Course Evaluation: Landscape

Course Evaluation

I came to this course with traditional ideas on landscape photography, influenced by classical paintings, landscape photography within amateur photography magazines and photography exhibitions.

Through course exercises and additional reading, I developed an understanding in different landscape genres and assignments provided the ideal situations to develop technical skills such as using a stable tripod, a camera suited the task, revisiting the location to reshoot, examining how existing photographers executed the subject and developing my critical writing to introduce context behind my photographs.

I struggled with the concept of the sublime, realizing that it doesn’t mean the same to all people. On finding the sublime subject of Roadside Memorials, the literature suggested that this course was perhaps not all photography, instead mixed with sociology and psychology which made the subject of landscape photography broad, allowing for so much choice within future assignments.

When visiting Alec Soth’s exhibition and film “Gathered leaves” this year, I found my ideas around Assignment 2: The journey had changed. My idea of landscape at the time was still minus people. Research around Ingrid Pollard changed my thinking; from there on I saw landscape as the relationship people had with the land.

By Assignment 3 (Spaces to Places), I developed a photographic interest in memory and the hyper-real which linked in with tourism and local history. Research following this assignment provided a source of reading material and an essay by David Campany inspired my critical review on contemporary re-enactment photography and collective memory. There is a wealth of information, theorists and photographers in this field and a together with a developing interest in women landscape photographers, I found inspiration for Assignment 5’s self-directed project. I began to appreciate how theory relates to practice and ideas are built upon: a significant change from level 1.

There is still plenty of room for development. I last wrote critically before popular use of the internet and with the amount of photographic material and literature available online which needs referencing my knowledge of the Harvard System has been refreshed. I had not investigated staging exhibitions or public liability before; I discovered local available space is challenging and will require creative thinking before I reach level 3. Soft-proofing and printing had mystical properties which is work in progress to be continued into the next course and beyond.

One of the support mechanisms I employed was linking up with a fellow course student with whom I met for coffee to discuss assignments and attended exhibitions which led to a deeper understanding of the photographer’s work as we could discuss it critically. During this course, I attended 2 OCA symposiums which increased my understanding of the possibilities of photography as an art and medium, strengthened my understanding of landscape photography and provided the opportunity to meet fellow students. I participated in an OCA collaborative photo project and interacted a little on the Facebook and OCA forums.

I was proud of the book I produced and it is certainly a medium I would consider in the future. I found that I enjoyed the work around memory and identity and may develop this at a later date.

I look forward to developing these skills on my next level 2 course.