CSE 131: The Science and Art of Digital Photography

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Instructor: Bruce Hemingway --photos here and here, with Rich MacDonald, Associate, and Ewa (Eva)Trebacz, Teaching Associate. TAs: Juliet Fiss, and Ian Talarico.

MWF    1:30-2:20pm    Mary Gates Hall MGH 241    March 26 to June 4

Digital Photography is a unique technological activity that is totally dependent on its roots in digital sensing and computational imaging. It has many functions—scientific, artistic, documentary and social—and its historical development is a fascinating study in scientific innovation.  This course will give students the tools and technological understanding to make better pictures. We will concentrate on four areas: the history and development of photography; the science of optics and digital imaging; the elements of photographic composition and design; and the future of internet-enabled photography.

Information & Policies page

Class Mailing list information is here. Add your preferred email address.
To post a message to all the list members, send email to cse131a_sp12@u.washington.edu.

Questions? Email the teaching staff here.

We encourage all participants to look at each other's photos here, and to leave (constructive) comments on them as well.

Flash applets on some technical aspects of photography

Final Extra-credit Project information here.  Deadline: Wednesday June 6, by 11:59 p.m. via email.

List of completed Extra-Credit projects

Slideshow of Student Work

Course Schedule (subject to constant revision):

Mondays and Wednesdays
Fridays (sort of)

Week 1-Choosing a camera
Basic Image Formation
Perspective, lenses, aperture, shutter
Readings: Johnson pp. 1-18
                  Horenstein pp. 20-93
                  Freeman Ch. 1

organize Picasa
Photo Assignment 1: Break your camera Due:11:59PM, Sunday, April 1, 2012

Applet: Variables that affect exposure

Week 2- Optics I
      Lensmaker’s formulae, Depth-of-field formula
History of Photography 1
Reading:
Johnson pp. 19-48, 151-158

Photo Assignment 2: Digital Storytelling Due:11:59PM, Sunday, April 8, 2012

Three Tips to Help Your Photos Tell A Story

Week 3: Image Composition
        The Frame, Design basics, points, Lines, curves
Optics II:
      Aberrations & Distortion
      Flare, vignetting, diffraction
History of Photography 2

Readings: Freeman Ch. 2,3
Johnson pp. 55-63, 89-94, 125-136

Photo Assignment 3: Macro Photographs Due:11:59PM, Sunday, April 15, 2012

Monday or Tuesday, 4 p.m. Optional
Meet at bus shelter on Stevens Way South of Chemistry Bldg.
This week Walkabout: Medicinal Herb Garden & Greenhouse macros


Week 4: Camera Subsystems
                  AF- Auto Focus
                  AE- Auto Exposure
 Reading: Horenstein pp. 94-123

Photo Assignment 4: Action Photographs

Week 5:     IS/VR Image Stabilization
Lightfield Photography
   Review for the midterm

No Photo Assignment this week: MIDTERM April 27 in class

Week 6- Digital Sensors—CMOS vs. CCD
                  Sampling; Color sensing, Bayer vs. Foveon
                  Microlenses- SNR, ISO, noise removal
Readings: Johnson Ch. 15, Appendix G
Horenstein Ch. 7

This week's Walkabout: Allen Center, Suzallo Library, Business School
    Meet 11 am, Saturday, May 5, in the Allen Center Atrium

Photo Assignment 5: Architecture and Interiors Due:11:59PM, Sunday, May 6, 2012

Week 7-
Image Processing in-camera and out
            
Convolution
            
Demosaicing, tone-mapping, HDR
          sharpening, JPEG compression, Raw
Readings:
Freeman Ch. 4
Johnson Ch. 16

No Walkabout this week.
Photo Assignment 6: Nature Photographs

comments on Assignment 5 (see note in Assignment 6)

Week 8- Color—RGB
                 Color spaces, additive, subtractive color
                 Color temperature, white balancing
Light and Reflections
Readings: Johnson Ch. 2
Horenstein Ch. 5


Photo Assignment 7: Night and Color Photographs

Week 9-Lighting—key, fill, back lights,Flash
Wed.: Rich MacDonald: Surveyed Portrait Typology
Friday: Richard Ladner: Supporting Blind Photography
 Readings: Freeman Ch. 5
Paper: Supporting Blind Photography
Horenstein Ch. 7

This week's Walkabout: in one place--shoot portraits
Tues, Friday 3-6 pm CSE 014 (basement of the Allen Center CSE MoCap lab.)
We provide lights, tripod and backdrop
you provide camera and bring a friend to photograph (or do a self-portrait)
Photo Assignment 8: Portraits

Week 10- Monday May 28: holiday
History of Photography 3
The Future of Photography
: Final Thoughts
                                 
Reading: Freeman Ch. 6

Work on final project-- Deadline: Wednesday June 6, by 11:59 p.m. via email.
Revise Photo Assignments Deadline: Wednesday June 6, by 11:59 p.m.

Final Exam Study Guide

Final Exam:  Monday, June 04, 2012,230-420 pm, MGH 241