Photography & Storytelling

Description

In the age of social media, we're used to constantly posting our personal experiences online via photos and videos, with favorite topics like socializing with friends, party vibes, and vacation adventures. But in all our haste, we forget that the best way to share experiences is through a physical photo album. When composing a photo book, you create an in-depth visual narrative about a topic close to your heart. And that requires considerable ingenuity and imagination.

In this course, you'll learn some basic principles of how to take strong photos with your camera (composition, light, perspective, lens choice, aperture) and create your own photo book about your experience of Utrecht. An endless variety of subjects is possible. Want to capture the iconic Dutch cycling culture in one of the most cycle-minded cities in the world? Or would you rather explore the Oudegracht canal and the nature of the Amelisweerd estate by canoe or kayak? Perhaps you'd like to photograph students in their rooms? Document the nightlife? Discover Roman remains? Or explore the city's street art?

The course focuses on the challenge of creating a photographic visual story with a beginning, middle, and end. Utrecht's rich historical and modern cosmopolitan character provides the framework. The choice of subject is free. Just like with a film, you'll select and edit photos and texts into a personal narrative that can be presented both physically (book) and online (PDF, social media).

A dummy or sketch design in PowerPoint or PDF format serves as the basis. You'll receive guidance and feedback on the photos, the editing process, creating visual rhymes, photo-text combinations and designing a catchy book cover. The dummy can be refined and printed during or after the course using popular platforms like Albelli or Blurb. The final session is "showtime." All participants will present their experiences and personal perspectives on the city of Utrecht in a slideshow (PPT).

For inspiration, the course will discuss city books by photographers such as Ed van der Elsken, William Klein, and Robin de Puy. How did they, through their cameras, view monumental buildings, street life, and the lifestyles of (arche)typical residents of Paris, New York, Hong Kong, and other metropolises? Projects made by art and documentary photographers about Utrecht, which I have initiated and supervised over the years, will also be shown. The Netherlands has a rich tradition of photobooks, with graphic designers playing a significant role. This will also be addressed.

The program also includes several group excursions, such as exploring the city by bike ("Utrecht by Bike") and a route exploring street art and sculptures in public spaces. There's also an excursion to Amsterdam, where we'll visit two photography museums. During the meetings at HKU Media, various types of cameras and lenses will be demonstrated.

A professional camera isn't required to participate. Smartphones offer ample opportunities to publish your photos beautifully in book form. The prerequisite is that you have a serious interest in photography and a desire to reach a higher level. This means you want to enhance the expressiveness of a photographic image while simultaneously learning to create a book-length reportage with dramatic content or narrative.

Target audience

Are you interested in photography and exploring the socio-cultural aspects of the city of Utrecht?

A professional camera is not required to participate. Smartphones offer more than enough possibilities to publish your photos beautifully in book form. The only requirement is that you have a serious interest in photography and want to reach a higher level. In other words, you want to increase the expressiveness of a photo and learn to create a reportage with narrative or dramatic content.

Aim of the course

You will learn how to enhance the expressiveness of a photograph and construct a visual narrative in book form about Utrecht and its residents. At the same time, you will gain knowledge about the rich cultural history and social values of the Netherlands’ fourth-largest city, which has been a magnet for students for decades.