Module: Documentary Photography

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Documentary Photography
Module Code	ART1001 (ITS: CM5997)
Faculty	Communications	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10

Description

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the history, theory and contemporary documentary photography practices, which will enable them to critically reflect on their own practice as documentary storytellers. The module is predominantly practice based and provides an opportunity for students to develop their photographic skills and explore documentary aesthetics. Over the course of semester, students will learn about narrative photography, and they will be supported in their documentary photography project, from conception, through to development and execution.

Learning Outcomes

1. Employ technical and conceptual skills required for realising and producing documentary portfolio.
2. Demonstrate problem solving and creativity through independent research and practice, through the completion of a resolved self-generated, negotiated brief.
3. Employ key skills in the use of Photoshop, Camera Raw, Lightroom and related software for image editing.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the evolving genres of documentary aesthetics and language of documentary contemporary photographic practice.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	33	No Description
Independent Study	217	No Description
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	20043	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Dragana Jurisic	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Practical/skills evaluation	Technical skills: exposure, composition and light and post processing software (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.)	50%	n/a
Portfolio	Documentary Photography Project: proposal and project statement writing, editing and sequencing images, portfolio.	50%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

The History of Documentary Photography & Critical Theory
History. Critical Theory. Seminal works. Notable Practitioners. Ethical issues.

Contemporary Documentary Photography
Contemporary Practices. Aesthetic Trends. Genres of Documentary Photography. Current debates.

Image Capture Techniques
Digital SLR Camera. Aperture & Shutter Speed techniques. Shooting RAW vs. Shooting jpeg. Image Card Readers. Image Storage Options. File size and resolution. Image Capture Techniques. Basics of Lighting and Composition. Introduction to Studio lighting. Scanning techniques.

Image Editing Techniques and Software
Photoshop. Lightroom. Image RAW.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Susan Sontag: 2001, On Photography, Picador,
John Berger: 2008, Ways of Seeing, Penguin, London,
John Tagg: 2021, The Burden of Representation: Essays on Photographies and Histories,, University of Minnesota Press,
Mark Sealy: 2019, Decolonising the Camera: Photography in Racial Time., Lawrence & Wishart,
Liz Wells: 2004, Photography: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, London:,
Susan Sontag: 2004, Regarding the Pain of Others, Penguin,
Fred Ritchin: 2008, After Photography,, Norton & Company,
John Berger: 2013, Understanding a Photograph., Penguin Modern Classics,
Liz Wells: 2002, The Photography Reader, Routledge, London,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None