PhotoDeCal forum

Research on a photographer due thursday May 1

Part 1:
Give some biographical background of the artist. Situate your artist in his/her time and place. Describe the kind of photographs that the artist made, both in physical and psychological terms. How did the photographer intend his or her photographs to be used or seen? What was the context for the work? Was it Fine Art, journalism, documentary, illustration, fashion? Analyze how well the photographer achieved her/his goals. Give your personal reflection on the work of the photographer you chose to document. How come you selected this person’s work, how did it affect you? Reference critical reviews of the photographer’s work if available. Post a few example pictures online... and share them with the class.

The paper is short. 1 page or less is fine.

Part 2 for Extra Credit:
Make three photographs in the style of the photographer you have chosen to
research. These can be digitally produced and printed. The quality of the image production is not the issue so much as your ability to capture the essence of the artist’s work in an image you have created yourself. Attach the images to your paper 500 words. I am not looking for a thesis.

Look in the library upstairs in Environmental Design as well as the other campus libraries. The local Berkeley Library has a good selection of books on photographers. I encourage you to look at real photo books.