Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

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

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

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to the production of technical photoimaging 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/technical staff, museum/gallery staff, police/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/prepare shoots, process/optimise images, supply images to clients, bill clients and liaise/consult/negotiate with a range of associated and allied persons, work teams, government agencies and private enterprises.

Prerequisite units 

The following units or demonstrated equivalence are required prior to undertaking this unit:

• CUVPHI04A Apply photoimaging lighting techniques
• CUVPHI06A Plan and carry out image capture in response to a brief.

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised  text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1 Receive and interpret job request requirements .

1.1 Evaluate requirements of job requests for a range of technical photoimaging projects  and confirm with appropriate person /s .

1.2 Research/adopt professional practice arrangements , management procedures  and workflow requirements  for a range of technical photoimaging projects.

1.3 Prepare appropriate budget/quote/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 subject/s.

2.4 Confirm technical requirements , shoot requirements  and shoot responsibilities  with appropriate person/s.

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 image/s 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/physical dispatch and deliver to agreed location by appropriate method/s (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 client/s and subject/s.

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 AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills :

• photoimaging skills sufficient to:

• archive, maintain and manage film and digital assets
• create meaningful images in private and public spaces in a respectful manner
• create/optimise file/film to technical photoimaging industry standards

• research skills sufficient to:

• access information on all aspects associated with technical shoots
• compare against existing quality assurance/quality management (QA/QM) procedures and best practice
• compare contemporary styles and conceptual/aesthetic approaches to technical photoimaging
• maintain professional practice arrangements for technical photoimaging

• critical thinking skills sufficient to:

• recognise/address barriers to effective photoimaging workflow
• employ reflective questioning to analyse performance

• literacy skills sufficient to:

• develop and interpret business documents and contracts
• interpret QA/QM policy documentation

• numeracy skills sufficient to:

• maintain contractual/financial records for business/taxation purposes
• prepare budgets, quotations and invoices for clients

• communication skills sufficient to:

• engage with patients/medical professionals in a meaningful and respectful way
• explain/describe work practices and methods
• liaise/negotiate with clients, subjects, marketing officers, creative/production teams, medical staff, scientific/technical staff, museum/gallery staff, police/forensic personnel, field officers, suppliers, contractors, employees and project stakeholders

• obtain necessary permits/licences to operate ancillary equipment and work in special locations
• learning skills sufficient to:

• learn the operation of ancillary equipment
• review performance against QA/QM processes
• review personal performance within shoot context
• upgrade knowledge required to work in varied locations of technical imaging

• planning and organising skills sufficient to:

• conduct an audit of QA/QM procedures
• interpret and respond to photoimaging briefs
• coordinate activities of models, assistants and creative/production teams
• organise shoots on location/in studio and prepare shoot management timelines

• teamwork skills sufficient to:

• deal empathetically with subjects (in a variety of environments, including ones of a highly charged emotional and stressful nature)
• establish/nourish industry links with suppliers, contractors and employees
• negotiate prices/fair exchange of services
• recognise/overcome tension and nervousness in subjects
• relate with the public and work team
• resolve complaints/disputes
• work effectively with diversity

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

Required knowledge :

• business practice (e.g. partnerships, contracts, intellectual property, copyright, legal, moral, insurance, financial, budget, political, OHS, licences and permits)
• forensic, medical, museum and scientific photoimaging environment (including practices and products)
• Quality assurance/quality management systems and audits
• relationship between practitioner and professional bodies/associations
• selection, testing and evaluation of technology to ascertain suitability for technical production purposes
• traditions and contemporary issues that inform technical photoimaging practice
• working with government institutions/regulations relating to technical photoimaging practice.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

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.

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

Evidence of the following is essential:

• ability to apply a typical workflow in technical photoimaging professional practice
• ability to apply business, coordination and negotiation skills to own photoimaging work practices
• ability to apply technical and imaging skills, including capturing/optimising technical images
• ability to interact and liaise with clients, subjects, suppliers, contractors, employees, models, assistants, creative/production teams, project stakeholders and associated professionals
• attainment of required skills/permits critical to the performance of activities in specialised locations (e.g. diving certificates, mountaineering skills, mining site permits and licences)
• understanding of special communication needs, confidentiality and cultural diversity requirements within the technical photoimaging environment.

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

• PMLTEST409A Capture and manage scientific images

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

• CULMS205B Observe and report basic condition of collection

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• access to a range of photoimaging production equipment (e.g. cameras, computers, software, printers, darkrooms, studios, lighting and accessories)
• access to a range of locations and studios for technical photoimaging shoots
• access to sources of information to research contemporary styles and conceptual/aesthetic approaches to technical photoimaging
• opportunity for collaboration with or in allied industries (e.g. marketing officers; graphic/web designers; commercial printers; medical, pathology, nursing or allied health staff; scientific/technical staff and police)
• access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required
• the use of culturally appropriate processes, and techniques appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the assessee 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 and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by candidate
• direct observation of candidate applying a typical workflow in technical photoimaging professional practice
• case studies to assess candidate's ability to research contemporary styles and conceptual/aesthetic approaches to technical photoimaging
• participation observation in professional technical or illustrative photography/photoimaging awards
• review of technical image products against industry standards and brief specifications.

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

• CUVPHI508A Produce media photoimages
• CUVPHI512A Make illustrative images for publication and display
• CUVPHI514A 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 photoimaging projects  may include:

• astronomical phenomena
• aerial
• biological (on-site or in the field):

• animal
• botanical
• freshwater
• marine
• microscopic and macroscopic
• natural phenomena
• terrestrial

• buildings/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/patients
• dental
• ophthalmology
• pathology
• pre-surgical
• surgical

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

• accident sites
• coronial
• crime scene documentation
• evidence

• product/equipment.

Appropriate person /s  may include:

• members of relevant professional associations
• mentors/peers/team members
• practising institutional photographers, photoimagists or 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 (personal public risk, accident and sickness, equipment)
• licences and permits
• model and property releases
• OHS
• project budget management.

Management procedures  may include:

• clinical governance

• confidentiality
• image storage, archiving, data protection
• informed/voluntary patient consent

• institutional and public legal systems for photoimaging 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 (e.g. operation lists).

Special considerations  may include:

• confidential, privacy or secrecy issues for shoot and subject/s
• dealing with stressful situations (emergency departments, mortuaries, operating theatres)
• empathetic communication skills
• knowledge of shoot context and subject/s for safety or health issues
• personal protective equipment
• recognising/overcoming tension and nervousness in subjects
• special needs for subject/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, infrared, 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:

• analogue or digital capture technologies and supporting accessories
• food and accommodation
• hire options for equipment
• model/s, props/backgrounds
• photoimaging lighting

• ambient
• mixed lighting
• supplementary (electronic flash/tungsten/fluorescent/other)

• processing requirements for image work created
• studio/location (internal, external, aquatic, aerial)
• the technical imaging product (how it is to be used/what the client specifies)
• timelines for stages of the workflow
• transportation of team/equipment.

Shoot responsibilities  may include:

• confirm legal aspects of the shoot (e.g. copyright, licensing and intellectual property rights)
• control the environment and shoot context (e.g. surgical team for operative context; police professionals in a forensic or evidential context; scientist in a experimental illustration context)
• control the image product
• control the shoot
• internal billing
• negotiate and sign contract
• select locations, props, backgrounds
• sign-off on product.

Shoot preparations  may include:

• assemble and check all equipment
• brief assistants/members of team
• conceptualise involvement in creative process
• confirm time/place/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/museum (locations/studio)
• medical/hospital (locations/laboratory/studio)
• mining (locations/laboratory)
• police/forensic (locations/laboratory)

• public spaces/institutional administration spaces
• research/scientific (locations/laboratory/studio).

Production team  may include:

• administration representatives
• assistants

• camera equipment
• digital systems

• AV/Telehealth representatives
• commercial printers
• design/construction specialists (of customised shoot equipment)
• graphic designers
• imaging product specialists (including audio, film, television)
• location specialists
• marketing and promotion specialists
• medical specialists and technical teams
• post-production coordinator/s
• reprographics specialists
• scientific/educational professionals
• scientists and technicians
• specialists for field activities (including diving, mountaineering, boating/shipping, pilots, machine operators, mapping, rangers)
• surgical teams.

Optimise image  may include:

• maintain quality/integrity of the digital data
• optimise, retouch, enhance and photo-montage as requested and where appropriate
• output to Natural Scale (e.g. for court exhibit boards)
• process JPEG/RAW/DNG files
• use appropriate:

• bit depth
• colour space
• file dimensions/size in pixels
• file format (e.g. JPEG, TIFF, PSD, PDF)
• uncompressed/compressed files.

Image product  may include:

• archive/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 info data
• transfer media (e.g. C, DVD, internet)

• print/s to specified size, mounting and finish.

Competency field 

Design and Visual Communication - Photoimaging