Photography

For this assignment, you will apply the concepts of photography that you learned in this unit. You
will compare and contrast two photographs from the chapter on photography to two photographs
from your life. This means you will analyze four photographs total. For example, the photographs
from your life could be of your ancestors, smartphone photos of pets or food, travel landscapes,
or family portraits. You will compare them to the artistic photographs from the chapter
“Photography.” Be sure that you only select photographs for this assignment and not paintings.
The objective is to examine the influence of contemporary culture on photography by taking a
closer look at specific works of art and connecting these works to concepts of the field.
Photograph Analysis 1:
First, select a photograph from the required reading on photography that you would like to
investigate. You will compare this photograph to a photograph from your life. Try to select a pair
of photographs for the analysis that you think are interesting as a set — either in their similarities
or their differences. Be creative in your selections, but be sure that you can explain both works
based on the concepts in the readings and communicate to a reader why you put these
photographs together.
Your analysis should include appropriate terminology from this unit and the textbook as well as
the following criteria:
Explain each photograph as though the reader has never seen it. What do you see?
Describe the image and the style in the photograph from the chapter. Then, do the same with
your modern selection. Use and cite an idea from the chapter as a part of your analysis.
Demonstrate how your understanding of the photographs has changed as a result of learning
more about photography from the reading in this unit.
Assess the two photographs in comparison with each other and share your perspective. Why
did you choose to analyze them together? What can one indicate about the other? Why did
these photographs stand out to you? How might these pieces have been influenced by
contemporary culture?
Photograph Analysis 2:
Follow the same process you used in the first part of the assignment to analyze a second set of
photographs. Select another photograph from the chapter on photography and another
photograph from your life. Try to assess different styles from the first analysis to the second. For
example, if you use a pair of landscapes for Analysis 1, opt for portraits for Analysis 2, or if you
have chosen two photographs that are similar for Analysis 1, opt for two contrasting photographs
for Analysis 2 and build that assessment.
The assignment should be at least 600 words and must use and cite the text as a source. Cite
the resource internally and in a full reference at the end, following APA style guidelines. Citation
is important to build the definitions, demonstrate your research, and make it clear which ideas are
yours and which are from the source. Read the “Writing for the Humanities” document in Course
Documents, or check with the Writing Center for APA style tips and other assistance.