MDIA 3336 - The Digital Image

Every time we take a photo, peruse social media, or scroll Netflix, we see and use digital images. What makes us look and keep looking? How are these images affecting us? What role does context and culture play in the meanings the images generate? This course unites theoretical perspectives and understandings of the digital image with media analysis, critical and creative thinking, photography workshops, and reflective practice to encourage you to consider the specific challenges and opportunities of digital technology and culture. We will examine key media texts, technologies, and examples of the intersection between visuality and the digital. Using smart phones and digital cameras, this course encourages you to become a mobile and dynamic photographer. You will become a critically reflective practitioner and develop your technical and professional photography skills while also learning about digital culture, ethical practices, and the contemporary media ecology. We will consider emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, non-fungible tokens, and crypto, as well as Instagram filters, selfies, and archiving.