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








Required Courses

Seminar in Documentary Studies
Michelle Lanier Segbefia
Class ID: 9964

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. (Limit 18)

Michelle L. Segbefia 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.

8 Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
1/24/2006–3/14/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 1/17: $195






Writing

A World of Words: Writing from a Documentary Perspective
Chris Massenburg
Class ID: 9979

Writing is more than just text on a page, and is as creative and expressive as your imagination. When you think of documentary work, do you think of creative writing? Do you write, work with photos, video, audio, or are you new to documentary work? In this course, we will discuss the different ways writing can be used as a documentary tool. From oral histories and narratives to poetry, this course examines the possibilities of including creative writing and other forms of written expression to convey your ideas. We’ll discuss the development of stories from images and explore a nonlinear approach to storytelling. We will examine how to convey your work to others, from visual presentation to performance. Regardless of your background, you will find new uses for writing in your documentary work. You will also complete work that may be presented individually or included in an ongoing documentary project. No class 2/13. (Limit 18)

Chris Massenburg, better known as Dasan Ahanu, is a public speaker, organizer, workshop facilitator, poet, spoken word performer, and writer. He has been a featured performer for many poetry, jazz, and cultural events; worked as an organizer on such issues as war, social injustice, workers rights, and sexism; taught with the Center for Documentary Studies after-school and summer programs; and developed and implemented a special documentary arts curriculum for at-risk/court-involved youth.

8 Mondays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
1/16/2006–3/13/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 1/9: $195






Audio

ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS

The Audio Postcard Workshop
Jennifer Deer
Class ID: 10069

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. (Limit 10)

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.

1 Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (6 hours, with one-hour lunch break)
2/25/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $95
Enroll by 2/17: $80



Reality Radio
Jennifer Deer
Class ID: 10070

This is an experiment, and as such, it should be a blast. Take a break from “edit, edit, and edit some more,” to delve into audio as a “real-time” medium. Audio is not just an ideal tool for documentary work, for capturing reality; it can be a means of creating real-time narratives as well. We will spend the morning listening to sample work and talking about what it means to create an audio piece in real time, no editing involved. We’ll then split into groups and put our theories to the test of “reality radio.” This workshop is open to all levels. If you own recording equipment, bring it (don’t forget extra batteries and mini-discs). If not, you can pair up with someone who does. Half-hour lunch break. (Limit 12)

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.

1 Saturday, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (6 hours, with half-hour lunch break)
3/25/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $95
Enroll by 3/17: $80



MULTI-WEEK COURSE

Make that Audio Doc: Introduction to Sound Recording and Digital Mixing
Paul Overton
Class ID: 9972

You’ve got the recorder and the inspiration and now you’re ready for some hands-on help. During this course you’ll produce your own short audio documentary using your own recorded sound. You will learn the basics of recording, interviewing, and editing using digital editing software. We’ll cover the process from beginning to end—from microphone placement to choosing the right interview setting, from loading your audio and organizing your tracks to creating the perfect cross-fade and incorporating sound and music into your piece. You’ll need to come to class with your own recorder (mini-disc, DAT, cassette), microphone, headphones, and tapes/discs. For great advice on equipment, go to transom.org and look under “tools.” You will have access to a digital editing studio in which to practice and complete class assignments. (Limit 12)

Paul Overton is an independent producer living in Durham, with his girlfriend, two dogs, and his tape recorder. He 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.

8 Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
1/17/200–3/7/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 1/10: $230






Video


ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS

The First 8 Minutes: Final Cut Express Basics
Erika Simon

Learn how to capture video footage in the computer for editing, as well as how to assemble a sequence of clips in the order in which you want them to appear. Add titles and credits, dissolve to black, and output your edited piece to mini-DV. This packed, hands-on, demonstration-driven workshop cuts to the chase and prepares you to edit your shooting assignments with confidence for video classes offered at the Center for Documentary Studies. Comfort with basic computer skills is required. (Limit 12)

NOTE: Students must bring a camcorder with DV in/out capability, power cord, and instruction booklet; a mini-DV tape with four minutes of footage; and a blank mini-DV tape (for outputting edited work). Please contact instructor prior to workshop for more details at simon_erika@yahoo.com.

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, where she earned an M.A. in Communication Studies.

Section 1–Class ID: 9980
1 Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (6 hours, with one-hour lunch break)
2/4/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 1/27: $195

Section 2–Class ID: 9982
1 Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (6 hours, with one-hour lunch break)
4/8/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 3/31: $195


Super 8 Workshop
Jim Haverkamp
Class ID: 10067

In this era of digital video, Super 8 film is a format often overlooked as a production choice. By far the cheapest way to shoot film (about $25 per three-minute cartridge), Super 8 offers a unique look and feel that expands the visual palette of digital video. In this workshop we’ll explore the basics of Super 8, including its history and technical details. Students will learn how to choose a camera, tell the differences between film and video, transfer film to video, and much more. Students will shoot their own roll of Super 8 as a production exercise. Students are highly encouraged to provide their own Super 8 camera, as only a limited number of cameras will be available for use at the workshop. (Limit 12)

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.

1 Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (6 hours, with one-hour lunch break)
2/25/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 2/17: $195



MULTI-WEEK COURSES

Directing Your Documentary Film: Making Choices
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 9975

Making documentary films is more than pointing your camera at a subject, recording an event, or conveying interesting information. Your film will be a historical document that not only tells the story of your subject but also reflects you as an artist. Directing your film means making difficult choices: from initial story concept to your first screening. These choices, similar to those made by narrative fiction filmmakers, involve the range of available tools and techniques. Use this course to prepare for the choices you will make about how best to tell your story, design your production, develop your aesthetic, and capture your story on film. Through viewing selected film clips, readings, in-class production instruction, and weekly assignments, you will gain an understanding of the art of directing a documentary film while developing the skills you’ll need to fulfill your vision. By the end of the term, you will be expected to complete a “mini-documentary” of approximately two to three minutes in length, combining all of the methods and techniques learned in the course. You will need access to a video camera and a tripod.

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and of 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 (NC Visions), and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

8 Thursdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
2/2/2006–3/23/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $230
Enroll by 1/26: $210



Advanced Video Project Workshop
Simone Keith
Class ID: 9977

This advanced workshop is for students currently working on a documentary video who would like instructor and peer support to move to the next level of 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 instructor, students will explore narrative strategies and receive technical and creative guidance.

This course will be offered by different filmmakers each term to provide the opportunity for receiving multiple perspectives on students’ work. This course may be taken more than once for credit toward the Certificate in Documentary Studies and is appropriate for anyone working in short- or long-form video documentary.

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."

8 Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
2/7/2006–3/14/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $325
Enroll by 1/31: $300



Documentary Video Production: Planning the Project, Getting the Shots
Chris Potter
Class ID: 10089

Have the footage you need when you sit down to edit your video 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. We will watch video clips that illustrate the techniques, try them out in class, and look at each other’s homework.

NOTE: Please bring a camcorder and tripod to class. (Limit 12)

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.

6 Wednesdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m. (18 hours)
2/15/2006–3/22/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $230
Enroll by 2/8: $210



Intermediate Documentary Video Editing: Final Cut Pro
Simone Keith
Class ID: 9973

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. Film screenings and print materials will be used to fuel creativity. Students will be encouraged to share their weekly editing assignments in class and provide constructive feedback to their peers. Basic Final Cut Pro skills required. (Limit 12)

NOTE: Students must have use of a portable FireWire hard drive. First thirty minutes of class time is optional.

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."

8 Mondays, 6:30 –9 p.m. (20 hours)
2/6/2006 - 3/27/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $270
Enroll by 1/30: $250
Text: Required: In the Blink of an Eye, by Walter Murch; Suggested: Final Cut Pro 4 for Dummies, both available at the Regulator Bookshop



Telling Your Story: Placing Yourself in the Documentary Film Tradition
Randolph Benson
Class ID: 9978

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 discussion, 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. (Limit 18)

Randolph Benson is a graduate of Wake Forest University and of 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 (NC Visions), and Telewizja Polska S.A.- Poland, and received an Eastman Kodak Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the Cannes Film Festival.

8 Tuesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
2/7/2006–3/28/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $210
Enroll by 1/31: $195



The Five-Minute Documentary
Jim Haverkamp
Class ID: 10066

The short documentary form presents a host of challenges and a wealth of opportunities for film and videomakers of all experience levels. Shorts, whether ends in themselves or sketches for longer works, force their makers to sharpen their focus, distill essential details, and experiment with structure in order to tell their stories economically and vividly. This course will expose you to a wide range of documentary works of roughly five minutes or less. You will then work individually or in teams to 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. (Limit 12)

NOTE: Working knowledge of Final Cut Pro is required. Students must provide their own video cameras and tape stock. Super 8 cameras will be available for use by students who complete appropriate training.

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 shown 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.

8 Wednesdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
2/8/2006–3/22/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $10 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $270
Enroll by 2/1: $250



Visual Storytelling 2: The Personal Documentary
Nancy Kalow, Erika Simon
Class ID: 10065

Use your camcorder to produce a layered and resonant personal documentary. First-person narratives, family stories, or personal journeys can be rendered cinematically and meaningfully using digital tools. We will examine cinematic and structural building blocks such as narration voice-overs, interview footage, music, photographs, found images, text, and home movies. Projects will be planned and screened in a friendly setting throughout the course. Expect a heavy workload. Prior camcorder and digital editing experience suggested to get the most out of the class. (Limit 12)

Nancy Kalow is a folklorist, filmmaker, and documentarian of communities and cultural expression. Some of her video work can be viewed for free at Folkstreams, the Web site for films on American vernacular and folk culture. 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, where she earned an M.A. in Communication Studies.

8 Thursdays, 7–9 p.m. (16 hours)
2/2/2006–3/30/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $250
Enroll by 1/26: $230





Photography


TWO-DAY WORKSHOPS

Alternative Processing
Leah Sobsey
Class ID: 9967

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 students bring to class. The hands-on techniques will be devoted to Cyanotype printing (blueprint), Polaroid transfers and lifts as well as liquid emulsion printing, which can be painted onto 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. (Limit 12)

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.

2 Saturdays, 12–4 p.m. (8 hours)
1/21/2006–1/28/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $30 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $140
Enroll by 1/16: $125



High-Speed Infrared: A Photography Workshop
G. Douglas Vuncannon
Class ID: 10068

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. At the first session, we’ll discuss technical matters such as focus, exposure, processing, filtration, film handling, and printing. Strategies for using this somewhat unpredictable film on documentary projects will also be suggested. In the week between workshops, students will expose a roll of infrared film and have the opportunity to share their results during the second session. Some previous photographic experience is helpful but not required. Equipment: a 35mm camera and 25A red filter. A tripod is suggested but not required. (The 25A red filter is not required for the first session but will be needed when exposing the film.)

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 festival 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.

2 Saturdays, 2–4 p.m. (4 hours)
3/18/2006–3/25/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $155
Enroll by 3/10: $140



Literacy Through Photography Basic Workshop
Katie Hyde, Denise Friesen
Class ID: 10083

This Literacy Through Photography (LTP) workshop is open to anyone with a desire to learn how to bring together photography and writing. Educators, artists, community workers, and researchers have adapted LTP methodologies in communities and schools around the world. This workshop is a wonderful opportunity to engage photography as an art form and educational medium; a mode of self-exploration; a way to connect visual literacy to verbal and written communication; and a tool to facilitate community dialogue.

Participants will receive hands-on instruction as they carry out assignments based on two of LTP’s core themes: self-portrait and community. Sessions will focus on learning technical skills, viewing photographs, completing writing and photography exercises, and developing curricula. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss their own ideas for future projects. (Limit 20)

NOTE: Participants will be provided with Polaroid cameras for use during the workshop. Digital formats will NOT be supported for this workshop.

Katie Hyde has been involved with the Literacy Through Photography program at the Center for Documentary Studies since 1998. She currently directs the LTP program and travels nationally to teach LTP workshops at major museums, schools, and with community organizations. She earned her doctorate in sociology at North Carolina State University and teaches at Duke undergraduate course in visual sociology at CDS.

Denise Friesen is Literacy Through Photography’s Associate Director for Education and a Lecturing Fellow with Duke’s Program in Education. She oversees the LTP program in the Durham Public Schools, leads LTP workshops, and teaches an LTP undergraduate course with Wendy Ewald at Duke. 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.

Friday, Saturday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (12 hours, with one-hour lunch break each day)
3/24/2006–3/25/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $0 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $285
Enroll by 3/17: $265



MULTI-WEEK COURSES

Legal Issues for Photographers
Daniel Ellison
Class ID: 10036

This course will provide an overview of legal issues affecting photographers. The course will include readings on and discussion of copyright law, privacy issues, rights of publicity, and contracts. Various release forms will be reviewed and discussed. Students will be encouraged to share their work and current projects with the class in order to discuss the specific legal issues relating to their work. (Limit 18)

Daniel Ellison is an attorney and photographer in Durham. He has worked with artists and arts organizations, advising them on legal issues, for the past twenty years. As executive director of the North Carolina Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, he is a frequent speaker on a variety of arts law topics and has a special interest in legal issues for photographers. He has been on the board of numerous arts organizations and is currently vice-chairperson of the North Carolina Central University Art Museum. Ten years ago he developed Durham Arts Place, a renovated building in downtown Durham that continues to provide affordable artist studio space.

8 Tuesdays, 6:30–8:30 p.m. (16 hours)
1/24/2006–3/14/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $235
Enroll by 1/17: $215



Advanced Photography Project Workshop
Susie Post Rust
Class ID: 9969

This advanced workshop is intended to deepen a student’s engagement with specific projects or specific 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. A focus of this term’s course will be learning what it takes to exhibit photography work in commercial galleries, alternative spaces, museums, and not-for-profit spaces; understanding which grants, fellowships, scholarships, and artist’s residencies are most relevant for your work and how to streamline the time it takes to apply for such opportunities; and whether an internship and/or graduate school is right for you at this time. This course may be taken more than once for credit toward the Certificate in Documentary Studies. (Limit 6)

Susie Post Rust is a veteran magazine and newspaper photojournalist who has spent the last two decades documenting the lives of people in more than twenty countries. For more than ten years she worked for National Geographic magazine, while also contributing to Life, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, and the New York Times, as well as nonprofit charity groups, including World Vision, the North Carolina Food Bank, Food for the Hungry, and Compassion International. She has an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia and a BSBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1986 she was honored with the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Coverage of the Disadvantaged in recognition of her photographic essay “Jerry: A Troubled Mind,” the story of one man’s battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

6 Saturdays, 9–11:30 a.m. (15 hours)
2/4/2006–3/11/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $15 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $325
Enroll by 1/27: $300



Documentary Photography as Fine Art
G. Douglas Vuncannon
Class ID: 9966

Where do documentary photography and “fine art” converge? And how does one come to terms with the statement, “Every photograph is a self-portrait”? 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. We will explore such themes, and encourage each participant to develop a personal thesis on documentary photography’s relationship to fine art. Through presentations and discussions, students will become familiar with the approaches of such photographers as Dorothea Lange, W. Eugene Smith, Walker Evans, Andre Kertész, and Mary Ellen Mark. Students will develop their own photographic vision through weekly assignments and have the opportunity to share their work during classroom critiques. During the fifth week of class, students will meet with the instructor in individually scheduled meetings. (Limit 12)

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.

7 Mondays, 6:30–9 p.m. (15 hours)
2/6/2006–3/20/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $235
Enroll by 1/30: $215



Fundamentals of Documentary Photography
Ava Johnson
Class ID: 9965

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. (Limit 15)

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.

6 Wednesdays, 6–9 p.m. (18 hours)
2/8/2006–3/29/2006
Center for Documentary Studies
Materials fee: $5 (exact amount due at first class)
Course fee: $235
Enroll by 2/1: $215

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

Fall 2005

Spring/Summer 2005

Winter 2005

Fall 2004