Semesters
DJM311 Documentary Photography
Bachelor (BA) degree (in Arts or Humanities) or equivalent sufficient to follow a Master’s degree level of study. Verifiable practical skills in photography, and mastery of the English language sufficient to participate in dialogue lecturing. Admission will be based on study programmes and a letter of application to include reasons for applying, as well as an academic CV (all to be submitted in English), together with a portfolio of 10 recent photographs by the applicant relevant to the course framework. The photographs should be submitted as one PDF-file not exceeding 5 MB. Applications are to be handed in to the VUC Student Support Office by email: studentsorvis@hivolda.no. Please mark the application DJM311. Students following relevant master programs will be given priority.Required personal equipment: Personal equipment fit for documentary photography plus access to digital photographic post-production software.
The course is designed for Master level students who wish to develop their skills as professional photographers as well as students who wish to develop their academic understanding of documentary photography. Main elements of the course will be: 1. Learning through experience – the opportunity to work on in-depth documentary projects within the boundaries of set assignments and self-directed work. 2. Learning through peer-reviewed and tutor-assessed critique within a supported academic environment.3. The opportunity to undergo in-depth research and practice within documentary photography.
In accordance with the National Qualifications Framework the student will have following learning outcome after completing the course:
GENERAL;
1. Students will conduct rigorously planned and academically informed self-directed photographic work, to industry standard, for documentary projects within an appropriate critical, contextual and theoretical framework.
2. Students will produce focused and self-directed written work to a high academic standard based on an approved summary, framed within documentary theory or practice.
3. Students will learn to demonstrate a broad and clear understanding of visual storytelling, based on the experience of understanding narrative both in theory and practice.
4. Students will learn to demonstrate proficiency in photography, editing and "versioning" of work for different outputs.
5. Students will learn to evaluate contemporary discourse on representation, technological change and ethics within documentary practice.
6. Students will learn critically to analyze documentary photography within both historical and theoretical frameworks and to engage in self-reflection and critique.
7. Students will develop advocacy skills through the experience of exploring and presenting critical research and argumentation.
PARTICULAR; DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS:
8. Students will learn how to develop their own subjective sense of documentary photography within the confines of a specific place, allowing them to utilize an approach and style that works for them in a specific context.
9. Students will engage in the practice of "environmental portraiture", photographing people in the context of their daily lives and learning that the resulting photographs are, in part, a result of the quality of their engagement with the subject.
10. Students will learn to work respectfully with people in sensitive situations and focus on describing relationships in a photographic way. Students will come to terms with seeking access to environments other than their own and build confidence in working closely with people of different age and culture.
11. Students will learn to make fast judgments about how, where and when to capture images of rapidly moving events. Success in this field demands a considerable degree of anticipation and preparedness, learnt through experience that will be offered on the course.
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Teaching is organized as a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials to take place during five gatherings, held over four days. Students will complete a series of coursework requirements between the gatherings, to be handed in electronically at set deadlines. Submitted photographic work will be discussed both in plenary sessions and in tutorials during the gatherings, as a part of the course.
Students will complete a total of 4 photographic short projects during the course on themes such as "A Sense of Place". Each assignment will include a written story proposal submitted and approved before shooting, and a portfolio of 8-12 images in line with the story proposal. The projects will be assessed at the next gathering, but not graded. All projects must be completed and approved before the final exam.
The course will be evaluated in accordance with the University College’s routines for quality assurance.
| Vurderingsform | Gruppering | Varighet | Karakterskala | Andel | Kommentar | Hjelpemidler | Omfang |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portfolio | Individual | 1 Semester | A-F, A is the best grade and E is the lowest passing grade | tudents will be continually assessed on work in progress by the course director. Final assessment will be based on a submitted portfolio of 15-20 photographs and an academic essay of 2500 words in English on an approved subject. One grade will be given for the photographs and the essay, judged together. Portfolios should be submitted with captions explaining the journalistic context of each photograph. |