Visual Storytelling Intensive

The intensive Visual Storytelling Intensive is a bundle of three Open Education courses providing intermediate and advanced photographers with a structured environment to acquire essential knowledge, techniques, and artistic insights for creating and effectively publishing documentary essays through visual storytelling. The program is flexible, allowing students to complete it entirely online, onsite, or through a mix of both formats.

Ethically and socially conscious storytellers document human experience with the aim of informing or challenging perceptions, sharing their unique perspectives creatively. Through a blend of lectures, assignments, critique sessions, workshops focused on visual storytelling, and lively class discussions, students delve into the ethical, social, and visual dimensions of the genre. They study methodologies employed by industry leaders and embark on developing their own long-term documentary projects.

Topics of study include:

Identifying and developing story ideas
Research and investigation
Building authentic community ties
Ethical and responsible photography
Image selection and sequencing
Textual components and approaches of visual storytelling in photography
Documentary photography best practices and strategies

Expected Outcomes:

Understand the social and ethical aspects of working with and photographing people when creating documentary photography
Create meaningful personal documentary projects
Develop your portfolio and personal style

Special Benefits:

Official ICP digital visual storytelling certificate (see requirements below)
$150 total savings after completing all courses
Exclusive early registration period before each term
ICP One Year Certificates Programs application fees waived

See Upcoming Courses Enroll in an Intensive

Framework & Courses

This Intensive includes two stages to complete the visual storytelling training. Stage I courses offer an introduction to the genre of documentary photography and the nuances of this field. Stage II visual storytelling courses, the heart of this certificate program, allow students to learn and experience important practices while developing their own personal projects.

Stage I - Introduction Courses in Documentary Storytelling
(successfully complete one of the following courses):

Documentary Practice: Visual Strategies (online)
What is the Story? (online)
Developing a Portrait Series
Creative Documentary Photography: from Vision and Fundamentals to Masterful Storytelling (Online)

STAGE II – Below is a sample of Stage II Visual Storytelling courses, click the link to see all current courses
(successfully complete two Stage II courses):

Vision Beyond the Lens
The Tempos and Tones of Editing and Sequencing: A Primer for Intermediate and Advanced Students (Online)
Advancing Your Personal Project (Online)
STORYTELLING: Selecting, Sorting and Sequencing Your Pictures for a Book (Online)
Storytelling: Expressing the Visual Narrative (Online)
Exhibiting your photographs: from concept to production
From Intent To Edit: Establishing a Relationship With Your Work

Most visual storytelling courses range between 5–10 meetings. Click on ‘Register for Upcoming Courses’ for a list of next available classes including dates, course descriptions, faculty, and tuition (fees are presented before discount).

Important Notes

All courses need to be completed within a period of 1-year from the date of registration (excluding approved past courses).
A selection of classes will be available for registration at each stage of the program, but ICP may choose not to run all courses each term.
Courses should be taken in order according to the program’s structure.
Completion of more than one course in Stage I does not credit other stages.
Retroactive registration to this certificate program is allowed also after completing one of the courses in Stage I or Stage II.

Prerequisites

The Visual Storytelling Intensive is an intermediate-advanced program: You are comfortable using your camera, whether film or digital, and with your photographic practice. You have experience using Adobe applications such as Lightroom or Photoshop. You may want to understand how to utilize your camera in a more thoughtful and articulate way, practice creative methodologies, or learn how to utilize theoretical concepts in relation to your portfolio of work for photography storytelling workshops. Students must meet the prerequisites of each course they register for as part of the program.

Tuition

Enrollment to the Visual Storytelling Intensive is open throughout the year. Once enrolled, students may select their preferred courses (see ‘Register for Upcoming Courses’ above). Use the ‘Enroll in Intensive’ button below to submit your online application form (no preparations are needed).

Depending on students’ course selection, the total tuition can range between $1375–$2640 and includes:
• A non-refundable registration fee of $300
• The discounted fees of the selected and studied courses. Courses’ fees range between $430–925 and enrolled students receive $150 discounts on each of their courses (total discount of $450).

Certification

Students must pass all required courses before receiving ICP certification via Credly. All courses must be completed within a period of 1-year from the date of registration (excluding approved past courses). Once a student completes the requirements, a request for the certificate should be submitted using the button below.

Request Certificate