Continuing Studies Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Certificate in Documentary Studies

Courses Offered for the Upcoming Term

Current and Past Term Courses

Workshops and Institutes





Past Term Courses

Offered in conjunction with Duke Continuing Studies. Please register on-line for this free information session.

REQUIRED COURSES

Seminar in Documentary Studies: Section One
Michelle Lanier

Seminar in Documentary Studies: Section Two
Joy M. G. Salyers

This required class is designed for students in the Certificate in Documentary Studies program or those who plan to enroll. Photography, video, oral history, writing, ethnography and community partnerships—Documentary Studies is interdisciplinary and multifaceted in nature, encompassing many genres and numerous means of interacting with the world and its peoples. Through short readings, close examination of several documentary projects, and guest speakers who will present their own projects and perspectives on the documentary experience, you will gain a broad introduction to the diverse fields that comprise documentary studies. We emphasize not only methodologies, but also philosophies and ethics of fieldwork in different settings. Throughout the term, students will explore fieldwork examples and, at the final meeting, will present preliminary projects of their own. These projects may be the beginning of long-term documentary initiatives, or simply a means of helping decide directions for future projects.

Section 1: Michelle Lanier Segbefia
Date: Tuesdays, September 12–November 7
No class on October 31
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 8/29: $195
Class ID 10470

Section 2: Joy Salyers
Date: Saturdays, October 14–December 9
10 a.m.–12 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 9/29: $195
Class ID 10471

Michelle Lanier is a folklorist and oral historian. As co-director of the local organization In Our Hands, she works with clients from eight to eighty, using oral history, creativity, and other experiential tools to connect individuals and communities. She has experience working with families—her own and others’—conducting interviews with family members, seeking out "lost" family stories, and recording intimate family and community events such as funerals and reunions.

Joy M. G. Salyers is a folklorist, writer, and anti-racism educator with an MA in Folklore. Joy consults with individuals and groups on a variety of topics. Her specialties include helping communities document their own histories, and using oral history, experiential learning, and creativity to bridge community divisions, develop identity and combat prejudice. She also consults privately to help documentarians get a project "unstuck." Joy's fieldwork has ranged from documenting personal life histories to collaborating with members of a modern performance community.



Final Project Seminar in Documentary Studies
Randolph Benson

Certificate students who have completed at least five full courses (including the required Seminar in Documentary Studies) and who have done substantial work toward their final projects are encouraged to gain admission to this seminar by sending a list of courses taken and work completed toward the final project via email to dkdreyer@duke.edu (in the subject line of the e-mail please write "Project Seminar"). Once approved, participants may register as they would for any other class. The seminar will consist of group discussions about each student’s project and progress toward completion, along with guided planning on taking projects to their intended audiences. Participants who successfully complete their project this course will be awarded the Certificate in Documentary Studies.

Date: Wednesdays, October 18–December 13
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $265
Class ID: 10472

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in eighteen film festivals in seven countries and has garnered numerous awards, most notably a Gold Medal in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Student Academy Awards. His work has been featured on the Bravo Network, the Independent Film Channel (Split Screen), WTTW-Chicago, UNC-TV (North Carolina Visions), and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.






GENERAL INTEREST

Documenting the Sacred
Pamela Broom and Dawn Dreyer

How do you document faith? How can we convey something essentially unseen through photography, video, sound, and writing? In this course, participants will engage in dialogue about different sacred traditions, through readings and invited guests. You will be respectfully asked (but not required) to share your own spiritual perspectives and traditions, and to consider how our belief systems affect the way we see others. Participants will complete a documentary project in the medium (or mediums) of their choice, and will be encouraged to think about ways that they can act in collaboration with their subjects. How you define “the sacred” is completely up to you.

Date: Tuesdays, September 26–November 21
No class on October 31
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 9/19 $230
Class ID: 10473

Pamela A. Broom, of New Orleans, Louisiana, obtained an undergraduate degree in general studies and humanities from Tulane University in 1996. She is currently writing a thesis for completion of a master’s degree in urban studies and applied urban anthropology at the University of New Orleans. Her career focus has included the cause of literacy, the needs of women, and community building. She is a recent recipient of a Louis Stokes Fellowship to study social work and community building in pursuit of a master’s degree in social administration at Case Western Reserve University.

Dawn Dreyer is the learning outreach director at the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) at Duke University. Dawn is committed to developing educational programs in documentary studies that are based in long-term collaborations with local communities. She works closely with beginning and professional documentary artists to develop, fund, and execute their projects., Dawn is the board president of the Southern Documentary Fund. She is a writer, photographer, and audio producer. In 2005, Dawn produced “The Three Furies: Poverty, Addiction, and Mental Illness” for the WUNC Public Radio series North Carolina Voices: Understanding Poverty. This series recently won the 2006 Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Awards for excellence in broadcast journalism. Dawn received her BA in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MA in Rhetoric and Composition from Florida State University.






WRITING

Returning to the Source: Poetry and Documentary Work
Tanya Olson

Explore how the act of reading and writing poetry can evoke meaning from historical and contemporary documentary sources. Through close readings, discussion, and writing exercises inspired by examples of poetry read in class, participants will have the opportunity to deepen work on existing projects or to begin thinking and writing in new directions. This course is appropriate for any documentary artists working with words, sound, and images—anyone who wants to explore how thinking and writing in new forms can spark fresh ways of seeing and engaging documentary source material. No previous experience writing poetry is necessary.

Date: Thursdays, September 14–November 9 (no class on 10/12)
6–8 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $230
Class ID: 10562

Tanya Olson holds a Ph.D. in twentieth-century British literature from the University of North Carolina–Greensboro and currently teaches English at Vance-Granville Community College. She teaches a documentary fiction class each summer at the Governor’s School East at Meredith College. She is a poet who plays with the idea of documentary in her own work.








AUDIO

AUDIO: INTRODUCTION

Make That Audio Doc: Introduction to Sound Recording and Digital Mixing
Paul Overton

Produce your own short audio documentary using your own recorded sound! Students will learn the basics of recording, interviewing, and editing using digital editing software.

Date: Tuesdays, September 19–November 14
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 11/3: $230
Class ID: 10507

Paul Overton is an independent producer living in Durham with his girlfriend, two dogs, and his tape recorder. He teaches technical theater at Riverside High School in Durham. Paul has an MFA in technical theater from the University of Delaware and was a sound designer for many years before entering the world of documentary audio. His work has aired on WZBC in Boston, KVNF in Colorado, WUNC in North Carolina, and KUOW in Seattle. Unfortunately, he also plays the ukulele.



AUDIO: ADVANCED

Advanced Audio Projects
Karen Michel

This advanced workshop is for individuals currently working with documentary audio that would like instructor and peer support to move to the next level with their project. Students will be required to play excerpts from their works-in-progress, and the course will be designed around the specific needs of the participants. With the instructor, participants will explore narrative strategies and receive technical and creative guidance. (Limit 6)

Date: Thursdays, September 28–November 2
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Course fee: $345
Enroll by 8/24: $325
Class ID: 10509

Karen Michel is an upstate New York-based independent radio producer who got her start in media as a guest on Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things. She has lived and worked in Alaska, Mexico, Japan, Greenland, India, Canada, Kenya, Nepal, Madagascar, and other geographies real and imagined. Her academic training is in visual arts and cross-cultural education; she's been an exhibiting artist (jewelry, photography, drawing, and holography) and a teacher. Since falling into a job in public radio in Fairbanks, Alaska, long ago, she has been committed to sound, as an audio artist and as a journalist. She's received many awards and fellowships—Peabody, Robert Wood Johnson, National Endowment for the Arts, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Federation of Community Broadcasters, the Japan Foundation, and the Fulbright/Indo-U.S. Subcommission, among them.



AUDIO WORKSHOP

The Audio Postcard
Jennifer Deer

The NPR Web site describes audio postcards this way: “This is sound that is not just ambience. It’s the audio equivalent of that four-color photo. It should really make listeners feel they were there.” The audio postcard is a short format, but a meaty one. Through an elegant layering of voices and ambient and natural sound, the postcard allows audio documentary to do what it does best: place the listener smack in the middle of the sights, sounds, smells, and mood of a place or an event. We will spend the morning listening in depth to and discussing the mechanics and applications of the postcard—then we’ll head out to see if we can make one. This workshop is open to all levels. If you own recording equipment, bring it. Students will work on a project as a group. Please bring a bag lunch. (Limit 10)

Date: Saturday, October 21
10 a.m.–5 p.m. (6 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $135
Enroll by 10/6: $120
Class ID: 10508

Jennifer Deer is an audio producer and graduate student living in Durham. Her work for radio has been heard recently on such nationally syndicated programs as NPR’s Day to Day and Weekend America. She also co-curates the audio documentary podcast Big Shed.






VIDEO


––JUST ANNOUNCED––
Knowing Your Rights: Legal Fundamentals for Documentary Filmmakers Workshop in NC, TX, and NY


VIDEO: INTRODUCTION

Introduction to Documentary Video Production
Chris Potter

This introduction to documentary video production will give you the basic skills you need to go out and shoot. Learn the difference between being a “tourist” or shooting a family gathering and making sure you have the footage you need when you sit down to edit your documentary. We will talk about planning and organizing your project, and learn some basic camera, lighting, and audio techniques that don't require expensive equipment. NOTE: Any video camera will work for this introductory course. Please contact instructor with any questions about purchasing equipment.

Date: Wednesdays, September 13–October 25
6:30–9 p.m. (17.5 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 8/30: $230
Class ID: 10474

Chris Potter studied documentary film and video techniques at the Rice University Media Center. He has produced and directed commercial, industrial, and public service videos at Southern Media Design & Production for more than twenty-five years. His current projects include a series of videos on the historical ecology of southeastern Burgundy and a documentary video on a New Deal resettlement community in northeastern North Carolina.



Introduction to the Art of Documentary Video Editing
Erika Simon

How do you craft footage into a story—and better yet, your story? We’ll analyze documentaries to learn basic editing conventions and study the effects of certain stylistic choices. Then, through in-class exercises and weekly homework assignments, we will try it out for ourselves. Learning to use Final Cut Express, each student will edit the same supplied footage to create their own take on “the same” story, which we will share with each other in class. NOTE: Must have access to a camcorder beginning September 28. No experience necessary. Basic computer skills required. Some homework assignments will require the use of CDS facilities between classes.

Date: Thursdays, Monday, September 7–November 2
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fees: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 8/24: $230
Class ID: 10476

Erika Simon has been teaching Final Cut to beginners at CDS since 2003. She was an editor for Carlyle Poteat and David Kasper’s Gatewood: Facing the White Canvas. She produced and edited Levante: Theater for Social Change for Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) and edited a PSA in Spanish that aired on Univisión. She is a recipient of the Martha Nell Hardy Award for Outstanding Teaching, UNC–Chapel Hill.



Telling Your Story: Placing Yourself in the Documentary Film Tradition
Randolph Benson

There are an infinite number of ways to tell your nonfiction story in film: cinema vérité, archival footage, photos, interviews, and recreations are only a few examples. Will your film be a personal doc? A portrait, experimental, or propaganda? We will study documentary filmmaking through the screening of films and clips, class discussions, readings, and presentations. Outside of class, each student will be encouraged to keep a film journal in response to the films screened, readings, and/or other researched materials. Surveying the tradition, history, and conventions of nonfiction filmmaking, you will have a firm foundation from which to choose how to fulfill your documentary vision. You will also be encouraged to share ideas about your projects.

Date: Tuesdays, September 12-October 31
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 8/29 $230
Class ID: 10475

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking. His film Man and Dog has appeared in eighteen film festivals in seven countries and has garnered numerous awards, most notably a Gold Medal in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Student Academy Awards. His work has been featured on the Bravo Network, the Independent Film Channel (Split Screen), WTTW-Chicago, UNC-TV (North Carolina Visions), and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

VIDEO: INTERMEDIATE

The Five-Minute Documentary
Jim Haverkamp

The short documentary form presents a host of challenges and a wealth of opportunities for film and videomakers of all experience levels. You will produce a short film or video on a topic of your choosing. The course will encourage creative treatment of material and place particular emphasis on the use of sound. Brief instruction on Super 8 film will also be provided. Working knowledge of Final Cut Pro or other video editing software is required.

Date: Tuesdays, October 17–December 5
7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Course fee: $285
Enroll by 10/3: $265
Class ID: 10477

Jim Haverkamp is an award-winning filmmaker and editor based in Durham. His credits include the documentaries Monster Road (co-producer, co-editor) and Armor of God (co-director), both collaborations with Brett Ingram. His other documentary and fiction films have screened in festivals across the country, and he was awarded a Filmmaking Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council in 2000. He is a former organizer of the Flicker Film Festival in Chapel Hill.



Intermediate Documentary Editing with Final Cut Pro
Simone Keith

Learn and discuss video editing techniques using the advanced features in Final Cut Pro. Find out what makes a smooth cut, understand the proper use of effects and transitions, and explore sound mixing while editing your next documentary project. Basic Final Cut Pro skills are required; and access to a portable FireWire hard drive.

Recommended text: In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch (required);
Final Cut Pro for Dummies (recommended)

Date: Mondays, October 23–December 4
6:30–9 p.m. (20 hours)
Materials Fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course Fee: $285
Enroll by 10/9: $165
Class ID: 10478

Simone Keith’s short documentary Heavier Than Air has screened at numerous festivals and aired on UNC-TV. A native of Brazil, she has been making documentaries and video essays since arriving in North Carolina ten years ago. Keith has earned two Telly Awards and has collaborated on The Wonder of It All, a UNC-TV documentary about the life of George Beverly Shea, which was nominated for a regional Emmy. She currently works at North Carolina State University, where she is the videographer and editor for In the Garden with Bryce Lane.



Intermediate Documentary Video Field Production
Simone Keith

In this course, you will learn how to negotiate technical problems in the field without compromising quality. Choose the best location for your shot, work with available light, select the right microphone for the right situation, set proper audio levels, and "shoot in sequence." We will also discuss proper framing and composition techniques and the advantages of handheld vs. tripod shots.

Date: Saturdays, October 28–November 4
10 a.m.–4 p.m. (15 hours)
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $285
Enroll by 10/12: $265
Class ID: 10479

Simone Keith’s short documentary Heavier Than Air has screened at numerous festivals and aired on UNC-TV. A native of Brazil, she has been making documentaries and video essays since arriving in North Carolina ten years ago. Keith has earned two Telly Awards and has collaborated on The Wonder of It All, a UNC-TV documentary about the life of George Beverly Shea, which was nominated for a regional Emmy. She currently works at North Carolina State University, where she is the videographer and editor for In the Garden with Bryce Lane.



VIDEO: ADVANCED

Advanced Video Projects
Cynthia Hill and Michael Davey

This advanced workshop is for students currently working on a documentary video that would like instructor and peer support to move to the next level with their project. Students will be required to show excerpts from their work-in-progress, and the course will be designed around the specific needs of the participants. With the instructors, you will explore narrative strategies and receive technical and creative guidance. This course is appropriate for anyone working in short- or long-form video documentary.

Date: Wednesdays, September 20–October 25
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $345
Enroll by 9/6: $325
Class ID: 10497

Cynthia Hill is an independent filmmaker based in Durham. Hill’s credits include Tobacco Money Feeds My Family (Producer/Director/Co-Editor), The Guestworker (Co-Producer/Director/Co-Editor), February One (Co-Producer), and Grace and the New Rules (Editor). Hill’s work has broadcast nationally on PBS and the Sundance Channel and has been featured in festivals around the globe. Hill is a 2003 Indie Arts Award recipient and the co-founder of the Southern Documentary Fund.

Michael Davey, a painter and editor living in Durham, is co-editor of Tobacco Money Feeds My Family and The Guestworker. He has worked in the production business for almost twenty years and during that time has edited a wide variety of projects including documentaries for PBS, Discovery, Learning Channel, Discovery Health, and Animal Planet.



Video Workshops

Finding Structure and Creating a Story
Vivian Bowman Edwards

Like music, poetry, and writing, documentary films need a structure that will carry the story forward from beginning to resolution. In this one-day workshop, you will learn how to think about, define, organize, and focus the story of your documentary, and develop your creative thinking to find new and interesting ways to convey your themes. We will watch several short documentary films to analyze individual approaches to structure; and we will use in-class exercises to bust through the creative block that has your project stalled. Whether your film is in the idea stage or languishing in the editing room, this class will help you see your project with fresh eyes and give you the skills to get to that final edit.

Students may bring clips from works-in-progress that will be screened as time allows if approved by the instructor in advance. No prior experience required. Please bring a bag lunch.

Recommended text: Documentary Storytelling for Video and Filmmakers by Shelia Curran

Date: Saturday, November 4
10 a.m.–5 p.m. (6 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $135
Enroll by 10/20: $120
Class ID: 10498

Vivian Bowman Edwards is an independent documentary filmmaker, producer, and director. Her first documentary Searching was made for Nancy Kalow’s Visual Storytelling class at CDS. Searching was screened at numerous film festivals, including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and the Lussas Film Festival near Paris, France; at the Carolina Filmmakers Showcase; and on cable television. Bowman Edwards was field producer for the award-winning television documentary, The Battle for America’s Schools: How the Children Won and Lost, which aired on MSNBC in 2004. Her current project Show Up, Speak Out: The Public Life of Betty Ann Knudsen is now in post-production.



Preparing and Animating Stills in Final Cut Pro
Carol Thomson

Want to create the “Ken Burns” effect in your video doc? Learn the basics of scanning stills and preparing digital images for import into Final Cut. And once imported, bring them to life with animation techniques. We’ll cover tips and tricks to get smooth motion. Bring several photos or digital images to class for hands-on practice. Experience with Final Cut required. Please bring a bag lunch.

NOTE: The workshop will be taught with Final Cut Pro, not Final Cut
Xpress, for both demonstration and hands-on work. Experience with
either Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Xpress is required.

Date: Saturday, October 28
10 a.m.–3 p.m. (4 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $90
Enroll by 10/13: $80
Class ID 10503

Carol Thomson has been creating websites and multimedia works since 2000 when she began her documentary studies in Australia. Carol completed her Certificate in Documentary Studies at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in 2005. She is working on a multimedia documentary Bridging Rails to Trails: Stories of the American Tobacco Trail that will be published on the web and as a CD-ROM. A work-in-progress version can be seen at http://bridgingrailstotrails.com. Carol’s web and multimedia company, FireStream Media, LLC, is located in downtown Durham.



Documentary in the Digital Age: Publishing your Video Documentary on the Web
Carol Thomson

You have your short video doc finished and you want it to be seen. The Internet is one way to reach an unlimited audience, but you are not a Webmaster and you don’t know where to start. Learn the basics of preparing video for the Web, loading video to a Web page, and establishing a low-cost Web presence. On Day One we will discuss video compression, creating HTML, and putting your files on the Internet. Video formats include QuickTime and an introduction into Flash video. On Day Two, you will bring in a short video clip on an external drive (six minutes or less, ready to import in Final Cut) and will then compress the video, create the HTML to display it using Dreamweaver, and publish it on the Internet. If you do not have access to your own Website host, a temporary host will be available. Experience with Final Cut required. Please bring a bag lunch.

Date: Saturdays, September 30–October 7
10 a.m.–5 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 9/15: $195
Class ID: 10505

Carol Thomson has been creating websites and multimedia works since 2000 when she began her documentary studies in Australia. Carol completed her Certificate in Documentary Studies at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in 2005. She is working on a multimedia documentary Bridging Rails to Trails: Stories of the American Tobacco Trail that will be published on the web and as a CD-ROM. A work-in-progress version can be seen at http://bridgingrailstotrails.com. Carol’s web and multimedia company, FireStream Media, LLC, is located in downtown Durham.



Video Docs: Project Planning and Management
Georgann Eubanks and Donna Campbell

Every true documentary project requires a high tolerance for ambiguity. You think you know what you want to capture, the story you want to tell, but you have to be willing to let the process unfold and let your subjects have their say. Given the somewhat unscripted nature of fieldwork, what are the appropriate expectations in project planning and the day-to-day management of your project? What can you promise your funders and your subjects? How do you budget your time and money? How can you avoid "scope creep"? How do you know when to quit shooting? And how do you get to the finish line?

This class will best serve students who are in the process of starting a video documentary, large or small, and who want to think through the various factors involved, including visual style; potential themes and architecture for the piece; target audiences; equipment and personnel; budgeting and production timeline; shoot plans; rights, permissions, and release forms; prospective funders; and promotion/distribution/broadcast. On the first Saturday, we’ll cover these factors, using some of our own projects as examples, good and bad. On the second Saturday each participant will have a chance to share his or her project with the class and instructors who will serve as benevolent critics and brainstormers.

Date: Saturdays, November 18–December 9
9 a.m.–3 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 11/3: $195
Class ID: 10506

Donna Campbell and Georgann Eubanks are the Managing Partners of Minnow Media, LLC, a full-service multimedia production company based in Carrboro. Eubanks has written profiles and promotional materials for the last twenty-five years and hosted a local radio program for three years. Early in her career, Campbell founded Lake Norman Magazine near Charlotte, became Knight Ridder's first female publisher, and then moved into documentary production for public television, for which she has won numerous awards. Between Campbell and Eubanks, they have interviewed a range of famous subjects, including Michael Jordan, William Styron, Mother Theresa, Maya Angelou, Ruth and Billy Graham, and Walter Cronkite, but their favorite subjects are usually the result of serendipity—the folks they often meet in their travels throughout rural North Carolina. For more information, see: www.minnowmedia.net.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Fundamentals of Documentary Photography
Ava Johnson

Beginners to more experienced photographers will benefit from this exploration of darkroom techniques. We will address camera basics for those who need an introduction, but we will spend the majority of class time in the darkroom printing our photographs. Learn about film developing, darkroom etiquette, how to mix chemicals, different paper types (fiber and resin-coated), and how to select a series of prints. Our goal is to begin a documentary project and complete five to ten finished prints by the end of the course. The spirit of the class is to take risks, explore, and have fun.

Required text: Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual, by Henry Hornstein

Date: Wednesdays, September 13–November 1
6–8 p.m.
Materials fee: $50 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 8/30: $230
Class ID: 10511

Ava Johnson is a performer, artist, and activist living in Durham. She received her BFA in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design, her MFA in studio art from UNC–Chapel Hill, and graduated from the school of hard knocks while braving the cold winds of Chicago before returning to her home state. When not questioning mainstream thinking or making up funny songs, she is the proud co-parent of Barnaby (the wonder dog), public information coordinator at CDS, and one of the founding performers of the Cuntry Kings drag/performance group.



Understanding Color Photography
Leah Sobsey

This introductory course will explore the fundamentals of color photography. We will discuss the basic principals of color theory, when to choose color versus black and white, and how this choice changes the interpretation and understanding of a photograph. We will look at both the historical and contemporary uses of color photography.

The course will combine lectures and assignments and is designed for participants who are comfortable using their film or digital camera. This is the first part of a two-part class; a second course will be offered in the spring that covers additional techniques and digital printing.

Date: Wednesdays, September 13–October 25
6–8 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $255
Enroll by 8/30: $235
Class ID: 10512

Leah Sobsey is an artist and educator. She received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001 and completed the Resident Certificate Program at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1997. Her work has been exhibited widely and is in private collections across the country. She has taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, Duke University, the Maine Photographic Workshops, and currently teaches at UNC–Greensboro.



Documentary Photography as Fine Art
G. Douglas Vuncannon

Where do documentary photography and "fine art" converge? Going beyond the realm of composition and craft, class discussions will strive to identify elements of still photography that have the power to transcend the simple recording of images. You will develop your own photographic vision through weekly assignments and have the opportunity to share your work during classroom critiques.

Date: Mondays, September 25–November 6
6:30–9 p.m. (16 hours)
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $255
Enroll by 9/11: $235
Class ID: 10513

G. Douglas Vuncannon is a visual artist and composer who has worked as a freelance photographer and writer since 1995. His short documentary films have screened at numerous film festivals in the United States and Canada. In 2000, the Durham Arts Council awarded him an Emerging Artist Grant. His photography and writings have appeared in the Independent Weekly, and he is currently working on a documentary project made possible by a grant from Duke University’s Freewater Productions.



Advanced Photography Projects
Lisa Satterwhite

This advanced workshop is intended to deepen a student's engagement with specific projects or photographic techniques. This course will be offered by different photographers each term to provide the opportunity to receive multiple perspectives on a student's work. This advanced workshop focuses on creating exhibition quality photographic work, and learning what it takes to exhibit in commercial galleries, alternative spaces, museums, and not-for-profit spaces. We will discuss how to apply for grants, fellowships, scholarships, and artist's residencies that are most relevant to your work. (Limit 6)

Date: Tuesdays, October 24–November 28
7–9 p.m. (12 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $350
Enroll by 10/10: $325
Class ID: 10514

Lisa Satterwhite is a photographer and scientist at Duke University Medical Center whose current research focuses on the effect of pesticides on cardiovascular development. Born and raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, she earned a B.A. in fine art and art history from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in cell biology from Johns Hopkins University, and was a Damon Runyon Walter Winchell Cancer Research fellow at Princeton University in classical genetics. She has published in the field of cell division and contributed to major university teaching texts. Also at Princeton, she studied advanced photography in the Program for Visual Arts, focusing on medium and large format, alternative process, and the history of photography. For more than twenty years, Satterwhite has taught numerous art and biology courses at the high school and university levels. She is interested in the links between environmental philosophy, conservation biology, and the spiritual aspects of creating art, and between environmental policy and human health. Satterwhite’s current photographic work examines family, intimacy, and ties to the land.



PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Re-Designing your Photography Web Site
Christopher Sims

Are you a photographer who has a Web site but wish it could be more inviting, user-friendly, or easier to maintain? This workshop is designed to give you feedback about your existing Web site from other photographers and the instructor. We’ll review principles of good site design, talk about how to streamline your workflow, and dissect what makes other photography-related Web sites work well. (Limit 8)

Date: Saturday, September 16
1–5 p.m. (4 hours)
Course fee: $90
Enroll by 9/1: $80
Class ID: 10515

Christopher Sims, who currently designs the CDS Web site, has coordinated the exhibitions and awards programs at CDS, as well as worked as a photo archivist at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He has a master’s degree in journalism from UNC–Chapel Hill and is currently a candidate for an MFA in Studio Art at the Maryland Institute College of Art. His photography project on Durham-based U.S. Army recruiters received a national fellowship from the Houston Center for Photography, was selected for PDN’s Photography Annual "Best Photography of the Year" in 2003, and was featured in the book American Photography 20, a collection edited by Kathy Ryan of the New York Times Magazine.



Alternative Process Workshop
Leah Sobsey

This course will explore a variety of historical and contemporary photographic processes. We will discuss Platinum Palladium printing, Vandyke printing, Albumen printing, and more, and we will do hands-on printing with negatives that participants bring to class. The hands-on techniques will be devoted to Cyanotype printing (blueprint), Polaroid Transfers and Lifts as well as Liquid Emulsion printing that can be painted on to any surface including paper, canvas, tile and stone. Step outside of the traditional silver gelatin print and explore the endless possibilities with alternative processes. You will need to bring your black-and-white negatives and color slides to the first class.

Date: Saturdays, September 16 & 23
12–4 PM (8 hours)
Materials fee: $35 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $175
Enroll by 9/1: $160
Class ID: 10516

Leah Sobsey is an artist and educator. She received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001 and completed the Resident Certificate Program at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1997. Her work has been exhibited widely and is in private collections across the country. She has taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, Duke University, the Maine Photographic Workshops, and currently teaches at UNC–Greensboro.



High Speed Infrared: A Photography Workshop
G. Douglas Vuncannon

Expect surprising results when using Kodak’s high-speed infrared black-and-white film. This two-part workshop will offer an introduction to the film’s history and technical applications, as well as an explanation of its ability to render otherworldly tonalities. Some previous photographic experience is helpful but not required. Required equipment: a 35mm camera and 25A red filter.

Date: Saturdays, September 16–23
2–4 p.m. (4 hours)
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $90
Enroll by 9/1: $80

G. Douglas Vuncannon is a visual artist and composer who has worked as a freelance photographer and writer since 1995. His short documentary films have screened at numerous film festivals in the United States and Canada. In 2000, the Durham Arts Council awarded him an Emerging Artist Grant. His photography and writings have appeared in the Independent Weekly, and he is currently working on a documentary project made possible by a grant from Duke University’s Freewater Productions.



Legal Issues for Photographers
Daniel Ellison

This course will provide an introduction to copyright issues specifically of concern to photographers. Who owns the rights to your photographs? Who owns the rights to archival and other old photographs? The class will also discuss “rights of publicity” and “rights of privacy.” A variety of release forms and other contracts will be reviewed. Students will be expected to bring in samples of their own photographs for discussion of their work and their work process.

Date: Saturday, October 14
9 a.m.–2 p.m. (4 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $90
Enroll by 9/29: $80
Class ID: 10518

Daniel Ellison is an attorney in private practice in Durham. He has been working with artists and nonprofit arts organizations for over 20 years. A long-time supporter of the Center for Documentary Studies, he is a frequent speaker and writer on a variety of arts law issues. He is a past president (and executive director) of the North Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and former chair of the North Carolina State Bar Association’s Arts Law Committee. He developed Durham Arts Place, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary of providing affordable artist studio spaces.



One-on-One Photography Critique
Leah Sobsey

This course is designed for students who wish to meet one-on-one for individual feedback. Individuals will meet for one hour every other week over for a total of three individual critiques. This is a very personalized and specific approach to looking at your work and pushing you in the right direction whether you are in the beginning, middle or end of a project.

Date: Mon/Wed. October 30–November 29
5–8 p.m. (3 hours)
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $135
Enroll by: 10/16 $120
Class ID: 10520

Leah Sobsey is an artist and educator. She received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2001 and completed the Resident Certificate Program at the Maine Photographic Workshops in 1997. Her work has been exhibited widely and is in private collections across the country. She has taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, Duke University, the Maine Photographic Workshops, and currently teaches at UNC–Greensboro.



Portraits and Dreams: Literacy Through Photography Workshop
Wendy Ewald and Denise Friesen

Discover the program created by photographer and teacher Wendy Ewald that encourages students to explore their world through photography. This workshop instructs teachers how to use photography and writing as a tool for increasing students’ critical thinking, self-expression and personal involvement in school. By linking picture making, writing, and critical thinking, this workshop will help teachers make connections across the curriculum. Teachers will use photography to investigate self-portraiture and dreams, learn about Ewald’s collaborations with children around the world, and plan a project to implement in their classrooms.

Date: Thursday/Friday, October 12 & 13
9 a.m.–4 p.m. (12 hours)
Course fee: $285
Enroll by 9/28: $265
Class ID: 10519

Denise Friesen is Literacy Through Photography’s Assistant Director for Education and a Lecturing Fellow with Dukes Program in Education. Friesen oversees the LTP program in the Durham Public Schools, leads LTP workshops, and teaches an undergraduate course with Wendy Ewald. Before coming to work at the Center for Documentary Studies, she taught for eight years in the Durham Public Schools where she implemented numerous LTP projects and earned her National Board Certification in Middle Childhood Education.

Wendy Ewald, who has worked with children in many countries and in various communities within the United States, is the creative director of the Literacy Through Photography program at the Center for Documentary Studies. She has received numerous awards for her work with children and photography, among them fellowships from the Fulbright Commission and the MacArthur Foundation. Ewald has written nine books, most recently American Alphabets.

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Untitled, from the series Raising Helana. Photograph by Lissa Gotwals, from her project for the continuing studies course Final Project Seminar in Documentary Studies. Gotwals's work from this series was published in issue 03 of Blueeyes Magazine.