“Documentary photography” is a slippery term — unlike “portraits,” for example, it’s not always clear what makes a photograph fit into this genre. Definitions of what makes a photograph “documentary” can range from a consideration of the attitude of the photographer to just declaring that a photograph is a documentary image.

Over 4 weeks, you’ll gain an overview of documentary forms and how they have been understood in different times and places. Based on case studies from the United States, France, South Africa, Japan, Ukraine, and others, we’ll look at different modes of documentary photography — such as socially engaged photography, street photography, and more. Through lecture, group discussion, and presentations, we’ll dig into the history and practice of documentary photography — and as a project, students will select and present a particular photograph (whether taken by the student or someone else) that they feel is documentary.