What should I expect from class?

[pevelg]

In a spur of the moment decision, I applied to a local community college for a beginners photography course (film required). The class runs from 8:00 am to almost 2:00 pm, every Saturday. Now, while I know my photography is not "great," I am wondering how much I should expect to learn from this class. My greatest inspiration from it is that they have a lab that we get to use to learn to develop our own photos and do darkroom printing. As I live in an apartment, this option has never been available to me. I am rather excited about the possibilities. But..... I just sold my M4. I no longer have a film 35mm, just the Mamiya 7ii. Am I about to go down a road of no return? Will I throw away my computers and all things digital? I sold my M4 so I could buy a M8.2 for 35mm. I've read on here quite frequently about the magic of darkroom prints. I start the course next Saturday... What has been others experience with their first foray into darkroom printing?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Pavel,

What should you expect?

Anything from invaluable insights delivered by a brilliant and committed teacher to worthless drivel from a self-appointed guru.You won't know until you try it.

Cheers,

R.

 

[jasonhupe]

I can guarantee one thing, you will have some fun.

 

[Roberto V.]

...worthless drivel from a self-appointed guru

That pretty much describes a friend of mine. As much as I appreciate him as a friend He's a terrible photographer, he doesn't know how to use my simple film cameras. I wonder how he got a job as a photography "teacher"

 

[mike-s]

If nothing else you will enjoy the darkroom experience. There is nothing quite like seeing the ghostly image appearing in the developer dish. Good luck.

 

[pevelg]

Dear Pavel,

What should you expect?

Anything from invaluable insights delivered by a brilliant and committed teacher to worthless drivel from a self-appointed guru.You won't know until you try it.

Cheers,

R.

Both inspiring and frightening words!!! I can drop the course with full refund after the first class if it'll be that bad. The class is now full, about 20 students. I am sure we can learn from one another as well, even if instructor is a self appointed guru, so unlikely that I will drop.

If nothing else you will enjoy the darkroom experience. There is nothing quite like seeing the ghostly image appearing in the developer dish. Good luck.

Thanks.

I haven't been this excited about a college course for some time now. My grad class I am taking this semester is certainly not making me all giddy.

 

[shadowfox]

Pavel,
Good for you, if nothing else, you get to do your first darkroom print, and that's guaranteed to be fun (well, for 50% of people anyways 🙂 ).

I didn't take that route, instead I converted my upstairs bathroom into a darkroom and I'm pretty much self-taught. Of course books (like Roger's or Tim Rudman, or David Vestal, or George E. Todd) helped and inspired a lot.

Now my prints has passed the scrutiny of some photographers and printers that have been doing this for much more years than I do.

As Roger mentioned, a good teacher is worth a lot, but he or she may not always stand in front of the class.

 

[mel]

I no longer have a film 35mm, just the Mamiya 7ii.

My heart goes out to you. {sarcasm on}

 

[mel]

I can drop the course with full refund after the first class if it'll be that bad.

8-2 and you're worried it will be bad?!
If it is, it's your fault.

 

[ampguy]

I think you'll have a blast.

If the teacher says something that you are sure isn't true, just yell out "Uso Bakkari!!" 😀

and give him the link here to the truth of all things photographic 😉

 

[Chris101]

I doubt your teacher will spout worthless drivel. Be perpared to take a big step backward though, as you will be starting from the basics. In Photo I here, we teach pinhole, photograms, paper developing, parts of the camera, reciprocity, exposure, film developing, composition, and grouping photos together based on content.

You should probably see if you can't buy or borrow an inexpensive slr for the class. The Mamiya won't impress them much, and you will be sol if all they have is 35mm developing and printing equipment.

 

[pevelg]

I think you'll have a blast.

If the teacher says something that you are sure isn't true, just yell out "Uso Bakkari!!" 😀

and give him the link here to the truth of all things photographic 😉

Haha. I had to look that one up. 🙂

I doubt your teacher will spout worthless drivel. Be perpared to take a big step backward though, as you will be starting from the basics. In Photo I here, we teach pinhole, photograms, paper developing, parts of the camera, reciprocity, exposure, film developing, composition, and grouping photos together based on content.

That is part of my concern. The next level however interferes with my work schedule, so not an option. Plus, the first one is a prerequisite.

You should probably see if you can't buy or borrow an inexpensive slr for the class. The Mamiya won't impress them much, and you will be sol if all they have is 35mm developing and printing equipment.

I've used an OM-1 and I somewhat liked the camera (for an SLR), but the manual mode was somewhat poorly implemented in my eyes. The second course description mentions using Zone system and 4x5, so maybe they have great equipment. I can only hope. 🙂 I'd be nice to make prints from MF.

8-2 and you're worried it will be bad?!
If it is, it's your fault.

Yup. I'm sure it will be fine though.

 

[swoop]

You should expect to fail the class without a 35mm film camera.

I used to teach photo 1 and 2 as a Teaching Assistant at a local community college. You'll learn the basics of photography, how film works and how all of the cameras settings affect an image and how to do basic darkroom work. Developing your film, cleaning negatives, enlarging negatives, simple dodge/burn/contrast techniques. How to mount your images for display.

That's all. If someone came to photo 1 with a medium format camera I wouldn't pay them any mind as I'd think they would already know what they're doing. Most people in photo 1 take it as a required art class. Only a handful are in there because they really want to pursue it. It gets more interesting in photo 2.

 

[tlitody]

20 people in a darkroom is a recipe for disaster. Have they got 20 enlargers?

 

[pevelg]

Here is the class I signed up for:

PHOT 121 Fundamentals of Photography

This course provides an introduction to the tools, procedures, concepts and application of photographic imaging. Students will use cameras, light meters and darkroom equipment for film developing and printing to make images to meet the requirements of a series of assignments designed to develop specific skills, competencies and points of view and to stimulate the students' creative capacities for personal expression, communication and self-understanding. Students must provide their own camera with adjustable focus, shutter speeds and aperture. 6 hrs. lecture, lab/wk

And here is the next course (can't take due to work schedule).

PHOT 122 Advanced Photography

This course provides an introduction to advanced techniques, tools, procedures and concepts of photographic imaging, with an emphasis on black-and-white photography as a fine art. Students will use Zone System tests and procedures to produce prints of maximum quality. Students will use advanced techniques, such as split-developers for contrast control, multiple-imaging and archival processing, and print presentation. Several "alternative" printing processes will be discussed and demonstrated. This course also includes a basic introduction to medium format (2 1/4) and large format (4 x 5) camera equipment and technique. Students will apply the above to make images for a series of conceptually advanced, project/series-oriented assignments to stimulate the student's creative capacities for personal expression, communication and self-understanding. 6 hrs. lecture, lab/wk.

The class will at least get me into a darkroom and that alone is probably(hopefully) worth it. Plus, perhaps the instructor can tailor instruction/projects to an individuals skill and willingness to succeed? It was like that for some machining courses I took in the past.

So..... What SLR/35mm do I get? 🙁

 

[sepiareverb]

I teach a Photo 1 class every semester. For those with previous experience I really do try to let them run as far as they can. I'd suggest printing as much as you are able during class time, bringing prints out of the darkroom for comments and direction, then printing at least as much or more on your own to practice what you get from the class time. Dive into the assignments, and shoot what you want at the same time if possible. Print a lot and have fun.

 

[Mark A. Fisher]

I teach Photo One as well. As Sepiareverb says, you'll get out of the class at least a working knowledge of cameras, etc, which you already have a strong foundation in. Since you have no prior darkroom experience, that will be where the fun lies! In our wet lab we have 20 enlargers for students to use, for both 35mm and medium format (mostly 6x6) film. After they get the basics in film development, I then show them how to read a negative for over/under exposure, which ones will print more easily, etc, then show them how to do basic printing. They are introduced to dodging/burning, etc, and how to minimize print errors - dust on negatives, scratches, that kind of thing - and they are expected to present 15 mounted, well-seen, well-executed b/w prints at the end of the semester, in addition to the 4 or 5 other assignments given throughout the semester. Expect to spend some money on paper and film, and a lot of time in the darkroom. I had a clarinet teacher who said that it's not "practice makes perfect", but "PERFECT practice makes perfect". In other words, listen to the instructor, print as much as you can, but always be mindful of not repeating mistakes as you go. (You'll rapidly figure that out as you toss out some cash for paper! Too damned costly to make too many mistakes!) And, if the instructor is a pinhead, then you can learn from those around you. They almost always know more than I do anyhow!

Good Luck, and have fun!

Mark

 

[pevelg]

I teach Photo One as well. As Sepiareverb says, you'll get out of the class at least a working knowledge of cameras, etc, which you already have a strong foundation in. Since you have no prior darkroom experience, that will be where the fun lies! In our wet lab we have 20 enlargers for students to use, for both 35mm and medium format (mostly 6x6) film. After they get the basics in film development, I then show them how to read a negative for over/under exposure, which ones will print more easily, etc, then show them how to do basic printing. They are introduced to dodging/burning, etc, and how to minimize print errors - dust on negatives, scratches, that kind of thing - and they are expected to present 15 mounted, well-seen, well-executed b/w prints at the end of the semester, in addition to the 4 or 5 other assignments given throughout the semester. Expect to spend some money on paper and film, and a lot of time in the darkroom. I had a clarinet teacher who said that it's not "practice makes perfect", but "PERFECT practice makes perfect". In other words, listen to the instructor, print as much as you can, but always be mindful of not repeating mistakes as you go. (You'll rapidly figure that out as you toss out some cash for paper! Too damned costly to make too many mistakes!) And, if the instructor is a pinhead, then you can learn from those around you. They almost always know more than I do anyhow!

Good Luck, and have fun!

Mark

Well, I just had my first class and it looks like it is structured similarly to what you described. All enlargers are capable of MF film and about half can do up to 4x5!!! I've talked to my instructor and he's ok'd me using the Mamiya 7ii for class. Next week will be the camera instruction and following week we get to finally go into the darkroom. After that I am free to come to the lab whenever there is "open lab." I am definitely excited and I will post some prints once I get to that point.

 

[sepiareverb]

Don't forget to print a lot!! Money spent on paper is likely your best investment. You'll learn a lot about negative making (exposure & development) by printing- and better negatives mean better prints.

 

[35mmdelux]

This is your shutter, this is called an aperture, slr means....