60 419 Photography as Visual Description (Spring 2027)

Photographing is an act of seeing with conscious attention; thus, it is an act of knowledge. Walking with the camera through a section of an urban landscape, the main objective is to strengthen the student's ability to activate an intensified attention toward landscape elements and their reciprocal position in space. The main intention of the course is to train the designer to understand the case-study urban landscape through the sense of vision as a cognitive activity. This is key to the act of observation and spatial understanding of a site.

The course runs across 11 Tuesdays and 5 consecutive days as an intensive photobook workshop. It is structured into three integrated modules.

1. Key Photographic Ideas, Themes & Basic Techniques: Introduction to a documentary or topographic line in photography, drawing on theoretical frameworks linking space, movement, and visual perception.

2. Photographic Exercises & Fieldwork: On-site execution of visual series in a case-study urban landscape. Guided by movement sets, students create analytical photographic sequences.

3. Photobook Editing, Sequencing & Printing: Editing and producing an individual printed photobook.

At the conclusion of the course the student should be able to:

Knowledge:

• Understand photography as a cognitive tool and an act of visual description/interpretation for urban landscapes analysis.

• Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and approaches in documentary and topographic landscape photography.

Skills:

• Analyse and Interpret: Utilize camera mechanics and body movements (approaching, moving around, standing still etc.) to construct analytical photo series - identify, list, and classify key urban landscape elements and spatial interrelations costitutive of the form urban landscape and the events or human practices that occur in it
(e.g., standing by, walking through, playing with)

• Edit and Sequence: Curate, edit, and layout an individual printed photobook to communicate a coherent visual narrative

General Competence:

• Evaluate urban spatial qualities against site-specific conditions

• Critically reflect on conflicting or synergic spatial relationships captured through visual fieldwork.

•Lectures & Theoretical Seminars: Exploring photography documentary approaches and commented works by artist-photographer.

• Field Exercises & On-Site Practice: Photo-walking, framing, and vantage point selection.

• Individual Supervision: artist-photographer desk crits on sequencing, editing, and photobook layout.

• Workshop & Book Production: Hands-on editing, layout, printing, and binding.

Physical attendance at lectures, reviews, supervision sessions, discussions, and other educational activities is expected and necessary in order to achieve the learning outcomes

Assessment method: Portfolio assesment

Grouping: Individual

Grading scale: Pass/fail