Art 1300 Photography Research Paper

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Art 1300 Photography 1 Some Research Paper Guidelines What is this paper “about”? You are writing your paper “about” the work of a photographer (exhibition, internet, book, etc.). You might want to read about the life and work of this photographer (if available), what other people have to say about her/his work, and what the photographer has to say about what s/he was trying to do. However, the most important thing is to focus on a group of photographs by this photographer (at least 5 or 6 works, probably not more than 8 or 10). Conducting Your Research Your research will cover both “primary” and “secondary” sources. What is the difference? * Primary sources include original materials related to your topic, such as images produced…show more content…
After initial reading and viewing, develop a focus for the topic. You can’t tell everything there is to tell about Diane Arbus or Paul Strand—or any other photographer you choose. So you will need to identify a central idea for your project, and then, in turn, determine what main points you need to cover. Remember that the object of the paper is to examine the photographer in the context of the history of photography as an art, and to do it by focusing on the work itself. So take notes as you study a group of images by this photographer: what themes, techniques, “looks,” (style) keep showing up? You must often decide on one particular period in the work of the photographer, or on one particular theme or type of picture from among all the pictures the photographer…show more content…
Make it easy on yourself (and do a better paper) by choosing a group of images that have some fairly obvious themes or material in common with each other. Often, you will get best results by focusing on images from one particular period of the photographer’s work. This is where the secondary sources can be very helpful: the critics often identify the different periods or styles that characterize a photographer. e. In one or more concluding paragraphs, be sure that you both summarize your findings about the topic and discuss the significance of the topic. This should be about a page long. 4. You must also provide citations to the sources you use and a list of references. You may use either APA or MLA style, whichever you are most familiar with, or whichever you use in most of your other classes. Here is a website that provides standards and examples to show you exactly how to do APA style:

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