Course Syllabus
Ways of Seeing: Storytelling Through Photography C
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Photos by Sanne Vils Axelsen
| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2024 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Communications, Photography, Visual Arts |
| Prerequisite(s) |
None |
| Faculty Members: |
Sanne Vils Axelsen, (current students please use the Canvas Inbox) |
| Time & Place: |
Monday 1:15pm - 2:35pm Thursday 1:15pm - 2:35pm Location: N7-C24 |
Course Description
How can you use photography to tell a story or express an opinion on a subject matter that is important to you? This is what you discover in this course as you engage with the medium of photography and develop your own visual narrative on a chosen topic relevant to a larger audience.
Study abroad often serves as a key experience and a turning point in your understanding of the world. In this class you are challenged to discover the places you inhabit and engage with locals as you create photographs during your stay in Copenhagen. This class combines project development, photography exercises, studio critiques and a survey of the history and theory of photography to build your knowledge about the medium, its storytelling abilities as well as its implications.
During the semester, you will solve creative photographic assignments to develop your photographic language as well as give you experience in and understanding of storytelling approaches within photography. Through this process you will develop the photographic approach and visual language that support your ideas. This process eventually leads you to create your own photgraphic body of work that will be presented as a photobook.
Your creativity, courage and curiosity are mandatory in this class. You will be challenged.
Course Format
We consider the cohort our Artist Collective. You will work on your own project, and we will develop and create projects as a group. The collective is a creative space, where you are encouraged to explore, get inspired and learn from your fellow classmate’s development.
We will create photographs from the first day of class and you are expected prepare for classes by dedicating time to create photographs outside of class for both smaller given photo assignments and for the development of your own final photography project.
In the class we invest time in critique of each other’s photographs. This will build your ability to look critically on both others and your own work, which will strengthen both your analytical and photographic skills.
Through class activities and student presentations we engage with and analyze work from professional photographers to get an understanding of the medium, its cultural impact and implications as well as the different approaches to use photography for telling stories.
The process of creating photographs on a regular basis during the semester and having them critiqued will help you develop your photographic skills, -approach, -style and final project idea.
I expect students to prepare for class by following the instructions posted in the calendar for each session. Students should participate in an open and engaged discussion about the given subjects and not be afraid to voice their well-reflected arguments.
We will create a final book presentation of all student projects in connection with the DIS Festival by the end of the semester. All students will show their final project in the form of a photobook.
Learning Objectives
- You will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural impact of the medium of photography.
- You will become knowledgeable about the process of creating a story or conveying a certain stance as you create your own photography project.
- 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 develop a new sensitivity to looking at the world and using the photographic language.
- You will learn to use photographic tools and create the pictures you want to make, in terms of technique, form and content.
Course Instructor
Sanne Vils Axelsen holds a MFA in photography from University of Hartford (2016) and a B.A. in Photojournalism from The Danish School of Media and Journalism (2010). Recipient of a Cultural exchange Scholarship for studies at FAMU in Prague (2009). Has worked as a freelance photographer since 2010. With DIS since 2015.
Important Course Requirements
Attendance at all class sessions is mandatory. If a student has two unexcused absences, I will inform academic support.
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. Failure to comply will affect participation grades. You are allowed to use these only when needed for specific class activities.
If you have difficulty with an assignment, please consult me before deadline. This doesn't mean that you will get a pass. But you will get support to solve the issue.
NOTE: Students are expected to bring their own camera.
Grade Components:
Presentations: 20%
Analysis paper: 20%
Development and Participation during the semester: 30%
Final Project, Artist statement and Reflection paper: 30%
Grade Breakdown / Assignments
Presentation
- As a group create a presentation on the given topic including the selected bodies of work relevant to the topic.
- All members in the group should be equally part of the presentation.
- Upload your presentations prior to class.
- Include a minimum of 20 images in your presentation, .
- Place emphasis on the photographic tools used by the photographers and your informed analysis.
Analysis and reflection paper (700 words)
- Use the analytical skills you have developed during this class, work with the theories discussed and reflect on your interpretation.
Development and Participation during the semester:
- Prepare for each session as stated in the Canvas calendar and refer to the readings and preparation during class.
- Be present. Engage in discussions in the classroom and on Canvas.
- Put time, effort, and creativity into solving the Photo Assignments given throughout the semester.
- Participate in your fellow classmate’s critiques. Ask them relevant questions about their work and give them your honest opinion to support their development. Be prepared for your own critique.
Final Project (Photography Book, Project Statement and Reflection paper)
The Final Project has three elements.
- Your Photographic Project of 8-30 images sequenced and presented in a physical book.
- Project Statement: A short presentational text that introduce your work (100-200 words)
- Reflection Paper: A paper where you reflect on your process and the artistic choices you took when creating your final photographic project (600-700 words)
Readings
- 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.
- 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.
- Stephen Shore, The Nature of Photographs. Phaidon. 2007
- 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.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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