Photobook Design and Visual Narratives

This course explores the photobook as a medium for artistic and narrative expression. It combines theoretical and practical approaches to guide you through the whole process, from the initial concept to final production: design, sequencing, choice of materials, and printing methods, as well as promotion and distribution strategies.

Classes combine lectures, case studies, and studio-based exercises, within a historical and critical framework that places the photobook in its artistic and publishing context. You will work with physical prints and digital tools, and group critiques will play a central role.

By the end, you will have produced a photobook dummy or digital prototype, the groundwork for further refinement or full-scale production. The course focuses on the essentials, which are narrative development, sequencing, design, and production, and prioritizes experimentation, discussion, and iteration.

It is also a strong foundation for anyone considering advanced studies in documentary and artistic photography, in particular the Master's in New Documentary Photography.

Start of the next intake: November 13, 2026. This specialization course consists of 40 hours of in-person training at our 22@ campus, split across two weekly sessions: Friday afternoons (4:00 pm to 8:00 pm) and Saturday mornings (10:00 am to 2:00 pm).

1. THE PHOTOBOOK AS A MEDIUM

• The photobook as a form of storytelling and a physical object with rhythm, movement, and emotional impact. Its evolution, from early photographic albums to contemporary self-published and award-winning editions, with case studies to analyze linear, fragmented, poetic, or conceptual narrative approaches. And today’s landscape, with festivals and awards such as Les Rencontres d’Arles, the Kassel Dummy Award, and the Aperture Photobook Awards.

2. EDITING, SEQUENCING, AND IMAGE FLOW

• Deciding which images belong, in what order, and how they interact to create rhythm, tension, and meaning. Work with physical prints and digital tools, group critiques, and the role of text, whether captions, essays, or poetic elements. By the end of the module, a sequenced draft of your own photobook.

3. DESIGN, MATERIALS, AND PHOTOBOOK PRODUCTION

• Fundamentals of book design: layout, typography, pacing, white space, and format. Paper types, printing methods, and binding techniques, with physical or digital prototypes. And self-publishing and printing options, such as small runs, crowdfunding, and limited editions.

4. THE PHOTOBOOK MARKET

• Competitions, festivals, and specialized publishers as launchpads. Publishing strategies, from traditional publishing and self-publishing to limited editions and DIY approaches. The role of distributors, bookstores, and online platforms, and the economic realities of production and sales. The module ends with the final presentation of the dummies.

*The study plan is subject to change.