SPAO’s Concept Classes provide an invaluable opportunity to connect directly with renowned artists and explore four critical photographic genres: landscape/architecture, documentary, still life, and portraiture. 

The Documentary Concepts classes alternate between guest lectures by renowned documentary photographers and photo excursions in and around the Ottawa area. 

This ten-week masterclass will seek to define and frame documentary photography as a distinct genre, and will use contemporary documentary language to do so. Students will explore documentary sub-genres such as typology, street photography and editorial photographs. Hands-on experience will allow students to practice using in-camera flash in the style of photographers such as Diane Arbus, and will explore methods of visual storytelling through photographic techniques.