photography
SUMMER OFFERINGS
Introduction to Digital Photography
Instructor: Tony Maridakis
10 Sessions / Tuesdays, June 4–August 6
Time: 6:30–9:30 pm
Location: Studio 20A
Number: PH1001
Tuition: $400
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This course is a multifaceted approach to digital photography, focusing on the fundamentals of digital photography along with the artistry of the medium. Students will learn the essentials of a digital workflow, which includes moving photographs from a digital camera and scanners, Adobe Photoshop and Bridge basics, printing, and D-SLR fundamentals. Students will develop their work through a semester-long project, either new or a continuation of an existing project, which will culminate in 15 prints from that project. Throughout the course, the instructor will reinforce the fundamentals of digital photography by relating student work to that of photographic artists, both contemporary and historic. The class will meet for one off-site gallery visit outside of class instruction. No prerequisite.
Tony Maridakis earned his MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2013, a Post-Baccalaureate degree with Distinction in Visual Arts from UC Berkeley Extension in 2010 and a BS in Computer Science from CSUF in 1985. Tony has shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally, including La Maison des Remparts in Saignon, France, Modern Book Gallery, the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, Thoreau Gallery, and RayKo Gallery in San Francisco. He lives and works in San Francisco. www.tonymaridakis.com
Digital Camera Intensive – Getting the Most from Your DSLR
Instructor: Kristen Perkins
6 Sessions / Wednesdays, June 5–July 10
Time: 6:30–9:30 pm
Location: Studio 20A
Number: PH1002
Tuition: $250
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Digital Camera Intensive – Getting the Most from Your DSLR focuses on the robust functionality that DSLRs offer. Making a photograph well in the camera makes every step after easier. Additionally, having a competent working knowledge and understanding of photographic vocabulary makes the computer editing much simpler and intelligible. This intensive uses hands-on technical exercises, class discussion, and slide shows to help you get the most out of your digital camera. Each class will begin with a discussion of the technical assignments, and may also include readings and share slide shows of historical and contemporary photographers, based on the class’s photographic interests. Much of class time will be centered around hands-on photographic activities and group learning. No prerequisite.
Kristen Perkins received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and a BA in Journalism and a BA in Photography from The Pennsylvania State University. Her photography fluctuates between her background in photojournalism and documentary photography, and more loosely metaphoric photographs that are not definitively narrative or dominantly descriptive in nature. The results are ambiguous while also being expressive and accessible. Recent exhibitions include venues such as the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, Axis Gallery in Sacramento, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, and The Joyce Gordon Gallery and Hive Mind Gallery in Oakland. kristenperkins.com
Intermediate Photoshop for Photographers
Instructor: Elizabeth Cunningham
10 Sessions / Thursdays, June 6–August 15, no class on July 4
Time: 6:30–9:30 pm
Location: Studio 20A
Number: PH1003
Tuition: $400
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Do you have some experience with Photoshop, but want to take your skills to the next level? Photoshop is one of the most powerful tools for photographers in the contemporary art world. From traditional film to digital photography, Photoshop is the industry standard software that is critical to the arsenal of any photographer. In this course we will investigate new ways to use Adobe Photoshop CS6 to enhance your professional practice, while also developing your current skills to an intermediate level. From artwork documentation to portrait retouching, this course will cover a diverse range of skills that can be applied to a variety of photographic practices. Students will be assigned a series of projects to practice and apply these newly learned skills creatively. Prerequisite: Introduction to Digital Photography, Introduction to Photoshop, or similar experience.
Elizabeth Cunningham is an artist currently based in San Francisco, but generally committed to a nomadic lifestyle, having also spent significant time in Cleveland, Seattle, Philadelphia, and New York City. In 2012, Cunningham completed her MFA with a concentration in photography at the San Francisco Art Institute. She received her BA in Fine Arts and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 2010. Simultaneously fascinated and anxious with the social world around her, Cunningham seeks to use her art as a method of communication and translation when her own abilities at verbally describing the bizarre worlds in her head fall short. She is currently using a hybrid process of stop-motion animation and photographic collage to create abstract films that explore her fascination with the oversaturation of information in the digital environment. www.ecphotography.net
Figurative Photography
Instructor: Maciej Makalowski
10 Sessions / Mondays, June 3–August 5
Time: 6–9 pm
Location: Studio 16A
Number: PH1004
Tuition: $400
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This course provides a basic understanding of the technical and conceptual aspects of figurative photography. Through both studio practice and lecture, the students will explore different methods and approaches to photographing the human figure. Main concepts covered will be: historical background, lightning, portraiture (head shots), composition, basic Photoshop skills, building a narrative, and how to critique and talk about photography. In addition, the class will introduce a variety of historical and contemporary photographers as well as issues and theories within figurative photography. This class is meant for students of all skill levels, but will be basic enough for beginners of photography. It should be noted that this photography course is an art course, and will stress a creative over technical approach: it does not address itself to vocational skills and results. No prerequisite.
Maciej Makalowski is an interdisciplinary artist born in Poznań, Poland and raised in Montréal, Washington DC, and rural Pennsylvania. His paintings, photographs, collages, and films explore political histories, nostalgia, and occult spirituality. He received an MFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2011 and a BFA in Painting and BA in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University in 2008. He has exhibited in San Francisco, Long Beach, Berkeley, Chicago, Tulsa, Russia, Pennsylvania, and Italy. He is also a founding member of the Basement artist collective in the Mission district of San Francisco. In his spare time, Makalowski focuses on playing music and social activism. He currently resides and works in San Francisco, CA. www.makalowski.com
