Digital Photography: Investigating Personal History

Catalog description

In this multi-level course, we will focus on documentary photography as a way to investigate personal history. In recent years, contemporary artists have reinvented the documentary genre by altering the photographer’s role from observer to protagonist - utilizing techniques like staging, melding fact and fiction, and involving personal narratives. Students will explore the role of artifice, construction, and appropriation in contemporary post-documentary works and create their own projects in response. Regular critiques, readings, and discussions will guide students through the production of a documentary series that involves their own personal and cultural experience. Visual presentations and lectures will introduce a foundation in the history of documentary practices. This class is for students who seek to experiment and reinterpret conventional documentary forms. There are no pre-requisites for this course; beginners are welcome. Basic instructions on how to use digital SLR cameras will be covered in class.