Just some hack.
UPDATE 8/31/2010: There is reasonable difference between the supplies. I’ll point out that the description for 645 mentions encaustic but there are no encuastic ingredients in the 645 list, whereas the 621 list has beeswax in the items. I’m sure there will be much confusion and clarification when the first day of classes begins on Thursday.
I also see a daylab printer listed in 621. These are for doing Polaroid film emulsion lifts, and I don’t see it in the 645 list. That’s a savings of 200+ bucks. I’ll update this post again later if I get more useful data.
Hmm…what’s the difference?
Per the publicly available description from the online course descriptions at AAU:
PH 645: Experimental Contemporary Photography
This course concentrates on non-traditional methods of creating and displaying photographic work. Liquid Emulsion, large scale (mural) printing and transferring techniques will be explored among other technical strategies.
Course Learning Outcomes
Will be able to:* Employ experimental darkroom processes (including negative treatment and toners).
* Experiment with and employ original approaches to conventional photographic problems.
* Make creative decisions about scale and finish in relation to the final image, including mural printing and encaustic.Will be familiar with:
* New ways of seeing and extending boundaries of photography
* Contemporary photographers working with experimental processes
and
PH 621: Experimental Photography
In this course, students experiment with a multitude of approaches and mixed media. The focus is on working with a coherent concept and seeing how it may be supported with experimental techniques.
Course Learning OutcomesAs a result of successfully completing this course, students…
Will be able to:
* Evaluate and apply experimental techniques to heighten their photographic concepts and finished results.
* Experiment with the camera, darkroom, photographic context, and light.
* Produce a series of 6 to 10 experimental photographs that have a sense of continuity. (The theme, style, and content should be based upon the student’s individual interest and imagination).
* Write a paper and make a presentation to support their project.
* Produce a written analysis of still life photographs that demonstrates a clear understanding of the photograph’s place within the continuum of art history.Will be familiar with:
* History of and current trends in experimental photography.
* Commercial possibilities for experimental photography, grants, and galleries.
The difference for me is that PH 645 is being taught by the same great professor I had for my history class last semester. Otherwise they both seem to overlap a bit.
****** Here is the list for PH645 ******
Required Items
| Item # | Item | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| 36857 | Strathmore Watercolor Pad 130lb 11×15 | 1 |
| 32939 | Turpenoid – 4oz Bottle | 1 |
| 83144 | Utrecht Gaffers Tape 2in x 30yds – Black | 1 |
| 41898 | Foam Brush 4in | 1 |
| 41895 | Foam Brush 2in | 1 |
| 35148 | X-Acto Heavy Duty Retractable Utility Knife | 1 |
| 52126 | Van Gogh Oil Pastels Set of 12 | 1 |
| 27304 | Winsor & Newton Winton Oil Painting Set | 1 |
| 81085 | Dahle Comfort Grip 8″ Scissors | 1 |
Digital Print Supplies
| Item # | Item | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| InkAid sampler | 1 |
| Item # | Item | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Printing Paper | 1 |
Additional Camera Supplies
| Item # | Item | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| T-mount and/or extra body caps for DSLR and/or 35mm SLR | 1 |
| Item # | Item | Qty |
|---|---|---|
Course Learning OutcomesAs a result of successfully completing this course, students… Will be able to:
Will be familiar with:
REVIEW: GS 625: History of PhotographyJune 15th, 2010
 My photo inspired by Modernist photographer Karl Blossfeldt. This class kicked my ass. I kicked it back harder. I’ve now taken 5 courses as AAU. Two classes last semester (Fall ’09) and three courses this semester (Spring’10). This is my first GS class. It was tough and challenging and fun and I learned a lot. I learned a lot about history and re-learned and greatly improved my ability to write papers at a Master’s level. The course is a comprehensive review of the history of photography from the early pre-photography developments that led to photography to both technological and historical influences that drove photography and photographic movements from the 1800’s to modern day. There are papers due almost every week, plus a midterm and final project and papers also due during those times as well. If you suck at footnoting get the “Documenting Sources in MLA style: 2009 Update – A Hacker Handbooks Supplement, you should be able to find a copy online. Also use a citation service. I found http://www.bibme.org/ to be very useful. Using the citations/references features in Word ‘07 and greater is also highly useful. I found myself spending almost as much time on citations as I did writing the body of the papers. This is a required class and when you take it you should take David Arnold as your instructor. I’m sure there are other qualified instructors at AAU. My experience in almost all the undergraduate and graduate courses, workshops and other seminars is the teacher makes the class. Online is different from in-person and this professor made me want to constantly participate and do additional non-required research and deepen my understanding of history and related photographers and subjects. I wanted to read more, buy more books, study more artists and other photographers. I started this course thinking “ oh well…this is required and I’ll have to read and can probably work hard enough to get an A”. I ended this course with “wow! What great material, look at how much more I don’t know now that I’ve learned something about the history of photography, what an excellent course! In my review of the course to the department I said something like, ‘when I teach I want to teach like this class is taught’. As I strongly believe that instructors are the critical link between material and learning I am taking a course this Fall ’10 in PH645 Experimental Contemporary Photography being taught by David Arnold. This is so outside my normal and fairly wide comfort zone. I’m really looking forward to playing and learning a lot in that class this Fall! BTW: I earned an A in this class, but it was a lot of work. I probably spent 15-25 hours a week just on this course. Thinking about the Spring 2010 Semester at AAUFebruary 19th, 2010 Thinking I’ve been busy this semester and posts do fall off during school terms because I’m busy doing school work. Some highlights from the 3rd week of this semester. History of Photography GS 625 is kicking my ass. In order for me to do better and do well I need to kick it back harder. This class takes up more time that my other two classes combined. I easily spend 25+ hours a week working on papers and reading for this class. My Lighting class (PH608) is somewhat challenging I look forward to some of the more difficult assignments. These will take up some more time but with good planning and some working ahead in class I think this course is very manageable. This class is an elective for me. PH 613 (was Color Theory) but the course title changed to ‘Color and Light’ during the third week. This course has a lot of overlap with my lighting class, so far. This makes sense as photography is all about light and light is about color – even if doing black and white work. The instructor and I agree that the assignments later on in the semester will be more interesting for me. BUT, it is really important that I don’t get jaded and do work to just get by for the first few weeks. This is an opportunity to spend more time of creating a photograph for an assignment where I’m already well versed in the foundation that is being taught. Don’t slack! So that’s the update during week 3 of a 15 week semester. I’d like to posts weekly but I find the workload of school (esp. History) and my day-to-day work to consume almost all my free time. It is an adventure for sure! GS 625: History of PhotographyJanuary 13th, 2010
I’m taking this class online during the Spring semester of 2010. For a list of courses I’m taking or have taken please visit My MFA Schedule. Note: While this information is subject to change it came from the AAU online catalog. Courses and material should an do evolve over time and this is my historical record that shows what the course description was at the time I took the course. This class is being taught by David Arnold. GS 625 Online: History of Photography
PH 612: The Nature of PhotographySeptember 3rd, 2009 Shot for the 'value' assignment I’m taking this class online during the Fall semester of 2009. For a list of courses I’m taking or have taken please visit My MFA Schedule. This class is generally referred to as ‘Nature”, but it is not a class on ‘nature photography’ Note: While this information is subject to change it came from the AAU online catalog. Courses and material should an do evolve over time and this is my historical record that shows what the course description was at the time I took the course.
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Gearing up for Fall 2010 – Buying Books
August 23rd, 2010Its’ been a busy Summer, between working (very) full-time for myself and shooting lots, taking on even more work with a busy part-time job, traveling to Midas, Nevada to spend time shooting, teaching and planning more future workshops…whew.
Yes, I need to organize them!
I ordered all my books for my 2 classes last week and 3/5ths of them have arrived. The printer is working great, monitor is calibrated (as usual) and finances are in place for 2 classes. All that is left is to clear off some table space and give the studio a second Spring cleaning!
Here is where I buy my books:
Amazon – they are fabulous for providing textbooks and other photobooks at a very reasonable price. They also offer an extensive network of resellers. I buy used books all the time via Amazon.
Half.com – a great place that offers books on the cheap and also has a good reseller network.
I also use FatWallet and Bing Shopping to add a few pennies to my paypal account by checking for book deals there first.
Locally I find that Half Price Books is quite hit-or-miss for texts but I do try to stop in there first to see if I can find bargains – which I have!
What’s that!? The instructor wants the 34th edition of the book and it costs $200 but the 33rd edition is available for 3 bucks? I’ve found that my instructors are pretty reasonable about using the current or near-current edition. Often the editions don’t change a lot. If the book is updated every 2-3 years then the older edition works for me. If the last edition was 10 years ago then I’ll get the newest version.
Don’t forget about classmates. That’s right! Even if you are doing (most) of this online there is a good chance that your fellow classmates have a book you need and you have a book they need. Media mail is cheap and swapping books is a very effective way to save money and a way to know your classmates.
One more note about photography books. This program is allowing me to add a lot of photo books to an existing collection of art and photography books. I have found that all but a few of my business (MBA) books are outdated or basically worthless and have made there way to the recycle bin or to Goodwill, yet I cherish and re-read photo books periodically and have no desire to get rid of any of them. I wonder if that says anything about studying photography or business?
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