This course will have two components: a historic and contemporary examination of how women have shaped the discipline of photography. We will initially look at, and study, how women have played an integral role in the practice of photography from its inception, and we will research how women’s achievements within the medium have been historicized. We will read first hand accounts from artists and historians from the book of collected essays “Illuminations: Women Writing on Photography from the 1850s to the Present The 2^nd part of the course will focus on the myriad of radical contributions by female artists who utilize the medium for artistic, political and practical purposes. Students will need to attend workshops with visiting artists, and evolve a project, of their own choosing, based on responses to the readings, lectures and discussions.