Promotional Opportunity

I am pleased to announce I will be teaching a photo class this fall through the local university.

Photo 101: Non-Interfacing With Promotional Culture
Dates: Sept. 28 - Dec. 7, 2010, Tuesdays 10 am - 12 PM
Location: Studio B
Cost: $25 application fee, $195 if accepted.

In today's media-saturated environment, emerging photographers are bombarded with appeals for various reviews, contests, exhibition applications, journals, requests for proposal, etc. Which ones are worth devoting time to? Which ones aren't? Juggling all of the opportunities and deciding where to put energy can seem like a full-time job. In this course, photographers will spend time interfacing with their potential target markets, with particular attention devoted to ignoring them. We’ll start with an evaluation of your marketing successes and challenges to date. Then we'll focus on saying Fuck all that. Topics covered will include: How not to pay attention to the target audience, the optimal market piece, juried shows, and trade shows; how not to design and create self-promotion materials, Twitter announcements, and show cards destined for immediate recycling. If time allows, we'll study how to calmly ignore all the rest of it too.

In place of promotional energy, students will consider the question, "Does this project have heart?" from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. This question will be applied to a range of photographic works from individual pieces to multi-year projects. Students answering yes will be asked to continue working on photography. Students answering no will be asked for God's sake to give it up already. In fact most incoming students should already know the answer to the question, and may choose to ignore the class entirely. If students still insist on coming, class time will be devoted to the history and theory of ignoring extraneous appeals, through texts, personal projects and countless email announcements.

Although the class is specifically geared for emerging photographers, emergency photographers are also encouraged to apply.

Please bring portfolio to the first class so that you may study it alone at your desk. Grade Pass/Fail only. May be repeated for credit.