Course Spotlight: ART 302 – The Still and Moving Image: Digital Photography and Video

Course Description: ART 302 – The Still and Moving Image: Digital Photography and Video

ART 302 dives further into digital photography while exploring a new element of the medium: video. The class examines the differences between still and moving images from the perspective of a still photographer.

Some of the questions the class tackles include: How does the addition of time, sound and movement affect the way we experience images? How have the histories of photography and cinema overlapped — and how are they different? How does the economic accessibility of video and film affect what people can create? How can photographers make engaging videos using their photo skills?

Students can look forward to creating video and still images while examining the intersections between the mediums.

Your instructor: Adriene Jenik

Adriene Jenik is an artist herself, and her portfolio is as diverse as it is extensive. Her work in computer and media art spans several decades and includes interactive cinema and live performance. Her artistic projects have straddled the borders between art, science, engineering and popular culture, taking the form of video shorts, television broadcasts and live theatrical performances. Jenik has experience in shooting still and video, graphic design, computer coding, writing, directing and interactive cinema — and she brings all of this experience to the class.

How you’ll learn

Through screenings, readings, discussions and practical assignments, you’ll learn about the history of film and its development through the use of photography. The class looks at early examples of film artistry, showcasing artists moving from working in the still space to exploring what happens when the camera and subjects are in motion. The course also places an emphasis on practice, with students making projects every week and critiquing each other's work.

“It’s fast-paced,” Jenik says, “but by the end, all of my students are so excited about the amount that they have learned.”

What makes the course special

In ART 302, students complete a wide range of unique assignments and expand their artistic horizons. For example, have you ever created a video portrait? In the class’ portraiture module, you’ll examine how a portrait changes when you incorporate motion into it.

“Students are encouraged to take risks, to be creative and to really think in ways that stretch their imagination,” Jenik says.

Jenik thinks ART 302 will open up a new world of possibilities for art students who have focused mainly on photography so far.

“It’s a whole new way to express themselves with their visual gifts,” she says. 

What you’ll get out of ART 302

Prepare to gain video experience, which Jenik believes should be part of any photographer’s skill set.

“For more than a century, photographic artists have been expanding into the moving image. In contemporary art practice, there’s less and less of a divide,” she says.

Plus, feedback from Jenik and your fellow students will help you develop your artistic skills.

“There’s a very diverse student body here at ASU Online — and you get to hear what all of them think,” she says.