CUVPHI526A
Produce technical photo images

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to produce technical photo images for institutional clients.

Application

This unit applies to the production of technical photo imaging products by forensic, medical, scientific (including mining and environmental field officers) and museum/library photographers.

A normal technical workflow can require liaison with clients, subjects, marketing officers, creative/production teams, medical staff, scientific or technical staff, museum or gallery staff, police and forensic personnel, field officers, suppliers, contractors, employees and project stakeholders. Forensic, medical and scientific photographers may work independently or as part of a team but within an institutional structure as a team member.

This unit requires the application of skills and knowledge in order to respond to work requests, prepare quotes, plan and prepare shoots, process and optimise images, supply images to clients, bill clients and liaise, consult and negotiate with a range of associated and allied persons, work teams, government agencies and private enterprises.


Prerequisites

Not applicable.


Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Receive and interpret job request requirements

1.1 Evaluate requirements of job requests for a range of technical photo imaging projects and confirm with appropriate people

1.2 Research and adopt professional practice arrangements, management procedures and workflow requirements for a range of technical photo imaging projects

1.3 Prepare appropriate budget, and quote and contract for shoot

2. Prepare for shoot

2.1 Consider and apply special considerations for shoot

2.2 Investigate and adopt site-specific OHS, consents, and licence and permit requirements

2.3 Negotiate with necessary parties for access to and needs of shoot locations and subjects

2.4 Confirm technical requirements, shoot requirements and shoot responsibilities with appropriate people

2.5 Prepare shoot management timelines and make appropriate shoot preparations

3. Shoot images and optimise to client, brief and post-production specifications

3.1 Capture in-production images to the agreed style and content within shoot context

3.2 Work with production team and observe subject/client for feedback on shoot progress

3.3 Optimise images and output image product to agreed specifications using industry standards

3.4 Pack work for electronic or physical dispatch and deliver to agreed location by appropriate methods and within agreed timeframe

3.5 Conclude and maintain management procedures

4. Wrap up and review shoot

4.1 Check and reinstate equipment

4.2 Review response from clients and subjects

4.3 Review personal performance within shoot context

4.4 Identify future opportunities, work directions, equipment needs and workflow changes resulting from the shoot

Required Skills

Required skills

photo imaging skills to:

archive, maintain and manage film and digital assets

create meaningful images in private and public spaces in a respectful manner

create and optimise file/film to technical photo imaging industry standards

research skills to:

access information on all aspects associated with technical shoots

compare against existing quality assurance (QA) and quality management (QM) procedures and best practice

compare contemporary styles and conceptual or aesthetic approaches to technical photo imaging

maintain professional practice arrangements for technical photo imaging

critical thinking skills to:

recognise and address barriers to effective photo imaging workflow

reflect on and analyse own performance

literacy skills to:

develop and interpret business documents and contracts

interpret QA and QM policy documentation

numeracy skills to:

maintain contractual and financial records for business and taxation purposes

prepare budgets, quotations and invoices for clients

communication skills to:

engage with patients and medical professionals in a meaningful and respectful way

explain and describe work practices and methods

liaise and negotiate with clients, subjects, marketing officers, creative/production teams, medical staff, scientific and technical staff, museum and gallery staff, police and forensic personnel, field officers, suppliers, contractors, employees and project stakeholders

obtain necessary permits and licences to operate equipment and work in special locations

learning skills to:

learn the operation of equipment

review performance against QA and QM processes

review personal performance within shoot context

upgrade knowledge required to work in varied locations of technical imaging

planning and organising skills to:

conduct an audit of QA and QM procedures

interpret and respond to photo imaging briefs

coordinate activities of models, assistants and production teams

organise shoots on location or in studio and prepare shoot management timelines

teamwork skills to:

deal empathetically with subjects in a variety of environments, including ones of a highly charged emotional and stressful nature

establish and nourish industry links with suppliers, contractors and employees

negotiate prices and fair exchange of services

recognise and overcome tension and nervousness in subjects

relate to the public and work team

resolve complaints and disputes

work effectively with diversity

technology skills to check and reinstate equipment, studio and props.

Required knowledge

business practice, including partnerships, contracts, intellectual property, copyright, legal, moral, insurance, financial, budget, political, OHS, licences and permits

forensic, medical, museum and scientific photo imaging environment, including practices and products

QA and QM systems and audits

relationship between practitioner and professional bodies and associations

procedures for selecting, testing and evaluating technology to determine its suitability for technical production purposes

traditions and contemporary issues that inform technical photo imaging practice

working with government institutions and regulations relating to technical photo imaging practice.

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to:

apply a typical workflow in technical photo imaging professional practice

apply business, coordination and negotiation skills to own photo imaging work practices

apply technical and imaging skills, including capturing and optimising technical images

interact and liaise with clients, subjects, suppliers, contractors, employees, models, assistants, production teams, project stakeholders and associated professionals

attain the required skills and permits critical to the performance of activities in specialised locations, such as:

diving certificates

mountaineering skills

mining site permits and licences

apply knowledge of special communication needs, confidentiality and cultural diversity requirements within the technical photo imaging environment.

When assessing in a scientific context, evidence of competency against the following unit is also required:

MSL974008A Capture and manage scientific images.

When assessing in a medical context, evidence of competency against the following units is also required:

BSBMED301B Interpret and apply medical terminology appropriately

HLTIN301A Comply with infection control policies and procedures in health work.

When assessing in a museum/library context, evidence of competency against the following unit is also required:

CULMS205C Observe and report basic condition of collection.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to:

a range of photo imaging production equipment, such as cameras, computers, software, printers, darkrooms, lighting and accessories

a range of locations and studios for technical photo imaging shoots

sources of information to research contemporary styles and conceptual or aesthetic approaches to technical photo imaging

appropriate learning and assessment support when required

opportunity for collaboration with or in allied industries, such as marketing officers; graphic or web designers; commercial printers; medical, pathology, nursing or allied health staff; scientific or technical staff and police

the use of culturally appropriate processes, and techniques appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence

review of third-party reports from experienced practitioners

direct observation of candidate applying a typical workflow in technical photo imaging professional practice

case studies to assess candidate’s ability to research contemporary styles and conceptual or aesthetic approaches to technical photo imaging

participation observation in professional technical or illustrative photo imaging awards

review of technical image products against industry standards and brief specifications.

Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy) and the needs of particular groups (e.g. people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties, such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling).

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

CUVPHI523A Produce media photo images

CUVPHI527A Make illustrative images for publication and display

CUVPHI529A Employ colour management in a digital imaging workplace.


Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Technical photo imaging projects may include:

astronomical phenomena

aerial

biological (on site or in the field):

animal

botanical

freshwater

marine

microscopic and macroscopic

natural phenomena

terrestrial

buildings and construction sites

copy work

cultural, anthropology and archaeology (on site or in the field):

artefacts

human history object and subjects

site documentation

geological and mining (on site or in the field):

landform and vegetation documentation

metallurgy and crystallography

mine sites and equipment

medical (on site or in the field):

clinical and patients

dental

ophthalmology

pathology

pre-surgical and surgical

police and forensic (on site or in the field):

accident sites

coronial

crime scene documentation

evidence

product and equipment.

Appropriate people may include:

members of relevant professional associations

mentors, peers and team members

practising institutional photographers, photo imagists and members of allied fields.

Professional practice arrangements may include:

contracts

copyright, licensing and intellectual property rights

financial management

image archive/digital asset management

image transportation and storage

institutional workplaces

insurance, including personal, public risk, accident and sickness, and equipment

licences and permits

model and property releases

OHS

project budget management.

Management procedures may include:

clinical governance:

confidentiality

image storage, archiving and data protection

informed and voluntary patient consent

institutional and public legal systems for photo imaging access to locations and subjects

institutional internal financial systems

institutional management systems

internal job requests, numbering and logging systems

patient admission procedures, including patient consent forms.

Workflow requirements may include:

liaising with other professionals

professional development requirements for shoot

sourcing specialised equipment

sourcing technical information for shoot

sourcing time schedules, such as operation lists.

Special considerations may include:

confidential, privacy or secrecy issues for shoot and subjects

dealing with stressful situations, such as emergency departments, mortuaries and operating theatres

knowledge of shoot context and subjects for safety or health issues

personal protective equipment (PPE)

recognising and overcoming tension and nervousness in subjects

special needs of subject or patient.

Technical requirements may include:

colour management systems

dynamic range of input (capture) device and tonal clipping of output (printing) device

props, stands and backdrops

special lighting requirements (e.g. fibre optics, infra-red, ultraviolet, dental lighting systems)

special requirements of location

specialised capture or scanning devices (e.g. microscope backs, electron microscopes, reflective and transmissive scanners)

technical equipment required by shoot context.

Shoot requirements may include:

analog or digital capture technologies and supporting accessories

food and accommodation

hire options for equipment

models, props and backgrounds

photo imaging lighting:

ambient

mixed lighting

supplementary, including electronic flash, tungsten and fluorescent

processing requirements for image work created

studio or location, including:

internal or external

aquatic

aerial

technical imaging product:

how it is to be used

what the client specifies

timelines for stages of the workflow

transportation of team and equipment.

Shoot responsibilities may include:

confirm legal aspects of the shoot, such as copyright, licensing and intellectual property rights

control the environment and shoot context, such as:

surgical team for operative context

police professionals in a forensic or evidential context

scientist in an experimental illustration context

control the image product

control the shoot

internal billing

negotiate and sign contract

select locations, props and backgrounds

sign off on product.

Shoot preparations may include:

assemble and check all equipment

brief assistants and other members of team

conceptualise involvement in creative process

confirm time, place and requirements for all aspects of the shoot that will be supplied by others

undertake weather check for location shoots.

Shoot context may include:

astronomical

library, art gallery or museum

medical or hospital, on location or in laboratory or studio

mining (locations and laboratory)

police or forensic location or laboratory

public spaces and institutional administration spaces

research or scientific location, laboratory or studio.

Production team may include:

administration representatives

assistants:

camera equipment

digital systems

audiovisual (AV) and telehealth representatives

commercial printers

design/construction specialists of customised shoot equipment

graphic designers

imaging product specialists, including audio, film and television

location specialists

marketing and promotion specialists

medical specialists and technical teams

post-production coordinators

reprographics specialists

scientific and educational professionals

scientists and technicians

specialists for field activities, including divers, mountaineers, boating/shipping specialists, pilots, machine operators, mapping specialists and rangers

surgical teams.

Optimise image may include:

maintain quality and integrity of the digital data

optimise, retouch, enhance and photomontage as requested and where appropriate

output to natural scale (e.g. for court exhibit boards)

process JPEG, RAW and DNG files

use appropriate:

bit depth

colour space

file dimensions/size in pixels

file format, such as:

joint photographic experts group (JPEG)

portable document format (PDF)

Photoshop Data (PSD)

tagged image file format (TIFF)

uncompressed and compressed files.

Image product may include:

archive and use appropriate digital asset management protocols and procedures

black and white prints to a specified format

colour film transparencies to a specified format

digital files as specified:

digital asset management

file naming, metadata, captions and inclusion of file information/data

transfer media, such as CD, DVD and internet

prints to specified size, mounting and finish.


Sectors

Visual communication – photo imaging


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.