This course will introduce students to the components of storytelling in photographic series by examining migration as a theme and using photography as a research tool. Students will develop a robust sense of artistic ethics by studying representations of migration by photographers in diasporic communities and engaging methods for creating visual narratives around topics of
belonging, heritage, and identity. This class will be composed of exercises on the different elements of storytelling in a photographic series and will include readings from visual anthropology and gender studies addressing how photography can be used to do collaborative work in different communities. Throughout the semester, students will work with a field diary to reflect on their experiences with different assignments and produce a final photographic series. They will also have opportunities to engage with the Berkshire Immigrant Center and the exhibition “Connected Diaspora: Central American Visuality in the Age of Social Media” at the Usdan gallery.
Learning Outcomes:
- Engage with the camera and photographs as elements of research that inform artistic works.
- Create new work while refining technical skills such as setting up suitable equipment for a photo shoot, thinking composition, working with light, and editing and sequencing a photographic series.
- Participate in critical discussions about migration and representation through photography assignments, through the work of diasporic artists and scholars, through a meeting with a case worker from the Berkshire Immigrant Center, and through exploring the exhibition “Connected Diaspora: Central American Visuality in the Age of Social Media” at the Usdan gallery.
- Sharpen students’ critical perspectives on power dynamics inherent to making and using images, which informs the choice of suitable methods.
- Develop an interdisciplinary and personal approach to photography while analyzing, creating, reading, discussing, and writing about photography.
- Interact with peers respectfully to make observations and give and receive feedback on work in progress.
Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Course Level: 2000-level
Credits: 4
W 2:10PM - 5:50PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Course Frequency: One time only
Categories: 2000 , All courses , Four Credit , Fully In-Person , Photography , Updates
Tags: gender , migration , photography , storytelling , Visual Anthropology