PHO 612: Concept and Portfolio Development

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Term: 25_0201_OL

Credits: 3

Delivery Method: ONLINE LMS

Instructor: Ton Schless

Meeting Times: Scheduled Live Critique Sessions, TBD

Class Location: N/A

Prerequisites: PHO 601 History of Photography II, PHO 610 Photography Concepts

Corequisites: None

Module 2: Thematic Exploration and Conceptual Frameworks

Overview:

Week 2 of Concept and Portfolio Development focuses on building a thematic and conceptual foundation for your work. In this module, you will explore how to develop narrative and conceptual depth in photography by identifying recurring themes in your practice and the work of established photographers. Through the readings and assignments, you will learn how to craft a cohesive concept for your portfolio, guided by the principles of What, Why, How, and to Whom.

This week’s goal is to encourage deeper thinking about the underlying ideas behind your photographic work and to challenge you to move beyond aesthetics by embracing conceptual exploration.

Key Learning Objectives:

Learn to identify recurring themes in your work and the work of other photographers.
Develop a cohesive concept for your portfolio using the What, Why, How, and to Whom framework.
Understand the relationship between narrative and conceptual depth in photography.
Begin producing new work aligned with your concept for the course’s final portfolio.

Module 2: Developing Narrative and Conceptual Depth

A robust photographic portfolio is more than a collection of visually striking images; it is also a vehicle for storytelling and conceptual exploration. Narrative and conceptual depth can transform a good photograph into a meaningful body of work, resonating with audiences on multiple levels.

Narrative in Photography: In this context, narrative refers to how a series of photographs communicates a story or idea to the viewer. Unlike traditional storytelling, where events unfold over time, photographic narratives may be more abstract, relying on visual cues, metaphors, and symbolism to guide the viewer’s interpretation. A strong narrative can evoke emotions, provoke thought, or offer commentary on societal, cultural, or personal issues.
- Examples of Narrative Structures:
  - Linear Narrative: A traditional beginning, middle, and end, where each image builds on the previous one.
  - Non-linear Narrative: Images not presented in chronological order are thematically linked, allowing the viewer to piece the story together.
  - Open-ended Narrative: A sequence that invites multiple interpretations, often relying on ambiguity or unresolved elements.
- Conceptual Depth in Photography: Conceptual photography is grounded in ideas rather than aesthetics alone. This approach requires the photographer to be intentional about their communication and why. Conceptual depth is achieved when the images invite viewers to engage with the underlying ideas, whether personal, philosophical, cultural, or political. The concepts behind the work should be clear to the photographer, even if they remain open to interpretation by the audience.

Questions to Consider for Conceptual Depth:
- What ideas or themes are you exploring in your work?
- Why are you choosing this theme?
- How do your choices (subject, composition, color, light) support the concept?
- Does your work challenge, provoke, or offer commentary on a specific issue?
- How does the form of your photography (e.g., portraiture, landscape, still life) relate to the themes?
- How will you execute your work? (e.g., digital, analog, large format, alternative processes, drone photography, etc.)
- What is your audience, and what do you want them to take away from your photography?

Module 2: Identifying Recurring Themes

Recurring themes are often present in an artist’s work, even if they aren’t immediately apparent. Identifying these themes can help you define your artistic voice and create personal and universal work. Themes can range from broad topics like identity, memory, and time to more specific issues such as environmental conservation, migration, or the human condition.

How to Identify Themes in Your Work:
- Look for Patterns: Review your previous work and look for patterns in subject matter, style, or mood. Are you repeatedly drawn to certain subjects (e.g., urban landscapes, intimate portraits, natural environments)? Are there stylistic choices (e.g., high contrast, muted tones, sharp focus) that appear consistently?
- Emotional Underpinnings: Think about the emotions that your work evokes, both in you and in your audience. Is there a consistent emotional tone across your images, such as nostalgia, melancholy, or joy? These emotions can help you uncover the deeper themes running through your work.
- Cultural or Personal Influences: Consider how your background, experiences, and worldview might influence the themes in your photography. These influences can shape the subject matter and how you approach it conceptually.
Examples of Common Themes in Photography:
- Identity and Selfhood: Examining personal or collective identity through portraits, self-portraits, or images that reflect on cultural, racial, or gender identities.
- Memory and Time: Themes around the passage of time, the fragility of memory, and the traces left by history, often explored through landscapes, old objects, or personal archives.
- Nature and the Environment: Documenting natural landscapes or addressing climate change, conservation, and humanity’s relationship with nature.

Module 2: Reading

John Szarkowski, The Photographer’s Eye (Introduction and The Thing Itself)

Summary: In the Introduction to The Photographer’s Eye, Szarkowski outlines five key elements of photography that define the medium: the thing itself, The Detail, The Frame, Time, and the Vantage Point. These elements shape how photographers perceive the world through the lens, emphasizing that photography is not just a passive recording of reality but an active interpretation of it.

In the section The Thing Itself, Szarkowski explores the idea that photographs are often mistaken for objective depictions of reality. Instead, he argues that photography is always a representation shaped by the photographer’s choices and perspective. This chapter encourages photographers to think critically about how they depict the subject and what those choices say about their conceptual intentions.

Relevance to the Course: Szarkowski’s framework is essential for understanding how photographers can shape their concepts through formal elements. His ideas on framing, detail, and time will help you consider how the technical aspects of your photography serve the narrative and themes you are developing.

Susan Sontag, On Photography: In Plato’s Cave

Summary: In this seminal essay, Susan Sontag examines the philosophical implications of photography, drawing parallels between the medium and Plato’s allegory of the cave. She suggests that photography, like the shadows on the cave wall, offers a limited and selective representation of reality. Sontag discusses how photography can reveal and distort the truth, raising questions about the ethics and power dynamics involved in image-making.

Key Points:

· Photography’s role in shaping our understanding of the world and its events.

· The tension between photography as a documentation tool and its manipulation capacity.

· The idea of the photographer as an observer is often detached from the subjects they capture.

Relevance to the Course: Sontag’s critique encourages photographers to reflect on their role as creators of images that shape perception and memory. Her ideas about the ethics of photography and the power of representation will help you think critically about the themes you are developing in your portfolio, particularly in how different audiences might interpret your work.

Module 2: Conclusion

By the end of Module 2, you will have a clear concept for your portfolio and a deeper understanding of how to develop narrative and conceptual depth in photography. Through the readings and discussion, you will have gained insights into how established photographers explore themes in their work and how you can apply these lessons to your practice. The original image you create will serve as the starting point for your portfolio, which will evolve over the semester as you continue to explore your chosen theme.

Module 2: Discussion: Themes

Research two photographers whose work resonates with you and reflects recurring themes. Identify these themes and discuss how the photographers explore them using narrative and conceptual depth. What lessons can you take from their work that will inform your portfolio development?

This discussion will help you connect your thematic exploration to the broader photographic community. By studying the work of established photographers, you will gain insight into how recurring themes are developed over time and how narrative depth can be achieved through both individual images and broader bodies of work.

Examples of Photographers to Explore:

· Sally Mann: Known for her deeply personal images exploring family, memory, and mortality themes.

· Andreas Gursky: Focuses on large-scale images that often deal with the complexities of globalization and human impact on the environment.

· Cindy Sherman: Explores identity and the construction of self through her iconic self-portraits.

· Ansel Adams: Uses landscape photography to reflect on the beauty and power of nature, often with an underlying message of conservation.

Purpose

This assignment is just for you to practice professionally formulating your thoughts about the topic.

Submission Directions

Please post your 150–200-word discussion in the text field provided.

Due Date

This assignment is due by the end of this module.

Provide feedback to at least three peers as per department policy. (See the Syllabus)

Adhere to the RMCAD Department of Photography Assignment Submission Standards

Module 2: Assignment: Draft Concept

Part I:

Create a concept for this course using the following framework:

· What: What is the main idea or theme you are exploring in your work? Be specific about the subject matter and the message or story you want to communicate.

· Why: Why are you interested in this theme? Consider both personal motivations and broader cultural, societal, or philosophical questions.

· How: How will you explore this theme visually? What photographic techniques, styles, or processes will you use to communicate your concept?

· To Whom: Who is your intended audience? Are you creating work for a specific community, gallery, or publication? How does the intended audience influence your approach?

This framework will help you clarify the conceptual foundation of your portfolio for the course, setting the stage for the images you will create and curate in the coming weeks.

Part II:

Post one new original image that exemplifies your developed concept. This image will be the first of a 15-20 image portfolio you will create over the semester. Please ensure that the image reflects your concept’s What, Why, and How, and be prepared to explain how it connects to your broader theme.