Family Pictures: Photographing the Familiar
ART-40229
Family Pictures: Photographing the Familiar
9 Weeks | No Prerequisite
Celebrate the people, pets, places, and objects that define your personal world. Family Pictures: Photographing the Familiar invites you to explore portraiture that goes beyond simple snapshots, guiding you toward images that tell stories about who and what matters to you. Through a blend of lectures, discussions, critiques, and a final virtual exhibit, you’ll learn to use any camera to create compelling portraits that reveal character, emotion, and significance.
Course Details
In this course, you’ll discover how to harness both natural and artificial light, refine your sense of composition, and develop a unique style that suits your subjects. From environmental portraiture to conceptual approaches, you’ll consider different ways of visual storytelling. Whether you’re photographing family members, close friends, cherished pets, or the everyday surroundings that give your life meaning, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the craft and a sharper creative eye.
By the end of the course, you’ll have a portfolio of meaningful portraits that reflect your personal vision. You’ll become confident in your ability to critique images thoughtfully, apply post-processing techniques, and incorporate narrative elements into your work. Embrace the familiar and capture the essence of what makes it so special, learning to transform ordinary scenes into extraordinary photographs.
What You'll Learn
- Identify and appreciate photographers who shaped the genre of portrait photography.
- Apply knowledge of light, composition, and process to produce compelling portraits.
- Experiment with style, concept, and post-production techniques.
- Critically analyze and extract meaning from a variety of images.
- Develop and express a personal vision through a cohesive portrait series.
- Utilize manual camera settings for improved exposure and creative control.
- Understand the nuances of environmental versus studio portraiture.
- Incorporate conceptual elements to deepen the narrative in your images.
- Employ efficient editing workflows for professional-quality results.
Course Information
Equipment/Software: Fully adjustable DSLR camera or prosumer camera.
Flexible Enrolllment: This is an elective course for the Photography: Images and Techniques Professional Certificate but is open to all students, even if you are not enrolled in the Certificate Program.
Academic Calendar: The Academic Calendar shows the open enrollment dates and term start dates for each quarter. Courses do not necessarily start on the first day of the term.
