TNKFOTO: Thinking Photographically

INSTRUCTOR: Dr Jason Vincent Cabañes

EMAIL: jason.cabanes@dlsu.edu.ph
OFFICE HOURS: Fridays, 11.00-12.00; 13.00-14.30

CLASS SCHEDULE: Term 1, Fridays, 14.30-17.45 ROOM:

WEBSITE: https://sites.google.com/view/tnkfotodlsu/home

COLLEGE: CLA DEPARTMENT: Communication

COURSE DESCRIPTION

TNKFOTO: Thinking Photographically is an elective course that allows you to

understand how photographic practices are embedded in the historical and
intellectual developments surrounding photography as a medium. It familiarises you
to theoretical approaches to photography that are drawn from diverse scholarly
traditions, such as critical theory, production studies, visual analysis, ethnography,
and interventionist research. It also allows you to creatively engage with the said
theoretical approaches through a conceptually-driven “mini-exhibition” portfolio
project of five photographs, which you are to plan and implement.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

UNIVERSITY ELGA LEARNING OUTCOMES (LO)

critical and creative LO1: situate the photographic image within broader
thinker/ historical, intellectual, and societal formations
reflective lifelong
learner
LO2: critically engage with photographic images using
analytical strategies

effective LO3: construct and execute a conceptual framework for a

communicator/ photography portfolio project that engages in social
service-driven citizen critique

GRADING SYSTEM

You will be graded according to the following forms of assessment:

 Essay: 35%
 Portfolio Project: 35%
 Précis Assignment: 20%
 Attendance and Participation: 10%

FINAL COURSE ASSESSMENTS

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As evidence of attaining the above learning outcomes, the student is required to do
and submit the following during the indicated dates of the term:

LEARNING REQUIRED OUTPUT DUE DATE

OUTCOME
LO1 and LO2 Essay 14.30 Friday 09 November
2018

LO3 Portfolio Project 14.30 Friday 14 December

2018

Essay (35%)

- one 2,500-word critical essay

- due 14.30 Friday 09 November 2018

You must choose one of the essay questions listed below. As part of your response
to the question, you must develop a critical argument about photography that draws
from: (1) the course readings provided as well as (2) your own additional research of
relevant readings. You need to engage with relevant scholarly debates (including
balanced critiques of the readings you reference) and also provide your own
conceptually-grounded perspective on the theme you have chosen.

(1) How can photographs be simultaneously an aide-memoire and a counter-

memory? Discuss in relation to a family photograph or a series of family photographs
as a case in point. (see Week 2)

(2) Why do iconic photographs have a complicated relationship with our collective
memory? Use a journalistic photograph or a series of journalistic photographs as a
case in point. (see Week 3)

(3) Apply either (a) the concept of the gaze or (b) social semiotics to uncover the
meanings generated by a photograph or a set of photographs that has been made
popular via the mainstream media (for example, an image or a series of images from
a photojournalistic piece, a political campaign, a fashion shoot, or a magazine
advertisement). (see Weeks 4 or 6)

Portfolio Project (35%)

- portfolio of 5 photographic images and one 1,000-word critical reflection using the
template document provided
- due 14.30 Friday 14 December 2018

You will submit a Photographic Portfolio of 5 digitally produced images based on one
of the briefs given below. There are no restrictions in relation to scale, or the ‘digital
(other) treatment’ of your own self-generated imagery. You may combine/ collage
your own photographs or produce an image with no intervention. You will also submit

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a 1000 critical reflection, following the template document that will be provided to
you.

Your 1,000-word statement should also be submitted with the images. Please be
sure to keep a copy of your images for your own records and backup work as you
develop your ideas.

Your images are required to explore one of the concepts discussed in the lectures
and should consequently be carefully made as a response to the subject explored in
your statement.

All images must have been produced during the period of this course.

Project briefs: Produce a set of images that explore…

(1) the relationship between photography and memory. (in relation to Week 2 or 3)

(2) photographic looking as naturalised. (in relation to Week 4 or 6)

(3) telling photo stories about the socially marginalised. (in relation to Week 9)

(4) the practice of vernacular creativity in photography. (in relation to Week 7 or 10)

OTHER ASSESSMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS

Aside from the final outputs, the student will be assessed at other times during the
term by the following:

Précis Assignment (20%)

- seven separate 300-word précis

- each assignment due at 21.00 the day before the relevant lecture/seminar session
- Dr Cabañes will select 4 of the 7 précis for formal assessment

A précis is a concise summary. This requires you to demonstrate your

comprehension and understanding of the set lecture/seminar readings.

Unlike a reading reflection, this précis assignment does not ask you to provide your
perspective on the reading. Instead, your task is to explain (1) what the author’s main
argument/critique and key points are as well as (2) how those points are
supported/evidenced. You are not permitted to quote the reading. You must use your
own words to explain the main ideas succinctly and clearly.

You are required to write 300 words for every lecture/seminar week. As there are two
required readings each week, you should split your discussion and write 150 words
for each text.

Attendance and Participation (10%)

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Attendance at every lecture, seminar session, and workshop is essential to your
success in this course. The seminars offer the opportunity for you to discuss and
clarify the concepts introduced in the lecture and in the readings. Meanwhile, the
workshops provide you the chance to brainstorm on ways to employ these concepts
in your photographic practice.

You will be consequently marked down for your lateness and absences. This will be
based on university standards. Deductions include unexcused absences due to
improper classroom decorum, e.g., using mobile phones in the classroom,
incessantly talking out of turn, and the like.

RUBRIC FOR ASSESSMENTS

Written assessments: Essay and Précis Assignment

Grade Knowledge & presentation Intellectual skills Presentation & referencing

Very Excellent knowledge and
Exemplary understanding of relevant
content. Accurate and
4.0: 97-100% precise interpretation.
Evidence of outstanding
breadth and/or depth of
reading and research as
relevant to the assessment.
Exemplary Very good to superior
knowledge and
3.5: 93-96% understanding of relevant
content. Accurate and
3.0: 89-92% precise interpretation.
Evidence of substantial
breadth and/or depth of
reading and research as
relevant to the assessment.
Satisfactory Satisfactory to good
knowledge and
2.5: 85-88% understanding of relevant
content. Generally accurate
2.0: 80-84% and precise interpretation.
Evidence of good breadth
and/or depth of reading and
research as relevant to the
assessment.
Developing Passing to fair knowledge
and understanding of
1.5: 75-79% relevant content. Some lack
of precision and accuracy in
1.0: 70-74% interpretation. Evidence of
fairly good breadth and/or
depth of reading and
research as relevant to the
assessment.
Beginning Basic knowledge and
(failed) understanding of relevant
content. Some accurate
0.0: 69% and interpretation, but includes
below errors and/or irrelevant
content. Limited evidence of
relevant reading.
Excellent intellectual skills.
Sophisticated critical analysis
and evaluation. Cogent and
sustained argument, which is
relevant to the assessment.
Demonstrates intellectual
independence and
contributes to broader
academic debates.
Very good to superior
intellectual skills. Thorough
and incisive critical analysis
and evaluation. Cogent and
sustained argument, which is
relevant to the assessment.
Demonstrates intellectual
independence.
Satisfactory to good
intellectual skills. Good
critical analysis and
evaluation. Generally cogent
and well-sustained argument,
which is relevant to the
assessment. Demonstrates a
degree of intellectual
independence.
Passing to fair intellectual
skills. Some relevant critical
analysis, evaluation and
argument, but does not
always pursue ideas clearly
or develop a sustained
argument. Work tends to be
derivative and to lack
intellectual independence.
Basic intellectual skills.
Demonstrates limited critical
analysis and evaluation and
tends to rely on description.
Lacks clear argument or the
argument is limited and only
partly relevant. Work lacks
evidence of intellectual
independence.
Excellent presentation.
Exceptionally well written
work that is clear and fluent.
Demonstrates a complete
command of appropriate
academic formats and
conventions.
Very good to superior
presentation. Very well
written work that is clear and
fluent. Demonstrates an
excellent command of
appropriate academic
formats and conventions.
Satisfactory to good
presentation. Well written
work that is generally clear
with few weaknesses and
errors. Demonstrates a good
command of appropriate
academic formats and
conventions.
Passing to fair presentation.
Fairly well written, although
there is some lack of clarity
and weaknesses in places.
Demonstrates a fair
command of appropriate
academic formats and
conventions.
Basic presentation.
Intelligibly written work,
although the writing is
sometimes unclear and there
are some major weaknesses.
Limited command of
appropriate academic
formats and conventions.

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Practical assessment: Portfolio Project

Approach Construction Organisation

Very Excellent originality of Excellent cohesive structure. Excellent standard of

Exemplary approach, Excellent understanding of visual planning and delivery of
demonstrating grammar and narrative or non- assignment. Professional
4.0: 97-100% freshness and narrative form. Full and effective presentation.
creativity. Excellence in use of visual/design elements.
research/ Fluency and excellent technical
conceptualisation. understanding and editorial
control.

Exemplary Very good to superior Very good to superior cohesive Very good to superior
originality of approach structure. Thorough understanding of planning and
3.5: 93-96% with a sense of understanding of visual grammar delivery of assignment.
creativity. Thorough and narrative or non-narrative Professional presentation.
3.0: 89-92% research/ form. Full and effective use of
conceptualisation. visual/design elements.
Accurate technical and editorial
understanding.
Satisfactory Satisfactory to good Satisfactory to good cohesive Satisfactory to good
approach with relevant structure. Accurate understanding understanding of planning and
2.5: 85-88% selection of material. of understanding of visual delivery of assignment.
Thorough research/ grammar and narrative or non- Accurate presentation.
2.0: 80-84% conceptualisation. narrative form. Effective use of
visual /design elements. Mostly
accurate technical and editorial
understanding.
Developing Passing to fair Passing to fair cohesive Passing to fair understanding
approach and selection structure. Partly accurate of
1.5: 75-79% of material. Basic understanding of visual grammar planning and delivery of
research/ and narrative or non-narrative assignment. Some lack of
1.0: 70-74 conceptualisation. form. Reasonable use of precision and accuracy.
visual/design elements.
Partly accurate technical and
editorial understanding.
Beginning Basic approach and Basic cohesive structure. Partly Basic understanding of
(failed) selection of material. accurate understanding of visual planning and delivery of
Some basic research/ grammar and narrative or non- assignment. Lack of precision
0.0: 69% and conceptualisation. narrative form. Inconsistent use of and accuracy. Lack of
below visual/design elements. Evidence understanding of assignment
of inaccurate technical and brief.
editorial understanding.

LEARNING PLAN

Introduction

WEEK 1. 14 September
LECTURE/SEMINAR: Thinking about photography

The lecture begins with a brief discussion of the course. It then moves on to an
introduction to how one might begin to consider the historical and theoretical

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contexts in which we have thought about the properties and practices of
photography.

Key readings:

Emerling, Jae 2012, ‘The thing itself’ in Photography: History and theory. Routledge,
pp. 17-41 (available in the library as an e-book)

Sontag, Susan 2002 [1977], ‘In Plato’s cave’ in On photography, Penguin, London,
pp. 3-27 (available in the library as an e-book)

Photographic Properties

WEEK 2. 21 September
LECTURE/SEMINAR: The photograph as indexical

The lecture examines the longstanding debates surrounding the ontological status of
photography. It maps out the different ways in which people have understood the
relationship between photographs and their subjects. It also reflects the implications
of this complex relationship to how one might harness the medium.

Key readings:

Scott, Clive 1999, ‘The nature of photography’ in The spoken image: Photography
and language, Reaktion, London, pp. 17-45 (available in course site)

Barthes, Roland 1981, Excerpt from Camera lucida, Hill and Wang, New York, NY,
pp. 63 – 72 (available in course site)

Week 3. 28 September
LECTURE/SEMINAR: The photograph as iconic

The lecture looks into the issues that have accompanied the increasing importance
of photography in how societies collectively remember their past. It pays particular
attention to iconic photographs and their politically charged ability to make us
simultaneously remember and forget.

Key readings:

Hariman, Robert and Lucaites, John Louis 2003, ‘Public identity and collective
memory in U.S. iconic photography: The image of the “Accidental Napalm”’, Critical
Studies in Media Communication, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 35-66 (available in course site)

Zelizer, Barbie 2004, ‘The voice of the visual in memory’ in K. R. Phillips (ed),
Framing public memory, University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, AL, pp. 157-186
(available in course site)

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Week 4. 05 October
LECTURE/SEMINAR: The photograph as symbolic (the gaze)

The lecture excavates the dominant ways in which people “read” photographs. It
draws links between social discourses about the Other and popular ways of
interpreting photographs.

Key readings:

Sturken, Marita and Cartwright, Lisa 2005, ‘Practices of looking: Images, power, and
politics’ in Practices of looking: An introduction to visual culture, Oxford University
Press, New York, NY, pp. 10-44 (available in course site)

Berger, John 2008 [1972], ‘Chapter 1’ in Ways of seeing, Penguin, London (available
in course site)

Week 5. 12 October
WORKSHOP: Support session for essay (to be done on Weeks 6 and 7)

Week 6. 19 October
LECTURE/SEMINAR: The photograph as symbolic (social semiotics)

The lecture presents visual methods that will help one understand why people might
generate certain meanings from photographs. It pays particular attention to how
social semiotics can be deployed to situate people’s practices of looking at images
within broader historical and ideological currents.

Key readings:

Jewitt, Carey and Oyama, Rumiko 2001, ‘Visual meaning: A social semiotic
approach’ in The Handbook of Visual Analysis, ed T. Van Leeuwen and C. Jewitt,
Sage, London and Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 134-156 (available in course site)

Chandler, Daniel 2014, ‘Signs’ in Semiotics for Beginners. Available at: http://visual-
memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/sem02.html

Photographic Practices

Week 7. 26 October
LECTURE/SEMINAR: Photography in everyday life

The lecture delves into how people’s practices of photography are embedded in
broader social configurations but also inflected with their own agency. It presents
ways in which to understand the photographs we take as sites of negotiation
between dominant social discourses, on the one hand, and people’s personal

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life projects, on the other hand.

Key readings:

Bourdieu, Pierre 1990, ‘The social definition of photography’, in Photography: A

middle-brow art, Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, pp. 73-98 (available in
course site)

Burgess, Jean 2006, 'Hearing ordinary voices: Cultural studies, vernacular

creativity and digital storytelling’, Continuum: Journal of Media and Culture, vol.
20, no.2, pp. 201-214 (available in course site)

Week 8. 02 November - Holiday

ACTIVITY: Writing time for essay

Week 9. 09 November
LECTURE/SEMINAR: Photography in research
DEADLINE: Essay

The lecture engages with the question of whether and how photographs might
be considered as data in social research by revisiting the historical arguments
and the contemporary studies that explore the notion of the image as
information. It also considers photography as a tool for intervention in action
research and, in so doing, aims to build an understanding of the possibilities and
pitfalls in using this medium as a tool to promote societal change.

Key readings:

Knowles, Caroline 2000, ‘Voice, image and text’, Bedlam on the streets, Routledge,
London (available in the library as ebook)
Cabañes, Jason 2017, ‘Telling migrant stories in collaborative photography
research: Photographic selection practices and the mediation of migrant voices’,
International Journal of Cultural Studies. Online first, DOI:
10.1177/1367877917733542 (available in course site)

Week 10. 16 November

LECTURE/SEMINAR: Photography in industry

The lecture looks into the contemporary practice of photography, with a

particular emphasis on the professional context. It examines relevant key issues
in relation to debates about the status of photography in postmodernity.

Key readings:

Aiello, Giorgia and Woodhouse, Anna 2016, ‘When corporations come to define
the visual politics of gender: The case of Getty Images’, Journal of Language
and Politics, vol. 15, no. 3., pp. 352-368 (available in course site)

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Biro, Matthew 2012, ‘From analogue to digital photography: Bernd and Hilla
Becher and Andreas Gursky’, History of Photography, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 353-366
(available in course site)

Week 11. 23 November

WORKSHOP: Group brainstorming for portfolio project

Week 12. 30 November - Holiday

ACTIVITY: Test shooting images for portfolio project

Week 13. 07 December

WORKSHOP: Support session for portfolio project

Finals Week. 14 December

DEADLINE: Portfolio project

CLASS POLICIES

Class preparation

-Make sure that you have access to the course website, so that you are able to
retrieve the key reading materials hosted there as well as read important class
announcements, including adjustments to the learning plan.

-It is expected that you come to class prepared. Read the key readings prior to the
lecture/seminar sessions. Have in hand the relevant project materials during the
workshops.

-In view of the extended amount of time needed to accomplish most of the class
requirements, the execution of these exercises will count as Fourth Hour activities.

Consultation

Consultation sessions will be divided into 15-minute blocks. If you want to avail of a
session, make sure to send an email to the instruct at least 3 working days before
your desired slot. In your email, briefly indicate your proposed agenda for the
consultation.

Communication

-Ensure that all spoken and written communication with the instructor and with fellow
students is of a professional quality and an appropriate style. It is expected that
written communication will originate from your professional (student) email address,

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and will adhere to the standard rules of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and
formality.

-Mobile phones should be in silent mode and should not be used for calling or texting
during class hours.

Tardiness and absences

You are responsible for materials covered and resources distributed in your tardiness
or absence. Unexcused absence—including being more than 30 minutes late—from
more than two sessions may result in the consequences outlined in the relevant
university policy.

Assessment

-You must submit all requirements to be considered for getting a passing mark for
this course.

- Written assessments should be typed in MS Word format, with the following

parameters: Arial 12, double spaced, 8.5 X 11.5 paper size, 1-inch margin all around.

-Label your submissions using the following formatting:

For the essay: TNKFOTO_<surname>_essay.docx

For the précis assignment: TNKFOTO_<surname>_precis<week

number>.docx

-Please allow plenty of time for electronically submitting your work. Ideally, you
should have handed over your assessments at least two hours before the deadline.
Submissions are deducted 5% if submitted late but within the deadline date and an
additional 5% every day thereafter. Non-submission of a work will get a mark of
ZERO.

-An excuse for a late submission will only be allowed for those who have serious
health problems or are granted official absence during submission day. You are
required to submit official documents supporting these two claims.

-Referencing is the acknowledgement of the sources you used when producing your
piece of work. Referencing correctly is important to demonstrate how widely you
have researched your subject, to show the basis of your arguments and conclusions,
and to avoid plagiarism. You need to give the person reading your assessment
enough information to find the sources you have consulted. This is done by including
citations in your work and providing a list of references. Any plagiarised work will get
a mark of ZERO.

Feedback

-I will provide written feedback, which I will return to you in electronic form.

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-You should seek to arrange a consultation if you want to follow up my comments or
if I have invited you to do so. Please do so not earlier than 24 hours but not later than
a week after you have received your feedback. It is expected that in discussing
feedback, you will be tactful, polite, and mature.

REFERENCES

Here are further readings that can help you construct a nuanced and comprehensive
argument for your essay:

Aiello, Giorgia, Tarantino, Matteo, and Oakley, Kate 2017, Communicating the city:
Meanings, practices, interactions, New York, NY, Peter Lang (available in library as ebook)

Banks, Marcus and Zeitlyn, David, 2015, Visual methods in social research, 2nd edition, Sage,
London (available in the library as hardcopy)

Burgess, Jean and Vivienne, Sonja 2013, ‘The remediation of the personal photograph and
the politics of self- representation in digital storytelling’, Journal of Material Culture, vol. 18,
no. 3, pp. 279-298 (available in course site)

Hight, Eleanor M and Sampson, Gary D 2013, Colonialist photography: Imag(in)ing race and
place, London, Routledge (available in library as ebook)

Howells, Richard and Matson, Robert W 2009, (eds) Using visual evidence, Open University
Press, Maidenhead (available in the library as hardcopy)

Marion, Jonathan S and Crowder, Jerome W 2013, Visual research: A concise introduction to
thinking visually, London, Bloomsbury (available in the library as ebook)

Morris, Rosalind C 2009, Photographies east: The camera and its histories in East and
Southeast Asia, Durham, NC: Duke University Press (available in the library as an e-book)

Peterson, Nicolas and Pinney, Christopher 2003, Photography’s other histories, Durham, NC,
Duke University Press (available in the library as an e-book)

Peters, Chris and Allan, Stuart 2016, ‘Everyday imagery: Users’ reflections on smartphone
cameras and communication’, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New
Media Technologies, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 357-373 (available in course site)

Pink, Sarah, 2012, Advances in visual methodology, London, Sage (available in the library as
ebook)

Rose, Gillian 2016, Doing family photography: The domestic, the public and the politics of
sentiment, London, Routledge (available in the library as ebook)

Rose, Gillian 2016, Visual methodologies: An introduction to researching with visual

materials, London, Sage (available in the library as hard copy)

Rovisco, Maria 2017, ‘The indignados social movement and the image of the occupied
square: the making of a global icon’, Visual Communication, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 337-359
(available in course site)

Tinkler, Penny 2013, Using photographs in social and historical research, London, Sage
(available in the library as hard copy)

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van de Ven, Ariadne 2011, ‘The Eyes of The Street Look Back: In Kolkata with a Camera
Around my Neck’, Photographies, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 139-155 (available in course site)

Van Leeuwen, Theo 2005, Introducing social semiotics, Routledge, London.(available in the
library as hardo copy)

Wells, Liz (ed) 2002, The photography reader, London, Routledge (available in the library as
hard copy)

Wells, Liz (ed) 2009, Photography: A critical introduction 4th Edition, New York, NY and
London, Routledge (available in the library as hard copy)

Zelizer, Barbie 2010, About to die: How news images move the public, Oxford, Oxford
University Press (available in the library as ebook)

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