PH 603 - The Language of Photography - Finals

Submit 8-10 photographs which form a consistent body of work. The theme/style/genre of photography are left to you. Plus interview a photographer, someone significant in the field of photography you are interested in or aspire to be a part of, and submit a short paper it.

Some of projects chosen by the students in class
- Color in water - Landscapes and Moods
- Food photography
- Urban decay in industrial Oakland
- Half him, half her - A study on the similarities between people in long term relationships.
- Fashion photography
- A study on trees
- A documentary styled shoot to promote pet adoption from animal shelters.
- Photo montage

I had chosen architecture as the theme for my work. I wasn't particular about structures adhering to specific  architectural style, but instead I went looking for architectural elements with striking visual appeal. Strong composition, balance and rhythm, symmetry form the foundation of the work.

PH 603 - The Language of Photography - Midterms

Mid terms ... ah mid-terms. Just when you think the pace is picking up and the assignments are getting demanding, you are suddenly thrown into the gladiator pit and asked to create 8 unique photographs. But not to fret, passing through the eternal fires is a necessary task, coming out of the pit unscathed or otherwise leaves you wise and confident for more to come.

Now on to the rules Igor
- Use whatever camera and accessories are at your disposal
- Use digital or analog darkroom techniques to manipulate your images. Not too much Photoshop though.
- Create photographs to the best of your ability and not just to satisfy the basic need.
- Submit prints in class for critique and evaluation.

Now on to our contenders

PH 603 - The Language of Photography - Assignments

Weekly assignments for The Language of Photography course in the first semester. Assignments given out are due for submission the next week. Photograph(s) are to be printed typically on an A4 size photo-paper. But you can choose to get a smaller or larger print if you desire.

Everyone puts their work on the wall, to get critiqued by the instructor and at times even by the students.

Assignment 1: Signature photograph
Get one photograph that represents you currently as an artist. It doesn't have to be new


This is one of the photographs made while I was travelling in Leh in mid 2011. A buddhist monastry forming a beautiful landscape, plus the dramatic sky adds to the appeal of the photograph. I would quite easily put it among the best I had.

PH 603 - The Language of Photography

This course is one of the three introductory courses to the MFA Photography program taken in the first semester. It is meant to bring you up to speed on the essentials of Photography, and provide the necessary foundation to be able understand what is out there and where your work fits in.

The description of the course from the Academy's website speaks for itself - "In this course, students will engage in an in-depth study of the fundamental language comprised of the aesthetical,  technical, and practical aspects of the medium. Artistic interpretation and technique will be examined through the study of image capture, processing and printing relavent to fine art, commercial and documentary application."