Syllabus
ADVANCED DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
The Role of Place in the Photographic Essay
PPS 177S.01, DOC/STUD 177S.01, Arv/Vis 119S.01
Fall Semester 2003
Instructor: Alex Harris, Center for Documentary Studies, aharris@duke.edu;
660-3659
OVERVIEW
Synopsis of Course Content: This class is about
role of “place” in the photographic essay. Most documentary
photography is – directly or indirectly -- about place. Creating
a distinctive and compelling sense of place is as important for
a photographer as it is for a novelist, an historian, or a journalist
to succeed at their work. Walker Evans –the American photographer
known, in part, for his ability to create a sense of place in his
work – wrote that “The secret of photography is the
camera takes on the character and personality of the handler. The
mind works on the machine, or through it.” This class will
examine the way in which the personality, life experience, and beliefs
of particular photographers help them to create a sense of place
in their work. As a class, will define place primarily in a physical
sense, such as a particular town or city or country. Butt we will
also pay close attention to the way photographers have created a
strong sense of place to strengthen photographic essays on subjects
as wide ranging as illness, war, work, athletics, or even leisure
activities.
This class is intended for students who have successfully completed
work in PPS/DocStud176S (American Communities - A Documentary Approach)
or equivalent, and wish to spend another semester on documentary
field-work in Durham or the surrounding community. Students will
complete semester long projects focused on one particular subject
of their choosing. The emphasis of the class will be on establishing
a strong sense of place in a completed photographic essay. The class
will emphasize the work that students produce. But each week the
class will also examine and discuss a number of contemporary documentary
photographers whose work is characterized by a strong sense of place.
The class is also intended to give students a solid grounding in
photoshop and inkjet printing.
Technical Requirements Students may shoot film, negatives or use
digital cameras, but photographic output for this class will be
with photoshop and inkjet printing. Students are expected to begin
to master negative or film scanning, photoshop and inkjet printing
during the semester. As a class we will work in the new digital
lab in the basement of the Center for Documentary Studies, with
Photoshop 7, a state-of-the-art film/negative scanner, and an Epson
2200 Ultrachrome printer. To produce prints for this class, students
may work at home with their own printers and computers or use the
CDS digital lab exclusively. Students may work in black and white
or in color. Students are expected to supply their own inkjet printing
paper and to have an external hard drive compatible with the Macintosh
G-4 computers to be able to use the lab. Since the digital lab at
CDS is new, we will work out the details of its use in the first
few weeks.
Class meeting Times: Mondays, 7pm to 9:30 PM,
Room 001 Lyndhurst house, 1317 West Pettigrew Street
Office hours: By appointment, Room 100 Lyndhurst
House. Students are encouraged to meet with me outside of class
to review your documentary projects, work on Photoshop, scanning,
and inkjet printing, on editing and sequencing your work. Feel free
to make appointments with me for meetings. Best way to contact me
is by e-mail: aharris@duke.edu
Assignments: Students will complete a semester
long documentary project paying special attention to the role of
“place” in the photographic essay. Students will produce
an edited sequenced series of exhibit quality inkjet prints as one
key part of the final project. By the third week of class students
are expected to bring in five photographic prints each week or ten
prints every other week.
Final Projects: For your final project students
will produce an edited and sequenced series of inkjet photographs
to be turned in during the last class session. Included with these
photographs will be an edited, brief narrative about or from the
subject of your documentary study. During the course of the semester
we will discuss and work on producing this narrative.
For Second Class: Bring in one paragraph description
of your proposed project to turn in. Be prepared to talk about in
class ways in which you will work on your project.
Evaluation: Class attendance and participation
are non-negotiable and critical to a positive evaluation. Please
come to class on time. There will be a scheduled mid-term individual
meeting with each student to discuss your projects. The long-term
project will be due in the last class of the semester and the final
grade will be determined by: the strength of your final project
(including quality and content of inkjet prints) 60%; by your level
of class participation 20%, and by your individual development as
a documentary practitioner during the course of the semester 20%.
Class: Class time each week will be divided into
two parts. Usually, the first part of class will be devoted to showing
slides as indicated on the syllabus of photographer’s work
related to the course theme. The second part of each class will
be devoted to discussion of student documentary work. Student work
shown in class must always be edited and sequenced. Learning how
to select the best photographs and to put them in an effective sequence
is an important part of the process of learning how to communicate
with visual material.
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Slide film and processing If you are shooting negatives or slides,
slide processing needs to be done locally so you can see what you
are doing in a timely fashion. Most local stores turn around film
processing of Ektachrome in a day.
Local Retail Stores and slide processing:
CCI Photographic: on 9th Street 286-4686
Duke Hospital: Medical Photography on the fourth floor of Duke South.
This is my recommendation of best place to get your film processed
684-6159
Camera Works is the best local store for new and used camera purchase
and repair, and film. Address: 2611 W. Carver Street. You will need
a car to get there (Guess road exit on I-85 go north a mile to Carver
street go right) 477-1189
Viewing and Sequencing Slides: a good light box
and magnifying loop are available at the Center for Documentary
Studies on the second floor of the new building.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Monday, August 25
In class: Introductions and discussion of documentary project each
student will pursue for the semester. Overview of course and discussion
of the role of place in a photographic series. A preliminary visit
to the digital lab and discussion of procedures for lab use during
the semester.
Photographs in class: An overview of previous documentary work from
Duke students in which place is well established and a compelling
aspect of the imagery.
Assignment: for the second class write a one page description of
your project for this semester and your plans for carrying it out
Monday, September 1
In class: further discussion of plans for student documentary work.
Opportunity for students to share earlier work with class from current
project or previous projects.
Second visit to digital lab for overview of Scanning/photoshop/printing
Photographs in Class: In Cuba with Ernesto Bazan and Alex Harris
Monday, September 8
In class discussion of first prints from student projects. Visit
to the Digital lab.
Photographs in class: In Middle School with Judith Joy Ross and
Nicholas Nixon
Monday, September 15
In class discussion of prints from student projects.Visit to the
digital lab.
Photographs in class: At Work: Steven Ahlgren’s Corporate
portraits, Lee Friedlander’s Dreyfus Fund Portraits, Scott
Montgomery’s Workers, Paul D’amato’s factory Workers.
Bill Bamberger’s White Furniturre Factory
Monday, September 22
In class: discussion of prints from student projects. Visit to
the digital lab.
Photographs in class: At Play : Adam Bartos in suburban New Jersey
with families camping together, John Kennard at Walden Pond, Mark
Steinmetz at summer camp. Alex Harris’s Game Boy Series
Monday, September 29
In class: discussion of prints from student projects. Visit to
the digital lab.
Photographs in class: In Sickness: Mathew Swarts on Children with
Cancer
Melissa Springer at “A Baby’s Place, Merry Berridge
and Nick Nixon on living with Hiv/Aids
Monday October 6
In class discussion of prints from student projects. Visit to the
digital lab.
Photographs in Class: Margaret Sartor’s suburban Louisiana
William Gedney’s rural Kentucky
Monday, October 13
No Class Fall Break
Monday, October 20
In class discussion of prints from student projects. Visit
to the digital lab.
Set up schedule of individual meetings this week with each student
for midterm discussion and evaluations
Photographs in Class: Alex Harris’s Alaska and/or northern
New Mexico
Monday, October 27
In Class: discussion of prints from student projects. Visit to
the digital lab.
Photographs in Class: Joel Meyorowitz on Cape Cod,
Joel Meyerowitz in St. Louis
Monday, November 3
In class: discussion of prints from student projects. Visit to
the digital lab.
Photographs in Class: Jerry Berndt with Alcoholics in Milwaukee
John Pilsen at City Hall in New York with Married Couples
If Walker Evans opening is this evening, we may go to that opening
instead of or as well as Class.
Monday, November 10
In class: discussion of prints from student projects. Visit to
the digital lab.
Photographs in class: In Rwanda with Gilles Peres and Noah Hendler
Monday November 17
In class: discussion of prints from student projects. Visit to
the digital lab.
Photographs in Class: Thomas Roma’s Brooklyn
Paul Kwilecki’s Georgia
Monday November 24
In class:
Photographs in Class At the Airport with Gary Winogrand
In Pittsburgh with W. Eugene Smith
Monday December 1
In class: Final projects due. Final Class presentations.
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