Here’s my example:
The Famous Lawrence, 2016
Use at least three of our photo terms to describe the action photo.
Category: Uncategorized (Page 6 of 6)
Hi Class,
For the 17th:
Read Parla, Anastasio (both in Dwell), and Teju Cole’s article in Readings menu tab.
Then post a photo (your own), give it a title, and use three of our photo terms to describe it. Chose the terms that make sense for the image. When you post your photo, try to make it about the size of my image below:
Homework for Thursday, Oct 6th:
- Print out and read over Essay 2 details
- Print out and read John Berger’s essay: “Understanding a Photograph”
- Prepare for Thursday’s Quiz 2 on Sontag and Berger
- **Take 4 photos: 2 macro and 2 your choice
Depth of Field:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field
More on taking better photos with your cell phone:
Hi Class…lot’s of information today!
Homework for next Wednesday!!!: Read Sontag and write  a four-point summary (300 words) = Journal 4.
VIDEO CLIPS:
1. How does a digital camera work?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic0czeUJrGE
2. How to develop film using coffee and vitamin C:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYjOqcbBEco
3. A Darkroom in Use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nue495wxlXo
4. Five tips for taking your own digital photographs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YroMyQJ-GMQÂ
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Joining Openlab, Posting to Openlab, and Dominant Impression
Here is an example of a picture that I took and my description:
Manhattan-Stonehenge, 2011, Sean Scanlan
I took this picture in the early spring of 2011. The shot is of the sun as it is framed by skyscrapers on either side of E. 21st St., looking West, of course. The sun is setting and seems perfectly centered by the “cliffs” or buildings. I was walking with my friend, Tom, and on our way to play ping-pong at a place called Spin, which is a few blocks north of Union Square. What is so interesting about the picture is that the lens (and CMOS) created the effect of all the red circles, I never saw them until after clicking the shutter. I did not use any filters on this shot. This red, technically a “lens flare,” is overwhelming, but I can still make out the street scene. At first, I did not like the white car on the right side, but after further reflection, I liked how it adds perspective and the illusion of speed. Lastly, the lens also created the effect of a bright slash that goes through the street, straight down. I like that “sword” as it bisects the frame.
————-
How to Sign up, Join, and post a photo:
STEP 1: Here is a link to help you set up an account on Openlab.
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/blog/help/signing-up-on-the-openlab/
STEP 2: Here is a link that will help you join my class.
 https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/blog/help/logging-in-to-the-openlab/
The shortcut to step 2 is that you should click on the menu tab labeled “Course Profile” on this website, then go to the right side and click join now.
STEP 3: Posting a photo.
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/blog/help/adding-images-to-your-site/
To add your description, just type inside the box underneath the image that you have posted. Be sure to click the blue “Update” button on the right side of the page.
If you have any questions, please email me.
Best,
Prof. Scanlan
ps. Description: An Example
Here’s a written description of a store:
“It was a narrow room, with a rather high ceiling, and crowded from floor to ceiling with goodies. There were rows and rows of hams and sausages of all shapes and colors–white, yellow, red, and black; fat and lean and round and long–rows of canned preserves, cocoa and tea, bright translucent glass bottles of honey, marmalade, and jam; round bottles and slender bottles, filled with liqueurs and punch–all these things crowded every inch of the shelves from top to bottom. “
-Thomas Mann
What is the dominant impression of this scene?
For Homework: Journal 3:
300 words on which photo is your favorite and a brief explanation of the Studium. Select the photo from pages 143-152.
Hi Class,
Essay 2 is about taking photos, reading them, and writing about them.
These questions will help us as we move toward Essay 2:
1. What is a photograph? What is the history of photography?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photography
2. Why do we take, keep, share, and discard photographs?
3. How should we make sense of photographs?
The French sociologist and critic Roland Barthes wrote about photography, and he came up with two useful terms for studying photographs.
1. Studium: The studium of a photograph is the public and historical background of a photo. The studium is the photo’s context and its general understanding which includes the precise time and place and weather. The studium of a photo must be visible, and it is the cultural reading of faces, gestures, buildings, clothing, and actions within a photo.
2. Punctum: The punctum of a photograph is highly individual, not public. The punctum pierces the viewer in a particular, private way. The punctum, which must be visible, pierces the viewer like a arrow, raising certain individual memories and consciousnesses to the surface. The punctum bruises me but not you. The punctum is about loving, while the studium is about liking.
*These definitions are from Barthes’ Camera Lucida (New York: Hill and Wang, 1981)
Barthes’ example of punctum:
Little Italy. New York, 1954. Photo by William Klein
“What I stubbornly see are one boy’s bad teeth…”
Hi Class,
Essay 1 is due on Monday afternoon at 2:30 at the beginning of class (please be on time).
In your paper folder (with your name on it) please include:
-Final Draft
-Prior Drafts (at least 2)
-Two Completed Peer Reviews
-Assignment Details
Proofreading Advice for Monday’s Due Date:
- Read over your own draft several times
- Read your own draft out loud
- Have a friend read your draft. Perhaps exchange essays.
- Read “backwards”
Email any  questions,
Best wishes,
Prof. Scanlan
Hi class,
For homework: Read these three articles in our textbook: Wallis and Steptoe, Powell, and Lubrano. All are in Chapter 3. Then, in your notebook, write a sentence or two that nails down the main idea of each article. In addition, you might want to consider what you think each author’s Intellectual Home might be.
Also, please change the due dates for Essay 1. First draft is due in class on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Final draft is due in class on Monday, Sept 26.
Cheers,
Prof. Scanlan
Hello Students!
This site will grow and develop during the semester, just like you will grow and develop as critical readers and writers.
As we get to know each other, I believe that you will find that I am very fond of reading, and I am interested in new digital technologies. In particular, I like to examine digital tools that can help students work more efficiently. One such digital tool is Wikipedia. Hardly a week goes by when a friend, or a parent of a college student, or a colleague rips into Wikipedia (a new digital research tool) for its flimsy research, its weak documentation, its biased approach. Well, I’ve always thought that Wikipedia keeps gaining ground on other encyclopedias, and it looks like it has truly reached the tipping point, especially when esteemed historian William Cronon gives it the thumbs up:
Try this exercise: look up the terms “immigration”and “Brooklyn Bridge” on Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia and tell me which one is more complete with more footnotes and more resources.
Next, here is a small photo of the textbook that we will use this semester:
Please use the ISBN to get the correct version of this book. ISBN: 9781465228314
If you have any questions, please let me know via email:
sscanlan@citytech.cuny.edu
Best wishes,
Prof. Scanlan
