Experiential Photography: As a Tool of Emotional Communication
Tutors: Prof. Wulf Rössler and Michael Grieve
This is an experiential workshop, which offers unexpected perspectives to creative photography. Photography is a tool of communication to share thoughts and feelings and can help to document and reflect on your life. In this sense it is also a tool for change and empowerment. Photography has always been a tool, with which to interpret the world around us. Photographic activities can be used to increase your self-knowledge, your self-awareness and well-being, improve relationships and your communication skills. Not only does photography allow you to express yourself, but it also helps to focus on positive life experiences and can enhance your self-worth. This approach is more about photography as an emotional communication tool and less about photography as an art although good photography transports emotions in an understandable and accessible way for oneself and others.
During the workshop you may learn different skills; to enhance your visual literacy, to deal with personal photos and the feelings, thoughts, memories these photos evoke and deepen your personal insight, to tell your own story, perhaps about ageing, mental or physical problems, self-perception or another topic of importance for you personally
As these photo-triggered personal insights can bring up deep memories or powerful emotions, sometimes it may be required in pursuing, subsequently, a deeper therapy process.
Day 1: Introduction, what is visual literacy, show family pictures, snapshots or other pictures that are meaningful to you
Day 2: Show pictures of a meaningful event taken during the last two weeks prior to the workshop
Day 3: Show self-portraits and/or pictures which you think mediate your personal problems/issues
Day 4: Go out and make pictures of things that are meaningful to you
Day 5: A Summation and individual presentations of work made during the week