Enrollment options
Optional Print Course Material: Photography: Clues Pictures Hold, Editing, Digitizing and Various Projects
*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so photographs are an integral part of telling a story. This course is designed to help students use and identify photographs to document their family history. Students are encouraged to apply the methods in this course to make the best use of their own family photos and/or those of their genealogy clients.
Assignments will focus on practical applications of methods
using photographs. Students will learn ways to obtain family
photographs, archive them physically and digitally, determine the
photographic processes used, date the photographs, and identify
people and other details in the images.
Although this course is part of the Professional
Development Certificate program, it is suitable for those with a
general interest in family photographs.
Course Length: 9 weeks
MODULE 1
INTRODUCTION
Finding Family Photographs
Handling Photographs
Storing Photographs
Digitizing Old Photographs
MODULE 2
A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES
History of Photography
Photographic Processes
MODULE 3
ANALYZING THE PHOTOGRAPH CONTENT
Provenance
Where was the photograph found?
How & when was the photograph taken?
Who took the photograph & where?
Who is in the photograph?
What is in the photograph?
Why was the photograph taken?
Post-Mortem Photography
MODULE 4
DATE PHOTOGRAPHS USING CLOTHING STYLES, 1839-1950s
Analyzing Clothing in Photographs
How People Use Clothing
Women’s Clothing
Men’s Clothing
Asian Clothing
African-American Clothing
Native American Clothing
Military Uniforms
Children’s Clothing
MODULE 5
DATING PHOTOGRAPHS USING HAIRSTYLES, 1839-1950s
Hairstyles
Women’s Hairstyles
Men’s Hairstyles
Children’s Hairstyles
MODULE 6
IDENTIFYING FACES IN PHOTOGRAPHS & ARTISTIC RENDERINGS
Identifying People in Photographs
Face Recognition Software
Face Analysis
Observation Techniques
MODULE 7
IDENTIFYING PEOPLE IN PHOTOGRAPHS BASED ON WRITTEN DESCRIPTIONS
Where Can Descriptions Be Found?
Problems with Descriptions
Variations in Descriptions
Descriptions of Appearance
Descriptions of Personality
Obtaining Written Descriptions
MODULE 8
PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES GENEALOGISTS CAN PROVIDE
Photography-Related Services
Identification of Faces & Events
Archiving Images
Digitizing Photographs & Documents
Digitizing & Editing Home Movies
Digital Restoration
Photography & Scanning