APPENDIX A:
DEFINITION OF TERMS

In the Introduction to this text I recommend choosing a topic to research and photograph. There are many ways of working in photography, and the following terms should help to inspire and clarify some of them.

THREE MODES OF WORKING

1. Series: A grouping of images which stand alone but, when viewed as a group add dimension to the statement made by any single image.

2. Sequence: A grouping of images which must be viewed as a group in order to understand the statement being made. Nicholas Nixon’s The Brown Sisters is an amazing example of a sequence whose structure stretches over decades.

3. Narrative: A sequence which tells a story. Like most stories, photographic sequences have a beginning, middle, and end. Artist Duane Michals is famous for his narrative sequences, perhaps most notably Things are Queer.

FIVE TYPES OF IMAGES

1. Mixed Media: Any artwork in which more than one medium is used. Mixed media works tend to include media which are traditionally viewed as discrete; for example, an image that combines a photograph, ink, and objects embedded in gesso.

2. Multimedia: A type of mixed media art that combines visual and non-visual elements (such as recorded sound, moving lights, etc.) or incorporates elements of the other arts (such as text or performance).

3. Collage: An image that combines various media in a single artwork.

4. Montage: An image that combines several images created using the same media into a single artwork.

5. Constructed Photography/Tableau/Diarama: These indicate that the scene was created for the camera.

INSTALLATION

• A work of art that is created for and tied to a specific environment.

• A series or sequence of images, mixed media, multimedia, or collage works installed in a gallery or other setting for the purpose of viewing.