Documentary Photography (Honors Course)

CATALOG DESCRIPTION:

The course teaches students to develop a meaningful relationship with lived experience through documentary photography, a form of visual storytelling that chronicles historical events and/or significant scenes of life. Through readings as well as hands-on experience, students will be guided to explore the cultural, aesthetic, political, and ethical issues involved in this artistic and journalistic genre. Major emphasis is placed on experiential learning of the subject, and for this reason much of the course is taught on site. The course presupposes only basic knowledge of photography, as well as ownership of a digital camera.

RATIONALE:

Documentary photography frames and reproduces events and scenes of life, both public and personal. In this course, students use photography as a means through which they explore as well as give shape to the world around them. They are taught to investigate photography as social text and consider its aesthetic, ideological, and ethical dimensions. Working under the guidance of the instructor on specified subjects that vary from semester to semester, students develop awareness of the language of photography and its social, moral, and political power.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate awareness of the artistic dimensions of documentary photography;

2. Discuss ethical issues involved in documentary photography;

3. Identify the relationship of documentary photography to various facets of Greek social experience;

4. Demonstrate critical understanding of the political power of documentary photography;

5. Show ability to construct a story through the deployment of photographic narration;

METHOD OF TEACHING AND LEARNING:

In congruence with the teaching and learning strategy of the college, the following tools are used:

• Textual analysis, class discussion, workshop-style pair work and group work during class meetings;
• Active student-centered teaching approach in the presentation of course material to engage learners;
• Critical-thinking exercises and learning activities designed to help students acquire confidence and benefit from independent study;
• Student presentations of learning material to encourage involvement in the learning process;
• Co-curricular activities, ranging from collaboration with student clubs and societies to debates and event organizing, to encourage students’ creative engagement with the material; 
• Extensive instructor feedback on assignments and activities;
• Individualized assistance during office hours for further discussion of lecture material, additional reading, and assignments; 
• Additional print and audiovisual educational material posted on the Blackboard course template. Instructional time will be given to the presentation, critique, and interpretation of students’ work. There will also be on-site instruction.