Mining Your Archive: Identifying Personal Series (Sep 18-Oct 16)
Dates: September 18 - October 16, 2025
Meetings: Thursdays, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM CST (5 sessions)
Location: Online Zoom Classroom
Cost: $465 (HCP members can receive a 10% discount)
Instructor: Violette Bule
Skill Level: Intermediate
Do your photographic archives feel big and extensive, not only technically on your computer or in the virtual space but also in your brain? Some creative processes are based on careful review and editing of existing images instead of the photography of new ones. This course focuses on the artistic decisions related to utilizing photographs that have long been stored in your archive, holding on to meaningful old images of life’s most valuable moments. Students will maximize the potential of their photographic archives as they learn how to “mine” important imagery, potentially leading to creating new projects waiting to be discovered and developed. Participants will identify and conceptualize new series based on their existing imagery, which they will continue to develop by creating and adding new photographs. Students’ work-in-process and perspectives will develop through class critiques, sharing various points of view, and reviewing relevant work of contemporary image makers.
Objectives:
Expand your artistic background by reviewing historical references
Consider how you present and characterize your archive
Understand how to read images that can encapsulate whole stories
Learn how to build narratives using theory and symbolism
Acquire basic skills and techniques for editing your photographs
Discuss options for managing your storage environment
Develop your artistic language and personal style
Prerequisites:
Photography I or being comfortable using your DSLR or mirrorless camera in Manual mode.
Course Prep:
Students must submit 12 images for review and come ready to share their learning expectations in this course.
Dates: September 18 - October 16, 2025
Meetings: Thursdays, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM CST (5 sessions)
Location: Online Zoom Classroom
Cost: $465 (HCP members can receive a 10% discount)
Instructor: Violette Bule
Skill Level: Intermediate
Do your photographic archives feel big and extensive, not only technically on your computer or in the virtual space but also in your brain? Some creative processes are based on careful review and editing of existing images instead of the photography of new ones. This course focuses on the artistic decisions related to utilizing photographs that have long been stored in your archive, holding on to meaningful old images of life’s most valuable moments. Students will maximize the potential of their photographic archives as they learn how to “mine” important imagery, potentially leading to creating new projects waiting to be discovered and developed. Participants will identify and conceptualize new series based on their existing imagery, which they will continue to develop by creating and adding new photographs. Students’ work-in-process and perspectives will develop through class critiques, sharing various points of view, and reviewing relevant work of contemporary image makers.
Objectives:
Expand your artistic background by reviewing historical references
Consider how you present and characterize your archive
Understand how to read images that can encapsulate whole stories
Learn how to build narratives using theory and symbolism
Acquire basic skills and techniques for editing your photographs
Discuss options for managing your storage environment
Develop your artistic language and personal style
Prerequisites:
Photography I or being comfortable using your DSLR or mirrorless camera in Manual mode.
Course Prep:
Students must submit 12 images for review and come ready to share their learning expectations in this course.
Dates: September 18 - October 16, 2025
Meetings: Thursdays, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM CST (5 sessions)
Location: Online Zoom Classroom
Cost: $465 (HCP members can receive a 10% discount)
Instructor: Violette Bule
Skill Level: Intermediate
Do your photographic archives feel big and extensive, not only technically on your computer or in the virtual space but also in your brain? Some creative processes are based on careful review and editing of existing images instead of the photography of new ones. This course focuses on the artistic decisions related to utilizing photographs that have long been stored in your archive, holding on to meaningful old images of life’s most valuable moments. Students will maximize the potential of their photographic archives as they learn how to “mine” important imagery, potentially leading to creating new projects waiting to be discovered and developed. Participants will identify and conceptualize new series based on their existing imagery, which they will continue to develop by creating and adding new photographs. Students’ work-in-process and perspectives will develop through class critiques, sharing various points of view, and reviewing relevant work of contemporary image makers.
Objectives:
Expand your artistic background by reviewing historical references
Consider how you present and characterize your archive
Understand how to read images that can encapsulate whole stories
Learn how to build narratives using theory and symbolism
Acquire basic skills and techniques for editing your photographs
Discuss options for managing your storage environment
Develop your artistic language and personal style
Prerequisites:
Photography I or being comfortable using your DSLR or mirrorless camera in Manual mode.
Course Prep:
Students must submit 12 images for review and come ready to share their learning expectations in this course.
Images:
Violette Bule, La manicurista Muñoz (2010), from the series “Caracas Emmental”
Violette Bule, Dream America (2015), from the series “Dream America”
Violette Bule, In Guns We Trust (2015), from the series “Dream America”
