Conversations on Photography: Reading Between the Lines of Susan Sontag's "On Photography" - Winter 2027

FACULTY Jake Nelson DATE / TIME February 9, 2027 | Tuesday 6-7pm, Online February 16 - March 2, 2027 | Tuesdays 6-9pm, In-person TUITION $150 Payment & Refund Policy Scholarship Opportunities FORMAT Hybrid; first session will be hosted online via live Zoom session, with remaining sessions hosted in-person at PCNW. Enrollment is limited to 12 participants. LEVEL Foundation PREREQS None; desire to dive deeply into critical analysis of photography and theory. To further foster community this Winter, we continue our Conversations on Photography series as a forum for exploring photography critically. In this multi-session dialog we will read and discuss Susan Sontag's 1977 collection of essays, On Photography. Together we will take a deep look into this seminal text and some of the cultural references that Sontag uses to weave together her, at times scathing, review of photography. Despite the text being 50 years old, many of Sontag’s key arguments remain pertinent today. Though we will thoroughly review and discuss readings and supplemental materials in session, students are expected to have completed readings and reviewed supplemental materials prior to each week’s meeting. There is no expectation that participants create photographic work in response to these essays, however anyone is welcome to bring in images or brief quotations that they feel have a place within the discussion of that week’s materials. Students will be given prompts and questions to help guide them through the materials and the group discussions. Students are required to have, or have access to, a physical copy of On Photography by Susan Sontag. New and used copies can be found online or in stores for under $20, and a copy is available in the PCNW library (titles in the PCNW library are reference-only). Students must have access to a computer or smartphone for the first meeting held via Zoom, and for access to supplemental materials. If this is a barrier, exceptions may be made for specific students, contact registrar@pcnw.org to discuss accommodations. Image © Harini Krishnamurthy, dual-toned print using selenium and sepia.