The above images are from a course I taught a few years ago. Can you identify the locations? Click to see the full size page.
The above images are from a course I taught a few years ago. Can
you identify the locations? Click to see the full size page.
Miniterm 2008−2009 - Dr. Kral
Course Description
This course is about being present and attentive to your own experience while being physically active and while quietly observing in the outdoors. It is a combination of art, photography, hiking, and walking.
Imagine spending your mini-term taking in the beauty and wonder of the outdoors. Imagine sharing what you have seen in a book. This course will help you develop your artistic eye. You will practice skills in making what you see and feel visible to others. We will take photos outdoors at Bentley, on walks near Bentley including the Lafayette Reservoir, and on hikes reached by driving to regional parks such as Briones and Sibley. Back at Bentley we will select photos, edit photos, and lay them out for publication using state of the art software. At the end of the course you will have a self-published book of your work. While this course is primarily about seeing, we will spend a little bit of time on the technical aspects of photography. We will also study the history of photography and view photographs of contemporary artists.
General Plans (subject to change)
Our walks and hikes will take us to the nearby neighborhoods of Bentley and, as far as - it is hoped - the beach (after a drive). Students are expected to be fit enough to take hour long hikes on flat and hilly terrain, such as from Bentley to the top of the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail and back. We will be outside during good weather and bad weather. We will have the opportunity to gain experience with many types of photography ranging from landscape photography to macro photography. We may take action photographs of students in other mini-term courses such as Orienteering. The final project is a photo book that each student will prepare for online publication and printing. We will spend most of the time outdoors, not in the digital photo lab. While some students may choose to make fancy books, we will not spend a large amount of class time doing photo editing and layout. Students will learn the basic skills to make a good looking book in the allotted time using professional publishing software. Throughout the course, students will be able to share their work on the World Wide Web.
Photography Requirements
No experience with photography is needed. Students must
have access to a digital camera each day. Any digital camera will do. Please
contact the instructor if you need help with this. (Students will get more out
of the course if the camera has a dial with the modes Auto, Program, T=Shutter
Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual.)
Hiking Requirements
We will spend some of the
course hiking and this requires basic physical fitness and appropriate footwear.
For rainy days: bring raingear and a small umbrella. Wear sunscreen. Bring
cell phones.
Scheduling Requirement
Students are expected to have some scheduling flexibility since one field trip
will last four hours instead of three hours.
Transportation
We may not always have access to
Bentley vans for our field trips. Help from parents in providing rides
will be greatly appreciated. With written permission from parents of
drivers and parents of passengers, students may also help in transportation, as
appropriate.
Required text and materials
Digital camera. Any camera will do. However,
Memory card: 256 MB or more. (2GB cards have gone down in price and fit old cameras.)
USB camera to computer cable connection and/or card readers if you have them.
Manual for the camera.
Textbook, provided by instructor: Kodak Guide to Digital Photography, Rob
Sheppard, First Edition, 2008, Lark Books, ISBN-13: 978-1-57990-969-7, ISBN-10:
1-57990-969-8.
Student fees
$20 total includes the textbook (to be purchased by the school) and a
self-published photography book. Students get to keep both.