Course Syllabus

 

Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs. As Long As It Photographs It Must Be A Camera

 

• Course Description
  

  Study abroad serves as a key experience and a turning point in your understanding of the world, working creatively and with photography. You will be encouraged to tell stories, through photography, and by doing so; challenge yourself in both the photographic language and your approach to creativity and experimentation.
  
  This class combines project development, photographic assignments, collaborations, critiques/feedback and a survey language of photography. You will engage with the medium and the process of creating storytelling creative photographic pictures and learn about the visual language of photography and how your own pictures reference this. 
  
  During the course of the semester, the photographic assignments will give you an opportunity to develop your photographic skills, your approach to creativity as well as explore and understand various storytelling approaches within photography. This will spark your creativity and get you closer to finding your photographic voice and approach to express yourself through photography.

  You will be challenged during this course, so your creativity, courage and curiosity and openness to experimentation, is mandatory.
  

  
  Course Format

  Throughout this semester, we consider the cohort our Artist Collective. You will work on your storytelling, photographic projects and photo-challenges, that will result in a body of work and we will develop and create projects, as a group, as well. Through critiques and feedbacks, you'll participate in your classmates development, providing curious, helpful feedback. The collective is a creative space, where you are encouraged to explore and use your creativity to express yourself within photography.

  While working our way through the different genres of photography our class activities will engage you to look at and discuss the work of professional practitioners as well as understanding the implications related to the photographic medium.

  By the end of the semester you will have a body of photographic work, a project statement presenting the work and a final rapport with reflections on your process and learnings from the course.

   

  Learning Objectives

  • You will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural impact of the medium of photography in a historical context, and be able to locate your own work in relation to that tradition.

  • You will become knowledgeable about the process of creating a story or conveying a certain stance with images and you will get your own experiences doing so.

  • You will develop a language of photographic critique – both of your own work and of others – and be able to thoughtfully describe the meaning of a photograph.

  • You will generate photographic pictures where you express 'new ways of seeing' plus your personal visual signature and a project statement where you concisely present your project.

  • You will develop a new sensitivity to looking at the world and using photography as a language and learn how to give and receive helpful feedback.

  • Gain personal leadership through challenging, intercultural assignments

 

Course Instructor

Mette Frandsen holds a BA in Photojournalism, Danish School of Media and Journalism. Also educated from Fatamorgana, Danish School of Documentary and Art Photography. She's a researcher, and mentors research assistants, in the Research Project 'What if Imagination Could Change the World, -How can we cultivate a creative mindset and optimize global talent in Future Literacy, equipping individuals and societies with the skills and perspectives needed to address future possibilities and challenges through a high level of creativity'.

Mette is a talentdeveloper, she mentors and works with many different artists and creatives. She works with clients, big companies and institutions on visual branding -and identity.

Mette Frandsen is also known for her workshops on creativity and she teaches Masterclasses in Visual Storytelling, Street Photography, Photo Journalism and and other workshops at several photography and film schools, art institutes, photo festivals and other relevant events. She Lectures on projects, and works around the world. With DIS since 2015. 

Important Course Requirements

Attendance at all class sessions is mandatory.

In order to be eligible for a passing grade in the class, all work must be submitted.

The use of distracting devices (smartphones, laptops, etc.) is prohibited during class. You are allowed to use these only when needed for specific class activities.

If you have difficulty with an assignment, please consult your instructor before your deadline. This doesn't mean that you will get a pass. But you will get advise on how to solve the issue.

NOTE: Students are expected to bring their own camera. A phone camera is ok as well.

Grade Components
Various assignments (together): 50%
Reflection Rapport : 50%

Readings

• John Szarkowski. The Photographers Eye. MOMA. 1966.
• Gerry Badger. A tale of two portraits from The pleasures of good photographs. Aperture. 2010
• Roland Barthes, selection from Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. Hill and Wang. 1981.
• Martin Gayford. Selection from Man with a blue scarf: on Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud.  Thames & Hudson. 2010.
• Gerry Badger. Face to face from The Genious of Photography. Quadrille Publishing Ltd. 2007.
• Charlotte Cotton. Chapter 5: Intimate Life. In The Photograph as Contemporary Art. Thames & Hudson. 2004.
• John Berger, Chapter 1 from Ways of Seeing. Penguin Books. 1972.
• Stephen Shore, excerpt from The Nature of Photographs. Phaidon. 2007
• Abigail Solomon-Godeau. Who Is Speaking Thus: Some Questions about Documentary Photography. In Photography at the Dock. University of Minnesota Press. 1991.
• Henri Cartier-Bresson. The Decisive Moment from The Mind’s Eye. Aperture. 1999.
• Susan Sontag. Regarding the pain of others. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2003.
• Susan Sontag. In Platos Cave from On photography. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 1977.