Course Syllabus

Ways of Seeing: Storytelling Through Photography A

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 to use the photographic language to put together a cohesive story and make a body of work, ready to be presented to the world.

This class combines project development, photographic assignments, critiques/feedback and a survey language of photography. You will engage with the medium and the process of creating a coherent photographic project while at the same time learn about the visual language of photography and how your own pictures reference this. 

During the course of the semester, our photographic assignments will give you an opportunity to develop your photographic skills 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 you're creativity, courage and curiosity is mandatory.

Course Format

Throughout this semester, we consider the cohort our Artist Collective. You will work on your personal projects, that will result in your own body of work and we will develop and create projects as a group giving feedback to each other. Through critiques and feedbacks, you all participate in your classmates development. 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 final project of 8 to 30 images presented, a project statement presenting the work and a final reflection rapport with reflections on your process and learnings from the course.

We will create a Final Presentation of all student projects in connection with the DIS Final Showcase by the end of the semester.

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 a coherent photographic project where you express your stance or story 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.

• 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 known for her workshops on Creativity and Courage. Mette Frandsen also 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 minor assignments (together): 25 %
Class attendance and participation: 25%
Final Project and Reflection Rapport and Project Statement and : 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.

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.orgLinks to an external site.