Inspired by the book Photo No-Nos: Meditations on What Not to Photograph (Jason Fulford, Aperture, 2021), we'll explore different ideas about aesthetic and style conventions and subject matter (what should or shouldn’t we make pictures of?). Who comes up with all these rules anyway, and how can we subvert them? Each week we'll challenge photo orthodoxy with new photographs we make for class. By the end, we'll be a class full of rebels, celebrating all the rules we broke along the way.

The are many rules — both written and unwritten — that shape the photography we create. Guidelines about what makes a “good photograph” (avoiding clichés, stereotypes, and derivitive or taboo subjects for example) can cloud our vision and diminish the possibilities of the medium. What's valuable about the rules we follow? What can we discard? How can we release ourselves from fears and uncertainties that inhibit our picture-making and return to a place of innocence and delight in the visual world we experience?

This class is suitable for photographers of all levels, experiences, and interests, and all will benefit from the conversations we'll have and the pictures we'll make.