Instructors: Susy Bielak & Jesse Mockrin

Instructor Email: susybielak@gmail.com; jmockrin@gmail.com
Prerequisites: None except an interest in the subject matter.

Course Description: Photography is a powerful crossover medium capable of reaching diverse audiences and generating awareness about social and political topics. Writing also uses the power of observation to bring attention to real lives and issues. This class will integrate documentary photography and various styles of writing, incorporating history, critical theory, and hands-on investigation to create stories from real life. Each student will produce a handmade book on a topic of their choice composed of a series of photographs and brief writings based on fieldwork conducted in neighborhoods across San Diego.

Students will:

• Learn advanced camera operations and gain Photoshop production skills
• Develop their aesthetic sense and their critical eye for photography.
• Complete writing exercises to sharpen critical observation and creative voice.
• Meet community members and receive hands-on training in interviewing.

This interdisciplinary class will include readings and presentations from the fields of journalism, visual art, anthropology and ethnography, and community cultural development. Both a research and production course, the class will include field trips, guest lectures, film screenings, community outreach and writing. Throughout the course, students will make use of UCSD’s digital darkroom, film and video library, and special collections.

Course Objectives:

• Learn how to use images and text to activate stories from everyday life;
• Gain a new understanding of SD communities and the social environment;
• Learn how artistic collaborations with communities can reveal interesting narratives, transform lives and become catalysts for change;
• Produce a photographic essay in the form of a book based on interviews and writing exercises conducted during the course.

Expectations:

Attendance, punctuality, and full participation in and out of the classroom are imperative. This course will require critical thinking skills and cultural sensitivity within the classroom and at field sites.

Course Outline:

Week 1: Documentary photography, ethnography, interviewing practice, camera operations, visual literacy, students research trips around San Diego area
Week 2: Neighborhood fieldwork, interviewing, writing, photographing, visit galleries
Week 3: Finish neighborhood fieldwork, production, final exhibition

Supplies: Photo paper and bookmaking supplies will be provided by the program. Students must bring their own digital camera.