Photography Capstone

The Capstone Project is your opportunity to take advantage of the knowledge you have gained through our journey in learning about photography, to develop a meaningful project of 8-10 well formed photographs based in your passion for artistic expression, or a subject for documentary exploration, insightful portraiture, imaging for work-related subjects, or some other aspect of photography. We are confident that it will be a project that you will be excited to share with fellow Learners! You and your fellow learners will be supporting each other as you work independently, by sharing your work-in-progress at a mid-point Peer Review. At the mid-point you will share comments and suggestions with each other, helping your fellow Learners gauge their own progress. By expressing your own ideas and expectations about quality in response to their work, you will be forming your own criteria of excellence as well. When the Capstone Projects are ready to be finalized and shared, you will have another opportunity for Peer Review. This final opportunity for sharing your photographs and comments with peers, and reflecting on their comments about your photos, will be an exciting learning experience. Your contribution of comments to fellow Learners will not only help them understand their photographs better, but it will give you an opportunity to use the vocabulary of terms that are related to techniques, design principles, and content approaches that you have learned through your success in each of the previous Modules. A unique aspect of this Specialization is that everyone who completes the requirements will receive, in addition to their Certificate of Specialization from Michigan State University, substantial discounts on equipment, accessories, and membership benefits through Industry Partners from among the premier manufacturers of photography equipment: LensPen, Lume Cube lighting, Photo District News, Schneider Optics, Think Tank Cases/Bags, and a 1-year membership in PhotoVideoEdu.com providing special student discounts from 16 more major manufacturers. The ‘top-10’ peer-reviewed Capstone projects each year will be awarded the opportunity for individual reviews, with personal responses, by world renowned photographers who have been honored with the title of Canson-Infinity® Ambassadors.