Photography 3 AP

Portfolio Development
Syllabus

River Hill High School Art Department

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 photo studio, the content sharpens its focus upon self-assessment and
evaluation. Students continue working in a sketchbook/journal to refine personal imagery based on the
study of master artists. This course is taken as a follow-up in order to continue the development of a
thematic body of work begun in Photo II: Portfolio Development.
Students in Photography III: Portfolio Development will continue to build on the body of work begun
in Photo II. Students are expected to create work that is more technically refined and more
intellectually challenging than the work they made in Photo II. To this end, students will frequently be
required to make work of a larger scale, of greater challenge, or of more considered personal or
conceptual exploration. Photography III students are expected to work more independently and to
develop a personal artistic direction or theme. Students are required to take the Studio Art AP Exam in
two-dimensional 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 digital reproductions of their work. All Photography III students will
write an artist statement and will demonstrate exceptional commitment to creating art for this course.

Independent Study:
Seniors in photography III who wish to pursue an independent body of work will have the opportunity
to do so at the end of the first marking period. 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
2. Have a B-average or better in Photography.
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.

If 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 four hours per week outside of the scheduled class
time – at home, in the studio/darkroom, or elsewhere as necessary. This work should
include preparatory research, sketching, brainstorming, shooting, as well as processing and
printing.
2. You will schedule 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. You will meet with me for individual critiques about once every two weeks. 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.
4. You will meet with the all art department independent study students for group critiques.
These critiques are a mandatory and will allow for greater collaboration throughout the
whole RHHS art department.
5. At the instructor’s discretion, you maybe asked to arrange a conference with the instructor
and you parent(s). During this conference we will, as a group, review the goals and
expectations for your independent study.

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:
1. Evaluate and analyze work from Photography II and related experiences; portfolio review.
2. Understand the need for and participate in the monitoring of their work through various in-
process assessments such as response forms, checklists, calendars, etc.
3. Analyze and apply ways cultural exemplars, artists, their work and other curricular
disciplines serve as catalysts for in-depth pursuit of a personal idea for an artwork or thesis
project.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of ways to collaborate with peers and instructors in the
development of a written justification of purpose.
5. Develop a written statement of purpose explaining personal artistic pursuits in relation to
master and contemporary artists, cultural exemplars and other disciplines in order to reflect
upon and explain personal development.
6. Maintain a sketchbook / visual journal to develop personal imagery and meaning using their
written commentary as a catalyst for planning and executing a thematic series of work.
7. Manage the content and presentation of items in a portfolio by selecting, editing, updating
and documenting for an audience, application or professional purposes.
8. Select and display a body of work for a specific audience that encompasses the
development of ideas and skills.
9. Maintain and refine digital portfolio of personal artworks for the purpose of participating in
a web-based community.

Studio Fee:
The high cost of photographic materials and digital equipment maintenance makes it necessary to
attach a Studio Fee of $60.00 to the course. This fee allows the school to provide the minimum
materials needed to complete the course work (all traditional and alternative photographic
printing/processing printing chemistry, 35mm 400 iso/asa film, 100 sheets of 8in x10in photographic
RC paper, and cd/dvd storage disks). If the student wishes to experiment with different types of
photographic paper and film, the individual will be responsible for purchasing it. Additional personal
expenses can incur due to the following: Accidents due to carelessness, improper use of materials, or
students who wish to develop their portfolio beyond the requirements of the course.
Studio Guidelines:
All students are expected to observe and adhere to all policies defined in the Student Handbook
regarding lateness and conduct. As a studio class, attendance and promptness are critical to the success
of the student in Photo III. Students will abide by all darkroom and safety procedures. Students are
expected to maintain the studio and darkroom.

Homework:
As this is an advanced level course, an average of three hours of outside work is required each week.
Most often, for each marking period there will be three long-term (3 week/ 12 hours) assignments and
several shorter assignments. As the long-term assignments allow for the greatest individual
interpretation and creative problem solving, the expectation is substantial. (These are the works that
colleges are MOST interested in, and therefore these works are primarily responsible for getting you
into the college-level art program of your choice. One long-term homework grade is equivalent of two
major class-work assignments. (therefore, any student not submitting homework, or submitting
hastily-prepared work will be unlikely to pass that marking period.)

Assessment and Grading

We will assess each art problem while it is in progress and/or when it is complete. This may take the
form of written reflections, individual critiques, peer commentary, or (most often) group critiques.
Intelligent, thoughtful, and open-minded participation in the assessment process is mandatory, and will
affect your marking period grade. Individual projects will not be assigned grades. (However, if at any
time you would like additional feedback or are unsure of your progress, please see me.) At the end of
every marking period you will assess your own progress, reflecting on your finished works, your
processes, and your participation. After completing the grade assessment, you will submit your entire
portfolio, your sketchbook/journal, and your assessment to me for a letter grade. Submitted work must
be in pristine condition. (Insure that your work is not torn, creased, or bent; and is in chronological
order.) Near the end of the semester, I will meet with each of you individually to discuss your
portfolio, your development, and your grade.