The last task for the semester is to put together a Portfolio of your 24 best shots. These should be organized into groups the way photos are organized into chapters for a book. There should be at least 8 new photos in this collection, complimenting what has already been shot. The final post of this Portfolio is due on the last day of classes for the semester, before Study Days and Final Exam week. You should be continuously posting the new work to show your classmates how you are organizing your work.
ORGANIZATION/ Chapters with Titles
Go through your collection of photographs shot throughout this semester and organize them into groups that have similar content, form and meaning. Think of each group as a chapter in a book and give each chapter a title.
e.g. within a collection of 24 prints you could have 4 chapters of 6 photos each, or 6 chapters with 4 shots each. [Personally, I would make a portfolio of 25 photos, including 5 chapters of 5 photos.] Not all chapters have to have the same number of photos, however.
POPULATION/ Photo Hunting
You will find that some of the good chapters are going to be a bit short. The challenge here is to shoot more photos to fill them out. About 1/3 of the photos in the portfolio (a minimum of 8) should be new photos, shot specifically to populate the portfolio. This is an example of Directed Shooting that was discussed earlier.
You may also find that there are a collections of photographs that defy categorization but that you really like. You can make an extra chapter called ‘Extras’ for these photos if you like.
PUBLICATION/ Posting and Commenting
Post you final chapters of photos on the blog site. Start each chapter with its title, not unlike how you have had numbers on your photos all semester. You should continue to post between now and the due date, matching new photos with older ones to indicate your sense of organization. You are also encouraged to comment on each other ’s work to help people decide what work is the most communicative. As always, consider the formal qualities of the photos (the look), the content or meaning behind the photos (the idea), and the impact of the photos (the feel).
The deadline for having these photos organized and posted is the last Monday of classes for the semester, before written exam week begins, December 07.
COMMENTARY & SELF-EVALUATION
On Tuesday you should do a last commentary and vote on your POW’s for the year (POY’s?).
By Thursday at 5 PM you should write up a Final Self-Evaluation for all the work you have done this semester and upload it to OWLbox. This document should include your best photo of the semester. [You should also go online and fill out the Student Feedback Form so you can evaluate this class.]
DOCUMENTATION/ Archive for Future Use
I also suggest that you burn all of these photos to a DVD or some other permanent recording medium. This portfolio can be used on a professional level to apply to a photo program, submit work for an exhibition or apply for a grant. But maybe most importantly, you will have a permanent record of what you have discovered and created this semester. Someday in the future you will be very glad you have this.
You can also make a set of prints on good photo paper and put them into a binder. [note: there are sites that will take you photos and assemble them into a real book: Blurb, AdoramaPix, Lulu, ShutterFly. Some can also sell copies of your book for you.]
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