Fashion Photography: Theory and Practice
Designed for the Department of Art History, University of Victoria
Course by Dr. Kat Sark
"Creativity is the desire to express ourselves. To formulate these expressions, we have to draw from our reservoir of experience, dreams, desires and experimentation and mix together what was, what is, and what could be…" (Peter Lindbergh, 1996)
Course by Dr. Kat Sark
"Creativity is the desire to express ourselves. To formulate these expressions, we have to draw from our reservoir of experience, dreams, desires and experimentation and mix together what was, what is, and what could be…" (Peter Lindbergh, 1996)
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Course Description:
This course explores the theory and practice of fashion photography and fashion aesthetics. It is designed for students from a variety of disciplines and includes an overview of the cultural history of fashion and fashion photography, theoretical approaches to photography, as well as practical components of fashion photography, portraiture, composition, lighting, editing, exhibition, multi-media, etc. In addition to analyzing historical sources and images, students will also learn to put together online portfolios and explore various media for their visual projects. Class time will be divided between presentations and discussions of students' work, peer feedback, historical overview, discussions of new topics and approaches, critical analysis of images, as well as overview of assignments. In this course, students will develop and produce a body of work, discuss each other's work in class, learn to select and edit, and finally present their work at the end of the course. This course can also be cross-listed with Art History, and Media Studies.
Learning Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to fashion, aesthetics, and photography studies, and to allow them to develop creative skills with multi-media, technology, and online tools. Students will develop their own projects and portfolios, while acquiring a solid foundation in cultural and media analysis. Students are expected to keep up with the readings, actively participate in the class discussions, present and discuss their work in class, and use photography equipment, web tools, and other multi-media for their assignments and projects.
The specific objectives of the course are:
Required Equipment:
Learning Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to fashion, aesthetics, and photography studies, and to allow them to develop creative skills with multi-media, technology, and online tools. Students will develop their own projects and portfolios, while acquiring a solid foundation in cultural and media analysis. Students are expected to keep up with the readings, actively participate in the class discussions, present and discuss their work in class, and use photography equipment, web tools, and other multi-media for their assignments and projects.
The specific objectives of the course are:
- to become familiar with key concepts in fashion, photography, and aesthetic theory and history
- to develop practical skills in photography and other media (including composition, editing, portfolio design, and exhibition)
- to create an online portfolio of their project and creative work
- to develop media analysis skills
Required Equipment:
- Digital camera (with optional lenses)
- Computer (with internet access) or access to the university computer labs
- Optional: photo-editing software (Adobe Photoshop, etc.), tripod
Course Readings:
- Sontag, Susan. On Photography. New York: Picador, 1973.
- Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida. Reflections on Photography. Transl. by Richard Howard. New York: Hill and Wang, 1980.
Course Evaluation:
- Participation (10%) students are expected to participate, complete all the assignments, and offer peer feedback
- Daily photograph (15%) students will be asked to take 10-20 photographs per day and select 1 to present in class and for their portfolio
- Presentation and discussion (15%) 5min. in-class presentation on a topic covered in discussion and readings and how it relates to one's work
- Final Project (40%) online portfolio or blog
- Final Exhibition (20%) exhibition of students' work on the last day of class (open to the public)
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Course Outline:
(Subject to changes / in progress)
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Week 1
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Introduction to fashion photography, theory, history, and methodologies
CASE STUDIES: Methodologies of fashion and photography, cultural history, and media analysis READINGS: Selection from Susan Sontag, On Photography. New York: Picador, 1973. LINKS: Suites Culturelles Canadian Fashion Scholars Network |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 photographs of everyday objects that you find fashionable /stylish/ intriguing. Select one to present in class with a 5min max. description and explanation.
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Week 2
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Historical overview of fashion photography
CASE STUDIES: Horst P. Horst, F.C. Gundlach, Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon, Peter Lindbergh READINGS: Selection from Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida. Reflections on Photography. Transl. by Richard Howard. New York: Hill and Wang, 1980. LINKS: A Brief History of Fashion Photography Fashion Photography 1880-present First Fashion Photographer V&A Fashion Photography History Fashion Photographers |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 black and white photographs in the style of 1950s, 60s, and 70s fashion photographers, experimenting with light. Select one to present in class.
Example: Reconstruct a modern version of Martin Munkasci (1934) and Richard Avedon (1957) umbrella jump photo 
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Week 3
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Contemporary fashion photography
CASE STUDIES: Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel, Fashion bloggers READINGS: Selections from Annie Leibovitz, A Photographer’s Life 1990-2005. New York: Random House, 2006, and Annie Leibovitz at Work, New York: Random House, 2008. FILM CLIPS: Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens (dir. Barbara Leibovitz, 2008) Annie Leibovitz (dir. Rebecca Frayn, 1993) LINKS: Fashion Photography: The Next Generation Female Fashion Photographers Sincerely Jules A Fashion Love Affair |
Daily photograph: Find a contemporary fashion photograph that inspires you and take 5 photographs playing with the themes and variations of the professional image.
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Week 4
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Inspiration boards, collages, illustrations, portfolios
CASE STUDIES: Garance Doré, Sincerely Jules READINGS: Garance Doré, Love Style Life. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2015. LINKS: Inspiration Boards on Pinterest How to Create an Inspiration Board Garance Doré: Inspiration Sincerely Jules: Collages PORTFOLIOS: Ten best sites for blogs, websites, and portfolios Free Online portfolios Portfoliobox |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 photographs of fashion objects and accessories arranged on a flat surface. Select one for display.
Inspiration board: Create a virtual (using online tools like Pinterest or Tumbler) or physical (using cork boards, frames, cut-outs, or a scrapbook album) inspiration board, and present it in class (5min max).
Portfolio: Start collecting links to online portfolios and photography sites that inspire you. Sign up for a free online portfolio, play with different templates, start uploading your photos.
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Week 5
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Fashion details and accessories
CASE STUDIES: Close-up photography, styling FILM CLIPS: Iris (dir. Albert Maysles, 2014) LINKS: Claus Jahnke's Fashion Collection in Vancouver Fashion Details on Pinterest Clothing photography How to photograph fabric |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 photographs of fashion accessories and close-ups of fashion details. Select one to present in class.
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Week 6
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Fashion weeks and catwalks
CASE STUDIES: READINGS: TBA LINKS: Vancouver Fashion Week 2015 Montreal Fashion Week 2013 Berlin Fashion Week 2011 |
Daily photograph: In groups of 3-5 people stage a fashion show with an indoor or outdoor catwalk, and take 10-20 photographs of the various outfits (long shots and close-ups). Select one to present in class.
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Week 7
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Street style
CASE STUDIES: The Sartorialist, Bill Cunningham, Street Style (Intellect) READINGS: TBA FILM CLIPS: Bill Cunningham New York (dir. Richard Press, 2011) |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 photographs of street styles. Select one to present in class.
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Week 8
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Fashion in museums
CASE STUDIES: READINGS: Katrina Sark and Sara Daniele Bélanger-Michaud, "Montréal Chic: Institutions of Fashion – Fashions of Institutions" in Fashion Theory Journal, Volume 19.3, June 2015. LINKS: Museum of Vancouver: From Rationing to Ravishing Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto BIG Fashion at the ROM, Toronto Costume and Textile Museum of Quebec, Montreal McCord Museum Montreal: Grace Kelly Montreal Fine Arts Museum: Tom Wesselmann Montreal Fine Arts Museum: Jean Paul Gaultier Kulturforum Berlin:Visions & Fashion Montreal Fine Arts Museum: Denis Gagnon |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 photographs of fashion objects on display in museums and galleries (Royal BC Museum, Governor General's House, etc.)
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Week 9
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Fashion and film
CASE STUDIES: Xavier Dolan READINGS: Katrina Sark, “The Language of Fashion and (Trans)Gender in Xavier Dolan's Films,” in Synoptique: An Online Journal of Film and Moving Image Studies. Special Issue: Xavier Dolan, Queer Nations, and World Cinema: Locating the Intimate within the Global, 2016. |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 photographs of outfits inspired by iconic films. Select one to present in class.
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Week 10
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Fashion fantasies
CASE STUDIES: Annie Leibovitz's Alice in Wonderland, Denis Gagnon interprets Alice, Luminato Festival in Toronto READINGS: TBA LINKS: Vogue "Once Upon a Time" Slideshow |
Daily photograph: Take 10-20 photographs of a staged scene based on a literary text or film. Select one to present in class.
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Week 11
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Exhibition
On the last day of class, students will prepare a multi-media exhibition of their portfolios created during this course. This is event will be open to the public and local press. |
Exhibition display: Select 5-10 of your best photographs from this course and prepare a display for the exhibition.
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Books:
Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida. Reflections on Photography. Transl. by Richard Howard. New York: Hill and Wang, 1980.
Berger, John. About Looking. New York: Vintage International, 1980.
Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books, 1972.
Burgin, Victor (ed.), Thinking photography. London: Palgrave McMillan, 1982.
Cadava, Eduardo, Words of Light: Theses on the Photography of History, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997.
Cartier-Bresson, Henri. The Decisive Moment. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1952.
Cotton, Charlotte. The Photograph as Contemporary Art. 2nd edition. London: Thames & Hudson world of art, 2009.
Doré, Garance. Love Style Life. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
Elkins, James (ed.), Photography Theory, New York: Routledge, 2007.
Leibovitz, Annie. A Photographer’s Life 1990-2005. New York: Random House, 2006.
Leibovitz, Annie. Annie Leibovitz at Work, New York: Random House, 2008.
Sontag, Susan. At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches. Ed. by Paolo Dilonardo and Anne Jump. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007.
Sontag, Susan. On Photography. New York: Picador, 1973.
Struken, Marita and Cartwright, Lisa, Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford: University Press, 2001.
Trachtenberg, Alan (ed.), Classic Essays on Photography, New Haven: Leete’s Island Books, 1980.
Berger, John. About Looking. New York: Vintage International, 1980.
Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Books, 1972.
Burgin, Victor (ed.), Thinking photography. London: Palgrave McMillan, 1982.
Cadava, Eduardo, Words of Light: Theses on the Photography of History, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997.
Cartier-Bresson, Henri. The Decisive Moment. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1952.
Cotton, Charlotte. The Photograph as Contemporary Art. 2nd edition. London: Thames & Hudson world of art, 2009.
Doré, Garance. Love Style Life. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2015.
Elkins, James (ed.), Photography Theory, New York: Routledge, 2007.
Leibovitz, Annie. A Photographer’s Life 1990-2005. New York: Random House, 2006.
Leibovitz, Annie. Annie Leibovitz at Work, New York: Random House, 2008.
Sontag, Susan. At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches. Ed. by Paolo Dilonardo and Anne Jump. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2007.
Sontag, Susan. On Photography. New York: Picador, 1973.
Struken, Marita and Cartwright, Lisa, Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. Oxford: University Press, 2001.
Trachtenberg, Alan (ed.), Classic Essays on Photography, New Haven: Leete’s Island Books, 1980.
Films:
Annie Leibovitz, dir. Rebecca Frayn, 1993.
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens, dir. Barbara Leibovitz, 2008.
Bill Cunningham New York, dir. Richard Press, 2011.
Iris, dir. Albert Maysles, 2014.
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens, dir. Barbara Leibovitz, 2008.
Bill Cunningham New York, dir. Richard Press, 2011.
Iris, dir. Albert Maysles, 2014.
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Disclaimer: The contents of this site are copy-right protected and cannot be reproduced without the author's permission. © Katrina Sark, 2016.
