Books
Documentary Photography Reconsidered: History, Theory and Practice
Documentary photography is undergoing an unprecedented transformation as it adapts to the impact of digital technology, social media and new distribution methods. In this book, photographer and educator Michelle Bogre contextualizes these changes by offering a historical, theoretical and practical perspective on documentary photography from its inception to the present day.
Documentary Photography Reconsidered is structured around key concepts, such as the photograph as witness, as evidence, as memory, as narrative and as a vehicle for activism and social change.
Chapters include in-depth interviews with some of the world's leading contemporary practitioners, demonstrating the wide variety of different working styles, techniques and topics available to new photographers entering the field. Every key concept is illustrated with work from a range of innovative, influential and often under-represented photographers, giving a flavor of the depth and range of projects from the history of this global art form. There are also creative projects designed to spark ideas and build skills, to help you conceive, develop and produce your own meaningful documentary projects
Photography 4.0: A Teaching Guide for the 21st Century
An invaluable resource for photography educators, this volume is a survey of photographic education in the first decade of the 21st Century. Drawing upon her 25 years of teaching experience and her professional network, Michelle Bogre spoke with 47 photo educators from all over the world to compile this diverse set of interviews. The themes of these conversations explore:
Why students should study photography
The value of a formal photography degree
Teaching philosophies
Whether video and multimedia should be an essential part of a photographic curricula
The challenges of teaching photography today
Changes in photographic education overall
The second half of the book shares 70 photography assignments of varying level of difficulty from these educators, some paired with examples of how students completed them.
This book will inspire and invigorate any photography educator’s curriculum.
Photography as activism: Images for Social Change
In Photography as Activism, Michelle Bogre discusses the philosophy and history of how activists and social reformers have used the camera as a research tool and instrument for social reform. Beginning with the invention of the camera, the book traces the earliest instances of photographic activism through to today’s emerging practices, profiling the most prominent activists of their time and their legendary images. She includes in depth interviews with contemporary photographer activists, including Eugene Richards, Marcus Bleasdale, Tom Stoddart, Jonathan Torgovnik, Edward Kashi, Brent Stirton, Stephen Dupont and Walter Astrada.
With a resource section that includes an appendix featuring additional websites, magazines, galleries, festivals, foundations, grants, and advice for the budding activist, this book is not only a comprehensive study of activist photography, but also a call to action for photographers with a cause.