Keele Badge

MDS-20018 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 13 February 2024

MDS-20018 - Thinking Photography
Coordinator: Mandy Mcateer Tel: +44 1782 7 33499
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733147

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

none

Barred Combinations

none

Description for 2023/24

Thinking Photography places an emphasis on both creative digital photographic practice and theory. During the module you are introduced to different genres of photography and individual photographer's work and asked pertinent questions about the definition and intent of the work as a mode of communication and its uses in the digital era. You will be able to advance both your contextual understanding of photographic practice, your own creative photographic practice and professional photographic skills. In practical workshops we will explore studio and exterior lighting, the use of different lenses and the variety of techniques available to the contemporary photographer using digital image making equipment. Students are asked to produce an individual photographic project and workbook. Previous student projects have spanned a number of photographic genres including narrative, fine art (abstract and conceptual), documentary, studio, sports and street photography covering a range of subject matters such as the representation of women in sport, gender, consumerism, environmental issues, domestic violence, portraiture, memory and the family album.
Reading List
Although no textbook covers everything we do on this module the books listed below give a good overview of the subject area:
Clarkle G 1997 The Photograph Oxford University Press
Wells, L (ed) 2003 The Photography Reader Routledge
Wells, L (ed) 2009 Photography: a critical introduction Routledge
Sturken M, Cartwright L, 2001 Practices of Looking: an introduction to visual culture Oxford University Press
Sontag, S. 2002 On Photography Harmondsworth: Penguin
Burgin, V (ed) 1982. Thinking photography Basingstoke: Macmillan
Soloman-Godeau, A. 1997 Photography At The Dock University of Minnesota Press
Barthes, R. Camera Lucida: reflections on photography. Translated by R. Howard 1984 London Flamingo

Aims
To allow students to develop a critical understanding of photographic theory and develop practical skills in still image production.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/mds-20018/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate a structured and objective approach to the analysis and discussion of photographic theory and practice: 1,2
plan and complete an individual photographic project, applying the enhanced skills in still-image production acquired during the module: 1,2
demonstrate critical self-evaluation of their project and its production process in the context of photographic theory and practice: 1,2
research, analyse and discuss theoretical texts and photographic practice, and integrate the knowledge and understanding gained into their own project.
: 1,2

Study hours

24 hours of lectures and workshops.
32 hours practical work in the lab or on students's own digital appliances and project research.
64 hours preparation of creative project and workbook.
30 hours of reflection, revision and consolidation of lectures, pre production, production and post production of the creative project.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Project weighted 50%
Photographic project
To devise and execute an individual photographic project using digital cameras and digital technology. In the project, students have to demonstrate aesthetic and technical accomplishment with respect to breadth of the project (in terms of variety of, styles and tools adopted) and depth of the project (in terms of how theory and practice are integrated).

2: Workbook weighted 50%
Students produce a workbook of at least twenty pages of text and images
Students produce a workbook of at least twenty pages of text and images, including the aims and objectives of the project, a description of the creative process and techniques adopted, an analysis of the work of others, and a critical self evaluation.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 13 February 2024