CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ASSIGNMENT

The crystallographic assignment is one assignment in PHT110 Image Communications, a course intended to teach two-dimensional design to photography students. One of the goals of the course is to help students realize how articulate space itself can be. So this assignment has a triple-pronged intent:


 to train the eye to see subject matter where it might not have looked for it in the past

 to allow the students to use their photographic skills

 to design a larger space that will allow their photography it’s maximum potential.

 (There’s also a subversive intent; to intimidate the student with polysyllabic words! But we don’t admit that up front.)

The outline of the assignment has the student choose an object. They then must photograph at least nine different examples of that object and arrange the nine photographs in a grid. Some leeway is granted in the interpretation of the assignment as the examples will attest. After all, design has a way of taking charge.

The following examples show the diversity and range of the human imagination even when tethered to a set of conditions. They are imaginative, creative and humourous.

Fletcher O'Grady
Instructor, Photographic Technology

Desiree Abt

Leah Bignell

Shawn Gilhespy

Dwayne Martineau

Delain Witzaney

Alberta Milk Shoot

Alberta Milk teamed up with NAIT Culinary Arts and Photographic Technology students to produce their next set of recipe cards. There are six recipes featured with three of them shot on Monday, December 14th. Ian Grant, Jeanette Janzen, Gord Heatley, Yesam Ham, Karmen Meyer, Brendan Klem and Miriam Den Oudsten all played a part in creating the three recipes photographed on Monday. The remaining three recipes are being photographed in Nisku at Fabulous Foods facility with food stylist Lovoni Walker on Wednesday, December 16th. Watch for a posting of the final results.

PHT 370 Still Life

Our second year students have just completed their Commercial/Industrial course and submitted the last assignment titled "Still Life". The interpretation and execution of a "Still-Life" image was left to their own creativity. I am pleased to show some of their work below for you to admire.

Jeanette Janzen

Karmen Meyer

Bobbi Ryan

PHT 350 High Key Portraits

One of the last assignments in our Portrait I class is the "High Key" portrait. It can be a challenge to create what is classified as high key portraits. I think that you will agree with me that the following are all a very strong representation of the "High Key" portrait created by some of our second year students. Enjoy.

Tami Paul

Yesan Ham

Karmen Meyer

Jeanette Janzen

Jessica Loughlin

Trevor Burns

Brendan Klem

Follow-Up To the Annual Print Sale and Display

The students' Annual Print Sale and Display was held on Nov. 26 & 27 and was a good success, once again. Numerous positive comments on the display and the overall quality of the photographs were shared and appreciated by the students. Over 40 photographs were purchased and after expenses this generated a donation of ~$750 to The Rainbow Society Of Alberta, a non-profit, registered charity dedicated to fulfilling wishes of Alberta children with chronic or life threatening illnesses.

As a component of the show, visitors were asked to vote on their favourite Colour and B&W images. The People's Choice awards for this year went to to 1st Year student Dwayne Martineau for best colour photograph and to 2nd Year student Jeanette Janzen for best B&W photograph. These choices are illustrated below.

People's Choice Awards

Best Colour Photo - Dwayne Martineau

Best B&W Photo - Jeanette Janzen

Food Photography Assignment - - PHT370 Commercial / Industrial Photography Class

In the Commercial / Industrial Photography course, instructor Fletcher O'Grady has the students do an assignment to experience food photography. The objective is to produce a photograph that illustrates a particular recipe and specifies that "The accent is to be on the food with the intent of making the food as delectable, sensuous and appetizing as your photographic abilities can make it."

Besides the classroom instruction, the students also went on a field trip to view the food photography expertise of Edmonton photographer Stephe Tate as he produces images for the cookbooks of "Company's Coming".

The images below are two samples of the student results, with photos provided by Jeanette Janzen and Jessica Loughlin. The recipe for Jeanette's Crepe Parcels  is also available by clicking on the recipe image below.

Jeanette Janzen

Jessica Loughlin

                                       
Recipe for Crepe Parcels

PHT125 Critique Course - - "Chinatown" Theme

One of the advantages of attending a photography course with other students is that you learn from your peers as well as your instructors. The "Critique" course is a prime example of this. All of the first year students photograph on the same theme and the results are viewed and discussed in front of the class. In the process of this, the student sees 20-some interpretations of the same theme, and also hears a variety of reactions / interpretations / comments on all of the images submitted.

A recent theme was the single word, "Chinatown". For this theme the students were allowed to use digital imaging for the first time in the course, and also use colour for the first time (or B&W - - their choice).

Here are some of the results submitted . . .
Adam Corcoran

Kat Hawn

Dwayne Martineau

Dusty Warholik

PHT 125 - Critique Student Assignments

PHT 125 Critique is a first year weekly class that the students participate in by submitting images to be judged by each their instructors. Each week students capture and submit images that are their individual interpretation of the weekly themes assigned. It is not only a chance for them to make use of fundamentals taught but also to start developing their own creative style and interpretation. One of the recent themes assigned was "When I Grow Up". It is my pleasure to display some of these students interpretations of this theme.

Desiree Abt

Jamie Anderson-Reid

Leah Bignell

Claro Cagulada

PHT 350 Portrait I Student Assignment – Low-Key Portrait

Congratulations to all the second year students with their Low-Key portrait assignment submissions. I was very happy with their efforts – the portraits overall were the strongest that they have submitted to date. Here is a sampling of some of them for you to enjoy.

Elyse Fiore

Karmen Hughes

Trevor Burns

Jeanette Janzen

Gord Heatley

Bobbi Ryan

Nikita Gushue

Once again, Photographic Technology students and staff are gearing up for our annual Print Display and Sale, Thursday and Friday, November 26th and 27th. The main campus south lobby will be transformed into a gallery-like setting with many fine works on display for exhibition and sale. Teams of student volunteers are busy getting the word out and doing the considerable leg work involved in preparing for this much-anticipated yearly event.

Prints are mounted and matted, ready for 16 x 20 framing and waiting for a good home on some lucky person's wall. You will find a variety of subject matter and photographic styles in this exhibition ... something to suit the tastes of any discriminating picture lover ... and at a very reasonable price for original art.

Each year the event supports a charity chosen by the students. This year the students have elected to support The Rainbow Society of Alberta, a charity dedicated to fulfilling wishes for Alberta children with a chronic or life-threatening illness. Please come visit us during our event. You may find the perfect Christmas gift for yourself or others.

This Week at NAIT / Nov. 16 - 20

The Photographic Technology program has a full week of "extra" activities this week:

• Monday, Nov. 16th - - Neil Stephenson, Professional Market Executive with Canon Canada came by and gave a presentation on some new Canon equipment / "goodies". Neil is out west to do a Canon 7D intro event at Vistek in Calgary and made a special stop-off in Edmonton to visit with our program.

• Tuesday, Nov. 17th - - Steve Smith of Wacom, makers of tablets and touch screen computers used extensively by photographic and graphic arts professionals, came from Portland to demonstrate the Wacom products and show ways of using the tablets effectively. His presentation was attended by both Photographic Technology and Graphic Communications students and staff, as well as a number of other NAIT people. Our Photographic Technology computer labs have 18 tablets available for student use.

• Wednesday, Nov. 18th - - two events today:
• a second year field trip to ION Printing Solutions, a large printing operation, in Nisku, AB;
• "NAIT Night" with the Professional Photographers of Canada-Alberta. This annual event / meeting of the Northern Branch of the association invites the students to attend a meeting to mingle with the pros and see what the association is all about. The format this year is a "businesss blender" and fun print competitition with the meeting at "The Nest" on the NAIT campus.

• Thursday, Nov. 19th - - another of the professional photographic organizations, CAPIC, is holding an evening event and have invited the program students / staff to come to their mixer, with a "Clip Up" photo on the theme of "The End" being a part of the event.

Watch for an announcement of our upcoming Annual Print Sale and Display, Nov. 26 & 27!

PHT 350 Portrait I Student Assignment – Couple Portrait

The latest theme for the second years portrait assignment was “Couples Portrait”. Interpretation to “Couples Portrait” was left open to each student and could be shot in studio or on location.  I have displayed several of students with the highest grades images below for your enjoyment.

Gord Heatley

Kristen Bass

Miriam Dan Oudsten

Bobbi Ryan

Jeanette Janzen