Practice in Photography at Duke University

Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Visual Studies 219S.02, Photography
Antonio Bogaert, Professional Photographer,
Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies
Phone: 919.687.4383
Email: antonio.bogaert@duke.edu
Class time: 3:05 PM to 5:35 PM Thursday
Location: Smith Warehouse, Bay 12 room 101
ARTSVIS 219S.01
For information & image examples, visit site: http://practicephotographyatduke.tumblr.com/
COURSE OVERVIEW
Welcome ! I chose Visual Adventures as a title for this practice course because it represents an
invitation to an adventure in seeing. Although technical aspects of photography are covered in this
course, the main focus is on the use of photography as a means of sparking the imagination, of helping
make a stronger connection to the visual fabric of our daily lives and surroundings, of increasing our
understanding, appreciation, and relation to it, and of creating images with deeper personal meaning.
These practices are also helpful in reducing stress and gaining inspiration for other areas of life.
If we truly want to see, we have to slow down and come back to moments of stillness. Only then can
we use our full awareness of our senses. It is an exercise of how to be and to create in the present
moment. A mindful approach to the practice of photography involves a rejection of preconceived ideas
and expectations, combined with a cultivated attitude of openness to whatever we might receive.
Mindful photography seeks to approach a situation with the mind of a novice, without the expectations
and preconceptions gained through prior experience. This practice is also about being aware of and
appreciating the ordinary, of being open to beauty and gaining insight. It is a rediscovery of the visual
richness of our surroundings and our sense of wonder.
Emphasis is on the intuitive and experimental process of photography, where the process of seeing and
the feeling of being in the moment is important for capturing the decisive and final photograph.
Photographer Elliot Erwitt astutely summarizes my theme in the class:
To me, photography is an art of observation, it's about finding something interesting in an ordinary
place. I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see
them.
We explore making images focused on Color Abstraction, the beauty of transience and imperfection
called Wabi Sabi, Architectural and Street Photography, Texture, the Study of Movement and an
exercise in Portrait Photography.

Students keep a journal of various assignments where ideas, impressions, and emotions about the
creative process are recorded for future reflection and inspiration. After each assignment, the students
share selections of their images and writings and discuss their experiences.The Duke University
campus is the main background for the photography practice area.
Students also work on a personal photography assignment during the semester where they practice on
their own time and present a digital portfolio and artist statement at the end of the semester.
The theme for this semester is sustainabilityawareness.
The following assignments are used as practices to help enhance visual, creative, and aesthetic
awareness:
COLOR ABSTRACTION:
Students focus on color so that the subject itself cannot immediately be identified. Intuition plays a
very important role here since we are all attracted to different colors. The abstracting element of this
exercise is a way of not labeling things as they are, but as they might be, of seeing the othernessin
things, and the extraordinary in the ordinary.
WABI SABI:
The western ideal of beauty usually values things that are perfect, pretty, lasting. or spectacular.
Wabi Sabi, a Japanese aesthetic concept, emphasizes the beauty that comes with age, simplicity,
naturalness, and fragility and of states of transience and imperfection. Seeing Wabi Sabi helps with
changing the way we are conditioned to see and label things and people while learning to appreciate
beauty in objects in states of impermanence and imperfection. It helps expand our sense of a personal
aesthetic for ourselves, and of other people, places, and things.
ARCHITECTURE:
Duke University reflects a unique beauty in its architecture. Students photograph the gothic style
architecture on West Campus, with a focus on the the architectural landscape followed by closer
observations of the architectural details.
TEXTURE:
Photographing texture brings us closer to our sensation of touch. Students practice seeing and
photographing texture and learn that different light sources will draw out different texture qualities.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY:
Street portraits have been a popular theme for many since the camera's invention. Photographing
strangers requires stepping out of one's own comfort zone and exploring unknown and unfamiliar
boundaries. Subjects are photographed from a perspective of respect and humility
MOVEMENT:
Students concentrate on the action of movement. We are accustomed to seeing objects as static and
immobile in most of the images we see in our daily life. Through the use of creative slow shutter speed
and the combination of movement with the camera while creating images, students explore their

intuition and inventiveness, without being able to foresee the outcome, inviting the unknown, the
pleasant surprise, the unexpected. It is about releasing control, but also anticipating movement at the
same time.
Sometimes objects in movement were captured in motion; other times static objects appear dynamic
due to the movement of the camera while photographing.
PORTRAITURE:
Students are introduced to the creative aspects of portrait photography and become portrait subjects in a
self portrait assignment.
PERSONAL ASSIGNMENT:
Each student creates a body of work during the semester and presents a digital portfolio of 15 images
along with a written artist statement for class discussion at the end of the semester.
Theme for this semester is Sustainability and Food awareness.

COURSE EXPECTATIONS
During most weeks we will spend time creating, presenting , and discussing our photography
assignments and experience.
Every week we will also practice exercises to help us become more centered and present in the
moment; we practice tuning our eyes to prepare for the photo assignments. We also introduce writing
exercises and poetry readings to complement the photography practice.
I will supply handouts in class for reading and discussion.
PARTICIPATION :
As you are expected to attend every class, your participation grade will be lowered automatically if you
are absent more than once without a good excuse.
EVALUATION :
Your grade will reflect the following evaluation criteria:
GRADING:
50% Attendance & Participation
25% Enthusiasm and practice of the different photo and writing assignments
25% Final personal photo presentation and artist statement
The instructor reserves the right to alter the syllabus if necessary to customize the course to the needs
of each class.

FALL 2013 course schedule

Thursday August 29 2013
INTRODUCTION: Review course and syllabus
Presentation of past students photographs and writings
Poetry reading
Thursday September 5 2013
ANATOMY OF THE CAMERA
Making good exposures with ISO, aperture and shutter speed
Creative uses of ISO, aperture and shutter speed
Introduction to Lightroom 5, importing, creative processing and exporting images for presentation
Thursday September 12 2013
INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORIC PROCESSES OF PHOTOGRAPHY
A visit to the Duke Rare Book room for an exhibit and lecture on the historic processes of photography.
Walking and seeing
Introduction to mindfulness approach to photography
ASSIGNMENT: Texture
Thursday September 19 2013
Intro to portrait photography
Making creative portraits with natural light
Location: Duke campus
Thursday September 26 2013
Turn in assignments and writings of texture and portrait photography
Students finalize personal photography assignment based on theme Sustainability awareness.
ASSIGNMENT: Urban portrait & street photography
Location: Duke Campus
Thursday October 3 2013
PRESENTATION: texture and portrait photography followed by discussion
Thursday October 10 2013
ASSIGNMENT: photographing the Japanese aesthetic concept of Wabi Sabi and color abstraction.
Location: Duke Campus
Thursday October 17 2013
PRESENTATION: Wabi Sabi and color photography presentation followed by discussion
Thursday October 24 2013
ASSIGNMENT: Architecture and urban landscape / making images with movement
Location: Duke Campus

Thursday October 31 2013

PRESENTATION: architecture and movement photography, followed by discussion
Thursday November 7 2013
Preparation for group exhibit or new photography assignment in the field
Thursday November 14 2013
Preparation for group exhibit or new photography assignment in the field
Thursday November 21 2013
PRESENTION: Personal photography assignments and artist statements
Thursday November 28 (no class) 2013
PRESENTION: Personal photography assignments and artist statements
Thursday December 5 2013
PRESENTION: Personal photography assignments and artist statements
Final reflections
RECOMMENDED READING
ON PHOTOGRAPHY
*Tao of Photography, Seeing Beyond Seeing, Philippe L. Gross and S.I. Shapiro
Letting Go of the Camera, Essays on Photography and the Creative life, Brooks Jensen
On Being a Photographer, A Practical Guide, Bill Jay
ON CREATIVITY
Art & Fear, Observations on the perils and rewards of art making, David Bayles & Ted Orland
The Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson
The Zen of Seeing, Frederick Franck
The Vein of Gold, a journey to the creative heart, Julia Cameron
ON WATER AWARENESS
*Voluntary Simplicity, Duane Elgin
*Food Fight, Kelly D. Bromwell, the inside story of the food industry, America's obesity crisis &
what we can do about it.
ON MINDFULNESS
*Peace is every step, The path of Mindfulness in Everyday life, Thich Nhat Hanh

PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE

Photoshop Lightroom 5 or older versions are recommended for editing , processing and the
presentation of our photographs in the class room.
The basics of Lightroom 5 will be covered in this course, such as importing images, color correction
and exporting images for presentation.
Lightroom 5 education version is available on line and at the Duke Computer Store for a student price
of $89.
A Lightroom 5 free download for a month is available at
https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=photoshop_lightroom
http://www.dukestores.duke.edu/cpustore/
Lightroom 5 and other photo editing software training now available via Duke online training
please go to : http://training.oit.duke.edu/lynda
Here you can learn photo editing at your own pace and as homework assignment.
If you are familiar with other photo processing software such as Aperture, Bridge in Photoshop,
Photoshop Elements, you may use them instead.
Suggested book, Lightroom 4 , Scott Kelby
COURSE SUPPLY LIST

A SLR type digital camera is preferred, but a high quality (manual settings) point and shoot
camera is also suitable for this course
A writing journal or notebook
A tripod (highly recommended)
USB removable flash memory drives (x2) with your name on it !!!
Portable computer
External hard drive if you photograph in RAW and HIGH JPG format
Card reader if not already with your PC