This course offers a critical and practical introduction into the principles of analogue photography and darkroom processes. Through a series of practical projects, students will encounter a range of different techniques, chemical operations and approaches to cameraless photography. Studio theory will engage with questions of photographic authorship, materiality, toxicity and the foundational techniques through which our understanding of the medium has evolved. In addition, students will be introduced to a range of contemporary practitioners, and reflect on the intensification and fetishisation of of analogue photography in post-digital culture, from Instagram to the Gallery.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. use fundamental skills relevant to analogue photography in response to workshop briefs;
2. demonstrate an understanding of the expressive and experimental possibilities of analogue photography;
3. evaluate the effectiveness of technical and artistic strategies in analogue photography;
4. analyse the relationships between concept and process in photographic practice; and
5. articulate and justify the ideas, methods and outcomes of a studio investigation.

Additional Course Costs

You will be required to purchase resin coated photographic paper and black and white film for this course.

In order to use the darkroom outside of class time you will be asked to contribute a Optional Workshop fee of $50 to cover the costs of chemicals in accordance with ANU SOA&D Policy regarding Required Resources and Incidental Fees

https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/required-resources-and-incidental-fees?

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to the course: Course outline, structure, materials and assessments. Group activity: Making a camera obscura	Assessment Task 1 introduced
2	Photograms and lumen prints
3	Making a pinhole camera
4	Developing paper negatives and negatives
5	Printing from found negatives
6	Presentations for Assessment Task 1 Introduction to the Major Project	Assessment Task 1 due Assessment Task 2 introduced
7	Presentations on proposed project and feedback Supervised studio practice
8	Presentations on proposed project and feedback Supervised studio practice
9	Guest lecturer
10	Supervised studio practice and feedback
11	Supervised studio practice and feedback
12	Group critique in preparation for submission of major studio project.
13	EXAM PERIOD - No class	Assessment Task 2 due

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Portfolio of Practical work	30 %	1,2,3,4
Major Studio Project	50 %	1,2,3,4
Reflective Essay	20 %	3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Portfolio of Practical work

During Week 1 to 6 you will be exploring various forms of cameraless photography and experimental darkroom processes. 

Present your investigations in a portfolio/visual diary along with references. This may include the work of photographers and artists, as well as articles, books, movies etc. which relate to your work. 

Provide a 100 word written reflection on each of the investigations you’ve conducted covering things such as:

-       The process involved

-       What you have discovered

-       What could you have improved

-       Your thoughts on this form of image making

Presentation requirements:

In Week 6 you will be required to verbally present your work and contextualise it for the class for 3-4 minutes.

At the end of this class submit the portfolio/visual diary of your work. Each of your tasks must be clearly labelled and accompanied by a 100 word written statement.

Value: 30%

Assessment Task 2

Major Studio Project

For this major project you will continue your own independent research into forms of cameraless photography and experimental darkroom processes. You can either choose to further explore techniques learnt in class or investigate and develop your own.

Create a series of 5-10 images in the darkroom based on a theme of your choice.

Presentation requirements:

5-10 prints made in the darkroom exploring your chosen theme. The prints created need to be 8 x 10 inches or larger. Provide a 200-300 word artist statement to accompany your work.

Submit your prints during the examination period. The date of this will be confirmed in Week 7.

Value: 50%

Assessment Task 3

Reflective Essay

For Assessment Task 3 you will write a 1500 word reflective essay on your project for Assessment Task 2. The purpose of the Reflective Essay is to assess your understanding of the principles underpinning your project and the creative processes involved in its production.

Start gathering material for the Reflective Essay as soon as you decide on your project idea. Keep notes concerning the rationale behind your idea and identify potential problems as well as other texts and examples of creative works which have influenced you. You can continue this process of reflecting on your creative ideas and the progress of your work in a sketchbook, blog or notebook. You should read and take notes on texts and work which relate to your own project. This may include films, websites, music, novels or academic texts.

Your reflective essay should cover the following areas:

-        Where did your original idea come from?

-        How did you adapt and develop your idea? [Examine the research and production process, providing explanations for decisions taken]

-        What research did you undertake? How did you incorporate this material?

-        How does your work compare with or relate to professional work in the same field, tradition or style? Perhaps your work may draw on genres, visual languages and styles found in other media? Or perhaps you were inspired by artists discussed in seminars?

-        What are the strengths and weaknesses of your project? What challenges did you face? What did you learn from this process?

Your Reflective Essay should be:

-        Clear and concise in expression

-        Word processed, double spaced, with margins

-         Grammatically correct and free from spelling errors

-        You may write in the first person, but take care not to use conversational language or slang

-        Correctly referenced, including a bibliography all websites, films and other materials listed

Presentation requirements:

The Reflective Essay should be saved as a PDF and uploaded to Wattle for assessment in the exam period. The date of this will be confirmed in Week 7.

Value: 20%

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students