Through June 2013

Geology 199: Geophotography - A visual science learning experiment

Dr. Marli Miller, wearing a red scarf, with her students from Geology 199 Fall 2012

The photographic experience teaches students to see and experience geologic features in more intimate ways than a lecture. As teachers, we are always looking for new ways to engage and inspire our students. The traditional lecture and lab format allows teachers to share material with large numbers of students, but the actual experience can be limited.

The students in this course explored geology by examining rock types, bedding features, cooling fractures, fault zones, features of weathering and coastal erosion, and more.At the same time they learned the mechanics of shooting good photographs, from depth of field and composition to basic tools of post-processing.

The mission of the Department of Geological Sciences is to educate and train a future generation of Earth scientists, advance our current understanding of the Earth system through scholarship and research, and serve as a resource to the university and broader community on topics related to our planet.

Dr. Marli Miller is a tenured Senior Instructor of Geology and an accomplished photographer. Her images appear in most American introductory geology textbooks, the permanent collections of several museums, and on the covers of numerous journals and books. In 2009, Miller curated and provided the images for the Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s “Seeing Time” exhibit.

This course and exhibition were made possible by a generous grant from the Williams Council.