Architecture and Photography

3 units

Seminar that deals with issues raised by use of photography by architects, historians, and critics. Seminar will confront the assumption that our knowledge of notable buildings and architectural space is based primarily on the photographic image. Photographs are tacitly accepted as objective facts, and the pervasiveness of photography in magazines, books, and exhibits as substitute for direct experiences are rarely questioned. Goal of seminar: to foster a healthy skepticism of photographs, and to investigate the role of photography as a means of record and convey complex spatial conditions by the ordering conventions of the frame. While not technical, the course will introduce students to technical aspects of photography that are particularly relevant to architectural photography: parallax, lighting, lens distortion, depth of field, format and grain, cropping, photomontage, and point of view. Fulfills History/Theory requirement.