Feelings Into Photography Serafina Marie Janes

Given the hypothetical opportunity to take passion for the visual arts to a new level, the subject of my class would be a “Feelings into Photography” course. Here, I would assign students a portfolio to be created, shared with my guidance throughout the process, polished over the few week period and to be turned in at the end of the block. The first week, I would administer a list of general ideas, such as “passion, spirit, trauma, journey, identity” in which the students would select one that interests them, and connect their chosen abstract concept with reality, the goal being for the students to experience their environment by shooting photos of what they think accurately represents how they feel about the given idea. Additionally, students would provide a brief, but in-depth description explaining why what they photographed reflects their interpretation of the assignment so that myself and their peers can understand and ultimately relate to.

The following week, the focus would be on legendarily profound photographers such as Paul Strand, Ansel Adams, and personal favorite of mine, Andy Warhol. We would analyze, admire, and debate the meanings of the photographer’s piece, the emotions the work evokes from the spectator and...