ART 301/JMS 330
iPhoneography and the Democratic Camera
Roosevelt University: Fall, 2023
Mike Ensdorf, Professor of Photography
Department of Communication
How to reach me:
E-mail: mensdorf@roosevelt.edu
Phone: 312-341-6458
Class meets: Wednesdays, 2-4:30, AUD 362
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11-1pm, AUD 364
The best way to reach me is by e-mail. I check it daily.
Course description: Everyone is a photographer and cameraphones are everywhere. This course will explore the creative and ethical implications of using the iPhone as an artistic and journalistic tool. Students must have an iPhone 11 or newer to enroll in the course, and will be expected to download various photography apps for use in the class. We will use the iPhone to create, edit, and post photographic work online. Students will learn a new set of photographic standards, applications, and practices through individual and group shooting assignments, readings, examples of contemporary photographic work, and excursions to galleries/museums.
Evaluation: Shooting assignments: 25%, attendance and participation: 25%, mid-term project 25%, final project 25%
Attendance: Mandatory. Lateness and any unexcused absence will affect your final grade. Three absences is considered to be deserving of a failing grade.
Textbook: Not required.
Withdrawal date: The final date for an official withdrawal from this class (meaning a “W” would appear on your transcript) is November 2, 2023. You should consult your academic advisor if you are considering withdrawing from a course. If you receive financial aid, also check with your financial aid counselor to assure that aid isn’t affected by withdrawing from a class.
RU’s Learning Goals:
The University’s three overall learning goals for undergraduate students are:
- Effective communication
- Knowledge of discipline-focused content
- Awareness of social justice and engagement in civic life
Goals of the Class:
- To become proficient at the techniques of shooting & manipulating photographic imagery using the iPhone.
- To think more ethically, as well as creatively about image enhancement and manipulation.
- To learn effective editing techniques.
- To develop knowledge of discipline-focused content.
- To create awareness of social justice and issue oriented photography.
- To develop effective ways to talk about and critique work.
- To produce a significant photographic project combining the techniques and concepts generated in the course.
Class Structure:
- Lecture, slides, and handout readings related to the technique, theory, history, ethical considerations, and creative processes of iPhone photography.
- In-class demonstration and instruction of image capture, enhancement, and manipulation applications.
- In-class studio time to allow for more individual assistance in the completion of assignments and larger projects.
- Classroom critiques of assignments and projects.
- Excursions to galleries/museums to view photography exhibitions
Class organization:
August 30: Photography Basics and the iPhone
–Introduction to course content and expectations.
–Principles of composition.
–In-class shooting assignment: Composition
–Post in-class shooting re-group and review.
ASSIGNMENT #1: Shoot a variety of pictures using the iPhone’s camera app.
September 6: iPhone Apps
–Critique of Assignment #1
–Introduction of iPhone Apps
–In-class shooting assignment: Choose one app and shoot a variety of pictures.
–Post in-class shooting re-group and review.
ASSIGNMENT #2: Experiment with all of the required downloaded apps. Shoot a variety of pictures.
September 13: The Still Life
–Critique of Assignment #2
–Examples of the Still Life genre
–In-class shooting assignment: Find “still lifes” in the outside landscape and make a variety of pictures.
–Post in-class shooting re-group and review.
ASSIGNMENT #3: Shoot 20 different still lifes. Both inside and outside.
September 20: Portraits
–Critique of Assignment #3
–Examples of Portraiture
–In-class shooting assignment: Find 5 people to make portraits of.
–Post in-class shooting re-group and review.
ASSIGNMENT #4: Shoot 20 pictures of different people.
September 27: Guest Speaker
Urban and Rural Landscapes
–Critique of Assignment #4
ASSIGNMENT #5: Take a journey, either in the city or country, and photograph along the way, making sure to capture a variety of images, and experiment with different points of view/vantage points.
October 4: Experimental Techniques
–Critique of Assignment #5
–Apps for unconventional picture making.
–In-class shooting assignment: Choose one app presented in class and make a variety of pictures.
–Post in-class shooting re-group and review.
ASSIGNMENT #6: Shoot 10 pictures with each app presented in class.
October 11: MIDTERM PROJECT…The Photo Essay
–Critique of Assignment #6
–Photo Essay examples
–In-class shooting assignment: Choose one subject and make a 10-image photo essay.
–Post in-class shooting re-group and review.
MIDTERM: Choose one subject and create a 10-12 image photo essay. DUE 10/18
October 18: Midterm Project Critiques
October 25: Final Project Discussion/Idea Generation & Museum Excursion
***Start shooting for the final project.***
November 1: Studio Time for Final Project
November 8: Studio Time for Final Project – Introduction to BLURB and Photobooks
November 15: Studio Time for BLURB–Send Final Project Photobook to BLURB
November 22: THANKSGIVING WEEK–NO CLASS
November 29: Printing for Hallway Gallery Exhibition
December 6: Printing for Hallway Gallery Exhibition
December 13: Final Project Photobook Sharing
Note: Weekly course content is subject to change.
About your instructor:
Mike Ensdorf, Associate Dean/Arts & Sciences, Professor of Photography/Journalism & Media Studies, Founder and Director/Gage Gallery at Roosevelt University. Master of Fine Arts, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ensdorf helped develop the Journalism and Media Studies program at Roosevelt University in Chicago. In Roosevelt’s Department of Communication he teaches: Film and Digital Photography, Photobook History and Practice, and Pinhole to Cameraphone: Photography’s History and Practice. Ensdorf’s photographic work was included in the Iterations exhibition at the International Center of Photography in New York, and in the book of the same name published by MIT Press. His work was also included in the Photography after Photography exhibition, touring museums in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, and finishing at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia. His work is represented in the German and English editions of the book, Photography after Photography: Memory and Representation in the Digital Age, published by G+B Arts. Ensdorf’s work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. As founding director, Ensdorf has developed the Gage Gallery at Roosevelt University into “Chicago’s premier space for showcasing contemporary critical social photo-documentary work.”(Michael Weinstein, NewCity, Chicago.)
Currently, his work is included in the exhibition and accompanying publication “The Grid” at Musée L in Belgium.