Photography III AP: Portfolio Development

Reservoir High School

Evan La Londe, Instructor

Course Description:
In this course a student will develop a thematic body of work that can be used for Advanced Placement Portfolio, college
admissions, scholarships, and student exhibitions. As students move from the second to the third level in the photo studio, the content
sharpens its focus upon independent problem-solving, self-assessment and peer-evaluation. Students will continue working in a
sketchbook/journal to refine personal imagery based on the study of master artists. This course is taken as a continuation of the
thematic body of work begun in Photo 2: Portfolio Development.
Students are expected to create work that is more technically refined and more intellectually challenging than the work they
made in Photo 2. To this end, students will frequently be required to make work of a larger scale, of greater technical challenge,
personal process, or of more considered personal or conceptual exploration. Photo 3 students are expected to work more
independently and to develop a personal artistic direction or theme. Students in Photo 3 are urged to take the Studio Art AP Exam in
2D Design and meet the National Advanced Placement Board requirements, which may require additional work beyond the
requirements of this course. Additionally, students taking the AP Exam will be required to make slide reproductions of their work.
All Photography 3 students will write an artist statement and will demonstrate exceptional commitment to creating art for this course.

Fundamental Experiences
The primary objective of this course is to build a portfolio of student work that can be used for college admission and for advanced
placement credit. All students will develop their abilities to:
•Evaluate and analyze work from Photography II and related experiences
•Practice the appropriate and safe use of photographic equipment, chemistry, and materials
Experiment with alternative approaches and materials of traditional and digital photography to compose unique
photographs.
• Produce meaningful photographic images that tell a story, document an event, propose an idea, or promote a cause to
specific and general audiences.
•Employ visual and written ideas from a sketchbook.
•Engage in a dialogue with instructor and peers to develop an independent plan which demonstrates personal intent and
serves as a role model to first level students.
• Maintain and develop an online photographic portfolio that demonstrates a sense of quality, shows breadth of formal,
technical, and expressive experiences.
•Complete and exhibit a body of work that demonstrates a theme that is supported by a written statement of purpose.
•Compose/Develop an artist statement in defense of your personal aesthetic viewpoint.

Independent Study Proposals and Course Expectations:

Photo 3 students who wish to pursue an independent body of work will have the opportunity to do so. You are eligible to apply for
independent study, if you:
1. Have demonstrated that you have the self motivation and self-discipline to work independently in Photo 2
2. Have a B-average or better in class.
3. Submit a written proposal. Your proposal must clearly state the theme and media that you intend to explore. This
statement may be revised, as recommended by the instructor, before the approval is granted.
4. At the instructor’s discretion, you may be asked to arrange a conference with the instructor and your parent(s). During
this conference we will, as a group, review the goals and expectations for your independent study. If the instructor and
student do not feel a parent conference is necessary, the student will bring home a copy of their independent proposal to
be signed by the parent, and then re-submitted to the instructor.
 If and when your application for independent study is approved, your contract will bind you to all of the following:

1. You will work at least an average of three hours per week outside of the scheduled class time – at home, in the
studio/darkroom, or elsewhere as necessary. Predominantly this work should be shooting self-initiated shooting
assignments, researching, brainstorming, and sketching.
2. You will use all scheduled studio class time to create work that is thematically related to your independent study. You
might create a separate body of class work that parallels issues you are working on at home, or you might bring your
outside work to class to further develop.
3. For this critique you are to bring all works-in-progress or newly completed – from both inside and outside class. This is
an excellent way to receive meaningful feedback that will help you (and maybe, at times, inspire you!) as you progress in
your study.

Individual critique: Student scheduled critiques with instructor in which students bring all works, contact sheets,
sketchbook ideas, etc. as well as plan and prepare with questions and ideas. Students must meet with me for
individual critiques about once every two weeks.

Group critique: Teacher scheduled critiques with part or all of class. You must participate in a minimum of two
class critiques per quarter.

Grading Procedures
Students who work independently are proposing their own problems to solve throughout the year. The assessment of these problems
is largely based upon critiques with the teacher, and peer critiques with other students as stated above, as well as
accomplishing each objective stated in the students independent proposal.

Grading Sequence:
1) Research and Idea Brainstorming: Students will identify inspirational photographers and artists, research their work,
generate examples and ideas in sketchbook, and propose a problem. Sketchbook research will be collected periodically
throughout the quarter for a grade.
2) Creating a Proposal: Students will write a proposal that outlines questions, ideas, and identifies the number of works to be
created for the marking period. The proposal must be signed and agreed upon by the student, teacher, and parent. The
proposal is a working document, to be changed and improved as necessary at the discretion of the student and the teacher.
3) Shooting, Processing, and Editing: Students will create several solutions to the problem through various shooting
techniques. They will create contact sheets and select and edit these images to identify best solutions. All contact sheets and
negatives must be shown and brought to critiques.
4) Individual Critiques: As students are editing, selecting, printing, and creating works, they should meet with me to have
individual critiques. It is up to the student to schedule these critiques with the teacher.
5) Studio Work and Homework: Students will spend studio time and time outside of class developing new works for the final
critique.
6) Final Critiques: Prior to the end of each quarter, independent students will be asked to bring in all works created at home
and in class for a final quarter critique. The student and instructor will discuss the objectives the student initially proposed in
his/her proposal, and the success of accomplishing these goals through the works. At this point the student will be given
opportunities to ask about his/her grade for the quarter by completing a quarterly self-evaluation for the quarter. The work
will then be submitted along with the corresponding proposal for the instructor to evaluate as a final quarter grade.

Quarterly Grade Breakdown

20% = Sketchbook/Research: your use of the sketchbook as a journaling/research tool.
60% = Final Works/Time Management: Both inside and outside of class work should be evident. Final portfolio
works should be of utmost quality and meet objectives stated in the student’s independent proposal.
20% = Critiques: Includes 2 independent critiques and 2 group critiques. Students who neglect to bring in work for any
of the critiques, or who are illegally absent the day of the critiques will be penalized.

It is expected that students working at the Photo 3 level will be highly motivated to create artworks of the utmost quality and
personal investigation, and will manage both in-class and homework studio time independently, as structured by the student’s
proposal!
Your independent contract must be renewed for each marking period in order to maintain independent status. The renewal is
dependent upon your successful completion of one semester’s independent work. Phone, email, or in-person conferences with your
parents will take place at intervals throughout the marking period. The instructor reserves the right to terminate an independent study
contract if, at the end of any marking period, you are not abiding by the stipulations of the contract.

At the close of the year, you will be expected to create an independent exhibition of at least 8 works you created during your
independent study for Reservoir High School’s Annual Senior Show. Ordinarily, a presentation to the rest of the Photo 2 and
3 class and submission of your final artist statement will comprise your Final Exam grade. Students taking the AP Exam must
also submit a copy of all AP slides used in the exam to the instructor as part of his/her final exam grade.

Advanced Placement
Juniors and seniors who are interested in advanced placement credit will need to send a portfolio of their work to the College Board
early in May. Photography students may apply for only the Studio Art 2-D Design portfolio, as this is the only portfolio that allows
photographic work. You are required to submit 24 digital images and five original pieces (no larger than 18 x 24-inches). If you plan
to attend college and to study art, advanced placement credit enables you to place out of introductory courses, and to go directly into
upper level studio courses. If you are seriously planning on studying photography in college. All students registered for Photo 3 AP
are expected to take the AP Studio Art Exam in May. Students who do not take the examwill not receive AP credit for this
class on their transcript.

Materials
All basic photo materials for this class will be provided by the instructor. However, photographic materials that are lost or
misused must be replaced at cost by the student. Provided materials will be individually based upon the needs/interests of the
student.

Traditionally, the following materials have been required for this class for the organization of negatives, prints, and notes. If students
are unable purchase these materials on their own, they may need to make or borrow used ones in class:
_____ 9”x 12” spiral or hardbound sketchbook/notebook (students may use an older sketchbook from a previous class)
Please, no tape-bound tablets, they will fall apart in a matter of weeks!
_____ 3-ring notebook binder with sections (protects and stores all negatives and prints which are easily damaged)
_____ Thumb-drive or disk on key (for saving Photoshop assignments in-progress, not needed until 2nd semester)
_____ Photo portfolio (Protects work, makes it easy to transport to visit colleges and events)

Cameras
A student is not required to purchase a camera for this class. The photo department at Reservoir is fortunate to have 24 cameras
that can be signed out for a period of up to 10 days. However, when learning how to use a camera, it is very beneficial to learn by
consistently using the same camera. I highly recommend that all students make an attempt to find a 35 mm Single Lens Reflex
(SLR) or rangefinder camera with a MANUAL exposure camera on their own by asking friends, relatives, or family members.
Often used cameras can be found online (eBay, KEH, etc.) at a fraction of the cost of being new. Please visit the art department
website for more information on how to find/purchase a camera.

Studio Guidelines:
All students are expected to observe and adhere to all policies defined in the Student Handbook regarding lateness and conduct.
Lateness will not be tolerated. As a studio class, attendance and promptness are critical to the success of the student in Photography II.
Students will abide by all darkroom and safety procedures. Students are expected to maintain the studio and darkroom. Students are
responsible to be where they are assigned during the class period. Students are expected to participate in class discussions and
activities. If a student is late, the following procedures will follow:

1st Late: Verbal warning

2nd Late: Lunch detention
3rd Late: After-school or Morning Detention/Conference with student
4th Late: Disciplinary referral/parent phone call
Photographic Equipment Expectations:
Because photography requires the use of many expensive, complex equipment and tools, you must treat all tools (cameras, enlargers,
filters, darkroom equipment, chemistry, laptop computers, dry-mount press, etc.) with utmost care and respect. Equipment that can be
signed out for out-of-school use is used at your discretion. The cost of lost, damaged, or broken cameras, tripods, etc. will be the
responsibility of the student who signed out the equipment. Failure to comply with proper use and responsibility of any or all
photographic tools and equipment will result in a phone call home and may result in loss of privileges in signing out or using the
equipment.
• Photo equipment can be signed out for 5 days, (if one student signs out), or 10 days (if two students team-up). For each
day past the date the equipment must be returned, the student will be penalized 5 points of his/her studio skills total for that
current unit grade.

Academic Integrity
Each student is responsible for upholding and maintaining academic integrity. If there is a question in reference to a student’s
academic integrity, they will be referred to their administrator by way of a disciplinary referral, given due process, and receive the
appropriate consequence based on Reservoir High School’s Academic Honor Code. Any violation of academic integrity will impact a
student’s eligibility for credit in this course.

Excused/Unexcused Absences & Denial of Credit

According to Howard County policy, students are not to miss more than 5% of any credited class for the entire school year. Missing
studio art classes can place a student in a difficult position for making-up work. All students are responsible for making up missed
assignments on their own accord. Only students who provide blue notes documenting an excused absence will be given exemption
from the daily letter grade penalty. Students are responsible for keeping all necessary blue notes to defend their excused absences.
 RHS Photography Department Syllabus Contract

The syllabus is a contract. By signing below, you and your parents/guardians are acknowledging that you have
read the entire Photo3 course syllabus, and agree to all of its stated policies.

_____________________________________ ______________________________________
Student signature Parent / Guardian Signature

_____________________________________________ ______________________________________________
Student Name (Printed) Parent / Guardian Name (Printed)

_____________________________________________ ______________________________________________
Today’s date Today’s Date

 I would like to provide an email address that can be consistently used if the instructor needs to contact me regarding my
child.
My email address is: _______________________________________

 I would like to provide a reliable phone number for which the instructor can use to contact me regarding my child.

My home phone number is: __________________________________

My work phone number is: __________________________________

-PUBLICATION NOTICE-
We, the art department are currently in the process of building a school-based visual arts website and documenting student
work for art educational research articles. For this purpose, I, the teacher will photograph some of your artwork, students
working in class, and use select quotes from students’ reflective statements about their artwork that may be used on this
website and publications.

As most of you are under 18 years of age, please ask your parents / guardian to sign below giving permission for documentation of
classroom experiences to be used/reproduced in the school based websites and art education publication. (I can publish and post only
student work for which parental permission has been granted.) Permission is not required, and this website and research project will
in no way affect the assessment and/or grading of student work throughout the year.

I grant permission for the Reservoir Fine Art Department faculty (Evan La Londe, Greg English, and Jennifer Moon) to photograph
my child, their artwork, and reflective statements for publication on school-based websites and art education journals.

_____________________________________
Parent / Guardian Signature

_____________________________________________
Parent Name (Printed)

Parents, you can check all classroom activities, assignments, examples, and obtain
handouts via the Photo 1 classroom blog at www.reservoirphotothree.blogspot.com

Please feel free to contact me anytime through email at: evan_lalonde@hcpss.org