http://www.herschelmair.com/peo= ple/index.html

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DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED PHOTOGRAPHY

HCT

PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT HANDBOOK

Photography, as a = powerful medium of expression and communications, offers an infinite variety of perception, interpretation and execution.

Ansel Adams<= /o:p>

I am enough of an = artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

Albert Einstein

Learning to use a = camera, especially a digital camera, takes a matter of hours. With some dedication a student can learn all he or she needs to know about how to use a digital ca= mera in a week or two of full-time study.

Learning to see an= d think critically, photographically, takes years.

Learning to integr= ate your visualization with the technology of digital imaging to the extent that you= are producing state of the art images that reflect a personal vision, can take a lifetime.

Herschel Mair

Herschel Mair is your stude= nt advisor and he will try and help you solve any curriculum problems you may have.
Department of photography; Vision

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The Photography De= partment intends to be a wellspring of inspiration for its students and for the Photographic and media industries and society in Oman.

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Department of photography; <= span style=3D'color:#000090'>Mission Statement<= /p>

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The mission of the Photography Department is to achieve and sustain an ongoing level of excell= ence in teaching, informing and inspiring our students. The department is dedica= ted to the delivery of high quality technical instruction as well as a sophisticated level of aesthetic education and aims to produce graduates who have the professional and personal skills to operate in the global media/advertising market or enter employment with confidence, contributing effectively to the Sultanate's ongoing creative and economic development.

A note of caution

Very few graduatin= g photographers will find jobs as employees with salaries. This applies not only here in Oman, b= ut throughout the world. We study photography because we love the process or t= he medium. Not because it is an employment opportunity. If your highest priori= ty is to get a job after graduation, there are probably better courses to take= . It is also true that you don’t need a diploma to be a good photographer = and most of the photographers currently operating in Oman, both nationals and ex-patriots, are unqualified. That does not mean they are bad photographers. They may have a very valuable thing that graduates lack – experience!=

The overwhelming m= ajority of the world’s photographers work for themselves as freelance operato= rs, often in specialized fields that they mastered after graduation. (Many of the world’s greatest photograp= hers never received any formal education)

It is for this rea= son that a photographer must develop a creative vision that sets him or her apart fr= om other photographers. A STYLE that identifies his or her work as something unique.

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What you will expe= rience here are the first steps on a long path towards becoming a professional image-maker. It is a fact that, other than educational facilities and some government departments, nobody will ever ask to see your diploma. They will, however, always ask to see your portfolio. So, it is on this expression of = your time here that we focus most of our attention. We need to bring out, from inside you, a personal imagery that expresses your individual visualization= and encourages you to interpret subject matter beyond the literal. <= /span>

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Aside from the cou= rses we teach within the department, there are other courses which are taught by the English dept. and the IT department, which MUST BE completed before a diploma, can be iss= ued. These are called “College requirements” a= nd include the ICDL (International computer driving license) which is divided = into 7 modules and Technical writing I and II.

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When do we work?

Outdoor photograph= y is, above all, governed by the rule of the golden light. This light is available from sunrise to 3 hours after sunrise and from 2 hours before sunset to sun= set.

Your course starts= each day at sunrise. You are expected to shoot images through the early morning light and then arrive at college to start your academic day at 09:00.<= /o:p>

You then leave the= college at 16:00 and shoot again till sunset.

You need to learn = to love light and enjoy being out and working when the light is beautiful. So if th= is seems like a lot of work, then you are right. It is. When we look at your pictures in Critique class, we will check when they were taken.<= /span>

We teach the following courses, which compris= e the requirements for the Diploma:

Semester 1 (First = Year)

PHOT1101: Basic Photography = (4 Credit Hours)

Taught by Bruce Boyd in the car= avan classroom Saturdays<= /span>

PHOT1102: Adobe Photoshop (<= span style=3D'color:red'>4 Credit Hours)

Taught by Gavin Smit in the Mac= Lab – new building Tuesdays

PHOT1103: History and Aesthe= tics of Photography (2 Credit Hours)=

Taught by Kath MacDaid in the caravan classro= om Sunday mornings

PHOT1104 Photo Tech (2 Credit Hours)

Taught by Herschel Mair in the caravan classr= oom Monday mornings

PHOT1105 Class critique and = Assessment (2 Credit hours)=

Taught by all staff and all student’s interactive critiquing in caravan classroom Monday afternoons

WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS Taught by Herschel Mair in the caravan class= room or his studio Wednesdays. There may also be guest lecturers and/or outings planned for the Wednesday workshop session

Semester 2 (First = Year)

PHOT1201: Basic Photography II (4 Credit Hours)

Taught by Bruce Boyd in the caravan classroom Sa= turdays

PHOT1202: Adobe Photoshop II (4 C= redit Hours)

Taught by Gavin Smit in the = Mac Lab – new building Tuesdays

PHOT1203: History and Aesthetics of Photography II (2 Credit Hours)

Taught by Steve Crescenzo in= the caravan classroom Su= nday mornings

PHOT1204 Photo Tech II (2 Credit = Hours)

Taught by Herschel Mair in t= he caravan classroom We= dnesday afternoons

PHOT1205 Class critique and Assessment II (2 Credit hours)

All staff and all student’s interactive critiqui= ng in caravan classroom Monday afternoons

WE= DNESDAY WORKSHOPS Taught by Herschel Mair in the caravan classroom or h= is studio Wednesdays. There may also be guest lecturers and/or outings planned= for the Wednesday workshop session. Students will be informed of events during = the week.

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Summer Semester (First Year)<= /b>

PHOT1301: Basic Portfolio development (6 Credit Hours)

Semester 1 (Second= Year)

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PHOT2101: Advanced Photograp= hy I (6 Credit Hours)

Taught by Bruce Bo= yd and Herschel Mair in the studios Sundays and Mondays

PHOT2102: Video filming (4 Credit Hours)

Taught by Vincent vander Zee in the studios Tuesdays

PHOT2103: Video editing (4 Credit Hours)

Taught by Vincent van der Zee in the editing lab Saturdays

WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS Taught by Herschel Mair in the caravan class= room or his studio Wednesdays. There may also be guest lecturers and/or outings planned for the Wednesday workshop session. Students will be informed of ev= ents during the week.

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Semester 2 (Second= Year)

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PHOT2201: Advanced Photograp= hy II (6 Credit Hours)=

Taught by Bruce Bo= yd and Herschel Mair in the studios Sundays and Mondays

PHOT2202: Video filming (4 Credit Hours)

Taught by Vincent vander Zee in the studios Tuesdays

PHOT2203: Video editing (4 Credit Hours)

Taught by Vincent van der Zee in the editing lab Saturdays

WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS Taught by Herschel Mair in the caravan class= room or his studio Wednesdays. There may also be guest lecturers and/or outings planned for the Wednesday workshop session. Students will be informed of ev= ents during the week.

Summer Semester (SecondYear)<= /b>

PHOT1301: Advanced Portfolio Development (6 Credit Hours)

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What about equipment?

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Please READ the follo= wing and understand:

You will be issued= with a set of equipment including a camera, a tripod, a variable (Zoom) lens, a fl= ash, a memory card and all the equipment needed to protect and care for this equipment.

The instruction bo= ok for the camera is probably the most important piece of documentation you will e= ver read on photography. READ IT….READ IT.

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I suggest that you purchase as soon as possible:

1.    An additional (Spare) CF card (4GB) to use when the other one dies.=

2.    A good lens cleaning cloth and a can of compressed air for cleaning lenses.

3.    An external hard drive (160 to 250GB) to save all your hard work on.

4.    A 4GB USB flash memory stick

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No images or any o= ther work may be kept on the college computers and you do so at your own risk. We regularly clean off the computers and if there’s work on the computer= , it will be deleted. As soon as you have loaded images from your camera, you are required to RENAME all the files with the place and date that you shot the images and a serial number (Batch renaming in Photoshop Bridge). Then immediately write the files to a CD or DVD or your own hard drive. We supply you with CD and DVD but not with a hard drive.

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The above equipmen= t is all you’ll need to learn photography and its all you get from the college= .

However we have a = good stock of lenses and lighting, which is available for loaning to students in good standing.

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NOTE that this is a privilege and not a right

Strict rules apply to the handling and return policies. Students may take out any equipment for a maximum of 3 days and they must look after it and return it= - as it was when it went out. Students must realize that this is a privilege and= not a right. Students who bring in equipment late will suffer a two-week ban on renting equipment. Students who do this twice without a really good excuse = can be banned for 1 month. Students who do this a third time will be banned for= a semester.

Students who damage or lose rental equipment will be required to replace it and will= not be lent anything until they have done so.

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Some College Law and order

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Please READ the fo= llowing and understand it. These are articles taken from the college by-laws and th= ey will tell you what is expected of you and what you need to do to pass (And = what happens if you fail)

Article 42

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The academic year = consists of three successive semesters (one in the fall and the other in the winter (Each 16 weeks) and a summer semester (6 weeks).

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Article 43

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College programs f= ollow the credit hour/Grade-point system. The credit hour is a unit, which tells you, how important a particul= ar subject’s result will be. For instance a subject with 6 credit hours = will have twice the value of a subject with 3 credit hours.
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A credit hour is equal to one weekly period of theoretical lecture, or two weekly periods of practical training, assignments or lab work.

The required numbe= r of credit hours for graduation at each of the levels of qualification varies according to the different specializations.

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(a)    Certificate: from 24 to 38 credit hours (Our course 28 C/H)=

(b)    Diploma: =    from 66 to 76 credit hours (Our course 68 C/H)

(c)    Higher Diploma:          from 100    to     114 credit hours<= o:p>

(d)    Bachelor's Degree:      from 128    to     157 credit hours<= o:p>

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Your exam results = will be assigned GRADE POINT= S:

Grade

Percentage Range

Grade Point

A

A-

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D

F

90 – 100

85 – 89

80 – 84

76 – 79

73 – 75

70 – 72

67 – 69

60 – 66

55 – 59

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4.0

3.7

3.3

3.0

2.7

2.3

2.0

1.7

1.0

0.0

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        These points will be multiplied by the subject’s credit hours and then a GRADE POINT AVERAGE= will be calculated. GPA

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Article 44

The minimum number= of credit hours, for a full-time student, is 12 credit hours per semester and 6 credit hours for the summer semester. (All our wint= er and fall semesters are 14 credit hours. Our summer semesters are 6 credit hours= )

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Student registrati= on for what exceeds the minimum depends on his/her semester’s GPA as follows:
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1.     The attainment of a semester GPA 3 to register f= or 15 credit hours, su= bject to the academic adviser’s approval.&= nbsp;

2.     The attainment of a semester GPA 3.5 to register= for 18 credit hours, su= bject to the approval of the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.

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It is mandatory to= obtain the approval of the Dean or his/her representative to register for more tha= n 18 credit hours.

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Article 49

Below is a list of abbreviations and their meanings:

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1.     EX: = ; Course requirements met by the student through examination

2.     L: =     Student attended as a listener, no credit hours awarded

3.     N: =     Student did not obtain grade because of substitution of grades

4.     NC: = ; Course not accredited in study program

5.     TR: = ; Course transferred from another educational institution

        Credit hours have been added up, but not the cumulative grade

6.     W: =    Student withdrew from the course

7.     Z: =     Student did not obtain any grades

8.     GPA: Grade Point Average.

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Article 50

A student is not entitled to appeal on the grounds of his/her ignorance of the content of these bylaws or decisions or circulars issued on their implementation.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

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Article 51

If a full-time stu= dent has a GPA of less than 2.0 in any semester, he will be placed under academic probation

Accordingly, he/sh= e will be allowed to register for only three courses with a maximum of 12 credit hours.

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Should he/she be s= ubjected to academic probation for a second successive time, he/she will be allowed = to register for only two courses, with a maximum of 8 credit hours. As for the part-time student, he/s= he will not be allowed to register for more than one course with a maximum of = 4 credit hours.

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Article 52

Academic probation= expires at the end of each semester, when the student obtains a minimum GPA 2.0. A student under academic probation= must repeat all the courses he/she failed. He/she will be dismissed, if he/she fails to obtain the required GPA= 2.0 at the end of the following semester, after having already been under acade= mic probation. =

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Article 53

A student obtainin= g D or F grade in a course for the first time may repeat that course to get a better grade. Accordingly, his/her o= ld grade will be replaced by the new grade, irrespective of the latter being l= ower or higher. (Please note that we don’t offer the same courses two semesters in a row. If a student fails a subject he must repeat= it the following year, which may mean having to spend an extra year at college= .)

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If a course is att= empted three or more times, the second attempt and the attempts that follow will be reconsidered for calculating the GPA. The number of substituted courses or credit hours should not exceed:=

•       9 cre= dit hours for the Diploma level

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Article 55

At the end of each semester, the Admission and Registration Department will prepare the Dean's Honor List. To qualify for th= is list, the student must meet the following criteria:

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1      Must have registered and completed= a minimum of 12 credit hours in that semester.

2      Must have obtained a GPA 3.2 in at least one semester.

3      Must not have failed any course.

4      Must not have faced any disciplina= ry or punitive action.

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Article 56

The College Counci= l is authorized, in case of acceptable reasons, to agree to the postponement of a student’s study for a maximum period of two semesters, throughout the period of his/her study.

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Article 59

A course is a subj= ect studied during one semester. =

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Article 60

The student’= s grade in a course is based on theoretical and practical continuous assessment, research projects and the semester final examination.

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Article 61

The final examinat= ion assesses the entire course and is held once at the end of each semester. It is set according to the constit= uents specified by the quality assurance committee.

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The final examinat= ion may be written, visual or oral, or both according to the nature of the course a= nd the assessment system. <= /o:p>

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Article 62

The final mark for= each course is out of 100, with decimal fractions approximated to a whole number. The final mark for ea= ch course includes continuous assessment such as quizzes, oral written or practical tests, homework, and projects.&n= bsp; This should not exceed 30% of the final mark.

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Article 64

The semester’= ;s average is equal to the average of grades in all the courses the student studied in a semester, and will be calculated in the same way as the cumula= tive average.

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Article 65

Cumulative average= is calculated by multiplying the grade point which the student obtained by the number of the course’s credit hours.= The total is divided by the total credit hours of all the courses th= at have grades.

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Article 66

The cumulative ave= rage is applied in all four academic levels independently.

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Article 67

The student is dee= med successful in the four academic levels, if he/she completes all the courses required for graduation and obtains the following cumulative averages:=

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1.     The first year:     Certificate          2.00=

2.     The second year: Diploma    &= nbsp;        2.25

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Students will not be awarded certificates confirming their success before they pass the required period = of practical training in each academic level.

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Article 68

The student has th= e right to appeal against the results of his/her examinations by completing the App= eal Form and submitting it to the Head of the Department within three days from= the date of announcement of results.

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Article 69

The student will b= e warned in writing if his/her absence reaches 10% of the set hours in each academic semester without any valid excuses, and a letter will be sent to his/her parent/guardian. The same pro= cedure will be followed if the student's absence reaches 20%. In both cases, the student must be warned in writing and his/her guardian must be informed that the student wi= ll be debarred from the final examination if his/her absence reaches 30%.

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Article 70

If a student fails= to attend a semester examination for a reason deemed to be acceptable by the College Council, the college will arrange a make-up examination for him/her= , if the student notified the Dean within one week from the date of the examinat= ion he/she failed to attend. His/= her examination will be repeated before the elapse of the semester following his/her absence; otherwise, he/she will be given a zero.

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Article 71

If the student fai= ls to attend the final examination of any course for a reason accepted by the Col= lege Council, that course will be considered as incomplete upon his/her notifying the Dean, within one= week from the date of the examination he/she failed to attend. In that case, the student will be allowed to sit for a complementary examination within no more than four wee= ks from the beginning of the next semester.&n= bsp; The grade obtained by the student in the complementary examination w= ill replace the term incomplete; otherwise, he/she will be given a zero. If the student also fails to atten= d the complementary examination for an acceptable reason, he/she will repeat the required course or any substitute course recommended by the concerned Head = of Center or Department.

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Article 72

A student will be dismissed from the college on the following grounds:

1.     Failure to maintain the required GPA 2.0= in the courses he/she studied at the end of the semester, following his/her placement under academic probation.

2.     Being absent from classes for two consecutive weeks, without an acceptable reason.

3.     Complying with a decision issued by the Disciplinary Committee. =

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PART EIGHT: DISC= IPLINE AND ORDER

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Article 75

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The student must a= bide by the following:

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1.     Coming to class on time and abiding by t= he timing of lectures, Lab andstudio sessions. The student must be aware that any absence will negatively affect his/her academic performance/achievement and= in turn will minimize the student's chances to sit for the final exams.

2.     Being absent from classes, laboratory, or workshop sessions must be approved in advance by the Head of department

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Excused absence be= cause of sickness must comply with the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Health.

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Being late for thr= ee times in any lecture, or studio wor= kshops will be considered as one class absence, and the staff in charge of these theoretical or practical classes has the prerogative to evaluate the studen= t's lateness. <= /p>
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3.     Keeping a record of all his/her activiti= es within the college, such as registration, schedules, forms, grades, reports= , as well as copies of courses, tests, electronic files and all documents relate= d to his/her program. <= /span>

4.     Safeguarding all college property, such = as labs, equipment and materials. The student must handle such property carefully, in compliance with the rules a= nd regulations organizing their use.

7.     Respecting the physical and intellectual property and rights of others including students, college staff, researcher= s, technicians, including research and electronic files.

8.     Actively participating in academic, cultural, social and sports activities organized by the college.

9.     Maintaining the aesthetic appearance of = the college, holding high moral standards in his/her relationship with the coll= ege The student must present a clean and tidy appearance, be a well-behaved, hardworking and reputable person.

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PART NINE: STUDE= NT DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM

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Article 76

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The disciplinary s= ystem applies to all college students.

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Article 77

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Any misconduct or = breach of these bylaws, rules, regulations or traditions will be deemed a punishable offence, specifically the following:

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1.     All acts or utterances that infringe upon religious beliefs or state reputation or disrupt the rules of good conduct = or public decency.

2.     Disruption of the college academic integ= rity code or academic conduct in whatever form, degree, method applied or site of disruption, in a theoretical lecture, practical training, laboratory or examination, whether the student is individually involved or in association with others.

3.     Any cheating or attempt to cheat, during examinations or disruption of the serenity and smooth administration of examinations.

4.     Abstention from attending, or incitement= of others not to attend lectures, practical training in workshops, laboratorie= s, or at the private or public sector organizations and other work places, whe= re attendance is part of the college programs.

5.     Breach of disciplinary rules during lect= ures or practical training. <= /o:p>

6.     All acts that infringe honor, integrity = or morals, or harm the reputation of the colleges or any of their personnel or students. <= /p>
7.     Assault or insult of any teaching, administrative, technical support staff, or student.

8.     Formation of or participation in any organization, committee or society, or holding a conference, without prior written consent of the competent authority.

9.     Issuance or distribution of bulletins, pamphlets, posters, newspapers or magazines or sending them online, collect= ion of funds or signatures without obtaining a prior written consent from the competent authority, or misuse of consent issued approving the practice of = any of these activities.

10.    Misuse, damage, or impairment of any of the colleges’ property including college network and electronic files.

11.    Possession or circulation of films, photograph= s, or magazines incompatible to decency, morals and Islamic values, or possess= ion of inflammable or explosive materials inside the colleges or their hostels.=

12.    Breaching hostel rules, such as late arrival at night or spending the night outside the premises, without an acceptable rea= son or making any changes in the accommodation, its furniture or equipment.

13.    Giving false information in official papers, forging official college documents, or illegally obtaining them or knowingly using forged documents. =

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Article 78

The disciplinary m= easures that will be inflicted on violators are:

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1.     Notification

2.     Warning

3.     Sending a student outside study hall or = any place where he/she violated the system.&nb= sp;

4.     Deprivation from some or all the privile= ges that a student enjoys. <= /o:p>

5.     Temporarily depriving the student from practicing the activity where he/she violated the rules and regulations, fo= r a period not exceeding one month.

6.     Charging the student for the damage he/s= he caused.

7.     Temporarily depriving student from stayi= ng in the college hostel, or suspension of his/her monthly allowance for four months.

8.     Final deprivation from staying in the college hostel, or from the monthly allowance.

9.     Cancellation of one or more courses in examination or results. =

10.    Debarring the student from sitting for one or = more final examinations.

11.    Suspending the student for one or more semeste= rs.

12.    Dismissal.&nb= sp;