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Photography Capstone Project
  • Level Professional
  • Duration 21 hours
  • Course by Michigan State University
  • Offered by

About

The Capstone Project is your opportunity to take advantage of the knowledge you have gained through our journey in learning about photography, to develop a meaningful project of 10 well formed photographs based in your passion for artistic expression, or a subject for documentary exploration, insightful portraiture, imaging for work-related subjects, or some other aspect of photography. We are confident that it will be a project that you will be excited to share with fellow Learners. You should plan on spending more time on this Course per week than any other in this Specialization, and much of it will be in making photographs. During the entire period of development, you and your fellow learners will be supporting each other as you work independently, by sharing your work-in-progress from the initial Project Plan to the final Portfolio. At each stage, all Learners will share comments and suggestions with each other, helping each other to gauge progress and to learn about different approaches to photography and content. By expressing your own ideas and expectations about quality in response to the work of others, you will be forming your own criteria of excellence as well. Along the way there will be multiple opportunities for sharing pictures and ideas through carefully designed Peer Review. This sharing of photographs and comments with peers, and reflecting on their comments about your photos, will be an exciting learning experience that will help you grow in understanding your own photography and that of others. Your contribution of comments to fellow Learners will not only help them understand their photographs better, but it will give you an opportunity to use the vocabulary of terms that are related to techniques, design principles, and content approaches that you have learned through your success in each of the previous Modules. A unique aspect of this Specialization is that everyone who completes the requirements will receive, in addition to their Certificate of Specialization from Michigan State University, access to substantial discounts on equipment, accessories, and membership benefits through Industry Partners from among the premier manufacturers of photography equipment and related items: Fracture, Gary Fong, Gyst, Lensbaby, LensPen, Lume Cube Lighting, Photo District News, PhotoVideoEdu, Think Tank Cases/Bags.

Modules

Defining and Launching your Capstone Project

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Project Plan Statement Initiation

1 Discussions

  • Introductory Assignment: We are in this together!

4 Videos

  • Planning and starting your Capstone Project
  • Baker Woodlot Series: A failed plan but a successful ending
  • Photographing Light Itself:-U-Turn
  • Lesson Review: "Making not Taking Photographs," from Course 3

1 Readings

  • The Capstone is a Journey, not a Race!

Projects look like this.

    • 3 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Project Plan Statement Revision, and First Photographs

3 Videos

  • Lesson Review: "Responding to Photographs," from Course One
  • Analyzing the MSU Student project by Amy Davis
  • Analyzing the MSU student project by Haley Kooistra

2 Readings

  • MSU Student Photographer's Statements: Amy Davis and Haley Kooistra
  • A Sample Review of a Photograph - Mark

Balance in Compositional and Conceptual Terms

    • 4 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • My Critique of a Professional's Picture

4 Videos

  • What is a "critique?"
  • Analyzing the MSU Student Project by Dennis Kennedy
  • Analyzing the MSU Student Project by Lauren Nalepa
  • Lesson Review: "Composition is a 'Map,' Balance is bike riding," from Course 3

2 Readings

  • MSU Student Photographer's Statements: Lauren Nalepa and Dennis Kennedy
  • The Critique/Review

Hump Week

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Critique Practice Quiz

1 Peer Review

  • Midterm Project Progress: words and 10 pictures

4 Videos

  • Midterm Peer Review Process
  • Mark discusses the development of his Cuba photography projects - past, the present, and the future
  • Peter discusses the development of his photography project: Flora, Fauna, Florida
  • Lesson Review: Working a Scene from Course One

1 Readings

  • Capstone Success Tips from Previous Learners!

Getting ready to be ready to finish your project!

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • One Statement, Three Questions, Three Pictures

1 Discussions

  • Critiquing an unsuccessful picture.

1 Videos

  • The Photographer's Statement: from ideas to pictures to questions and answers

1 Readings

  • The Photographer's Project Statement: www.gyst-ink.com

Statements, Questions, and Answers

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • MY Draft Statement, and my BEST picture so far!

2 Videos

  • PETER discusses 2 different statements he wrote for 2 different projects.
  • MARK - Examples of Project and Artist Statements

1 Readings

  • Peter's 2 Statements, each created to address different audiences and very different projects

How It Works: Sharing Capstone Projects

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Checklist Quiz: Posting Project Pictures

1 Videos

  • Our 2-part process for Capstone Project review

Where you have been, where you are now, where you are going next.

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Capstone Project Peer Review

1 Discussions

  • FINAL ACTIVITY! How MY photography will be improved from things I learned from YOUR photography!

1 Videos

  • Go Beyond! a final lecture from Peter and Mark

3 Readings

  • Photography Competition Exhibits Questions
  • Reading: Books to Go Beyond With!
  • LINKS to Book and Competition sites

Auto Summary

The Photography Capstone Project is a professional-level course offered on Coursera, focusing on Arts & Humanities. Led by Michigan State University, this course enables learners to create a portfolio of 10 meaningful photographs, exploring artistic expression or documentary subjects. It emphasizes peer collaboration, feedback, and the development of personal criteria for excellence. The course spans 1260 hours and offers Starter, Professional, and Paid subscription options. Ideal for passionate photographers seeking to refine their skills and gain valuable industry discounts upon completion.

Peter Glendinning
Instructors

Peter Glendinning

Mark Valentine Sullivan
Instructors

Mark Valentine Sullivan