Introduction to Documentary Photography with Marissa Roth (Online Learning – Six Sessions)

About

Online Learning

This six-week online course offers an immersive introduction to the art and practice of documentary photography. Led by acclaimed photographer Marissa Roth, the class guides students through the essential techniques, styles, and ethical considerations involved in capturing real-life stories with honesty and impact. 

Documentary photography requires adaptability, technical mastery, and sensitivity. Students will learn to work with natural and artificial light in diverse environments—from candid portraits to landscapes and everyday objects—often under unpredictable conditions. The course balances artistic vision with practical skills, focusing on how to shoot thoughtfully, choose compelling subjects, and navigate the social and psychological dynamics of photographing in the field. 

Weekly lessons include lectures on iconic photographers like Walker Evans, Vivian Maier, and Martin Parr, along with in-depth discussions on personal project development. Students will present their own documentary project ideas in the first class and receive constructive critiques each week to refine their storytelling and sequencing. 

This class offers a supportive environment to develop a personal voice, technical confidence, and a deeper understanding of documentary photography’s power to illuminate the human experience. 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Marissa Roth is a photojournalist, fine art and documentary photographer. Her editorial photo assignments for prestigious publications including The New York Times, have taken her around the world. She was part of the Los Angeles Times staff that won a Pulitzer Prize for Best Spot News, for its coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Roth’s global documentary project, One Person Crying: Women and War, which spans 35-years of her photography and addresses how women have been directly impacted by war and conflict is a travelling exhibition, with a forthcoming book.

Her published books include, Infinite Light: A Photographic Meditation on Tibet, with a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama; Burning Heart: A Portrait of The Philippines; and The Crossing, a poetic photographic study of the Atlantic Ocean. Cantata: In Isolation, a photographic memoire about her pandemic experience, is also a forthcoming book.

Witness to Truth, a portrait project of Holocaust survivors commissioned by The Museum of Tolerance/Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, contains 104 of her photographs and is on permanent exhibition at the museum.

Roth’s work has been widely exhibited, and is in both public and private collections. In addition, she is a curator, lecturer and writer. She is a Fellow at the Royal Geographical Society in London, and is also an advisor and Chair of the Jury Committee for Earth Photo, a joint photography competition between the Royal Geographical Society and Forestry England.

View instructor profile here.

Details

• Six Sessions
• Dates: Thursdays, April 9 – May 14, 9 am – 12 pm PST
• Enrollment Limit: 15 students
• Skill/Experience Level: Open to all levels
• Tuition: $675  (Become a Member today and receive between 5% and 20% off!)
• Location: Online

A details email complete with the Zoom link will be sent to the attendees prior to the start date. If you have additional questions please email info@lacphoto.org.

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