No matter the scope, working on a longterm project isn’t just about picture-taking. Learn how to plan, collect, research, and identify the materials you need to tell a strong visual story — whether you’re in the middle of your project or just beginning to conceptualize it. Anita Pouchard Serra, a widely published visual storyteller with an anthropological outlook, will dissect her own work, explaining her choices at every stage of the creative process, and will also present real-world examples of how other artists and photographers have created their projects.

We’ll discuss refining and transforming a topic into a story (one topic can have a thousand stories!), as well as different methodologies and workflow to prepare a project, and tips and ideas on how and where to conduct research. We’ll also explore how to find inspiration through an array of image and text resources, develop the right visual approach (including non-photographic material), and identify goals. Throughout the class, each student will develop an idea board on which they’ll place their thoughts, reflections, photos, random ideas, references, and resources, resulting in a clear outline to guide their work.