This course introduces students to fundamental skills, techniques and creative approaches to contemporary photographic practice. Students will acquire technical skills and produce artworks in response to set briefs across the semester, with a focus on analogue and/or digital methods for image capture, development and display. Depending on the class topic, students have the ability to explore Digital SLR and 35mm camera operation; analogue film development and darkroom photography; cameraless photography and alternative photographic processes; digital postproduction with the Adobe Suite; experimental digital processes (including AI). Seminars will introduce students to historical and contemporary work by artists, and key debates in the field.

Students may complete this course twice for a maximum credit value of 12 units, provided they enrol in a different topic in each instance/semester. Please note that the course content, assessment structure, and reading list will change depending on the topic and the expertise of the lecturer convening the course. Please refer to the class summary for the specific term in which you wish to enrol for a detailed description.

Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Introduction to Darkroom Photography

This course introduces students to the concepts and processes underpinning darkroom photography and analogue (chemical) photographic practice. Students are encouraged to develop a critical relationship to the camera and consider how it shapes visual perception, both historically and in the present. While there is a strong focus on acquiring technical skills and practical knowledge, students will use these skills to create artworks which engage with ideas and concerns that are shaping contemporary image making. The course is supported by lectures, group discussions and studio projects encouraging curiosity and experimentation.

• Introduction to Digital Photo-Imaging

What on earth has happened to photography in digital culture? How are we to contend with the strange and succulent weirdness of digital image culture today? How can artists make meaningful work and not reproduce AI slop? How can we have fun with software? This course introduces students to the concepts and processes underpinning digital photography – from scanning, pixel stretching, DSLRS, Photoshop to AI. Through a range of technical exercises and experiments, you will be encouraged to develop a critical relationship to digital image making. While there is a strong focus on acquiring technical skills and practical knowledge, students will use these skills to create artworks that draw on concepts introduced in the class. The course is supported by lectures, group discussions and studio projects encouraging curiosity and experimentation.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. identify and use basic techniques and principles appropriate to contemporary photographic practice;
2. employ safe and professional studio work processes using the specialised equipment;
3. explore and evaluate the creative possibilities of materials and techniques in response to set projects; and
4. develop works that respond to contemporary photography theories and art practices.

Research-Led Teaching

This course introduces critical debates in contemporary photographic practice, through the lens of post-photographic scholarship, linked to the research of the Computational Culture Lab in SOAD and the ANU Integrated AI Network.

Field Trips

Field trips outside class time may be organised, and participation will be on a voluntary basis.

Additional Course Costs

Developing and practicing photographic skills requires both time and financial outlay.

Students are expected to cover the costs of consumables such as printer ink and fine art printing paper (NB: not office inkjet paper) to complete the class assignments. It is also advisable to invest in a USB stick for back-up of your work, even if you use OneDrive.

Students undertaking this course will be able to borrow DSLR cameras through the Photomedia Workshop to complete their assessments, and will have access to Adobe Creative Cloud across the Semester.

Required Resources

The student is required to use digital fine art photographic paper in order to complete the class assignments.

If you have access to your own DSLR camera you are welcome to use it for this course, otherwise you will be able to borrow a camera from the school.

Student contribution amounts under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) and tuition fees support the course described in the Class Summary and include tuition, teaching materials, and student access to the workshops for the stated course hours.

The material fee is payable to the School of Art & Design to supply consumables and materials that become your physical property. The fee for this course is $100.

Students have the option to obtain After hours Access to workshop and studio spaces outside of class delivery. After hours Access is defined as access to workshop and studio spaces outside of business hours between 6.00pm and 10:00pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 4pm Saturday - Sunday. It is afforded to students by paying an After hours Access Fee each semester.

For further information and to Pay Materials and Access Fees go to: https://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/required-resources-and-incidental-fees  

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Seminar: Introduction to the courseWorkshop: Working with, and against, the camera. Intro to DSLR & shooting in groups	Intro to Task 1 & 2
2	Seminar: Contemporary Photography after the Digital TurnWorkshop Skills Development: Supported Shooting, Copystand Image Capture, Inkjet Printing	Working on Task 2
3	Seminar: The work of the artist in an age of digital self-reproductionWorkshop Skills Development: Supported Shooting, Copystand Image Capture, Inkjet Printing	Working on Task 1&2
4	Seminar: Work in Progress ReviewWorkshop: Photo Studio Inductions and Self-Portraiture, 1:1 Tutorials	Working on Task 1&2Formative Feedback point for Task 2
5	Seminar: Into to Digital Imaging TheoryWorkshop: Scanography and Photoshop Compositing	Task 1 due (PASS/FAIL)Working on Task 2
6	Seminar: Task 2 Work in Progress Review and FeedbackWorkshop: Scanography and Photoshop Compositing	Formative Feedback point for Task 2
7	Seminar: Introduction to Assessment Task 3Workshop: Assignment Submission, Group Critique and Review	Task 2 due (40%)
8	Photoshop Workshop, Supervised Production Time, Tutorials	Working on Task 3
9	Photoshop Workshop, Supervised Production Time, Tutorials	Working on Task 3
10	Work in Progress Review, Production Time, Tutorials	Formative Feedback on Task 3
11	Supervised studio time, printing, tutorials, troubleshooting in advance of next week's assessment	Working on Task 3
12	Installation, Assessment and Class review of Task 3.	Task 3 due (60%)

Tutorial Registration

There are no tutorial groups set for this course.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Group Presentation [PASS/FAIL]	0 %	20/08/2026	1
Photographic Portfolio (40%)	40 %	24/09/2026	1,2,3,4
Brief Led Project: Future Fictions (60%)	60 %	29/10/2026	1,2,3,4

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Skills website. 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.

Participation

Respectful, generous and intellectually rigorous participation in group critique and other group learning formats is required. You are expected to communicate with your tutor, and inform them of any issues promptly that prevent you from attending class and participating.

Assessment Task 1

Group Presentation [PASS/FAIL]

Task:

In groups, prepare a 5-minute presentation introducing the work of a contemporary artist whose practice relates to digital imaging and post-photographic culture. To assist you, a list of artists will be provided on Canvas. Your aim is to help the class understand who this artist is, what they make, how they use digital technologies, and why their work matters. 

Presentations will be given a PASS/FAIL grade based on the rubric below.

Presentation format

Each group must prepare 5 slides only. You should spend about 1 minute per slide.

Slide structure

Slide 1: Artist Background

Introduce the artist. Include their name, where they are based, relevant biographical context, and the broader field or art context they work within.

Slide 2: Key Works

Show and briefly describe 2–3 important works by the artist. Include titles, dates, and images where possible. You may use more than one slide in this section, but keep it under one minute. 

Slide 3: Materials, Methods and Technologies

Explain how the artist makes their work. What tools, processes, platforms, cameras, software, archives, datasets, networks, or digital systems do they use?

Slide 4: Ideas and Themes

Identify the main ideas in the artist’s work. For example, you might discuss identity, surveillance, memory, artificial intelligence, social media, the body, labour, the environment, truth, fiction, or the circulation of images.

Slide 5: Why This Artist Matters

Explain why this artist is significant for thinking about digital imaging today. What can we learn from their practice? How does their work connect to issues discussed in this course?

Requirements

Your presentation should:

• Run for 5 minutes maximum
• Include 5 slides only (plus a few more to briefly show key works if required)
• Be clearly organised, with each group member contributing
• Include images of the artist’s work
• Use reliable sources, such as the artist’s website, gallery pages, museum texts, interviews, catalogues, or academic sources

Assessment Criteria

You will be assessed on:

• Clear explanation of the artist and their practice, including thoughtful selection and discussion of key works
• Understanding of the artist’s methods, technologies and materials
• Ability to connect the artist’s work to broader ideas in digital imaging
• Presentation clarity, timing and teamwork

Deadline and Submission Format

Please upload your slide deck to Canvas by 9am, Week 4 of class (Thursday 20 August) and come prepared to deliver your presentation to the class at 9am on this date.

Rubric

Criteria	Meets Expectations	Below Expectations
Clear explanation of the artist and their practice, including thoughtful selection and discussion of key works (LO1)	Clearly introduces the artist and explains their practice through relevant, well-chosen examples.	Provides limited or unclear information about the artist, with key works missing, poorly chosen, or only briefly described.
Understanding of the artist’s methods, technologies and materials (LO1)	Shows a sound understanding of how the artist makes their work, including relevant tools, processes, materials or technologies.	Shows limited understanding of the artist’s methods, materials or technologies, or describes them inaccurately or vaguely.
Ability to connect the artist’s work to broader ideas in digital imaging (LO1)	Makes meaningful connections between the artist’s work and broader issues, concepts or debates in digital imaging.	Makes few or unclear connections to digital imaging, or discusses the work mostly in isolation.
Presentation clarity, timing and teamwork	Presentation is clear, well-structured, within time, and shows balanced group contribution.	Presentation is unclear, poorly timed, underprepared, or shows uneven group contribution.

Assessment Task 2

Photographic Portfolio (40%)

Task:

This assessment invites you to develop a portfolio of photographic responses to a series of in-class briefs. These briefs, published on Canvas, are selected to help you develop and apply the technical skills introduced in class workshops, while conceptually challenging you. The images you produce should therefore seek demonstrate both creativity and technical competence.

Through these exercises, you will be encouraged to notice your own relationship to the camera and post-production tools: how they position you, what they invite or exclude, and how your creative decisions in image-making are entangled with wider cultural, technological, and ideological systems.

Format

Your final portfolio will consist of:

• A visual response to each exercise, in the form of an A4 fine art print to be presented in class.
• Digital Documentation - a powerpoint that includes each image, accompanied by a brief written reflections on your process, technical decisions, and any conceptual questions raised

Deadline

The deadline for this Task is Week 7, Thursday 24th September at 9am.

Submission

Submission takes two parts:

a) An in-person assessment - you will be required to bring your photographic prints to class, ready to be hung and reviewed by the group in Week 7 at 9am.

b) Documentation of the work - please upload to Canvas a powerpoint with digital copies of each image and your written reflections, per the above by 9am 24th September.

Rubric

Criteria	Exceeds Expectations	Meets Expectations	Below Expectations
Technical and Material Engagement LO 1, 2	Demonstrates confident, deliberate use of DSLR functions with technically strong images. Explores materials and techniques with care and curiosity. Shows awareness of how technical choices support meaning.	Demonstrates sound technical control and appropriate use of camera settings. Applies materials and techniques with some experimentation.	Demonstrates limited or inconsistent use of DSLR settings. Technical or material issues detract from the images.
Creative and Conceptual Response LO 3, 4	Responds to tasks in an imaginative and original way. Shows conceptual depth and a strong willingness to experiment or take risks. Avoids clichés and demonstrates critical thinking through image-making.	Responds clearly to each task with some creative thinking. May rely on familiar ideas, but shows emerging conceptual engagement.	Responses are predictable or underdeveloped. Shows minimal experimentation or conceptual awareness.
Critical Reflection and Presentation LO 1, 4	Demonstrates critical insight into the role of the photographic tools in shaping vision and power. Portfolio is carefully presented and supported by thoughtful, well-articulated reflections.	Demonstrates some awareness of the camera’s role in image-making. Portfolio is adequately presented with clear reflective notes.	Shows little or no critical reflection. Portfolio may be incomplete, disorganised, or poorly presented.

Assessment Task 3

Brief Led Project: Future Fictions (60%)

“The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed.”

— attributed to William Gibson

Project Overview

For this project, you will create a digitally composited image series that responds to the theme Future Fictions.

Your task is to use Photoshop’s compositing tools to construct an imagined future, alternative present, speculative scenario, or fictional world. Your image might be utopian, dystopian, strange, humorous, poetic, political, ecological, intimate or ambiguous. It does not need to look like conventional science fiction. Instead, think about how images can propose, question or rehearse possible futures.

You might explore questions such as:

• What futures are already visible in the present?
• Whose future is being imagined?
• What kinds of bodies, environments, technologies, systems or relationships appear in your image?
• Is your future desirable, troubling, absurd, fragile, beautiful or unresolved?
• What role do images play in shaping how we imagine different scenarios?

Source Material

You may use a combination of:

• Your own photographs
• Scanned materials
• Found or archival images
• Screenshots
• Public domain or Creative Commons material
• Licensed stock imagery
• AI-generated material, only if discussed with your tutor and clearly documented

The project should show your own creative transformation of the source material. Do not simply place images together without considering scale, light, colour, edges, perspective and meaning.

You must cite all third-party image sources used in your project documentation. This includes images from websites, archives, image databases, stock libraries, screenshots, social media, museum collections, AI tools, or any image you did not make yourself.

Submission Requirements

This task has two different submissions, both with a deadline of 9am Thursday 29th October Week 12.

a) Physical Submission of your final prints (A4 or larger) in class for review and assessment, 9am Thursday Week 12,

b) Digital submission of your project documentation as a Powerpoint or PDF to Canvas, which includes i) your images and ii) your project title and artist statement outlining your approach, process and concept. iii) source list of all third party images.

Rubric

Criteria	Exceeds Expectations	Meets Expectations	Below Expectations
Technical and Material Engagement (Photoshop skills, control of digital tools, quality of image construction) LO 1, 2	Demonstrates confident and nuanced control of post-production tools and compositing techniques. Uses Photoshop and other imaging tools with a high level of precision and fluency. Technically strong and well-executed outcomes.	Demonstrates competent use of key post-production tools and techniques. Images are technically adequate and show developing fluency.	Demonstrates limited or inconsistent technical control. Images may appear unfinished, poorly resolved, or lacking understanding of core tools.
Creative and Conceptual Response (Imaginative transformation of source material; experimentation and originality) LO 3, 4	Produces inventive and original responses that transform source imagery in unexpected ways. Demonstrates conceptual depth, aesthetic sensitivity, and a willingness to experiment with form and process.	Produces appropriate and coherent responses to the tasks. Shows some experimentation and creative thinking, with emerging conceptual development.	Responses are generic, underdeveloped, or lack originality. Minimal experimentation with process or concept.
Critical Reflection and Presentation (Understanding of the software-based nature of photography; reflection on process; clarity of presentation) LO 1, 4	Demonstrates critical insight into the constructed and computational nature of the photographic image. Reflections are thoughtful, clearly articulated, and enhance the meaning of the work. Portfolio is carefully presented.	Demonstrates some critical awareness of photography’s digital condition. Reflections are clear and describe process and choices. Portfolio is adequately presented.	Shows little or no critical reflection. Reflections are minimal, vague, or missing. Portfolio presentation is careless or incomplete.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

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 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

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

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 Accessibility 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 supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students