Instructor: Nathan Mathews
Main e-mail: nmathews@colum.edu
Alternate: nathanmathews@aol.com
Office hours: By appointment only
Course description
This course introduces the student to computer tools that manipulate and enhance photographic images.
These tools allow you to input B&W and color photographs, negatives, positives, and graphics into
Photoshop, the industry standard for digital image manipulation. You will learn the skills to retouch and
enhance these varied inputs in order to create high-quality digital outputs Output devices include film
recorders, CD-ROM burners and high quality printers. Assignments, case studies and the final project are
designed to help master basic techniques of image editing in order to expand the photographer's creative
horizons.
Course rationale
Required for Photography majors and for all photography concentrations because the knowledge
contained in it is required in the real world.
Prerequisites
23-1100 Foundations of Photography I
23-1101 Darkroom Workshop I
23-1120 Foundations of Photo II
23-1121 Darkroom Workshop II
Goals and objectives
Students will learn to scan, retouch and manipulate b/w and color digital images using Photoshop and to
print them in a professional manner. This ability is the prerequisite to all future digital imaging classes
within the department.
Classroom policies
Academic Integrity: Students at Columbia College Chicago enjoy significant freedom of artistic
expression and are encouraged to stretch their scholarly and artistic boundaries. However, the
College prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. For present purposes, "academic dishonesty"
is understood as the appropriation and representation of another's work as one's own, whether
such appropriation includes all or part of the other's work or whether it comprises all or part of
what is represented as one's own work (plagiarism). Appropriate citation avoids this form of
dishonesty. In addition, "academic dishonesty" includes cheating in any form, the falsification of
academic documents of the falsification of works or references for the use in class or other
academic circumstances. When such dishonesty is discovered, the consequences to the student
can be severe.
Late work and makeup assignments:
Work will only be accepted one week after it is due, late work will be worth a maximum grade of
60%. This means anything not present in class at the beginning of class the day it is due will
receive a maximum grade of a "D" if you give it to me the next class. Missed quizzes cannot be
made up, but I will give you a blank copy to study from. If you are going to miss a class, you may
always arrange to turn in assignments or take quizzes early.
Attendance policy:
It is very important to be present and fully prepared in every single class. All students are
expected to be ready to begin working at 8:30- time is precious. 3 late arrivals/early departures
will be considered 1 absence (15 minutes or more past 8:30), and more than 3 absences will
result in failure of the course. A student who comes to class unprepared will be considered
absent. Every absence will affect your final grade.
Assignments will be worked on in class and completed for the following class unless
stated otherwise. Homework and reading assignments will be made and periodic quizzes will be
given based on assigned readings and class lectures. You should be organized, able to work for
long periods alone, and enjoy the process of creating images experimentally with time devoted to
building and rebuilding them. You will need to devote a minimum of 6-10 hours per week to work
outside of class.
Grades:
Students will be evaluated based on completion of assignments, test scores and class
participation. All images will be new and made specifically for this class unless stated otherwise.
Individual effort and dedication will not only reflect in your final grade, but are key to the cumulative
knowledge and skills you will acquire in this class. Students who complete all assignments with the
minimum of effort will earn a "C" grade. "A" work is of exceptional quality, "B" is above average, and a
"D" grade will reflect less than minimal effort - an "F" is failing. An assignment that is not finished by the
beginning of the class in which it is due will have a full letter grade removed. Work late more than one
class will be an automatic "F".
30% Assignments
10% Class Participation
20% Quizzes and Tests
40% Final Project
Please note that your final project is worth 40% of your grade for this course. Therefore, any student
who does not complete their final project and/or is not in class for the final critique cannot pass this
course.
Required Text and Materils:
Photoshop CS3 (Visual Quickstart Guide) by Elaine Weinmann and Peter Lourekas ($29.99).
13x19 inkjet paper
A can of Dust-off
CD-R's
Sharpies
External hard drive (recommended)
Notebook for note taking
Conawav Center Statement
Students with disabilities are requested to present their Columbia accommodation letters to their
instructor at the beginning of the semester so that accommodations can be arranged in a timely
manner by the College, the department or the faculty member, as appropriate. Students with
disabilities who do not have accommodation letters should visit the office of Services for Students
with Disabilities in room 520 of the Congress building (312.344.8134/V or 312.360.0767/TTY). It
is incumbent upon the student to know their responsibilities in this regard.
*The Syllabus and all assignments are subject to change so pay attention to any announcements I make. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to find out from a classmate what you missed or any changes in assignments I made. Get to know your classmates, exchange phone numbers, and be respectful of them in the digital lab.
