You will need a 35mm film camera SLR (single lens reflex) camera for this course. These are older cameras and can be purchased used from many different sources, but I recommend one of the local dealers such as National Camera Exchange or West Photo. If you tell the sales rep at either shop that you are taking an introductory photo class at UofM, processing film and using the darkroom, they will know what type of camera you need. eBay and Craigslist will certainly have some options as well, however, that always involves risk. If you go that route, shop with caution.

The important thing to remember is that you will need manual control of both shutter speed and aperture. It is also very important that the camera has a working light meter. Most SLR cameras offer these controls, but not all so be sure to ask before you buy. For best results, the lens should use manual focus. There are many models that have all of these features. Here are a few just to give you an idea of what to look for:

Pentax K1000

Canon AE-1

Minolta SRT 101

Nikon FM

It is always nice to have different lenses, however, for this course you need only one lens with a focal length of about 50mm (considered a "normal" field of view).

Please post a comment or let me know directly if you have any additional questions.

The Mark on the Mirror That Breathing Makes, 1977 by Dieter Appelt

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/24745-REG/Ilford_1574616_HP5_Plus_135_36_Black.html

Remember, the student packs of paper and film at the bookstore are a smart buy: 2 rolls of 400 speed HP5, 36 exposures, and a package of 20 sheets of paper for about $23. Go load up while you can.

Assignment #1 Slides: click here

Here is the story I mentioned today in class:

Right-click here to download the MP3
or
Click here to visit the website for streaming

Documentary Films
The True Meaning of Pictures (Netflix link)
Life Through the Lens (Netflix link)

Click here to download more information about the paper requirements.

Alec Soth, untitled, 2008
chromogenic print

by Lewis Baltz

The event will take place on Monday November 22nd from 9am to 4pm, and again on Tuesday the 23rd from 9am to 1pm. The awards ceremony will begin promptly at 1:00pm on Tuesday. Artists have the opportunity to be chosen for various awards, including Dean's Choice, People's Choice, and others.

Click here for more information

http://www.doodle.com/7cz22tg95ic8d6x2

For your scheduled conference you must bring 2-3 final project ideas to discuss with Stefanie and myself. To help us understand your direction, bring rough sketches, inspiring books, photographs, models, or some other physical materials. This does not need to be finished work by any means, but something other than verbal information is required. Note that the student conferences are part of your grade for the final portfolio, so take this seriously and do not show up empty-handed.

I am eager to see what you all come up with. The goal of the conferences is to help guide and clarify your path for the final. It's early still, so there is time to try different ideas and see what works.

by Taryn Simon

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ARTIST PRESENTATION

In preparation for the presentation, you will need to acquire 10-15 images from your artist including the title and date. These must be organized in the sequence you intend to show the images (i.e. rename the files 01.jpg, 02.jpg, 03.jpg, etc.). It is required that you send me all your images in a single email by 5pm the day before your presentation (this is so I can arrange the files on the computer in correct order). Failure to send me the files completely and on time will adversely affect your grade. So be sure to get this done! The earlier, the better.

Prepare a 15 minute in-class presentation about the life and creative work of your artist. Show images with dates, medium (and size if possible). In particular, talk about his/her artistic approach, time in history, and his/her impact on the art world. Who were some of his/her contemporaries? What new ideas did he/she bring to the medium? Which work of his/hers did you respond to and why?

A NOTE ABOUT FINDING IMAGES

Google Images is a good place to start, but an excellent presentation will go beyond that source and mine not only the artist's website (where possible), but also artist books from the library. The DSB (computer lab between the darkroom and the photo classroom) has a scanner you may use if you explain to the person working at the desk that you are in my class and need to prepare images for a presentation. If you take this route, be sure to compress your images to a reasonable size before you email them to me (i.e. around 500KB each).

from The Architect's Brother by Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison

http://www.vincentborrelli.com