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Photography · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Experimental Photography

This avant-garde studio course encourages students to break the rules of traditional photography. By combining analog techniques with digital technology, students will explore the camera as a tool for abstraction rather than just documentation. The curriculum covers light painting, multiple exposures, “Camera-less” photography (Cyanotypes/Lumen prints), and digital glitch art to create unique, expressive imagery.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Explore alternative photographic processes: Cyanotypes, Chemigrams, and Photograms
  2. Master in-camera effects: Double Exposure, ICM (Intentional Camera Movement), and Zoom Bursts
  3. Experiment with physical lens filters and DIY optics (prisms, plastic, vaseline)
  4. Combine digital photography with mixed media (paint, collage, stitching)
  5. Challenge conventional composition to create abstract visual art
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The History of the Avant-Garde in Photography
  2. 02Breaking the Rules: Focus, Framing, & Exposure
  3. 03In-Camera Effects I: Double & Multiple Exposure
  4. 04In-Camera Effects II: ICM (Intentional Movement)
  5. 05Light Painting: Tools & Techniques
  6. 06DIY Optics: Shooting through prisms & glass
  7. 07Analog Alternative I: Cyanotypes (Sun Prints)
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Physical Manipulation: Scratching & Distressing
  10. 10Mixed Media: Embroidery on Prints
  11. 11Digital Glitch Art & Datamoshing
  12. 12Projection Photography: Images on Surfaces
  13. 13Photo-Sculpture: 3D Photo Installations
  14. 14Scanner Photography (Scanography)
  15. 15The Abstract Series: Concept Development
  16. 16Final Project: The Experimental Exhibition

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Experimental Exhibition

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Experimental Photography: A Handbook of Techniques by Marco Antonini
  2. The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography by Lyle Rexer
  3. Shadow Catchers: Camera-less Photography by Martin Barnes
  4. Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age by Robert Hirsch
  5. Why it Does Not Have to be in Focus by Jackie Higgins
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