As an educator, my ultimate aim is to support students in finding their own modes of expression while also collaborating with each other, fostering community through both individual and group feedback. Visual art is an important medium for building community and exploring worlds both internal and external. I am committed to making my classroom one in which students feel comfortable experimenting, while providing a sound base in which foundation skills are practiced to fluency.

The safety to experiment begins with developing a space in which students collectively develop an understanding. First and foremost, I approach teaching through a trauma-informed and individualized lens. By forming relationships with my students individually, I aim to understand their strengths and difficulties, and use these as a basis for constructing groups of students that function both within the classroom and outside of it. Through this process, a shared knowledge base forms and allows each student the opportunity to learn organically and ask questions of each other. Creating a group dynamic of open discussion strengthens not only their learning, but also allows me to grow and understand the needs of my students.

The making of photographs assists students in finding their artistic voices. Given the diverse tools with which one can experiment in the world of photography – photograms, analog and antique processes, and digital processes – it is a valuable discipline for both students concentrating in the medium and those experimenting with it outside of their own concentration. Being given the framework for use of photography allows for learners to find their own approach to creative pursuits. Each student is given the opportunity to practice multiple methods of photographic creation, whether these are conceptual approaches or technical ones, through exercises that encourage critical thinking and creative expression.

The most important aspects of my teaching include exposing learners to voices which are not always found in the canon of modernist photography, while also including important photographic touchstones for students to explore. By introducing students to at least two photographers from underrepresented minorities for each canonical photographer we discuss, and encouraging students to research photographers and other artists whose work they relate to, students in my classes develop a diverse roster of photographers from whom to draw influence. As a person of trans and queer experience, it is important to me that students feel comfortable expressing difference and are given the opportunity to see works by people with their shared identities.

Through active and thoughtful engagement with issues of diversity, and an ongoing commitment to self-education regarding cultural differences, my practice effectively avoids creating discomfort in the classroom for students who may also be underrepresented minorities in academia.

Introduction to Black and White
History and Aesthetics of Photography
Influencers and the Image

Grading Rubric for Creative Work

Color & The Lens
Color & Perception
Color & Affect

Influencers and the Image
Appropriation
Intervention and Inversion
Screen Lives

Darkroom Work

Digital Work

Video & Multimedia Work

2022-Present

History of Photography
(Taught Fall 2022 to present)
This course is an introductory survey of the history and aesthetics of photography from the early years of investigation to the present. Through lectures, group discussions, media presentations, museum visits, and research, the student will develop an understanding of the evolution of photography and how photography can be a medium of documentation, communication, and personal expression. This is not a studio/lab course.

Film & Darkroom
(Taught Spring 2023 to present)
Students develop a basic understanding of the manual 35mm film camera, black and white film processing and printing, while exploring the possibilities of black and white photography as a medium of fine art practice, visual communication, and personal expression. Students must provide a manually operated 35mm film camera.

Digital Photography
(Taught Fall 2023 to present)
Students will develop a basic understanding of the digital camera and current electronic imaging technology. The course will explore the use of the digital camera, storage media, imaging software, and printing techniques. While establishing technical skills, students will explore the possibilities of this medium for visual communication and personal expression. Students must provide a Digital SLR camera. Previous experience with photography and the computer is beneficial but not required. Minimum four to six hours of additional lab time each time will be necessary to complete the goals of the course. Additional expenses for textbook, storage mediums and printing paper will be incurred.

Special Projects
(Taught Spring 2024 to present)
Students must present a proposal for a project of advanced study. Also, they must have successfully completed all previous coursework in the subject area, and must meet with the appropriate instructor for approval before registering.

2024-present

Photo 1
Fall 2024 to present
This course provides an immersive introduction to the field of photography through digital tools. The emphasis is on basic camera exposure controls (ISO, shutter, aperture), lenses, visual photographic language, composition, and historic and contemporary artists. Students will utilize industry-standard applications for post-processing, workflow, and output methods, including printing.

2023

Lens & Time
(Taught Spring and Fall 2023, Spring 2025)
Students explore time- and lens-based artistic processes that use pictorial space, narrative strategies, sequence, sound, video, social practice, screen-based interaction, and coding.

2021-present

Black-And-White Film Photography 1
(8-week course, Fall 2024 & Spring 2025)
This introductory film photography course is suited for both total beginners and digital photographers ready to jump into analog. Students learn the fundamentals of black and white film photography: camera operation and settings, film exposure and development, and essential darkroom printing skills. Weekly assignments and lectures on historical and contemporary photography guide students in exploring the technical and aesthetic possibilities of photography. The majority of class time is devoted to working in the darkroom and building printing techniques.

Black-and-White Film Photography: From Camera to Darkroom
(Weekend Workshop, Winter 2023)
This weekend workshop immerses students in analog film photography, from the functions of the 35mm film camera to the magic of darkroom printing. On the first day, students learn how to use their 35mm cameras and properly expose and hand process film. On day two, students work in the darkroom, learn about contact sheets, negative enlargement, and print development. This course prepares students with a strong foundation for the course Black-and-White Film Photography I.

Photography I: The Camera
(5-Day intensive taught Winter 2023 & Winter 2025; 5-Week course taught Summer 2024; 7-week course planned Summer 2025)
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of digital photography. Students learn how to use their DSLR or mirrorless camera and control its settings, consider composition and visual strategies, and are introduced to organizing and editing images with Adobe Lightroom Classic software. Through photo assignments, lessons, and critique sessions, students explore both technical and aesthetic aspects of photography.

Photography II: Image and Workflow
(5-week course taught Summer 2024)
Students build upon the skills learned in Photography I, furthering their camera skills and making images with greater intention. The robust editing features and image management possibilities of Adobe Lightroom are explored in depth, helping students craft their personal style and vision. Printing from Lightroom is also introduced. Photo assignments, lessons, and critique sessions guide students in deepening their photographic knowledge.

Photography III: Project and Portfolio
(5-Week course taught Summer 2022)
With the strong foundation of Photography I and II, students advance their vision and create a cohesive set of images, as the basis of a final portfolio or project. They look at how photographers distribute their work, exploring a variety of output possibilities, from printing workflow, to web-based presentations, and book or zine publishing. The course covers historical and contemporary photographic practice, over a variety of genres, to support students as they pursue their personal vision.

Photoshop I: The Essentials
(10-Week course taught Fall 2021)
(5-Week online course taught Fall 2022 and Spring 2023)
Photoshop offers robust image editing possibilities, either on its own or in tandem with Lightroom. Students learn to navigate the Photoshop workspace, set it up for effective workflow, and explore the tools available to enhance their images. Class demonstrations and assignments guide students in learning about file types, color, contrast, and tone adjustment, and basic image retouching.

Photoshop II: Advanced Techniques
(5-Week online course taught Summer 2022 and Spring 2023)
Students explore more advanced image editing possibilities in Photoshop, gaining skills for finely crafting photographs for both digital and print presentation. Following a comprehensive overview of available tools, students learn how to create selective adjustments, part of a non-destructive approach to image editing. Strategies for layer blending, masking, and black and white conversion are also covered.

2022-2024
Please see the Middle States FAQ on University of the Arts' closure.

Digital Workshop
(Taught Spring 2022)
Provides students with a foundation in digital imaging, from capture, to edit, to output. The course focuses on applying technical skills and creative problem solving to create imaginative and real-world based applications. Digital Workshop will cover digital capture, color management, digital image editing, and output of images using the latest technology available.

Introduction to Darkroom Photography
(Taught Fall 2022 - Fall 2023)
Introduction to basic concepts, processes, and techniques of black-and-white photography, including camera operation, exposure, darkroom procedures, lighting, and their controlled applications of these techniques. Emphasis is upon the normative standard of photographic rendering using 4x5 format cameras.

Color & The Lens
(Taught Spring 2023)
Students are introduced to the interaction of color and a wide range of color concepts with a focus using lens based media and sensors. Color theory, with an emphasis on lens based media and sensors, is addressed historically through readings. Assignments in photography, sensors, screens, and lens based projections; digital media and aspects of film will address color in optics, lighting, print and design. Students will combine media and work on inter-disciplinary projects. Content will include color interaction, psychology of color, additive and subtractive processes, and color use in representational as well as abstract art.

Influencers and the Image
(Taught Spring 2023 - Spring 2024)
Social Media has forever changed the way we digest, consume, share, and think about photography. Through a series of readings and discussions students will be asked to think about how social media has changed the way artists and society relate to the photographic image. Students will respond by creating their own web-based content.

History of Photography
(Taught Fall 2023)
This course covers the history of photography as a social and artistic practice from its invention in 1839 through present day digital imagery. Students will develop an understanding of the historical evolution of photography with particular attention to the larger social context in which photography has developed.

2022

Basic Digital Photography
(Taught Fall 2022)
This course teaches students the fundamentals of photography, including the use and handling of various digital cameras and specialized instruments. Students will study the history of photography, photo-composition, and photographic aesthetics and learn to digitally process their images, make proof sheets, and enlarge photographic prints creatively and effectively. Students will create and organize a portfolio of photographic works.

2020-2022

Introduction to Darkroom
(Taught Fall 2021 - Fall 2022)
This is a basic course in the techniques of photographic seeing. Students will be given exercises to develop their ideas concerning the fundamental visual problems of photography. Students will also learn technical aspects of exposure, developing and printing in the darkroom as they explore and respond to the visual qualities of the medium. Students must provide their own 35mm camera with manual controls.

Introduction to Digital Photography
(Taught Spring 2022)
In this course, students will be introduced to the basic principles of digitally capturing, processing, and printing photographs that are really worth making. We'll cover all the important functions that most digital cameras have in common and we'll go through the fundamentals of using Photoshop to refine and manipulate images. Students will learn their cameras' controls well enough to use the manual settings with confidence, and how to make the automatic features work for them instead of against them. We'll consider what makes a good photograph both technically and creatively, and we'll critique prints made on the Photo department's high-quality Epson printers. Students will need to provide their own digital camera with raw capture capability (DSLR or equivalent), and a portable hard drive (formatted for Mac), both of which they should bring to the first class. (Hard drives will be needed before week 2). Students registered for the course who are in the market for a new camera are welcome to contact the professor for camera purchasing advice.

Genius of Photography
(Taught Fall 2021)
What does photography influence, affect, position, package, demand, suppress, communicate, radicalize? This course will provide students with an overview of contemporary thinking and practice in lens-based media through writings on photography. We will consider photography’s impact on our culture and our lives. We need, use, and react to photographs in their many forms for many reasons: this is the spine of the course. Group discussions, debates, in- class activities, and screenings will familiarize students with an expansive range of genres, working methods, and important issues, and help to facilitate critical thinking and analysis of images.

Assemble/Construct
(Taught Wintersession 2020)
In what manner can one’s practice grow through collecting photographic imagery? How do found photographs impact one’s visual language? What and why do visual makers collect? In this seminar/studio class, students will develop personal collecting practices and learn how to integrate their collecting interests with their practice. Through a series of lectures and small-scale curatorial projects, we will look at artists whose practice is informed by collecting in some capacity, and how collecting and appropriating photographs may influence one’s artistic practice, whether lens-based or otherwise. We will investigate artists such as Melissa Catanese, Catherine Opie, Zoe Leonard, and Christian Boltanski, and how collecting in one form or another influences their work. We will have class discussions, an overarching collecting/sequencing assignment with integrated critiques, and share personal understandings and conceptual knowledge.
* This course was designed, proposed, and taught as part of my Certificate in Collegiate Teaching, conferred with experience.

Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies (ongoing)
Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies is an ongoing photographic project examining Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Theorists have long positioned queerness against futurity and assimilation, instead encouraging an embrace of failure, loss, shame, and pain. By looking back at elements of queer culture that addresses these feelings, Love posits that we are better able to consider how this history continues to affect us. Green-Wood Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark. It is an active cemetery, but its grounds also contain an arboretum, bird sanctuary, and two small apiaries. They are host to art installations and performances, both permanent and temporary. Because of its status as one of New York City’s earliest dedicated green spaces, it has become a prime site for not only the study of death, but of seasonal life cycles, public art, urbanization, and the cultural and climatic shifts from the 19th to the 21st centuries. I view the cemetery as a site for queer feeling. In addition to recognized memorials, I seek to document the “queer” monuments within the cemetery, in the form of carvings made in trees, art installations, and the temporary tributes of rocks, flags, and flowers placed by visitors. I photograph the headstones of queer permanent residents, as well as photographing fellow queer people as they experience the cemetery’s landscape. I ask my subjects to make a “backward turn” with me, examining the painful past our community endured in order to understand our present.

Paper Lighthouse (2016-2023)
“She was notorious, my mother says, for blinking or closing her eyes at exactly the moment the shutter released. There are only a few photographs of my grandmother that I can call to mind and fewer still where her eyes are open. I began collecting photographs of other women with their eyes closed, trying to find what I could of my grandmother in their faces.” In Paper Lighthouse, the artist Keavy Handley-Byrne brings together found images of women with their eyes closed: accidental archival photographs tossed aside before there was a delete button. “But accident always plays a role in photography,” writes artist and writer Margaret Sartor, in her essay included in the book. “Because it is precisely in the unpredictable and unintentional details of a photograph that the magic of the medium flourishes.” Referring to the New Brunswick town in which Handley-Byrne’s grandmother grew up, known for its lighthouse, Handley-Byrne departs on a wayfinding journey towards their grandmother through the interior world behind these womens’ eyes – a world, as Sartor writes, that is “as large and unfathomable as the Milky Way and as private as the scenes that play out in these pictures.”

Amor Fati (2018-2020)
I am searching for a way to grieve someone I never knew. At age 26, I was lucky enough to meet the woman who would become my wife. We quickly discovered that there were many coincidences and connections that could be found when we examined our lives a little more closely – our parents shared a wedding anniversary, our fathers each had five siblings, Alice’s parents shared their names with my grandfather and his second wife (Walter and Joan). But what quickly became apparent to me were the links between Alice’s mother and my grandmother. Apart from photographs and memories shared by those who knew them, I would never know them. Both lives ended tragically young. Both died from genetic diseases. Photographing, for me, is to write a metaphor. There are things unphotographable – how do you create an image of someone who died a quarter of a century ago, a person you have never known? In varying sizes and at varying heights, my photographs act as constellations within which relationships begin to form independently of the connections that I draw between them. By searching for visual pleasures in the world around me using multiple formats of photography, I make visual the abstract histories that are known to me about Joan and Jean. Through examinations of heredity and meditation on coincidence and predetermination, I cling to what will inevitably be lost, trying to view grief not as something that passes, but something of which we are always in the midst.

MÉMÈRE
Currently in the research phase, I envision this project as a continuation and expansion on my project Paper Lighthouse. Mémère is French for grandmother, and is likely what I would have called my deceased maternal grandmother, Jeanne, as she was from the Francophone Maritimes in Canada. At the moment, I am gathering archival materials as a starting point for this body of work, including maps of the province of New Brunswick, tourist pamphlets and advertisements, vernacular photographs, and family birth and death records. The next phase of this project would include travel to Canada to photograph the landscape of the Maritimes and the existing Francophone community in New Brunswick. I envision this as a project about the province itself, but also about my family’s history in the region and the way in which they scattered across the continent.

UNTITLED MAPPING PROJECT
I am in the process of photographing for a project that addresses queerness through the lens of Bruce Springsteen’s music. Though not queer himself, Springsteen effectively captures a sense of societal alienation in his characters, a sense that the people whose perspectives he takes on in his songs are at odds with everything around them. Each of them, as bell hooks writes, ‘has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live’. Through this long-term project, I hope to make work that translates the essence of Springsteen’s storytelling by exploring the settings and characters of his work photographically.