Fountain-Fort Carson High School
Photography
Mr. Andrew F. Porter
Phone: (719) 382-1640
Email: aporter@ffc8.org
Degrees and Certifications:
B.F.A. in Art Education, University of Illinois
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, American College of Education
Hello! I'm Andrew Porter, Photography Instructor and Assistant Boys Soccer Coach at FFCHS. I have lived in FFC8 since 2007 and have been teaching at FFCHS since 2014. Previously, I have taught the visual arts in D20 for 8 years, D11 for 7, and 2 years in IL. During that time I have coached soccer, tennis, basketball, track, art club, and mock trial. While teaching photography is my main daily focus, I have a maturing family that consists of my lovely wife, Sandi (FMS STEM teacher), my two boys, Keegan & Rhys, and our dog, Rock. Hopefully, you will learn a lot more about me as I learn about you in Photography!
Different teachers have different personalities and different expectations... So what can you expect from me? Art to me is a passion, one that I love to share and teach to others. Actually, it's more like coaching - Art is like a sport. You need to want to play, listen to coaching, and practice. Through dedicated practice, focus, performance, evaluation and reflection a student can become a "player". Those that challenge themselves and push the limits of their visual communications will be the ones that compete for the viewer’s attention and time. My role is as a resource for the students to receive information and guidance to further their ability in creating visual communications that speak to an audience, and we take that work to compete at local and state visual arts contests!
I want students to have fun and learn interesting information in my courses. I purposely design activities to stretch student perspectives and make them personally engaging. Hopefully, they will find most (if not all) of the photo courses meaningful and rewarding! Not only will your refrigerator become better decorated, but your walls will become more aesthetically pleasing as well! However, it is very important that you realize that a project based course is very different from a regular academic course. The time you would usually spend studying for tests is to be used working on setting up, taking, and editing your photographic compositions for critique and submission, as well as supportive work done in your Creative Process Journal and Schoology webpage.
Photography I
This course teaches students to use photography as a means to visually communicate with an audience and learn how to problem solve, both creatively as well as technically. Students will focus on compositional arrangement, personal aesthetics, art criticism, and the creative process so that they may move from only taking Snapshots to making Photographs! They will use digital cameras to capture their imagery and Adobe Photoshop to refine their compositions. As students learn to construct a visually interesting photograph infused with their personal voice, they are encouraged to continue their journey in Photography II in the same year to grow their skill and practice with the camera.
**STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO OWN A DIGITAL CAMERA**
Photography II
This course explores both creative/artistic as well as commercial/studio photography at the next level after they have learned compositional strategy in Photography I. Students will be challenged with differing thematic approaches in digital photography, as well as be required to produce traditional studio lighting imagery. Group critique, final presentation of artwork, and in-depth historical research will be emphasized beyond that expected in Photo I. A final portfolio punctuated by a personal artist statement will be required at the end of the course, showcasing their best work. Completion of this course is a pre-requisite for Photography Studio. Class is limited to 25 students.
**STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO OWN A DSLR OR MIRRORLESS CAMERA**
Photography Studio
This course is for students who have already progressed through Photography I & II and wish to advance their digital photography skills as well as refine their portfolio of work. Students will be personally challenged in the creation of visuals that promote a vision and unique perspective. Technical mastery, alternative techniques, and lighting control will be emphasized while the students continue to build their repertoire and add to their portfolio. Entry into outside competition(s) will be required, as well as a final display portfolio and artist statement. Students may enroll in this course repeatedly for credit.
**STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO OWN A DSLR OR MIRRORLESS CAMERA**
AP Art and Design
This course is for upper level students who have entered into their Junior or Senior years with a full repertoire of skillsets, abilities, and a growing body of work. It is a full year course designed to provide an opportunity for our advanced students to challenge themselves in submitting a final portfolio for outside scoring and evaluation.
The AP Art and Design program consists of three different courses and AP Portfolio Exams - AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, and AP Drawing - corresponding to college and university foundations courses. Portfolios include works of art and design, process documentation, and written information about the work presented. In May, students submit portfolios for evaluation based on specific criteria. Students may choose to submit any or all of the AP Portfolio Exams, but they may not resubmit the same work within multiple portfolio types.
**This is an HONOR LEVEL/AP course, so the students will receive WEIGHTED STATUS for their enrollment - PENDING PORTFOLIO SUBMISSION**