DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
Telling a story with pictures
Instructor Vince Streano
From the time of Mathew Brady and the civil war, documentary photography has been the primary means of telling the stories of our culture and history. Whether it's the child labor pictures of Lewis Hines, the saga of the Country Doctor by W. Eugene Smith, or the images of the depression by Dorothea Lange, documentary photography is the most compelling means of chronicling the human condition.
This documentary photography workshop will be all about telling a story with pictures. We will begin by looking at some of the great documentary photographers of the past, then discuss what makes a great picture story. We'll talk about capturing the decisive moment, how to put together your own picture story, and the elements needed to complete your story in pictures. We'll also discuss some contemporary documentary photographers, and how they are able to achieve their images.
Finally the class will discuss creating their own picture story,
"A Portrait In Time/Anacortes".
The goal is to produce a photo portrait of the city of Anacortes at this moment in time. Each photographer will be assigned one or more different aspects of life in the city. Assignments will include: night shift with the Anacortes Police Department, ship building, religion in Anacortes, night life, the routine of a typical family with children, Anacortes business community, harbor life around the docks, Anacortes history, the fishing industry, sports, the Cats Meow, and more. Students will also be able to come up with their own subjects. Participants will have two weeks to complete their assignment, at which time we'll gather again for a critique of the images.
