Urban Social Photography

  France

• Paris: 
Paris

Term: Fall 
Dates: Call CEA or visit our website

Description: Can photography change the world? Many photographers have thought so in the past and many continue to believe so today precisely because photography and social criticism have been so intertwined for so long. Your objective in this course is therefore to develop an understanding of, and the practical ability to apply, the basic principles of technique and composition in the field of photography in a way that progressively transforms your eye and your camera into instruments of social commentary, criticism and change. At the same time, this course gives you an opportunity to record, in a personal and reflective way, the striking contrasts of the socially complex and fascinating urban cityscape that is Paris.

Exploring the history of social photography is your first task. With the invention of the camera, early practitioners quickly began focusing on the stark realities of mid 19th century life, thus paving the way for photojournalists and documentary photographers of today. This attraction to photography as a tool of social change continued in wartime with the horrifying images of trench warfare, the tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, the totality of the Second World War and the silence of the Holocaust. Alternatively, using the films and photographs shot by Leni Riefenstahl of a supposedly flawless Aryan race, Nazi propagandists successfully manipulated the masses in interwar Germany. Later Cold War photographs shot and edited to inform and manipulate public opinion were particularly notorious in a similar vein. And during the Vietnam years, the endless stream of uncensored photographs of the dead and wounded helped set the mood of the 1960?s revolution and were partially responsible for ending the war by raising public awareness of otherwise unseen injustices both at home and abroad. The photos coming out of Bagdad or the West Bank today are no less moving. And you find that the boundaries of how photography can be used to raise public awareness are continually shifting.

Highlights:
Prerequisites: None; Introduction to Photography recommended.

Required Supplies: This course is designed for digital photography and your camera must have a minimum of 4 mega pixels. Students are expected to provide their own additional supplies (approximately $150) from a supply list that the instructor will supply during the first day of class. You should not purchase any supplies before the first week of class.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Call CEA or visit our website for current prices

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American and Canadian Participants.

Participants Travel to France Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Scholarships are Available. Multiple scholarship opportunities are available. Visit our financing section for more information.

Application Process Involves:

• Transcript
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network

CEA - Cultural Experiences Abroad's Mission Statement: CEA's Mission is to create and facilitate opportunities for personal growth and global understanding through quality international education and cultural experiences.

Year Founded: 1996