The medium of photography has undergone radical changes in the past 20 years. With technical advancements such as affordable high-resolution cameras, archival digital printers, and powerful post-production software like PhotoShop, the world of analog photography is said to have died. But have these advancements fundamentally changed the production of images? Is it simply a matter of changing the process to achieve a similar result? Do issues of framing, composition, objectification, and the gaze change because of the digital revolution? What is left of analog photographic processes if the digital age has indeed replaced them?

Within this course we will address these and other pertinent questions as you acquire the technical and conceptual skills necessary to produce images within a fine art context. The course will begin with a broad exploration of early photographic production including Modernist approaches produced during the first half of the 20th century; weaving and meandering through many photographic styles and histories will allow you to experience the breadth of artistic photographic production. Points of provocation will be chosen to highlight the many discrepancies and dilemmas surrounding image making in the 21stcentury and through class discussions we will attempt to clarify the role of the camera in society and culture.