Thursday, February 28, 2008

NCC Student Art Competition

Nassau Community College
Art Department
Student Art Competition
April 30 – August 5, 2008
Artist’s Reception: Thursday, May 8th, 5 – 7 pm
Awards ceremony @ 6 pm

Official Rules

ELIGIBILITY: Any student who attended Nassau Community College between Spring 2007 semester and Spring 2008 semester is eligible to submit work. All work must have been done while attending art classes at NCC.

JURY: The show will be juried by The NCC Firehouse Plaza Art Gallery Committee. The jury will select the works that are to be shown and will decide on the awards and prizes. The decision of the jury will be final.

CATEGORIES: ALL MEDIA IS ELIGIBLE. Any questions concerning media, please contact the Firehouse Gallery directly (516) 572-0619.

NOTE: ALL TWO-DIMENSIONAL WORK MUST BE WIRED AND READY FOR HANGING. POORLY PRESENTED WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ALL ACCEPTED WORK MUST REMAIN ON EXHIBIT FOR THE FULL DURATION OF THE SHOW. NO EXCEPTIONS.

LIMIT: 3 (three) works maximum (NO ENTRY FEE)

PLACE: THE FIREHOUSE PLAZA ART GALLERY, College Center Building (CCB), plaza level, room 140

RECEIVING: THURSDAY, APRIL 17th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 22nd, 10:00 am to 6:30 pm

PICK-UP OF

REJECTED WORK: THURSDAY, APRIL 24th, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

MONDAY, APRIL 28th, 10:00 am to 6:30 pm

TUESDAY, APRIL 29th, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

All REJECTED WORK MUST BE PICKED UP ON THESE DATES. THE FIREHOUSE PLAZA ART GALLERY ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR REJECTED WORK THAT IS NOT REMOVED ON THESE DATES BETWEEN THESE HOURS.

PICK-UP OF

ACCEPTED WORK: WEDNESDAY, August 6th, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

THURSDAY, August 7th, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm

ALL WORK MUST BE PICKED UP ON THESE DATES!! THE GALLERY WILL NOT BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR ANY WORK LEFT UNCLAIMED AFTER THESE DATES.

ENTRY FORMS: PLEASE FILL OUT TWO (2) of the ENTRY FORMS FOR EACH WORK.

PLEASE PRINT NEATLY

GOOD LUCK !!!

Class # 6 : Strobes Cont'd

Today in class we had a demo on how to shoot a portrait on a white background using strobes.

The assignment for this week is to work in groups and do a portrait using the same set-up we used in class. For a detailed description of the assignment, please click here.

For a list of some general studio tips and definitions, click here.

Reminders:

*MIDTERMS are coming up in 2 weeks (March 13). For your midterm review, each student will meet individually with me to go over your progress in the 1st half of the semester. You will need to bring your best prints (8x10 at least) from each week’s assignment to class to show me. You may want to start printing now.

8 Prints Total:
1 Natural Light Print
1 Artificial Light Print
1 headshot
2 prints from the "Colored Light" assignment
1 silhouette shot from the strobe assignment
1 portrait on a white background using strobes
1 fashion shot using strobes


* Don’t forget you are required to submit a Firehouse Gallery Questionnaire and an Art Forum Write Up before the end of the semester

Even though there was no assignment due this week, Oscar did a shoot on his own in the studio using strobes. For this shot, he had a blue gel on a strobe on the background and a softbox on the subject.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

A Fun Shot by Kamai & Matt

Using a hand held flash and a long exposure, Kamai and Matt did this:

Class # 5: Intro to Strobes

We started class by going over the "Colored Lighting" assignment from last week. Several students had fun experimenting with colored bulbs, gels, and slide projectors. Here is a photo Vivian took:



And here's one that Matt took using a slide projector with a red gel over it:


We did an in-class reading by Irving Penn and had a conversation about his philosophy on the photographer/subject relationship in the studio. To download a copy of this article, click here:



This week we had an intro to STROBES demo. This will be a 2 part class, so there was no assignment given.

Overview of the dynalight strobe pack that we have at NCC was given:



Strobes to be cont'd...

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Open Call/ Group Show Opportunity

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

L I C A 2008


The Long Island College Art Competition

Stony Brook University
March 13-27, 2008

A great opportunity for students
to display their work and talent
and a chance to win prizes!

Bring work to the SAC Gallery on Thursday March 6 or Friday
March 7, between 11:00am and 5:00pm. Students must bring
student I.D. and admissions form. Fun and exciting prizes include
a brand new MacBook and iPod’s.
No fee for admissions, one entry per student.
Undergraduates from any program, currently enrolled in any
Long Island College or University are welcome to enter

For more information, directions, or size limitations contact:
631.632.6559 / sacgallery@yahoo.com

Please visit our website for admissions form:
http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/sacgallery/index.jsp

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Class # 4

February 14 : Color, Light, Mood

We started out with a group critique of the "headshot" assignment that was due. Rob really nailed it with this shot of Megan:



The headshots Alissa took demonstrated the "3 Looks" well:



During a slide lecture we talked about how to create mood and emotion in our photographs by using colored light and the technique of light painting. Color can be added by attaching gels to hot lights and strobes.

Here is a video on the use of Light Painting during a Night Photo Shoot



In class, we did a demo using colored light. Oscar posed for us, and we lit the background with a hot light and a red gel. We taped a small purple gel on a hand held flash and popped it several times during a 5 second exposure on Oscar's face.



Assignment due next week (2/21): 2 photos

PHOTO 1: Create a portrait that portrays a specific mood or emotion using gels on either hot lights or flash.

PHOTO 2: Create one photo (doesn’t have to be a portrait) using the bulb setting on your camera, at night or in a dark studio, using the ideas of ‘light painting’ (try using a candle, a flash light, slide projector etc… with a long exposure)

BFA Programs

Since several students have asked me for information on transferring to BFA programs, I decided to post some info for you here, mostly on schools in the New York area.

Keep in mind, most of these programs take transfer students, so you could go to city/community college for 2 years and then transfer to a BFA program at an art school for just the last 2 years of the degree, which would make it cheaper. You will probably already be able to transfer some of your photo credits from NCC. Most programs are about 130 credits and they usually let you transfer up to 60 credits.

CUNY (City University of New York) schools are a good alternative to Art Schools (there are several of campuses in NYC). For a list of all their campuses, click here. For a list of all the bachelors Programs CUNY offers in Art, click here. Hunter has a BFA in Art, and you can choose a photo major. This is a great choice- a good school and very affordable. More info below:

Hunter College (part of CUNY)
They have a BA and BFA in Art.
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/art/contact/index.htm
art department : 212-772-4995
Tuition is about $2,000 a year.
Hunter BFA: you must have 42 art studio credits completed and a portfolio to apply for the BFA. You can start in the BA program to build up 42 credits and then transfer to the BFA program. Some NCC credits may transfer as well.
It's a 1.5 yr program.
They give you a studio to share.
Deadline for the BFA Application is April 4, to be considered for Fall 2008.
15-20 students are accepted each year.

FIT- Fashion Institute of Technology. CUNY School, Manhattan
BFA Photo Program
http://www.bfaphoto.com/BFAphoto/index.html


CITY COLLEGE (part of CUNY)
CUNY offers a BFA in "Electronic Design and Multimedia", which may include photography, but is not just photography. The program includes digital imaging, web design, media design, digital video, 3D imaging etc. Call Prof. Annette Weintraub at 212-650-7410 for more info.
http://tipps.cuny.edu/cgi-bin/RegisteredPrograms/Programs.pl?STYLE=NEW&GRADONLY=NO
admissions@ccny.cuny.edu
(212) 650-6977
Tuition: $2,000/yr
app deadline March 15
online application: http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/prospective/admissions/applications.cfm

Brooklyn College (CUNY)

Offers a BFA
$2,000/yr
More info, click here.

Lehman College (in the Bronx, part of CUNY)
BFA Art Program
$2,000/http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifyr
More Info, call 718-960-8713 or click here.


Queens College (CUNY)
Click here for info on their BFA program.
Tuition is about $2,000 a year.

School of Visual Arts, NYC

The Program:
http://www.schoolofvisualarts.edu/ug/index.jsp?sid0=1&sid1=39
Application:
http://www.schoolofvisualarts.edu/ug/index.jsp?sid0=1&sid1=39&page_id=134
No Deadline for Fall 2008 admissions, but send portfolio and application soon
To set up a tour, call the admissions office at 212.592.2100
Tuition is $24,000/year
It's a 4 year program
They take transfer students, so you could go to city/community college for 2 years and transfer to SVA for just the last 2 years of the degree, which would make it cheaper. You can transfer up to 60 credits from another school, and the whole degree at SVA is about 125 credits.

Parsons (Affiliated with The New School), NYC

The program:
http://www.parsons.edu/departments/department.aspx?dID=76&sdID=101&ptype=1
To Apply online:
http://www.parsons.edu/prospective_students/index.aspx
To Download Paper Application:
http://parsons.edu/apply/index.aspx
Admissions office - 212-229-8989
Application deadline: Couldn't find one, I think it's ongoing.
Tuition $ not sure, website didn't say- need to call. Probably about $25-30K/yr


Rhode Island School of Design, RISD: in Providence, Rhode Island


The Program:
http://www.risd.edu/photo.cfm
tuition: $32,858/yr
Application deadline:
main telephone line: 401 454-6100
e-mail: admissions@risd.edu

PRATT, Brooklyn, NYC
About the BFA Photo program:
http://www.pratt.edu/media_arts/about
Undergrad BFA transfer info:
http://www.pratt.edu/application/ugrad_transfer
$29,900 for tuition for the year
DEADLINE was FEB 1, but they still may accept some portfolios after that. Just call to ask.
Contact: (718) 636-3633

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Class # 3: February 7, 2008

This week we looked at PORTRAITURE.

We looked at the work of several well-known photographers to demonstrate a variety of portraiture styles and trends including fashion, lifestyle, headshots, environmental etc.

We had a demo on understanding the Inverse Square Law.
The Inverse Square Law states that as a light source is moved farther away from its subject, its intensity drops by the square of its inverse.

Here's the exercise we did together to understand this law:

1.Photograph a full length portrait of a friend with a single light. Place the light bulb slightly above their head at a distance of about 3 feet away. Meter the light from the head to toe to see the dramatic light fall off that will occur. Their feet will be 6 to 9 feet from the light- at least twice as far from the light as their head.

2.Keeping the light at the same angle as your subject’s face, move it 8 feet away. Meter again from head to toe to see that there is less light fall off.. The feet are now about 11 to 14 feet from the light- meaning that the relative difference in distance to the light from the feet and from the head is much less than in the previous shot.

HEADSHOTS

Knowing how to do headshots is a basic skill that any photograher who is just starting out should know how to do. We looked at several examples and then did some together in class using hot lights and a white backdrop. Here are a couple standard examples from www.digitalheadshotsnyc.com :





Remember to be about 4 feet away, crop from the shoulders up, use a wide aperture to kick the background out of focus, use a lens in the range of 85mm to 135mm, and make sure your subject's eyes are sharply in focus.

ASSIGNMENT due FEB 14
Headshot of a friend in the class showing 3 different “looks”. All 3 photos should be of the same person. These need to be in COLOR, but one image can be BW if you choose. Should be on a gray/white background. This needs to be shot in the studio, using a light meter and hot lights.

“Looks” can mean 3 different characters this person might play as an actor, or 3 different personas this person might want to portray. Perhaps this person needs headshots for 3 different movies they’re auditioning for: One is a comedy, one is a Drama and one is Action. They need a headshot that would work for any of those auditions. You should ask your subject to bring 3 different shirts, one for each look.