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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Seeing Through Photographs by The Museum of Modern Art

4.8
stars
4,301 ratings

About the Course

Taking, sharing, and viewing photographs has become second nature for many of us. This course aims to address the gap between seeing and truly understanding photographs by introducing a diversity of ideas, approaches, and technologies that inform their making. You’ll explore the meaning of pictures and reconsider photography’s role in our visual culture. Look closely at 100 photographs from MoMA’s collection, going behind the scenes of the Museum and into artists’ studios through videos and audio interviews. Gain new perspectives on the ways photography has been used throughout the medium’s history: as a means of artistic expression, a tool for science and exploration, an instrument of documentation, a way to tell stories and record histories, and a mode of communication and critique....

Top reviews

AQ

Mar 8, 2016

Seeing Through Photographs has given me a whole new way of looking at my own and other peoples' work. So many aspects, details and points of view, the world of photography now seems even more amazing.

EE

Jun 2, 2019

It was very insightful, and a good thing is they offered quizzes and other full content, which some other free courses do not, which really helps learning. Hope to go for other courses under them. :)

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51 - 75 of 1,112 Reviews for Seeing Through Photographs

By Peter B

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May 8, 2020

I learned a lot, and that's important to say because I was coming to this course already with an established understanding about the medium. What made this course so special was how the material was presented though the perspective of the curatorial department of photography, Sarah Meister and colleagues from the MOMA, making it a dynamic and overal fun experience. I learned about contemporary artists and certain vernacular process that inspired me to learn more. The course is filled with many resources, including video interviews, reading material, some of which is hard to come by. I just want to thank you Sarah Meister and colleagues and the MOMA for putting this course together. Hoping for a part II

By Ammal D P B

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May 25, 2020

I found this course so enlightening and it achieves so much in such a short period of time. I think it is greatly curated and the extracurricular activities made me want to learn more with the additional resources in each case. I really enjoyed taking part in some discussions, the short videos are amazing to have the initial overview of the topic at hand and then to carry on with the reading. I wish there was such a course more directed to hands-on photographic techniques. I would definitely take part in that as well. The course, in summary, has teased my interest in Photography even more and now I am considering to start an actual Photography course as a hobby and learn more about photography worldwide.

By Maria G

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Jun 15, 2020

If you are willing to learn about american photography history ,how photography evolved,improved and reinvented itself assuming different photography conceptions,styles,artistic expressions,representing ideals,context movements,fields of work and take a look on its most significant photography exponents throughout the decades since X!X century until current times,the most relevant and historical photo exhibitions through the decades, different professional photographers testimonies,experiences and a bit about the history of the Modern Art Museum of New York and its Photography Department this is the right course for you!I highly recommend it!

By freeman

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Apr 22, 2020

This was one of the most enjoyable courses I have every taken. My complements to the instructor and the entire staff. It was kind of like a book that you cant put down. I woke up every day energized to learn more. I recommend this course highly to the next 300K people. :)

Two minor improvement comments: (1) the essays would make references to photos in the original books and these were just essays from the books and so the images were missing. Fortunately in most cases I could find something suitable with an internet search. It would be useful if photos could be included.

(2) Some of the NY Times readings were behind a paywall.

By Fabíola B d C

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Oct 13, 2020

I started this course to educate myself and to gain knowledge and insights on the different ways one can approach photography. It was a truly enriching experience. The course is very well structured and a lot of resources in different mediums is provided. The Final Project, at the end of the course, enables an overall reflection and is a perfect way to sum up all your learnings and feelings throughout the course and on photography so far. For me, this reflection was insightful and this was exactly what i was looking for. So many thanks! Completely recommend this course to anyone with an interest in Photography!

By Vincent K

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Apr 23, 2020

Highly recommended. An excellent introduction to the history, language and appreciation of vernacular photography. The reading material and video lessons were highly relevant and well put together. For those who want to learn how to look at contemporary, as well as 20th century documentary, portraiture and constructed photography, this course is invaluable. As a photographer who is actively engaged in capturing images of the world around me, this course allows me to appreciate the historical development of the craft, and diverse stylistic forms to exoand my horizon.

By Li C

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May 26, 2020

This is a very useful course I have learned more about photography history around the world and around us. Now it is a digital world, but a lot of artists can use camera-less methods to produce their works and are successful. These art of works are still attracted hundred or thousand of people to look, to enjoy, to share and to spread their emotion feelings. I hope these kind of technique and other camera way can be lived forever. Thanks so much for MoMA who provides this kind of courses to public and well done for every staff.

Thank you very much!

By Tommaso B

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Apr 24, 2020

I loved this experience. In this awful and stressful time, being able to learn such a complex and interesting part of the history of Thought, really inspired me and helped me develop new ideas and projects for the future. I hope, deeply that there will be many more courses organized by Moma. I also am really grateful to have had a glance into Moma. Being italian i have only had the possibility to visit the museum in two moments of my life, when i couldn't really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Stay safe and have a nice day!

By amy o

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Apr 26, 2020

This is a really strong introduction to canonical views of the history of photography. It gives a strong overview of aesthetic impulses and concerns of photography from the perspective of the MOMA, which has been instrumental in establishing photography as an art form. If you are looking for more cutting edge or avant-garde perspectives or a diversity of perspectives, you will not get it here but if you are looking to understand how the arts establishment views photography this is a wonderful start.

By Raquel B

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Feb 10, 2017

Es perfecto para aquellas personas que se desenvuelven muy bien con el inglés. Los contenidos son buenísimos (de ahí mis 5 estrellas.) Pero, no se lo recomiendo a las personas que como yo, están aprendiendo el idioma. Me ha costado muchísimo terminarlo, pero muchísimo. Sí, los videos están subtitulados pero los textos no, y muchos son muy técnicos. Luego el trabajo final lo tienes que realizar en ingles y claro, para una persona que se desenvuelva bien le va genial, pero para los que no... nope.

By Marie-Alice

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Aug 20, 2019

This course is an absolutely fascinating introduction to the great questions raised by the medium of photography, how it's perceived and used in our current society. It's wholesome, well-built and grants you access to a great number of thoughtful contents of quality. I'll definitely be coming back to this course to get in touch with the complex ideas that are presented there. It's an invaluable resource for everyone who wants to become more literate in the language of photography.

By Mark B

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Aug 5, 2020

Seeing Through Photographs has been a real exploration into the history of photography. The resource material is vast and the accompanying videos full of insight and valuable information to help you along the way. Being able to save notes from the videos to refer back to was a plus. The reading material was well documented and there is a plethora of additional reading and resources available which I would highly recommend. Thank you MoMA for such an enjoyable and rewarding course.

By lucas d

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Jan 1, 2020

The insights from professional artists and curators really makes this course a unique experience. I learned a lot about the history of photography and what to pay attention to to decipher photographers' intentions.

I'm learning photography as a hobby and with a secret hope to produce interesting enough narratives to be worth sharing. There is plenty of material covering the technical aspects. This course fills the striking gap about the cultural and societal role of photography.

By Louise D

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Feb 6, 2017

The reading material provided on this course for download or to read online is phenomenal. I really appreciated the articles and chapters from books made available. The selection was excellent and was obviously chosen by one of the great experts in the field of photography. The videos made by MOMA are first rate. The photographers selected for study are wide-ranging and well chosen. This is a brilliant course which I am recommending to my camera club here in the UK.

By Rekha p

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Jun 13, 2020

Seeing through photography- one of the best courses offered by MOMA. Throughout the course I gathered information on various aspects involved in making of a photograph. Documentary photography and photo journalism was the best part of this course, we get to learn the history of photography which shook the world. I extend my thanks for choosing this course which indepth widened my understandings on the photographer s who dedicated their life and art for social cause.

By Bernadine J

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Jun 22, 2020

I really enjoyed the way the curator moved us through aspects of history and concentrated understanding of particular subject matter, it allowed you to learn about influences in that area and consolidate with a bit of reflection/discussion and quizzes which helped when looking back about the writing of a course.

In the future, I would have more confidence to join discussions about this because of the way the course has given me some confidence about my new knowledge.

By Sebastian S

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May 22, 2020

Great to get an historical snapshot of photography which then provides context to how photographers have developed their skills and turned, what otherwise would have remained a scientific tool, into an interesting and artistic art form. The course has also provided guidance as to how to explore the many varied ways in which one can compose and curate a series of photos and also give differing context to the original captured image when displayed in differing ways.

By Vinicius d C

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Apr 17, 2020

Albeit not an original statement, this course REALLY changed the way I see photographs. There are so many meanings a photograph can assume, from the photographer view and from the observer point of view, that learning to identify all of them brings another level of understanding and the opportunity to choose the lenses you want to apply for viewing pleasure, giving you the freedom to choose the lenses that you see better fit for your own objectives and enjoyment.

By Odysseas C

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Mar 7, 2021

Fantastic course for anyone who is interested in photography. The course offers some solid foundations on the history of photography its first pioneers and its relation to other arts.

It will help you read images more clearly and gain a deeper understanding of the medium's full potential in expressing your vision.

I deeply enjoyed seeing the work of so many talented artists and photographers! A big thank you to everyone who put the effort in creating this course.

By Marguerite V

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Jun 21, 2020

I did not know what to expect from Seeing Through Photographs and what I learned was so much more than I had anticipated. I now view photographs with a different set of eyes. What is the narrative of the photograph, its narrative, the artist's point-of-view? I truly enjoyed the learning process. It was a journey of learning about the history of how photography has evolved and what an impact it has on society. It records many different facets of life.

By Loven P

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Feb 27, 2021

Seeing Through Photographs is an incredibly essential course for those who wanted to venture into creative arts whether as a profession, hobby, or way of life. The course has taught me to be confident in contextualizing images, taking perspectives from another, especially the artists or photographer of the piece, and the way it challenges the views and opinions of society, which builds up to how artists express themselves through their art pieces.

By Tatiana G

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Jan 28, 2022

El curso es muy inspirador. Me gustaron sobre todo las entrevistas en las que los artistas explican sus proyectos y la evolución de la expresión fotográfica a través del tiempo. Además, disfruté como se muestran los diversos formatos en los que son trabajados los proyectos fotográficos. El curso me ha dado un nuevo punto de partida acerca de como abordar mis propios proyectos, sobre temas que me interesan y son importantes para mí.

By Marie A

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Jul 28, 2020

I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in photography. Its varied learning styles are excellent and are reinforced by a little quiz at the end of each section. The webinars were really interesting and allowed students direct contact with the course organisers. Sarah was amazing and with her team have created something that all major galleries should look at and attempt to duplicate. A big thank you

Marie

By Lina

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Jun 3, 2020

An amazing course, thank you MoMA and Coursera! Made me look and appreciate photography on a whole new level. When we're being bombarded with so many images on daily basis, taking the time to look back at the history critically, and at the ideas and approaches that have informed photography was really refreshing. Special thanks to Sarah for all of the interactive content and showing us a little snippet of the incredible collection.

By Vikas S

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Oct 8, 2020

You cannot get a better course than this on Photography. Do not join if you are looking for help on taking a photograph. Join if you are interested in learning how to appreciate a photograph. There is no other online course equivalent to this course. The course material has been carefully curated and you will have lots of fun through out the course. I had great fun and learnt a lot about history and masters of this fine art