Primarily a shooting class, basic color photography classes are excellent tools to illustrate film, lens and camera concepts. Also, this class is a good way to introduce the concepts of grain, saturation and color balance.
This is also the class to introduce color theory, too, like color complements and the mood of colors.
That is why slide film is nearly always used for this class. With a projector and slides, students can see, together, illustrations of your lectures. They can also present their work to the class efficiently.
A photograph projected in all its glory on the "silver screen" always looks more impressive. Colors look saturated and the subject matter looks dramatic. So it serves as encouragement to beginning photographers.
Film with good balance and high color saturation are best.
There are two schools of thought when assigning film to students. The first says to use the same film with the same speed throughout the semester. This way you minimize the variables and the student can more easily compare the various results they achieve.
The other school of thought says that you change the film according to the assignment. This allows you to show the various benefits of different films. I recommend a sort of blended method. Use the same film of the same film through most of the session. But give out a couple of "special assignments" this forces the students to use films like infrared, super-high speed.
Since this is a shooting class, you want to assign students an assignment weekly. Let students go to their local lab process their film. Most major cities have a lab that processes 35mm slide film in one day. Here is what they will need:
| Essential Equipment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | Item | Model No. |
| 35mm 36 exposure roll of color slide film per assignment. Preferably ISO 50 to ISO 100. | Kodak Ektachrome E100D 100 ISO 35mm x 36 exposures | 8706590 |
| Tripod for long exposures | Arista Premium 68" 3-Section Tripod | 8006 |
| Linear polarizer filter. If you allow auto focus cameras, then a "circular" polarizer is required. | Tiffen Filter Rotating Linear Polarizer - 49mm | 4202149 |
| Thermometer | 6' Glass Thermometer | 62010 |
| Storage box with rings to store assignments. | Itoya Art Profolio Multi-Ring Refillable Binder 8.5x11/24 Sheets | 72811 |
| Students can also process their own film: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | Item | Model No. |
| E-6 slide film developing chemicals | Arista Rapid E-6 Slide Developing Kit - 1 Quart | 11861 |
| E-6 slide film developing chemicals | Tetenal Colortec E-6 Developing Kit - 1 Liter | 102035 |
| Pitchers for mixing chemicals | LegacyPro Graduated Pitcher - 32 oz. | 180032 |
| Storage Bottles for mixed chemicals | Delta Datatainer 1 quart | 013200 |
| Tank and reels | Arista Classic Double Reel Developing Tank with Two Reels | 5031 |
Teacher's tip: