Documentary photography has evolved beyond simply capturing moments to considering how and why we communicate through images. This course explores contemporary approaches to documentary practice, including; working collaboratively with communities, examining political and social systems and contexts, conducting in-depth research, and carefully considering the politics of representation and consent.

You will be supported to produce a documentary project about an issue of personal or social significance while engaging with critical debates about documentary ethics and representation. You will be introduced to key histories, discourses and practices in documentary photography and creative approaches that will challenge you aesthetically, conceptually, and technically.

Weekly readings, lectures and discussions will introduce critical perspectives on coloniality, representation, positionality and ethics of practice. Different learning activities and perspectives will support you to ask ethical questions, and practical workshops and exercises will develop your technical, relational and conceptual skills.

This course is part of the Major and Minor: World-centred Photography and Major and Minor: Photography.