Portrait Photography in Medium Format Film: Natural Light

Using the widely revered Holga camera, this two-credit course will explore capturing natural light portraits of people, objects, and landscapes, in black-and-white medium format film. Larger than standard 35-millimeter film, medium format (120-millimeter) offers what some people consider richer and often more detailed imagery. Students will learn basic image composure, natural lighting for portraiture using reflectors and diffusers, camera use, film development, and darkroom printing in the state-of-the-art campus darkroom to complete a singular portfolio project.

This course will give students and community members the opportunity to collect images of nature as well as family and friends while answering the questions: How do portraits vary from other images? What makes a portrait different than a documentary photograph containing the same subject?  And how do you build organic rapport with subjects while managing the technical aspects of the camera? With only a small written component, the course will focus primarily on hands-on instruction in the outdoors and the darkroom.

Students and community members will also complete a proficiency that enables continued access to the darkroom facilities after the course concludes.