WEBVTT

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FELICE FRANKEL: Hi, everyone.

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I'm Felice Frankel.

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I'm a science photographer
and instructor here at MIT.

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I've been working
with researchers

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for more than 20 years
finding exciting ways

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to photograph some
pretty amazing research

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and to visually communicate
that research for journal

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articles, presentations, and
other sorts of communication.

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Now, before we
start our course, I

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thought it would be helpful
to go over a few things.

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First, just a little
bit about what

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we're trying to accomplish.

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We'd like to introduce
you to a new way

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to think about images of
your research, a new approach

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in photographing
science and engineering.

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Whether you're in
research or just someone

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interested in
photographs, you will

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find these approaches
relevant to your own everyday

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photography, if you're
photographing small objects

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or desktop setups or
even those quick images

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you make of your favorite
dishes that you post online.

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It's really about
making pictures

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that are more than good enough.

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Most of the photographs
in the course

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will be on the macro
level-- closeup photography,

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for items measuring somewhere
between 1 to 10 centimeters.

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We're not going to be
discussing microscopic imaging,

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although the principles
you'll be learning here

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will still be relevant.

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Now, what do I mean
by new approaches?

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It's about taking a
step back and trying

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to see your material
for the first time,

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thinking about how
best to show what

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it is to someone
else, to communicate

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with images, to bring
clarity to your photographs

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and an understanding of how to
communicate what is probably

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some pretty beautiful
and interesting stuff.

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And in the process, you learn
to see your material in new ways

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and perhaps think
about it differently.

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And this is what I would
really personally love

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to make happen--
to eventually look

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at the world in a
completely different way.

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I'd like to encourage you to
fully participate in the course

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by doing the
photographic assignments.

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As you know, we all
learn so much more

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when we try it ourselves.

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So we've kept the assignments
straightforward and reasonable

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to accomplish in a
limited time span.

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And finally, I want to
encourage you to relax.

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In many ways, making
pictures is about playing

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and experimenting.

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It doesn't have to be
perfect every time.

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And in fact, I often learn
the most from my mistakes.

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So just have fun
and enjoy yourself.

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We look forward to
learning with you

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and to introduce you to new
approaches in seeing your work.