Digital Art Photography

An artist's workshop on creating, editing, and virtually exhibiting digital art photography

Have you ever wondered about the days, weeks, or months that went into creating the work of art you admire in a gallery or exhibition?

This course, produced by renowned visual artist Cecilie Dahl, guides you through the creative process behind making digital art photography. You'll explore each step of the endeavor from the genesis of an art concept through its exploration, selection, treatment, and presentation.

We'll discuss different approaches to using a digital camera, a digital imaging program, and your imagination (three essential tools), how to place images in photos, and how to mock up drawings of three-dimensional spaces. You'll complete the course with a project portfolio ready to be presented over the Web, sent via email, and printed out as hard copies for your client meetings. And, just as important, you'll learn a creative methodology that you can apply to a host of future projects.

Tuition: $450 US

Course Instructor(s):

Ken Milburn is a professional photographer and leading expert in digital photography.

Course content developed by Cecilie Dahl.

Requirements:

To take this course you'll need:

Computer with Internet connection (56 Kbps modem or faster).
Digital camera with at least a 3 megapixel rating.
Adobe Photoshop or equivalent digital imaging program.
Design and Composition or equivalent experience in layout and composition.
Basic experience in digital photography and the software package needed for this course.

Prerequisites:

The following courses can help you meet the above requirements:

Course Objectives:

Students learn how to:

Discover and articulate a concept for a photography exhibition and identify a direction for their art projects.
Utilize case studies to explore the themes, meaning, and message of an art project.
Identify different strategies for selecting and framing a composition.
Employ framing and lighting techniques for setting up a photo shoot.
Apply basic treatments for digital images including curves and color correction, explaining the rationale for their framing and color choices.
Develop a concept document for a photographic exhibition.
Narrow down a selection of works to identify the best pieces for an exhibition.
Approach galleries create and effectively written proposal for an exhibition.
Create in Photoshop a virtual gallery for presentation to a prospective exhibition space.

Course Outline

LESSON 1 The Exploration Stage

The foundation of any contemporary art work is a concept. Lesson One focuses on the exploratory stage of a creative project, showing you how to develop an idea and identify obvious or disguised meanings in the subject. Through a real case study, you'll learn how the artist conceptualized the early stages of her "Suckers" exhibition, creating a series of related themes and planning the direction for a photo shoot. Techniques for setting up a photo shoot are explored, with a focus on framing and lighting. In the exercise, you'll devise your own concept, run a photo shoot, and post the results for critique and feedback.

LESSON 2 Selection and Treatment

Lesson Two explores approaches to selecting and manipulating the results of a photo shoot. You'll explore the artist's approach to using Photoshop (or other digital imaging program) to excerpt and crop photos, manipulate colors and contrasts, and place emphasis on certain aspects of the work's content. In the exercise, you'll use your digital imaging tool to hone a selection of your digital images, exploring framing and color correction as you go.

LESSON 3 Execution, Installation, and Presentation

Lesson Three gives you tools for placing your artwork in space, so that you can present it effectively to galleries or other exhibition spaces. You'll cover tips and techniques presenting each work's dimensions in perspective, learning how to create a virtual exhibition in your digital imaging program. You'll also explore how to write an effective proposal to pitch your exhibition to a real or imaginary exhibition space. The final project integrates all these elements. You'll have the beginnings of a portfolio that you can submit to art schools, art galleries, and other exhibition spaces that might show your work.