Minimalist Photography and the Psychology of Place



Overview

This course explores how minimalist photography can change how we see Oxford (and, of course, anywhere else). We will learn how light, space, shape, and silence can say more than detail. Through short talks, walks, and group work, we will study how memory, mood, and place connect.

We will explore the psychology of space and how people form attachments to places. We will look at how we remember scenes, how emotion shapes recall, and how we often feel more than we see. We will link this to how minimalist images can stir feelings, invite thought, or suggest stories.

We will also study how we process visual detail. We will ask what happens when much is left out. Can less lead to more? Can an image still hold meaning if it is almost empty?

The course includes fieldwork in Oxford. You will make your own work and learn how to frame scenes that distil mood, memory, or meaning. You will also learn how to edit and group your images to form a visual story.

This course is open to all. You do not need to be an expert in photography or psychology, only open to thinking and seeing in new ways.

This course is part of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) programme.

Programme details

Seminars

Participants are taught in small seminar groups of up to 10 students, and receive two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor.

Sunday

Seminar 1: The Psychology of Place

We explore how people form emotional and cognitive bonds with places. We consider rootedness, belonging, and the role of space in identity and memory.

Seminar 2: Spatial Memory and Image Recall

We examine how the mind stores and recalls visual scenes. We discuss salience, affect, and how memory shapes what we later ‘see’ in images.

Monday

Seminar 3: Minimalism as Visual Language

We define minimalist photography, drawing on key figures and concepts. We ask: what happens when we say more with less?

Seminar 4: Visual Perception and the Art of Noticing

We explore how we attend to and make sense of visual stimuli. We discuss attention, figure-ground, and perceptual ambiguity.

Tuesday

Seminar 5: Abstraction and Emotional Response

We consider how abstraction can create mood, provoke thought, and resist simple meaning. We link form and feeling.

Seminar 6: Simplicity, Silence, and Negative Space

We explore the visual and psychological role of negative space, silence, and restraint. We ask what is left unsaid in a minimalist frame.

Wednesday

Seminar 7: Oxford Seen Differently

We use images to challenge the tourist gaze. We ask: what is not shown in brochures? What is hidden in plain sight?

Seminar 8: Memory, Nostalgia, and Urban Myth

We explore how nostalgia colours place. We consider collective memory, imagined pasts, and the city as a symbolic site.

Thursday

Seminar 9: The Ethics of Representation

We examine what it means to photograph a place that is shared, lived-in, or loaded with history. We ask: what is fair? What is stolen?

Seminar 10: Narrative, Sequence, and Visual Storytelling

We explore how to build a sequence of images that suggests a mood or story. We discuss titles, juxtapositions, and the space between images.

Friday

Seminar 11: Curating Meaning – From Image to Exhibition

We explore how to select and group images to shape a story, theme, or mood. We discuss sequencing, layout, and the role of silence or contrast between works. We also consider space, flow, and how viewers engage with minimalist work in a physical setting. We ask: what is the work saying? What needs to be said, and what should be left unsaid?

Seminar 12: Presenting Work – Titles, Statements, and Display

We develop short texts to support the images, such as titles, captions, or a group statement. We explore tone, voice, and how to speak about abstract work without closing it down. We also discuss practical issues: mounting, layout, and inviting feedback.

Programme timetable

The daily timetable will normally be as follows:

Saturday

14.00–16.30 - Registration

16.30–17.00 - Orientation meeting

17.00–17.30 - Classroom orientation for tutor and students

17.30–18.00 - Drinks reception

18.00–20.00 - Welcome dinner

Sunday – Friday

09.00–10.30 - Seminar

10.30–11.00 - Tea/coffee break

11.00–12.30 - Seminar

12.30–13.30 - Lunch

13.30–18.00 - Afternoons are free for tutorials, individual study, course-related field trips or exploring the many places of interest in and around Oxford.

18.00–19.00 - Dinner (there is a formal gala dinner every Friday to close each week of the programme).

A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include: a quiz night, visit to historic pubs in Oxford, visit to Christ Church for Evensong and after-dinner talks and discussions.

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

All participants who complete the course will receive a physical Certificate of Attendance.

Digital badge

You will also be issued with an official digital badge of attendance. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download this. You will be able to share this on social media and add to your email signature if you wish to do so.

Academic credit

OUSSA is an accredited summer school taught at undergraduate level; each one-week course carries 10 CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points at FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualification) Level 4.

CATS points will be awarded to students who attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment to the required standard. Please see the 'assessment methods' section below for more details.

Certificate of Higher Education

Credit (CATS points) earned from OUSSA can be transferred towards our flexible Certificate of Higher Education. This part-time, award-bearing course lets you decide what, how and where you study by gaining credit from short courses, including short online courses, in-person weekly classes and OUSSA.

For full details, including transfering credit gained from OUSSA to the programme, see our Certificate of Higher Education programme page.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee Option 1 (Single en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) £2205.00
Fee Option 2 (Double en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) 1 person £2310.00
Fee Option 3 (Twin en suite - inc. Tuition and Meals) per person £1850.00
Fee Option 4 (No Accommodation - inc. Tuition, Lunch & Dinner) £1375.00

Funding

Concessionary rates are available on a non-residential basis for those that qualify. 

The concessionary fee is for non-residential attendance only; participants will then be responsible for finding their own accommodation. See full details including eligibility.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee: Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances; however, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking
  • If submitting an application form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

 

Tutor

Dr Graham Wilson

A PhD in animal behaviour, and initial career in organisation development followed by psychotherapy training, led Graham to practise as an executive confidant for 20+ years. He has taught counselling, psychology and photography at Oxford and elsewhere for a decade. Recently retired as Coordinator of HE Counselling Courses at Guildford College, his research interests include the use of imagery to provoke positive behavioural change within communities. Graham currently leads programmes of therapeutic photography within Oxfordshire. He has written more than ten textbooks.

Course aims

This course aims to:

  • Explore how minimalist photography can shape our emotional and visual experience of place.
  • Encourage new ways of seeing a location (e.g Oxford) by using restraint, silence, and simplicity in image-making.
  • Support the creation of thoughtful, minimalist photographs that evoke meaning beyond surface detail.

Teaching methods

The teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will have been given the opportunity to understand:

  • How minimalist photography can evoke emotion, memory, and place.
  • Key psychological ideas related to spatial awareness, perception, and visual memory.
  • How abstraction and negative space influence how we see and feel.
  • Ways to compose, edit, and sequence minimalist images with clarity and intent.
  • How to communicate ideas visually through a personal and reflective photographic practice.

Assessment methods

Participants are required to undertake preparatory reading and complete a pre-course assignment of 1,500 words. Although this does not count towards credit, it is seen as an important way of developing your ideas and is mandatory. The pre-course assignment is typically due in the first week of June.

You will be assessed during the summer school by either a 1,000 word written assignment or a presentation supported by individual documentation. To successfully gain credit (10 CATS points) students should attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment.

Participants will attend two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor during the week.

Please see the 'certification' section for more details about CATS points.

Application

Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single accommodation, double room for 1 person and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Those requiring twin, double or accessible accommodation (including ground/lower floor accommodation) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online. 

Please send the completed enrolment form to the email address below. Both the PDF and Word option of the form below are editable, so you can complete them online before saving and sending to us as an email attachment. You do not need to print and scan them. (Please use these forms only if you are making a twin or double booking for two people.)

Those who have specific requirements (eg an accessible bedroom) should contact the Programme Administrator directly at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or OUSSA, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Accommodation

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you.

Residential option

This includes accommodation and all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). 

View full details of Rewley House accommodation.

Non-residential option

We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have meals (lunch and dinner) at Rewley House, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support