The course illustrates the basic techniques (lighting, exposure, composition, color, etc.) used to photograph archaeological sites, architectural monuments and landscapes, as well as works of art and archaeological finds, thereby putting students directly in touch with the city’s material culture and cultural heritage. Students start with a detailed overview of the digital camera’s automatic and manual functions and finally learn the basics about management of files on the computer. The course brings together the technical and aesthetic components through an analysis of some of the more important art historical themes that characterize the contexts that students are photographing. (3 credits).
Prerequisites:
One course in Art History is recommended, but not required.
Students must bring their own digital camera and have its instruction book (a copy can usually be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website). Students should have a digital SLR (single lens reflex) or a high-end compact camera featuring:
1) RAW files
2) a wide-angle starting from at least 28mm equivalent
3) P (program), S (shutter priority) A (aperture priority) M (manual) exposure control setting
Compact cameras such as these are for example: Nikon P6000-P7000, Canon G11, G12, S95, Olympus Pen Series, Sony NEX 3K, 3D, Panasonic Lumix FZ35, FZ38, LX5.
Please keep in mind that if you plan on buying the camera, prices are much lower in the U.S.A. than in Italy.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students are able to:
• Advance in the learning of photography
• Identify form, content, light and materials in works of art;
• Develop an understanding for different light contexts;
• Be able to choose when and how to take a picture;
• Master computer technology to improve digital photography;
• Appreciate historical and art historical significance of photographed works.
Method of presentation:
Class lectures, slide shows, shooting sessions at monumental and archaeological sites, PC lab sessions.
LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATION: English
Required work and form of assessment:
Class participation (15%); midterm exam (25%); final portfolio (40%); journal (20%).
*DETAILS OF REQUIRED WORK:
Final Portfolio: students are required to keep a digital folder of all work done in the course during the semester so the instructor can review student work and progress. Best photographs are selected and kept in a digital portfolio which is handed in at the end of the semester.
Journal: the journal is intended to keep track of student impressions, observations, strategies used in photo taking and self evaluation of work. The journal is handed in at different stages in the course of the semester.
content:
Week 1. Slide show of sample images: the diverse types of art subjects in photography (archaeological sites, finds, monuments, art works, etc.). The camera’s main functions. Introduction to the fundamentals of composition.
Week 2. Photographic walk: statues on Ponte Sant’Angelo, fountains and colonnades in St. Peter’s Square, bridges on the Tiber.
Week 3. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion. Introduction to photo enhancement software: understanding the photograph as a computer file - how to process main parameters.
Week 4. Photographic walk in the neighborhood of Piazza Navona.
Week 5. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion, work with photo enhancement software.
Week 6. Mid term exam. Introduction to RAW files.
Week 7. Photographic walk at the Museum of the Markets of Trajan: marble fragments of the Imperial Fora.
Week 8. Photographic walk at the archaeological site of the Villa dei Quintili and Via Appia Antica: ancient ruins in the Roman Campagna.
Week 9. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion, work with photo enhancement software.
Week 10. Photographic walk at EUR: Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro, Museo della Civiltà Romana, Obelisk of G. Marconi, Palazzo dei Congressi.
Week 11. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion, work with photo enhancement software. Preparation for photo exhibition.
Week 12. Final critique. Final assignments due. Preparation for photo exhibition.
Required readings:
Freeman, Michael. "The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos"
Technical articles on line indicated by the instructor.
Recommended readings:
Ang, Tom. Digital Photography Masterclass. DK Publishing, 2008.
Rome. Art and Archaeology (ed. by Andrea Augenti), Scala Group, Firenze 2003.
Schneider Adams, Laurie. Italian Renaissance Art. Westview Press: 2001 (selected parts).
Ward-Perkins, J.B. Roman Imperial Architecture. London: Pelican History of Art, 1981.
Collins, S., How to Photograph Works of Art: A Practical Guide for Artists, Photographers, Private Collectors, Gallery Owners, Antique Dealers and Anyone Interested in Photographing Art, by Amphoto Books, 1992.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Stefano Castellani is a professional photographer in archaeology and art and holds a degree in Latin Epigraphy. He collaborates with Rome’s most important museums and institutions (Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Capitoline Museums, Museo Nazionale Romano, Sovraintendenza ai Beni Culturali del Comune di Roma), in documenting museum collections, archaeological finds and excavations. His photographs are published in various exhibition catalogues and museum guides.
The course illustrates the basic techniques (lighting, exposure, composition, color, etc.) used to photograph archaeological sites, architectural monuments and landscapes, as well as works of art and archaeological finds, thereby putting students directly in touch with the city’s material culture and cultural heritage. Students start with a detailed overview of the digital camera’s automatic and manual functions and finally learn the basics about management of files on the computer. The course brings together the technical and aesthetic components through an analysis of some of the more important art historical themes that characterize the contexts that students are photographing. (3 credits).
One course in Art History is recommended, but not required.
Students must bring their own digital camera and have its instruction book (a copy can usually be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website). Students should have a digital SLR (single lens reflex) or a high-end compact camera featuring:
1) RAW files
2) a wide-angle starting from at least 28mm equivalent
3) P (program), S (shutter priority) A (aperture priority) M (manual) exposure control setting
Compact cameras such as these are for example: Nikon P6000-P7000, Canon G11, G12, S95, Olympus Pen Series, Sony NEX 3K, 3D, Panasonic Lumix FZ35, FZ38, LX5.
Please keep in mind that if you plan on buying the camera, prices are much lower in the U.S.A. than in Italy.
By the end of the course, students are able to:
• Advance in the learning of photography
• Identify form, content, light and materials in works of art;
• Develop an understanding for different light contexts;
• Be able to choose when and how to take a picture;
• Master computer technology to improve digital photography;
• Appreciate historical and art historical significance of photographed works.
Class lectures, slide shows, shooting sessions at monumental and archaeological sites, PC lab sessions.
LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATION: English
Class participation (15%); midterm exam (25%); final portfolio (40%); journal (20%).
*DETAILS OF REQUIRED WORK:
Final Portfolio: students are required to keep a digital folder of all work done in the course during the semester so the instructor can review student work and progress. Best photographs are selected and kept in a digital portfolio which is handed in at the end of the semester.
Journal: the journal is intended to keep track of student impressions, observations, strategies used in photo taking and self evaluation of work. The journal is handed in at different stages in the course of the semester.
Week 1. Slide show of sample images: the diverse types of art subjects in photography (archaeological sites, finds, monuments, art works, etc.). The camera’s main functions. Introduction to the fundamentals of composition.
Week 2. Photographic walk: statues on Ponte Sant’Angelo, fountains and colonnades in St. Peter’s Square, bridges on the Tiber.
Week 3. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion. Introduction to photo enhancement software: understanding the photograph as a computer file - how to process main parameters.
Week 4. Photographic walk in the neighborhood of Piazza Navona.
Week 5. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion, work with photo enhancement software.
Week 6. Mid term exam. Introduction to RAW files.
Week 7. Photographic walk at the Museum of the Markets of Trajan: marble fragments of the Imperial Fora.
Week 8. Photographic walk at the archaeological site of the Villa dei Quintili and Via Appia Antica: ancient ruins in the Roman Campagna.
Week 9. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion, work with photo enhancement software.
Week 10. Photographic walk at EUR: Palazzo della Civiltà del Lavoro, Museo della Civiltà Romana, Obelisk of G. Marconi, Palazzo dei Congressi.
Week 11. Technical analysis and critique of photographs created in the previous session: photo projections, discussion, work with photo enhancement software. Preparation for photo exhibition.
Week 12. Final critique. Final assignments due. Preparation for photo exhibition.
Freeman, Michael. "The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos"
Technical articles on line indicated by the instructor.
Ang, Tom. Digital Photography Masterclass. DK Publishing, 2008.
Rome. Art and Archaeology (ed. by Andrea Augenti), Scala Group, Firenze 2003.
Schneider Adams, Laurie. Italian Renaissance Art. Westview Press: 2001 (selected parts).
Ward-Perkins, J.B. Roman Imperial Architecture. London: Pelican History of Art, 1981.
Collins, S., How to Photograph Works of Art: A Practical Guide for Artists, Photographers, Private Collectors, Gallery Owners, Antique Dealers and Anyone Interested in Photographing Art, by Amphoto Books, 1992.
Stefano Castellani is a professional photographer in archaeology and art and holds a degree in Latin Epigraphy. He collaborates with Rome’s most important museums and institutions (Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Capitoline Museums, Museo Nazionale Romano, Sovraintendenza ai Beni Culturali del Comune di Roma), in documenting museum collections, archaeological finds and excavations. His photographs are published in various exhibition catalogues and museum guides.
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