Geophotography Webinar Series 2013
March 26, 2013
Geophotography as Public Outreach -- Marli Miller, University of Oregon
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Duration - 1 hour. The presentation will be 40 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of discussion.
Format - Online web presentation via phone and Blackboard Collaborate web conference software with questions and answers following.
About the Author:
Marli Miller is a structural geologist who has been shooting geological subjects since the mid-1980s, with the twin goals of increasing public awareness and contributing to geoscience education. She maintains an archive of freely downloadable geologic images on the internet through her own website and regularly contributes images to other websites devoted to geology. Her images appear in most American introductory geology textbooks, the permanent collections of several museums, and on the covers of numerous journals. One of her geologic passions is deep time, a subject that dovetails beautifully with photography and motivates many of her public presentations. At the University of Oregon, she teaches an undergraduate seminar on geophotography.
Webinar Overview
As geologists, we have unparalleled opportunities to visit amazing landscapes all over the planet. Given the general popularity of photographs, our photos can be powerful tools to engage the public, both directly and indirectly with geology. We can illustrate and inform nongeologists about various geologic processes and concepts, or simply make them more aware of geology. The photos do not even need to be particularly artistic or shot with an expensive camera. They just need to be clear, well-presented, and to tell a good story.
This webinar will explore some of the venues and methods in which we can use our photographs to connect with the public. Venues include public lectures, fine art exhibits, printed material, or the internet. Significantly, we also need to provide a compelling geological context for the images, as well as create an effective presentation. The webinar will also explore these issues, both of which depend to a large degree on the venue.
References and Resources
Screencast of Geophotography as Public Outreach.
Recommended on-line resources:
- Bodinson, S., Pau, S., and Armstrong, J., 2012, Writing effective art exhibit labels: a nuts and bolts primer, A short slide show that details the writing of effective labels, with examples.
- Earth Science Photo of the Day (more info) . A great place to submit images
- Earth Science World Image Photobank, A collection of some 6000 searchable images --and a place to which photographers can contribute.
- Flickr: An enormous public photo-sharing resource, open to anybody. Photos get world-wide exposure, but are often lost in the sheer volume of the venue (>1000 images are uploaded per minute!). Photographers can build a community of contacts, however, and photos can gain exposure through good keywording.
Geology Photos for instructional purposes
- Geology and Earth Science Images ,This site by Marli Miller, offers more than 1500 geologic images that can be downloaded at resolutions sufficient for power point or web use.
- Hoeben, Z, 2008, Presenting your photographic work. A thought-provoking series of images that depict different ways to present photographs.
- Miller, Marli B., and Bishop, Ellen, M., 2011, Bridging Science and Art: Reaching the public through geological photography: Geological Society of America Abstract with Programs, v. 43, p..25.GSA Abstract by Miller and Bishop that summarizes this topic.
- Serrell, Beverly, 1996, Exhibit Labels: an Interpretive Approach. Altamira Press, Lanham, MD, 270p. A detailed review of ways exhibitors can effectively communicate ideas to the public.