THE COMMISSION

Component 1: ENVIRONMENT
Unit RPHC4002 Introduction The complexities of environment, which can at first seem the most straightforward of the photographic genres, are not to be underestimated. Interior, external, urban and rural, environments are an important feature of our cultural, social and political terrain. The critical consideration of environments represents an important aspect of contemporary practice. They are often sites of dispute, boundaries, romanticised ideals, social conventions, political and social control, economic exploitation, conservation, history, memory, archaeology, national and cultural identity, leisure and social activity. In this sense their cultural meaning ranges from the manifestations of their geography to the anthropology of habitation and nature. This component of the commission unit provides you with the opportunity to investigate and represent the many different conceptual approaches to environment and the aesthetic traditions embedded within this genre. The ideas explored in the environment component of the unit add depth to your understanding of the relationship between concept, space, form, nature and the manmade. Unit Aims: To promote an understanding of commissioned work To simulate professional projects: develop communication strategies and negotiation skills To promote research of environments and themes for commissions that support the representation of cultural ideas. To enhance creative visual and transferable skills Indicative Practical Content - Workshops This unit will introduce you to a variety of technical workshops providing the students with knowledge and experience of a range of image-related concerns such as the theory and use of aperture settings and shutter speed, and an introduction to principles of light and exposure. The unit will also teach you the analogue medium-format camera format and introduce you to the specific characteristics of analogue processes. The technical workshop programme aims to guide and support your visual ambitions, encouraging the development of practical skills and expertise necessary to successfully create visually stimulating photographs.

Indicative Theoretical Content - Lecture Programme This unit will introduce you to the different avenues and themes of environment. A lecture programme that support this particular unit aims to set out the historical relationship between the genre of environment and the medium of photography. The lecture series will guide you to particular historical periods relevant to the genre such as the time from the Mid-19th Century until the World War II both in America and England. The lectures will investigate the work of Fox Talbot, Henry Peach Robinson, Roger Fenton, William Henry Jackson, Timothy OSullivian, Carleton Watkins, Peter H. Emerson and many more. Important aspects of each particular historical period, visual methods and styles, photographers motivation and their representation will be investigated. The historical lectures are followed by a lecture considering photographers current positions, their embrace of particular themes and visual approaches investigating the work of Thomas Struth, Joel Sternfeld, Simone Nieweg, Dan Holdworth, Edward Burtynsky, Robert Adams and many others.

Teaching and Learning Methods: Tutorials guidance, feedback and project development Lectures Seminars- research skills, discussion, exploration of concepts and contextual understanding Field work- external project work Project Supervision Time management and Methodology Analogue Processes: Colour and B&W Guided Independent Study

Summative Assessment - Component 1: 9th/10th December 2013

Unit Leader: Steffi Klenz

BA (HONS) PHOTOGRAPHY,CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE - LEVEL 1 - 30 CREDITS

THE COMMISSION
Component 1: Environment
Unit RPHC4002

THE BRIEF: Component 1 You are required to submit a set of images (minimum of three) based upon your personal conceptual approach to representing the landscape. You must engage in research consistently throughout the unit, drawing upon the knowledge of your references, you must formulate your own visual choices to best reflect how you wish to represent the landscape. There may be political aspects you may wish to consider, or investigate the relationship between human intervention upon nature, or there may be ideas of the cultured landscape that interest you. You may wish to investigate the landscapes metaphorical or spiritual potential, or there may be ideas of the landscape as a backdrop for a social document that interest you. The challenge is to consider the significance of the landscape as an environment from a range of perspectives applying your technical, organisational and professional skills to achieve your objectives. You must develop your own visual strategy and vocabulary that best presents your ideas in a sequential set of images, considering your final edit in order to construct narratives of space and environment. Whatever area you wish to work, it is paramount to consider the relationship between your visual strategy and how that affects the representation of the landscape. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT: With this Unit there will be two Summative Assessment points at the end of each component part of the unit where your work will be graded. For your assessment you will be assigned an individual time slot to present your work: Prepare an individual blog-post or a Powerpoint presentation (uploaded on the blog) including: Your visual references, a written 300-500 word critical appraisal outlining the concept of your landscape submission. Remember your Blog will be used, to assist the tutors with evaluation. The Blog should be kept up to date and demonstrate your research approach to the project throughout the unit, contact sheets from the workshops and your test-shots and an initial self-evaluation of the project prior to your shoot. In regard to project management and planning, the ability to have worked to the scheduled production dates & relevant deadlines will also be considered at this time. Format must be 6x6 or 6x7 Medium-Format analogue film cameras One set of final Colour C-Type or Black&White analogue prints (minium three images), no smaller than (10x12 inch). The prints must be to the highest standard, evidencing your ability to control focus, exposure and colour correction. Selected contact sheets from the shoot. By evaluating your contact sheets we can feedback on matters of camera position, focal length, exposure and lighting. Unit Leader: Steffi Klenz
Peter Henry Robinson, Towing the Reed, 1885

Jem Southam, Seaford Head, 1999

BA (HONS) PHOTOGRAPHY,CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE - LEVEL 1 - 30 CREDITS

HE EC CO OM MM MI IS SS SI IO ON N TTH
Component 1: ENVIRONMENT
Unit RPHC4002 Weighting & Components: This unit comprises of two components differently weighted in regards to the overall mark of the unit. This 1st Component will have a weighting of 40% of the overall mark. Component 1 - Environment 40% Contextual research dossier for environment (on line blog) Environment Visual portfolio Component 2 - Waste (Commission) 60% Contextual research dossier for commission (on line blog) Commission Visual portfolio Pitch Assessment Criteria: Knowledge of Contexts, Concepts, Technologies and Processes Applied knowledge and cultural understanding of contexts for commission and environment - Component 1 & 2 (LO1) Understanding through Application of Knowledge Developing methodology - use of research and analysis that supports conceptual understanding - Component 1 & 2 (LO2) Demonstrate the ability to translate client objectives into visual strategies Component 2 only (LO2 & LO3) Application of Technical and Professional Skills Ability to employ photographic technique to represent ideas - Component 1 & 2 (LO3) Appropriate project management, communication and organisation - Component 1 & 2 (LO4) Learning Outcomes: At the end of the Unit, you will be able to demonstrate the following Learning Outcomes: Demonstrate a cultural awareness of environments and commissioned project work. (LO1) Use research to contextualise and conceptually interrogate a project (LO2) Develop visual strategies aligned to the appropriate use of processes and technologies (LO3) Demonstrate self-management and transferable skills (LO4) In order to complete the unit successfully all aspects of the brief must be submitted. Students who Non-submit a component will not pass the unit and therefore jeopardize their ability to progress. Please note we are not assessing the quality of your presentation skills, but the content of the presentation Your presentation should seek to satisfy the following criteria and have the following structure: Using key elements of your blog, produce a Powerpoint that includes the following: a written 300-500 word critical appraisal, that provides a clear introduction to your project, outlining the concept (idea), behind the landscape environment you have created. Your blog must demonstrate that you have developed contextual and critical knowledge of environments. Include your Research and Visual References, with a clear explanation of what you think their significance is and why. For example, how does your reference relate to your project? What do you think are the most important factors that you have learnt from your reference? Include a Self Evaluation that covers these questions: What is your understanding of issues related to landscape environments? - What context would you place your work in? - What were the reasons behind your photographic choices? How do you think your visual choices translate your ideas? - How have you managed your studies? - What aspect of your shoot productions do you need to reflect upon and why? - What has been the most significant challenge on the unit so far? - How can you overcome them ?in Summative Assessment - Presentation & Evaluation Your assessment can take the form of either a specific Blog Post (listed as Summative Assessment) or a powerpoint-presentation (uploaded on the blog). A computer will be provided in the allocated room to display this. Final Prints and contact-sheets are also to be presented.

Robert Adams, On Signal Hill, Overlooking Long Beach, California, 1983

THE COMMISSION
Part 1: Evironment
Unit RPHC4002 Schedule Tuesday 17th September 2013 2.45 - 5pm Unit Briefing and Introductory Thoughts (Room 806) Monday 23rd September 2013 11 - 1pm Room 806, Lecture & Research Task Briefing: The Picturesque Period and the Taming of the English Landscape Tuesday 26th November 2013 Friday 27th September 2013 Room 803, Research and Visual Analysis Seminar: The Picturesque Period and the Taming of the English Landscape 11.30 - 1pm 2 - 3.30pm 3.30 - 5pm Grps. 5,6 Grps. 3,4 Grps. 1,2 Monday 9th December 2013 and Tuesday 10th December 2012 Thursday 1st October 2013 Learning Journal Reviews 10-11.30pm 3.30 - 5pm Grps. 1,2 (Room 712) Grps. 5,6 (Room 712) Friday 13th December 2013 Monday 7th October 2013 Learning Journal Reviews 12 - 1pm Grps. 3,4 (Room 712) Peer Review with MA and 3rd Year Students 10-11.30am 11.30-1pm 2 - 3.30pm Monday 7th October 2011 11 - 11.30pm Room 806, Lecture & Research Task Briefing: The Sublime: Extreme Nature and the Discovery of the American West 11.30 - 1pm Research Task Deconstructing Environmental Practitioners 2 - 5pm Visual Seminar - Individual Groups (please check ical), (Room 805) Monday 14th October 2011 10 - 11.30am Room 806, Lecture & Research Task Briefing: Between Frontier and the Back-Garden - Contemporary Responses to the Land 11.30am onwards - Compulsory Individual Blog Entry (deadline Monday 21st October 2013, 9am) Tuedsday 15th & Tuesday 22nd October, 2013 10-5pm Room 805, Individual Development Tutorials (individual slots to be confirmed)
Timothy OSullivan, Inscription Rock, New Mexico, 1873

Monday 18th - Friday 1st November 2013 Individual Study (Medium-Format Camera Priority for 1st year students) Tuesday 19th November 2013 Group-Tutorials, 11 - 5pm - Grps. 4,5,6 (Room 803)

Group-Tutorials, 10 - 5pm - Grps. 1,2,3 (Room 803) Monday 2nd December 2013 and Tuesday 3rd December 2013 Colour and B&W Printing and Editing Workshop, Room 801 & Room 802 (please see ical for the group slots)

Summative Assessment Presentations 10 - 3.30pm Individual Presentations in Room 806 or Room 712 (individual slots to be confirmed)

Grps. 1,2 Peer Review, Room 806 Grps. 3,4 Peer Review, Room 806 Grps. 5,6 Peer Review, Room 806

Unit Leader: Steffi Klenz

BA (HONS) PHOTOGRAPHY,CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE - LEVEL 1 - 30 CREDITS

THE COMMISSION
Component 1: Evironment
Unit RPHC4002 Indicative Reading List. Much of your research for this project is visually based so your reference material should range widely using books, magazines, interviews, articles and other forms of image publishing and theoretical content. Try not to limit yourself only to photography but branch out into posibly the medium of painting, sculpture or literature. The following books are only an indication of what could be fruitful to you, but you should use your own initiative to find reference material. This is not a compulsory reading list - most of the appropriate titles are available from the library. Bright, S (2006) Art Photography Now (London: Thames & Hudson) Campany, D (2007) Art and Photography (London: Phaidon) Cotton, C (2009) The Photograph as Contemporary Art (London: Thames & Hudson) Bachelard, G (1958) The Poetics of Space (New York: Orion Press, 1964) Barnes, M (2010) Shadow Catchers, Camera-less Photography (Merrell) Burtynsky, E (2003) Manufactured Landscapes: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky (New Haven: Yale University) Crewdson, G (2002) Twilight (Harry N. Abrams) Gersht, Ori (2005) The Clearing (Film & Video Umbrella) Knorr, Karen (2002) Genii Loci Black Dog Publishing Hofer, Candida (1993) Zoologische Grten Schirmer/Mosel Jaschinski, Britta (2003) Wild Things Thames & Hudson Millar, J (2010) Florian Mairer-Aichen: Snow Machine (Gargosian Gallery) Misrach, R (1992) Violent Legacies: Three Cantos, (Aperture) Salvesen, B (2009) New Topographics: Roberts Adams . Lewis Baltz . Bernd and Hilla Becher. (Steidl) Shore, S (2004) Uncommon Places: The Complete Works (London: Thames & Hudson) Sontag, S (1979) On Photography (Various: Penguin) Soper, K., (1990) What is Nature? Culture, politics and the non-human, (Blackwell Publishing) Southam, J (2000) Rockfalls & Rivermouths (Photoworks) Sternfeld, J (2003) American Prospects (DAP) Wall, J. (1996) About Making Landscapes in Thierry de Duve (ed) Jeff Wall Phaidon) Wells, Liz (2000) Shifting Horizons: womens landscape photography now, (I.B. Tauris) Vidler, A (1992) The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely (MIT Press) Summative Assessment - Component 1: 9th/10th December 2013
Xavier Ribas, Sundays, Barcelona Pictures No.2, 1994-1997

Resources Silverprint: www.silverprint.co.uk (Film Supplies) Process Supplies: www.process-supplies.co.uk (Film) 7 dayshop: www.7dayshop.com (Fuji Instant film supplies) Bob Rigby: www.bobrigby.com (Pinhole cameras) Linhof Studio: www.linhofstudio.com Walker Cameras: www.walkercameras.com Robert White: www.robertwhite.co.uk Ffordes: www.ffordes.com Teamwork: www.teamworkphoto.com Sekonic Light Meters: www.sekonic.com Alternative Processes: www.alternativephotography.com Photogravure: www.photogravure.com