image, personally driven, body of work. All effort will be made to push this traditional medium to support the concept of the "Final Project". This will be an excellent opportunity to work on a short term or long term project. Techniques for "expressive use" will be drawn from the use of grain, contrast and toning as well other techniques. Archival printing and matting to gallery standards will be accomplished. All format of cameras are accepted as long as the lens has an f-stop and shutter speed. As a class, we will pick the best image from each student's "Final" to form a group show that will be displayed on the wall outside the Black and White Lab.

This class is one-year-long deep dive into your chosen camera format. The student focuses on the long-term project, storytelling through time and the class ends, editing and sequencing and public critique. Includes an Immersive Digital Workshop where students will learn the digital tools needed in photography.

Contemporary and historical perspectives on people. A cross-cultural exploration of humanity through the lens of photography.

Deep dive into relationship with object, its form and its significance. Deeper dive into principles of lighting whether indoors or outdoors. Includes an Immersive Digital Workshop where students will learn the digital tools needed in photography.

This course consists of a series of assignments designed to cultivate love of, and respect for light. The first assignments will introduce you to the basic vocabulary of lighting: lighting direction and formal definition, hard and soft light qualities, separation, fill ratio, basic laws of light and the dynamics of lighting. My expectations for these assignments will be very specific; your task will be to closely copy given examples, and the assignments will encourage careful and patient observation. Once you have integrated these lessons, once you have begun to intuitively "think in light", the assignments will open up to allow you to apply these skills more freely in the service of your own creative vision.

Introduction to color darkroom printing and experimental printing techniques. Conceptual perspective and critique stay central to all classes.

The purpose of third term review is to assess that students are on track and to identify any apparent shortcomings that a student's work may have. This is not meant to be a comprehensive review, rather we are verifying that each and every student is achieving/applying the expected standard of education appropriate for this term level.

This course is the second half of a year-long class that will help students refine their long-term projects through careful editing and sequencing, ensuring that their work is both conceptually strong and visually compelling. Includes an Immersive Digital Workshop where students will learn the digital tools needed in photography.

This course will explore alternative processes to the black and white photographic print including platinum prints, liquid light, pinhole cameras. Students are encouraged to explore the creative uses of a variety of processing and printing to expand their photographic vocabulary and personal body of work.

On the threshold of art created by word-prompted artificial intelligence, this 3-credit course provides an introduction to Generative Image Making with Artificial Intelligence (AI) utilizing Midjourney. Trained on 5.8 billion images, Midjourney is an AI image generation tool that takes user created text prompts and uses it's Machine Learning (ML) algorithm to produce unique images. This course is designed for artists, designers, and photographers that are new to the world of AI-generated images. Through a series of projects, students will explore the capabilities and limitations of generative art. Students will develop their own unique approach to AI-assisted image making and learn how to utilize this new technology in their creative processes. This course will include prompt creation, blend mode, seed images, data sets, and explore the ethics of AI usage.

What's Your Story blends selfie culture, personal history archiving, with a direct introduction to the many cultures and cultural experiences in Southern California. Students work together at a community event by asking people to sit down and tell their stories with the added element of photography and portraiture. Integral to the project is the recognition and visibility that comes with sharing a story, a history, and culture with the world. This class offers students real-world community involvement and the practical experience of public, fast paced production. Students will crew a festival booth to facilitate the creation of an image and oral history archiving. Based on the community event, assignments will include visiting lecturers, readings, research, video, and discussion. This class may require weekend or evening participation off campus. Anyone who comes to the "What's Your Story?" booth will be gifted a portrait on 13 x 19 print, those who participate further by granting us an interview, will have their stories archived and celebrated through a breadth of social media outlets, exhibitions, and publications. Their stories will reach well beyond their personal social algorithm.

This course builds on the foundations of lighting learned in Core Lighting. Students will begin to explore and master more advanced lighting techniques while focusing on portrait photography using both studio and natural lighting in both film and digital circumstances. Students will begin to understand how lighting translates into emotion and narrative in both black and white and color photography. The class will cover a variety of lighting options as well as the myriad of light modifiers that can be used to create a personal photographic vision.

This course is designed to guide students in developing their skills in both architectural photography and the creation of imagined environments, ensuring they can blend these approaches into compelling visual narratives.

This class guides students into seeing how both natural and artificial light give dimension, texture and mood to a structure or interior space. The ultimate goal is to create a photograph which translates the experience of being in a space to the 2-dimensional world of photography. Students will begin to master lighting in a variety of spaces and the control of multiple light sources and types.

In this course we will assess the role of photography in Art and reciprocally, the role of Art in photography. You will make images. This class will assist you in seeing the differences among photographs and what role photographs play in society. Students are encouraged to create their own distinct images that speak their intentions in a more clearly articulated voice.

Unconventional Printing explores cyanotype on wood, glass, ceramic, as well as solarfast dye on fabrics. Students will learn how to create digital negatives and how to adjust them for an optimal print, depending on size and substrate. Subtstrate sizes can range from 8x10 and smaller or up to 11x14. Classes will include short instructions with a majority of the time focusing on hands-on unconventional printing. Students will be required to complete 3 examples of each process on varying surfaces, with a final critique at the last meeting. Students will be responsible for inkjet transparency film and various substrates that can range from $60-$80.

Course Summary: Theories of color and light are fully examined as a pathway to achieve a sound understanding of color photography. This course will place emphasis on the properties of color negative film and its inherit characteristics, with the stated goal of gaining a working understanding of the relationships between exposure, development and printing. Further discussions will center on the aesthetics of color itself, and its role as a vehicle of effective visual communication.

Art and Technology explores the dynamic intersection of artistic practice and technological innovation. This course examines how emerging technologies-such as digital media, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, 3D printing, and interactive design-reshape how artists create, present, and experience art. Through historical analysis, critical discussions, hands-on experimentation, and creative projects, students will investigate the evolving relationship between art, science, and industry. Students will engage with key concepts such as digital aesthetics and interactive media while also considering the ethical and cultural implications of technological advancements in the arts. By the end of the course, students will have developed a portfolio of work demonstrating their ability to integrate technology into their practice and critically reflect on the role of technology in contemporary art.

In this course students will gain both the technical skills and conceptual understanding needed to create a successful book.

With an emphasis on creativity and conceptual ideas, this course will prepare students for the fast pace world of commercial and editorial sports photography. Skills and abilities to be developed are; historical understanding, camera and equipment essentials, mental and physical demands, timing skills, post production editing, and image delivery. Students enrolled in Commercial & Editorial Sports Photography are required to attend 2 - 3 professional athletic events, available to them. These events may be scheduled on weekends and/or evenings. The professional sports events can be 4-6 hours in length not including travel and prep. Students will have the opportunity to be on the field, sidelines, locker rooms, and/or arena of the athletic event. Student will experience the immediacy, excitement, and challenges of Commercial and Editorial Sports Photography. This class is designed for students 5th term and above. This class is ideal for students who are taking or have taken Location Photography.

This review addresses academic, aesthetic, and technical issues in each student146s work. Some kind portfolio (need not be finished) or presentation is required to show the work, but additional work outside that form is also acceptable and encouraged. Students begin their review by making a presentation of their work, direction of study and a short explanation of the outcomes from the classes that the work was done in. In showing the work, the student should clarify a range of skills they are comfortable employing, skills that they want to improve and a plan for how they will continue through graduation.

This course is designed to acquaint the photography student with the working world of fashion photography and to begin to develop a personal sense of style for their images. Students will work with models, stylists, and make-up artists both in class shoots and on their own. Various aspects of fashion and beauty lighting will be explored as well as historic and current trends in the fashion world.

Explore the dynamic relationship between cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies and the artistry of high-fashion photography in this 14-week course. This course delves into essential aspects of fashion photography, enhanced by current AI tools (Midjourney, Generative fill, Adobe Firefly). Students will learn how to blend strong editorial fashion sensibilities with professional production, styled wardrobes, and sophisticated hair and makeup, and use AI to create unique sets, locations and accessories that seamlessly integrate products, emotions, and fantastical elements. The course includes hands-on assignments such as in vivo photoshoots and in silico post-processing, where students working in teams will add environmental elements, elaborate sets and wardrobe enhancements. Discussions and assignments will focus on directing, communicating, solving problems, collaborating, and understanding the roles of creative partners. Participants will also have the opportunity to develop mood boards, proposals, and research resources that span from traditional and historical influences to contemporary expressions of Haute Couture inspired fashion. Open to Photography, Illustration, Film and Product Design students.

Advanced Still Life Photography. Exploration of commercial and fine art. Still life photography with an emphasis on styling, composition, lighting.

In this class students will learn the basic vocabulary and architecture of paginated materials: books, magazines, catalogs, web, etc. Class will focus on an understanding of the principles of scale, size, proportion, position, direction, point of view, cropping and sequencing within this context. Students will learn the roles of designer, art director, photographer, picture editor, editor, and writer in the publication process and to understand how to plan and organize multi-image projects to achieve narrative strategies.

This class will help students understand what it is like to work for a variety of publications today. Students will be asked to fulfill realistic and challenging assignments from simple portraits to elaborate conceptual stories. We will look at historical and contemporary work and engage in discussions that inspire as well as offer important practical skills. Students will be encouraged to develop a professional approach that includes knowing your potential client, building relationships with photo editors and art directors, shaping ideas and concepts with art reference, and devising a clear plan of production prior to a session. Artistic vision and style will be emphasized simultaneously with the importance of completing a job successfully and professionally. Regular assignments with real deadlines will generate work for weekly critique and portfolio editing and development. Through this range of assignments, students will learn to fulfill the demands of a client, while developing their own artistic voice. They will learn the value of a well thought out production plan, and that collaborating and being professional in all aspects of a job is what may get them hired again. They will grow more comfortable and confident talking about their own work. They will understand the importance of a good edit. They will decide what kind of magazines they want to work for, and how to steer their portfolio and promotional materials towards getting such assignments.

Sensuality, seduction and pleasure are at the core of almost every effort in the worlds of entertainment, advertising and marketing. In order to ignite desire and create brand awareness in consumers and audiences, it is necessary to speak in symbolic visual terms. A curated selection of films, advertising campaigns, photography, brand materials and 'brand codes' will be examined in order to form an understanding of the traditions of the art of visual seduction and how such traditions constantly evolve in response to society's ever- changing conditions and values. Students will create concepts, research documents, mood boards and a short film using pre-existing footage, the focus of which will be an instructor-assigned luxury brand communication project.

This course is a study of photographic scenarios utilized in the photography of automobiles both in a studio setting and on location. The specific issues of lighting large products with reflective surfaces and shooting still and moving objects will be addressed. Discussion of marketing and advertising of automobiles and other modes of transportation will be discussed and show how these strategies were applied historically and are now currently applied in editorial and marketing contexts.

This class continues to build upon the foundation lighting courses by exploring in greater depth the creation and control of artificial light in the context of professional product photography. The focus will be on the intent of the photographer in using lighting to emphasize or hide aspects of the objects at hand. The class structure allows the students to experience first hand challenges that they would encounter professionally through class shoots, demonstrations, and critique of student assignments. Students will develop the fluency and the knowledge necessary to determine the perfect lighting for each given situation as it relates to real world product photography, be it in advertising or editorial venues.

A concept based, master portrait lighting class. Course will include studio visits with local photographers, in-depth critique, and will be geared towards students who are intent on building their personal body of work.

This course will challenge advanced students to refine their lighting skills, encourage innovation, and apply their knowledge to sophisticated projects that require both technical expertise and creative vision.

This review addresses academic, aesthetic, and technical issues in each student's work. Some kind of portfolio (need not be finished) or presentation is required to show the work, but additional work outside that form is also acceptable and encouraged. Students begin their review by making a presentation of their work, direction of study and a short explanation of the outcomes from the classes that the work was done in. In showing the work, the student should clarify a range of skills they are comfortable employing, skills that they want to improve and a plan for how they will continue through graduation.

Location lighting is an introduction to the particular skills that photographers use when working on assignment outside the studio. Editorial and advertising projects need to be shot on location and specific equipment and strategies are required for successful results. Many jobs require working with talent and lighting them in a specific environment to create a certain look or mood. Classroom meetings will present theory, critique, problem solving, stylized lighting and its application. Location lighting demos, class shoots and assignments will provide hands-on experience. There will be extra assistants and guest speakers during class demos.

This class is a comprehensive overview of contemporary food photography. Characteristics of food, concept development, lighting and styling are emphasized. The class provides an opportunity for students to observe and assist a photographer in the photo shoot and to work with professional food and prop stylists as well as to begin their practice of developing their own food photography skills and style.

This course provides information and skills fundamental to the working photographer. The primary focus and goal will be to prepare a portfolio for presentation to clients, reps and agencies that is unique and representative of each students work. Students will explore the nature and value of an overall concept, technique, typography and choice of materials necessary to create a portfolio presentation.

This course will challenge advanced students to push the boundaries of time-based media, integrating technical excellence with innovative storytelling and critical analysis.

"Advanced Studio" is a studio class for advanced undergraduate students working in all mediums including photography. The purpose of the class is to provide ample studio time for students to develop their individual studio projects in an open studio/seminar environment under faculty guidance. The studio aspect of the class is enhanced by intensive weekly group critiques of new work or works-in-progress. Emphasis will be on creating a thematically cohesive body of work and/or ambitious project which reflects the culmination of knowledge and exploration the student has achieved. Photography Students taking this course must be 5th term or above. This course can be credited towards an elective or TDS.

These reviews will address aesthetic, technical and academic issues. This is not an exit interview, but one designed to assess a student's plan to move into the professional workplace and to give them an additional term to address what is discovered in the review. Reviewers recognize things in the work presented that can be addressed in a student's last term. This is an important review of preparedness, confidence and confrontation with the reality of graduation.

This class will guide students through a deep and focused exploration of a specific topic, encouraging both critical thinking and creative innovation while also preparing them to present their work professionally.

This course will guide students through the initial stages of their capstone project, ensuring they have a solid foundation, clear direction, and the necessary skills to successfully complete their work for the chosen client in this term.

This class will prepare students to effectively use and critically engage with emerging technologies in their professional practice, ensuring they are equipped to navigate and innovate within a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

This course provides students with direct access to photographers from diverse backgrounds and specialties, at varying levels of experience with the goal of challenging or confirming their assumptions and expectations about their careers in photography. In addition, students will learn proven techniques for leveraging copyright, contracts, estimates, invoices, negotiations, licensing and standard industry practices to succeed as professional visual artists.

In this course students will refine their skills with regard to conceptualizing, cost estimating, location scouting and producing photographic assignments. Assignments can be geared to students personal photographic direction and potential clients.

This class will guide students through a deep and focused exploration of a specific topic, encouraging both critical thinking and creative innovation while also preparing them to present their work professionally.

This course will guide students through the final stages of their capstone project, ensuring they have a solid foundation, clear direction, and the necessary skills to successfully complete their work for the chosen client in this term.

This class will equip students with the skills needed to create and manage a brand effectively, from conceptual development through to implementation and evaluation, ensuring they are prepared to handle real-world branding challenges.

This course is designed to work with graduating students to refine their exit plan addressing issues such as prospective clients, interview skills, self-promotion and their final presentation of their work for Grad Show exhibition.

This is a research and project based class that will prepare students for a study abroad program in Berlin. Actual classes are broken into two components. A: Lecture and slideshow by the instructor. B: The photographic work and research of the students. We meet once a week. There will be a few weeks where we meet every second week. The goal of the class is to get students prepared for the time in Germany. This will be achieved through research, journal keeping and producing a photographic project that will allow students "to hit the ground running" in Berlin. This class will give students the opportunity to research a foreign city and create new work independently while testing and challenging their skills outside the institutional structure. And to expand perspective and global awareness.

This course is designed to foster an environment where students can explore the intersections of media, technology, and design through collaboration, pushing the boundaries of traditional disciplinary approaches and encouraging innovative thinking.

What's Your Story blends selfie culture, personal history archiving, with a direct introduction to the many cultures and cultural experiences in Southern California. Students work together at a community event by asking people to sit down and tell their stories with the added element of photography and portraiture. Integral to the project is the recognition and visibility that comes with sharing a story, a history, and culture with the world. This class offers students real-world community involvement and the practical experience of public, fast paced production. Students will crew a festival booth to facilitate the creation of an image and oral history archiving. Based on the community event, assignments will include visiting lecturers, readings, research, video, and discussion. This class may require weekend or evening participation off campus. Anyone who comes to the "What's Your Story?" booth will be gifted a portrait on 13 x 19 print, those who participate further by granting us an interview, will have their stories archived and celebrated through a breadth of social media outlets, exhibitions, and publications. Their stories will reach well beyond their personal social algorithm.

Fringe: From Concept to Collaboration to Creation is a sponsored project TDS with major support from the non-profit The Pasadena Art Alliance. The course is designed around the collaboration between students, the conceptualization of ideas and execution of mixed media artwork. The objects and images produced will loosely relate or include some component of the concept of "fringe". The first two weeks of study will be spent determining the ideas and parameters of the project and forming student teams. Class discussions and assignments will center on direction, communication, problem-solving, collaboration and the roles of pairs. Teams can create mood boards, proposals, and research resources from traditional and historical to the contemporary forms of creative license. Students will take the lead in scheduling, following up and meeting deadlines with teammates and vendors. The culmination of the course will be an exhibition and gala opening by The Pasadena Art Alliance. Students and their collaboration partners will be invited to the event. The PAA will provide a small stipend for production costs and materials for work created.

The course is structured based on real-world simulation of an in-house creative department for a major consumer brand. Advertising, Photo, and Film majors will work together to concept, develop, refine, and complete an image-driven advertising campaign. Advertising students will learn how to think photographically, exploring ways in which photography can help generate a wider and richer range of concepts, and train them in thinking more visually. Photo and Film students will learn more about concept ideation, brand research, telling a company's story, and how to solve communication problems in original and effective ways. The studio will be modeled on professional practice, with students working in art director/photographer/cinematographer teams to complete an ad campaign from concept to execution.

This class is designed to work as a creative think tank, employing the talents of young artists in a real-world interaction with a local Nonprofit Organization or NGO. Students from Photography, Film, Illustration, and Graphic Design, are invited to work in collaboration, to produce media for use as social media content and as targeted campaigns. One or two nonprofits will be chosen and the class will work as a team to tackle the needs of the organization(s). Student work will be scheduled taking into account skills, interests, and ability to accomplish specific tasks. The class will also introduce the process of producing a personal project in partnership with an NPO/NGO-including community partnership and funding. Whether as a primary focus, or part of a mosaic of professional production, many media producers see incorporating sociopolitical engagement into their work as a necessary aspect of sustaining a healthy, long-term career.