What makes a good photograph? How can we use photography as a medium to tell our story? In this course, we will explore these and other questions as students learn how to compose and shoot photographs using the elements of design. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of photography as a visual medium and to explore the many ways photographs are used. Students will learn about traditional darkroom processes and digital cameras. A camera is a tool that can show other people not only what is there, but also what you see and how you see it. They will learn how to compose and shoot photographs using the elements of design, cover the use of the Digital DLR camera controls, including f/stops, shutter speeds, film speeds and the production of a correct exposure. Class time will be divided between photo manipulation on computers through the use of Photoshop, shooting photographs, and conventional classroom instruction as students learn how to compose and manipulate images to suit their purpose.