DDP 203: ADVANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHMA IN DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

DDP 203: Course Outline

DDP 203 ADVANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHY: COURSE OUTLINE

Paper Title: Advanced Practical Photography

Paper Code: DDP 203

Level: 6

Credits: 15

Entry Requirements: Pre-requisite: DDP 103

Equipment requirements: As a minimum students will need to have access to:

Semi-Professional Digital camera kit, computer, and basic image editing software.

Useful equipment:

Release aid (Useful for week 2 and 5)

NDF Neutral Density Filter or Variable NDF
Macro lens or other Macro adapter * (Needed Week 11, see Readings for more information)
Tripod
Torch
Lightroom (or Photoshop with Camera RAW)

DDP 203: Course Outline

AIMS

Building on the work undertaken in DDP103, students will continue their investigation of
photographic concepts and techniques. Utilising cameras with interchangeable lenses and
manual controls, students will refine their understanding of topics including: composition,
framing, camera angles, lighting, exposure, and narrative.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this paper the student will be able to:

1. Equipment
Make intelligent choices regarding purchase of equipment

2. Practical
Make images using digital still cameras that are not only technically free of errors and
correctly exposed and focussed, but fulfil specific requirements requiring a wide range of
skills and embody a high degree of creative skill.

3. Aesthetics
a) Make sound creative choices in the practice of taking photographs
b) Self-critique their own digital still photography

DDP 203: Course Outline

INTRODUCTION
Since this course is about high-level camera craft, youll need a basic level of technical competency
right from the start. Your facilitator expects you to understand core concepts such as exposure,
focus, and composition.
If you see a deficiency in any of your images that you are looking to submit, then make sure you
either chose another image or reshoot the assignment. As such, you need to allow yourself
sufficient time each week. If there has been a gap in your studies, it would be wise to review the
PDFs and readings from DDP103 and contact your tutor.

ASSESSMENTS
Most weeks there will be a practical task that will involve applying the tools & techniques
discussed. At the end of the course, youll send in a portfolio of your best images and this will be
looked at further in week 12.
Some exercises are formative they do not contribute to the final mark. The feedback you get on
these exercises is however, vital to your success in this paper.
Please also note that the amount of time you have for each assignment varies. You will need to
check on Blackboard (under Deadlines) for the corresponding date that the assignment is due.
The discussion board on Blackboard will be set up and you are strongly recommended to post and
share your ideas and images with other students. If you can structure your shoots so you have
enough time to do a reshoot after posting them, then this can be a valuable learning experience.

DDP 203: Course Outline

COURSE OUTLINE

Week Subject Week Due Percentage

Provided
1 Narrative 1 5%
2 Lenses & Lightroom 2
3 Impressionistic image 3 5%
3 Semi-pro camera kit -Essay 5 10%
4 Keep working on your essay
5 Painting with light* 6 *5%
5 Studio lighting
6 Motion
7 Seagulls 8 5%
8 12 Shots 10 10%
9 HDR and Panoramas (Landscape) 11
10 Mini Portfolio & Portfolio information 12 & 16 10%
11 Macro 12 10%
12 Work on portfolio
13 Work on portfolio
14 Work on portfolio
15 Work on portfolio
16 Portfolio Due 40%
17 Course feedback
Total 100%

DDP 203: Course Outline

RULES:

All images must be shot during the paper. You may not dig into your holiday snapshots
and/or photographic archives
Unless otherwise specified (e.g. the final portfolio), you must shoot photos specifically for
the relevant assessments.
An image may not be submitted more than once (this includes other papers), but you can
use another image taken during the same shoot.
Only editing functions available in Camera Raw may be used when processing your work.
(Lightroom or other programmes may be used, but only the functions that also exist in
Camera Raw may be used. E.g. Panoramic Stitching 1 in Lightroom is not to be used.)
If you are unsure if your idea is OK, please check with your tutor before it is due.

COMMENTS
Each week you are required to send a few comments about your work. It doesnt have to be a
long essay, but please send at least a few lines explaining the approach you took, some
observations on how the images turned out, and the experience of shooting. For example:
Choice of subject
What lens or focal length you chose and why
What the light was doing
What problems you encountered and how you solved them
Any editing (post-production) you needed to do
Why you like the result
If your first shoot didnt work, what did you do differently the next time?
These comments provide useful contextual information and help your facilitator to better
understand your approach.

1 With the exception of week 9

DDP 203: Course Outline
PLAGIARISM
All work submitted for DDP papers must be wholly original, unless otherwise specified. The SIT
QMS outlines specific policies regarding plagiarism:
Any individual student assignment/assessment submitted for marking must represent the
students own thoughts and conclusions; and where students use the work of others, then this shall
be acknowledged and/or referenced appropriately.
In cases where plagiarism has occurred, Faculty staff shall take remedial action. Subject to the
severity of the offence, this may range from a reduction in marks allocated for an
assignment/assessment, to removal of an offending student from their programme of study.
If you are in doubt about whether or not something might be considered plagiarism, contact your
facilitator

DDP 203: Course Outline