France: Photography in Paris

About this Travel Course

Over a period of five weeks, students came to know well the magnificent city of Paris with its abundant museums, significant architecture, atmospheric parks and intimate cafes. Paris and its environs was the catalyst that inspired students of all levels of photography to begin and to continue to develop technical skills that explored personal visions.

In discussions on the work of past and contemporary photographers, in-group critiques which investigated "learning how to see" and how to create "good" photographs, and in individual meetings, students were encouraged to respond in unique ways to photographic problems.

The class began with the use of film and the black and white analog darkroom. Students were encouraged to have a 35mm SLR film camera or larger. Using film and the 35mm camera as the beginning tool for employing the visual language of art, students processed film and printed in the well-appointed and maintained facility of the Photography Studies in France (Speos). Once everyone had worked in the darkroom, students then moved onto working with digital cameras. In support of the digital part of the class there were classes in Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop and a special class in creating a perfect file for output at a lab. The Speos building is located in the 11th arrondisement of Paris near the Bastille. In addition, field trips outside the city introduced students to the countryside, as well as afforded further photographic opportunities. The study of photography in Paris was sure to have an impact on the creative life of a student at any level of photography in immeasurable ways!

Featured Photos, unless otherwise noted: Josh Bonnenberg PH 21, Wintersession 2019