Final Photography Portfolio on Display Now!

I hope you have all had an opportunity to view your final photography project which is displayed on the wall of the Market Cafe. It was a pleasure having you all in this course and I hope you found our discussions as valuable as I did.

Please feel free to contact me this summer or in the future if you need a letter of recommendation, reference, etc. Enjoy your summer and good luck to those of you who are graduating!!

-Jen Sullivan

Photography as Social Activism

We will begin to view these videos in class. Watch them on your own to be affected by the strength of the photographer, Jonathan Torgovnik, and the emotional nature of the women he photographed.

Jonathan Torgovnik

Intended Consequences, photography project

Foundation Rwanda.org

Photographer Selfies: Class Activity, 4/20

From the 2014 New Yorker article "Seeing Themselves: Photographers' Self Portraits":

"There’s been a lot of talk about selfies recently. The Oxford Dictionaries named “selfie” the word of the year for 2013, and “Museum Selfie Day,” last month, encouraged museumgoers to take creative selfies in front of art. But what distinguishes a selfie from an artist’s self-portrait? A smartphone and a Tinder account is the easy answer, but, in general, we ask more from a self-portrait than we do from a selfie: more consideration, more composition, more psychological insight and aesthetic care. From family photographs to annual staged series and quirky snaps captured in a street windows, here is a selection of my favorite self-portraits..."

Deana Lawson, “Self-Portrait” (2012)
LAWSON: At least once a year, I make a self-portrait. It’s an occasion for the artist to construct her representation through her own medium, be it a camera or a paintbrush or what have you. It’s an opportunity to declare who you are visually and who you aspire to be. A selfie is a smaller branch of self-portraiture—quick and less considered. A self-portrait considers the interiority of the artist; it’s a moment for self-reflection, to pause and to look at yourself.

Monday class cancelled, 4/13

Hi everyone, today's class is cancelled.

Homework due for Thursday:

1) 3 photos on the topic "Selfie". Please email me your pictures by 8:00am on Thursday.

2) Read On Photography pages 153 - 180, "The Image World."

   As you read think about the following ideas:

                Do YOU throw out photos? (p. 161)

                Quote (p. 163) “…one can’t possess the present but one can possess the past.”

                Photos are narcissistic (p. 167, 177-179)

Visit to the NL Public Library

On Thursday, our class visited the New London Public Library to explore their archived photographs of New London and the surrounding towns. Please plan on being at class on Monday at 2:30pm to visit the library again.

Due for Thursday's class (April 9th):
1) Email me 3 of your favorite photographs from our library visits.
2) Write a 1 page summary/explanation of why you chose these photos.

You will share the photos with the class on Thursday as your photo assignment #6.

Below are some pictures of our visit:

Photography as Beauty (Thursday, 3/26)

Analyze these photographs by asking yourself this question:

How does this photograph represent beauty?

National Geographic 10 Beautiful Photos

Madison, photo by Bill Clough

Photo by Steve McCurry

Subway by Bruce Davidson

Photo by Steve McCurry

Class is Cancelled Today (Monday, 3/23)

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I had to cancel class today. For homework please complete:

1) Read the next chapter in On Photography, pages 85-113.

2) Photo assignment #5 is due. Topic is "Beauty."

Please email me your 3 pictures by 8:00am on Thurs.

I will see you on Thursday with your midterm exam test grades!!

Monday's class begins at 3:00pm!

Welcome back from Spring Break!

Today's class will begin at 3:00pm. It will be a short class and you will all present your photo assignment #4 - spring break. 

Remember, Thursday's class will be the midterm exam.

See you today at 3:00pm!

Spring Break Assignment & Midterm Exam

I hope you are all enjoying your spring break, relaxing and having fun!!

Reminder: Your Photo Assignment #4 is due when you return on Monday, March 16. Please email me your pictures by 8:00am on Monday morning. The topic is: Three (3) pictures from your spring break.

Also, the MIDTERM EXAM which was scheduled for Thursday, 3/5 and was cancelled due to a snow day will be rescheduled for THURSDAY, MARCH 19th. 

See you next week!

Studyguide (sort of) for the midterm exam

To prepare for the midterm exam on Thursday, students should know the following:

Short Answer Questions About:

-Chapter 1, 2, & 3 of Susan Sontag's book, On Photography

-Supplemental reading packet "Making Sense of Documentary Photography"

Matching Section:

-Be sure to study photographers' names and titles/main philosophy/purpose of their images (for example, you should know who Lewis Hine is and 1-2 famous photos of his that we discussed in class, Jacob Riis, Dorothea Lange, James Nachtwey, Walker Evans, etc.). This section will most likely be matching the photograher with his/her photograph.

Good luck!