Photography and New Media Courses

ACCF PTDI 290 Digital Image Elaboration

ACCF PTVD 390 Video Design

ACCF PTIL 390 Photographic Lighting Techniques – fall semester*

ACCF PTPJ 390 Photojournalism – fall semester

ACCF PTTP 390 Travel Photography – fall semester

ACCF PTP 390 Web Design

ACCF PTSL 490 Still-life Photography – spring semester

ACCF PTPP 490 Portrait Photography – spring semester

ACCF PTCG 490 Computer Graphic – spring semester

ACCF PTCP 490 Photographic Culture

ACCF PTHM 490 History of Mass Media – fall semester

ACCF PTVD 590 Video Design 2 – spring semester

ACCF PTP 590 Web Design 2

ACCF PTFP 590 Fashion Photography

ACCF PTPP 590 Advanced Photography – final portfolio

ACCF PTDP 590 Photographic Direction

*Please note that unless otherwise indicated, courses are taught both fall and spring semesters.

ACCF PTDI 290: Digital Image Elaboration

The course includes an in-depth analysis of digital photographic images together with a technical and critical approach to postproduction. It begins with an analysis of the IT characteristics of digital images and continues with the study of photo management and elaboration/processing software. Topics will include digital color, file typologies and characteristics, Adobe Bridge® browser and backup systems. We will study raw file development in depth, using Camera Raw® interface and Adobe Lightroom® software as an on/offline manager, as a development software and as an output tool. The second half of the course will focus on a detailed and applied study of Adobe Photoshop® software including interfaces, menus, instruments, selections, channels, layers, layer masks and filters.

ACCF PTVD 390: Video Design

During this course, students will be exposed to all aspects of the production cycle from pre-planning to post production. They will learn to create a video project starting from a storyboard. The second part of the course is structured on two levels. On the one hand, the theoretical lessons foresee a detailed study of editing. On the other hand, practical exercises will consolidate and increase the student’s knowledge. The course will introduce students to specific editing software, through practical exercises, and with the typical language used to create a story through images.

ACCF PTIL 390: Photographic Lighting Techniques – fall semester

The objective of this course is to demonstrate the fundamental importance of lighting in visual and photographic imagery and the characteristics of different types of lighting so that students can use them according to their own photographic purposes.

ACCF PTPJ 390: Photojournalism – fall semester

The course is a theoretical and practical introduction to photojournalism and documentary photography that leads to the development of an original photojournalistic project. The first part of the course introduces the criteria that define news and the concept of intermediation, the distinction between facts and opinions, the criteria for a correct journalistic narration based on verification and completeness, the main thematic areas of journalism, journalistic approaches and newsworthiness. We will analyze news from different editorial products, studying their textual and visual narration considering the editorial line. We will analyze the main narrative structures of photojournalism, as well as examples of photojournalistic and documentary photography languages through the works of authors belonging to different historical and cultural contexts. Furthermore, we will outline the markets of photojournalism and documentary photography, relationships with agencies, free-lance and on- assignment works, communication strategies, and economic and logistic planning of a photojournalistic work. The second part of the course will be dedicated to the creation of the planned photojournalistic project. During this part of the course students will be introduced to the skills required for the project: field work, photojournalist technique, editing and final publishing. The project will be presented as a briefing for the midterm evaluation and as an actual photojournalistic project for final evaluation.

ACCF PTTP 390 Travel Photography – fall semester

ACCF PTP 390: Web Design

The course will provide students with the basic toolkit to successfully undertake their own self- promotion. Working with vector software, students will create their own logos. After designing the logos, students will be introduced to the basics of HTML5 and CSS3, which they will use to build a personal website, including UX (User Experience) research, layout design, and website development. The purpose of the course is to provide a conceptual and practical basis to promote the student's own work, as well as the necessary skills to produce photos suitable for web use.

ACCF PTSL 490: Still-life Photography – spring semester

Still life photography deals with representing objects and commercial products, without the human presence. One of the main characteristics is the preparation of the stage through the positioning of various objects on a backdrop, so as to constitute a harmonious composition in terms of arrangement, color, size and shape. Another main feature is the design of a lighting set that is able to enhance the characteristics of the materials of which the various objects are made. Finally, still life photography is characterized by the coordination of the stage planning, photographic shooting and post-production of the images.

ACCF PTPP 490: Portrait Photography – spring semester

The course’s aim is to introduce students to contemporary portrait practices, applying the lighting techniques learned during the previous semester to a high-level production for their portfolios, and to increase students’ visual encyclopedia and skills in visual communication. Each student will have to produce two photographic projects pertinent to the assignments given in class. The results of their research should not be a collection of single shots, but rather a coherent body of work developing a clearly defined subject through an adequate visual strategy. The student is expected to demonstrate the ability to explore different ways to communicate his ideas. The student will have 5-7 weeks for each project: he/she will work individually at home and will be present in in- class group revision, during which he/she will be asked to comment on his/hers and other students’ works. The two assignments will be presented through viewing of images by photographers dealing with portraiture as well as observing cinematic photography and storytelling techniques.

ACCF PTCG 490: Computer Graphic – spring semester

This course aims to introduce students to the world of 3D. It will explain how to start a new project, where to focus and what is important for good work. The student will learn the main techniques and typology of modeling, the study of light, the creation of materials and the output channels of rendering.

ACCF PTCP 490: Photographic Culture

The course offers an in-depth exploration of the linguistic and aesthetic trends in contemporary photography, with a focus on medium and long-term projects. It introduces authors and works that can be considered benchmarks in the different linguistic areas which will be addressed by the students in their academic path (documentary, portrait, fashion, still-life and travel photography). The theoretical discussion is complemented with practical exercises that will allow students to refine the skills necessary for the critical analysis of a photographic work as well as those necessary to create their own projects. Students will work on a personal project that will be discussed (but not graded) in the midterm evaluation and then presented in its definitive version in the final evaluation.

ACCF PTHM 490: History of Mass Media – fall semester

The course provides an introduction to the various issues related to modern mass communication and consists of an interdisciplinary overview of the traditional media (press, photography, radio, cinema, television) and new media (computer, internet). Class topics include the history of the media, their socio-cultural influence and the evolution of specific forms and techniques. The course also discusses the main theories about the media and provides students with the critical tools to face the complex world of mass communication in a conscious and personal way.

ACCF PTVD 590: Video Design 2 – spring semester

This course aims to impart a more advanced technical knowledge of specific editing software (Adobe Premiere) through practical exercises and with the typical language used to create a story through images. It combines theory-based and practical components. In the former, lectures will involve a detailed study of editing. In the latter, practice exercises will consolidate and increase student’s knowledge of video works.

ACCF PTP 590: Web Design 2

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding and practical skills in Adobe Dreamweaver software. Students will design a website for farm holidays using Dreamweaver to publish the content. They will design an Internet page using Photoshop for the layout and will learn how to mount an Internet page using the tag code html and Javascript.

ACCF PTFP 590: Fashion Photography

This course aims to provide students with the cultural and technical tools needed to design and direct the production of photographic images for the world of fashion, whether as art directors of their own collections or as stylists for fashion shoots and advertising campaigns. During the course, various topics related to the language of photography will be discussed, in addition to the principles of art direction and the research of trends for the proper construction of photographic fashion images.

ACCF PTPP 590: Advanced Photography – final portfolio

In this course, students will create a photographic portfolio consistent with their professional objectives and their professional promotion opportunities (exhibitions, photo contests, business meetings, etc.). Students will study the image of one or more professional photographers and will reflect on their professional goals starting from personal expectations and abilities. Students will work on the design of their portfolios, which will be presented as a design project (for the midterm) and in its final form (for the final evaluation), with ongoing related assignments and evaluations during the semester.

ACCF PTDP 590: Photographic Direction

This course is open only to senior Photography majors. The course has two goals: the production of a photographic portfolio coherent with the student’s professional goals and the creation of a collective exhibition. Portfolio: the course starts with an analysis of the fundamental importance of a portfolio for the photographer’s professional path, analyzing different ways of self-presentation in commercial, editorial and artistic environments. Students will be required to study the image of one or more reference professionals and to reflect on their professional goals starting from personal expectations and abilities. Key interlocutors of specific areas will be introduced (agents, communication agencies, companies, photo editors, editors, gallerists, curators, private customers, etc.) and how to reach them in various professional paths, also crossed. Students will work on the design of their portfolio to be presented as a study (midterm) and as contents (final), taking into account the multiple presentation outputs required during the second semester. Exhibition: during the beginning part of the course, students will analyze the characteristics of authorial photography through the study of various projects’ and exhibitions’ types. Subsequently, students will be asked to design an authorial photographic project, to be developed during the semester, considering all aspects of an exhibition realization: title, concept, images, setup, caption, synopsis, dimensions, materials, lighting, multimedia, complementary materials, communication.