Photography Projects

 

For this assignment you will go out in the cultural field (of Southern California) and complete two or more of the following projects:

 

A Photo Observation

A Photo Inventory

A Photo Interview

A Photo Social Interaction

 

Specifications for Photography Projects:

 

You may submit your project in one of these formats:

 

1) A power point presentation with thick descriptions submitted on a CD/DVD or posted on www.slideshare.net

2) Mounted prints in an album or on a poster board with thick descriptions

3) A DVD containing a video that was shot and edited by you.

4) A link to a YOU TUBE video that you shot and edited.

 

You MAY NOT email photography projects to the instructor!  You MUST take your own photographs!!!

DO NOT submit more than 10 photos for an assignment.  (Select the ones that best tell your story.)

 

PHOTO OBSERVATION:  

 

For this exercise you will need to attend an event in which it would be acceptable for you to shoot photographs of strangers.  Come with the eyes and ears of an anthropologist and make note of everything the "natives" do.  You can go alone, be the guest of a "key informant," or go with a co-researcher.   A class photo shoot will be organized on a Saturday morning to offer interested students assistance in using their cameras and accessing useful subject matter

 

Possible Photo Observation Venues:

 

    lGay Culture  lSingles Bar  lHockey Fans lFootball Fans lRave Party

    lHomeless Shelter  lPool Hall  lDog Park lTattoo Parlor  lSports Bar  

lHealth Spa  lBeauty Parlor  lCar Racing  lLow Riding  lSurfing  

     lSwap Meet  lMusic Concert

 

Outline for Presentation:

 

Title (name of project [pick something creative!], your name, name of course, instructor’s name, date of completion)

 

Pick 10 photos that reveal cultural activities, how space is used, dress, ritual behaviors, cultural rules

 

Write thick (detailed) descriptions that help us to understand the needs this culture satisfies and how they are satisfied. Describe the ways the cultural practices are effective.

 

PHOTO INVENTORY

 

For this project you will find a location in which the material objects present tell us important cultural information about the people who use this space.  You may seek the guidance of one or more of the users of this space to explain what everything is and how items are used.  Photograph an overview of the space as well as detail shots from angles that reveal how the space is engaged.

 

Possible spaces:

l Homes l Bedrooms lClubs lKitchens lStudios lCoffee Houses lBars lMarkets

 

Outline for Presentation:

 

Title (name of project [pick something creative!], your name, name of course, instructor’s name, date of completion)

 

Pick 10 photos that reveal the unique qualities of this space, how it is used, decorated and arranged.  Think especially about the cultural rules and behaviors that dictate how the space is engaged.  

 

Write thick (detailed) descriptions that help us to understand the cultural needs this space satisfies.

 

PHOTO INTERVIEW:

This assignment invites you to create a photo profile of someone who interests you.  You might want to pick someone who is culturally different from yourself.  Think about the groups that you have little or no interaction with or knowledge about and that you are curious to learn more about.  Try to choose someone who is different from you in multiple dimensions of diversity (i.e., race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, age, social class, religion, primary language, etc.).

 

How to Proceed:

 

1. With your subject’s permission shoot a series of photographs that you and they think reveal who they are and how they live.  They may want to change costumes and show you who they are in different settings that they inhabit.  (You may choose to focus on one aspect of their cultural world…and just photograph that.)
2. Print out the best photos and return to have them reflect on what they say.  Have them write out their responses…
3. Prepare a presentation that incorporates their comments on who they are, what their cultural practices mean to them as well as your anthropological view of their world(s).

 

Outline for Presentation:

 

Title (name of project [pick something creative!], your name, name of course, instructor’s name, date of completion)

 

Pick 10 photos that best reveal the uniqueness of the subject you chose.

 

Using thick descriptions plus your subject’s commentaries to tell us what is culturally unique about your subject.

 

 

PHOTO SOCIAL INTERACTION  

 

For this assignment you will be photographing people in relationship with each other.  You will be recording people engaging in an activity.  The activity may reveal differences in status, role and gender.   Your series of photographs should reveal stages in the interaction as in a sale, a conversation, a dance or a process.  Possible venues:

 

lswap meet  ltennis game  ldance lmeal/picnic  lplayground  ldog park  lcontest

 

Outline for Presentation:

 

Title (name of project [pick something creative!], your name, name of course, instructor’s name, date of completion)

 

Pick 10 photos that reveal stages in a social interaction with particular consideration to how space is used and cultural objects are engaged

 

Write thick (detailed) descriptions that help us to understand the cultural rules of engagement of your subjects and their cultural objects.  

 

TERM PROJECTS:

 

You have TWO options for a photo/video term project:

1) A Photo Field Ethnography  

2) A ten-minute video shot and edited by you.

 

Specifications for Photo Field Ethnography

 

Your report must be typed on a computer, double-spaced on 8 ½” x 11" white paper using a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman) in 11 or 12 points and stapled on the upper left corner.  Your report should have standard margins and 4-5 pages of typewritten text and contain 15 well-selected photographs.

 

1. A Field Ethnography (detailed description of a culture).  

Here, you can continue the research you began with your PHOTO OBSERVATION by visiting your cultural setting at least four more times.   You can also pick a completely separate setting from your photo observation.

 

In preparing your ethnography you will need to study the rules, behaviors, rituals, language and interactions of your subject group.  I suggest you keep a field journal to help you remember the things you observed in the field.  Here you can record what you see, your impressions, experiences, and detailed observations.  Preparing an ethnography can be an extremely rewarding experience—you will acquire skills in observing human social behavior and gain self awareness by being an insider/outsider.  

 

Include some interpretations/ comparisons gathered from at least one outside (e.g. library or internet) source.  Make sure to footnote your references to this source.  End your report with a bibliography (format on last page)  

 

Outline for Field Ethnography

 

Title Page (name of paper [pick something creative!], your name, name of course, instructor’s name, date of completion)

 

Introduction (what you studied and what may be unique about your report)

 

Field Research Methods What methods did you use? (Consider drawing from a variety of methods including participant-observation, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, etc.)   Include reflections on your feelings changed as you further explored your subject/culture.

 

Description of Cultural Activities (what participants do, language, dress, rituals, physical environment/how space is used, initiations, cultural rules/protocols, sample interactions /behaviors) In this section include your 15 photographs as well as any charts that you have created.

 

Comparison/Analysis (Consider the findings of others who have studied this cultural scene--be sure to footnote your references!)

 

Conclusion (What needs are satisfied?  Relative to your additional observations and comparisons, in what ways are the cultural practices effective?)

 

Areas for Further Research (With sufficient finances and time, what aspects of this culture do you think merit further investigation?)

 

Bibliography (Include names of interview subjects, web sites, books, and journal articles)

 

 

Specifications for Video Presentation

 

You can present the fruits of your ethnographic research of a particular subculture in the form of a 6-10 minute video.  The video can be comprised of live-action images as well as still-images that you have assembled using a program such as windows moviemaker.  Raw (unedited) footage will not be accepted.   Your final project should be submitted on a DVD.  If you are unable to burn a DVD, you can post your project on U-tube.  In addition please submit in written form a brief discussion of research and production methods, comparison/analysis, areas for further research and bibliography.