Dr. Doron Altretz
director of the JMC Photographic Communication program
Dr. Doron Altaratz is an academic researcher, educator, and visual media creator whose work connects critical theory with technological practice, with a particular focus on cultural heritage. He earned a B.F.A. from the Department of Photography at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, an M.P.S. from New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program ITP, and a Ph.D. in Communication from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Altaratz serves as the Director of the Photographic Communication Program at the Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College, formerly Hadassah Academic College, and as a Senior Researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Research and Digital Documentation of Cultural Heritage. His work focuses on developing and implementing advanced digital methods for documenting, preserving, and interpreting cultural heritage, ranging from archaeological sites and historical artifacts to intangible cultural practices.
His research bridges theory and practice, examining how human-computer interaction influences photographic processes and the cultural aspects of visual media, as well as the use of imaging and spatial technologies, such as photogrammetry, 3D modeling, and mixed reality, in cultural heritage documentation and communication. His work investigates how digital tools increase accessibility to heritage while critically considering the implications of digitization.
Altaratz has extensively collaborated with leading cultural and research institutions, including the Israel Antiquities Authority, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Cyprus Institute’s Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC). His work frequently brings together interdisciplinary teams of technologists, archaeologists, historians, and theorists to develop innovative approaches for digital heritage documentation and visualization.
In addition to his academic research, his creative practice explores virtual and three-dimensional environments built from photographic data. Using computational photography, interactive installations, and spatial media, he examines how digital representations change the experience, interpretation, and sharing of cultural heritage.
At JMC, he teaches courses in virtual tours, three-dimensional experiences, photogrammetry, and interactive media, training students to engage critically and creatively with emerging technologies within the framework of contemporary visual culture and heritage practices.
Doron Altaratz’s research and artistic work operate at the crossroads of critical inquiry and technological application, with a ongoing focus on cultural heritage. His theoretical work explores how human-computer interaction transforms photographic practices and redefines the cultural, social, and political roles of visual media in digital environments. His academic articles are published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including New Media and Society, Social Sciences, and Photographies.
His applied research focuses on advanced imaging and spatial technologies, especially in documenting, preserving, and communicating cultural heritage. Using these methods, he creates and applies techniques to convert physical sites, artifacts, and cultural stories into accessible digital formats.
Alongside his academic work, Altaratz is a visual artist who works across photography and new media. His artistic practice uses photographic data as both material and subject, combining images from various sources with code-based interactive systems and spatial environments. His work investigates how emerging technologies change photographic representation, expanding it into immersive and three-dimensional forms while critically examining the evolving language of photography.
Altaratz, D., Frosh, P. (2021). Sentient Photography: Image-Production and the Smartphone Camera,. photographies, 14:2, 243-264, 2021
Caine, M., Altaratz, D., Mann, E., & Havkin, A. (2020). The Spirit of the Cloud: The ‘New Jerusalem’ as a metaphor for social experiences of virtual technologies. Proceedings of EVA London 2020 30, 58-65.
Caine, M., Altaratz, D., Maggen M. (2019). Combining RTI & SFM. A Multi-Faceted approach to Inscription Analysis. Proceedings of the Electronic Visualisation and the Arts, Florence (EVA 2019) Conference (pp. 97-104). Firenze University Press.
Caine, M., Altaratz, D., MacDonald, L.,Reem, A. (2018). The Riddle of the Crosses – The Crusaders in the Holy Sepulchre. Proceedings of the Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2018) Conference (pp. 132-139). London, UK
Altaratz, D., Frosh, P. (2021). Sentient Photography: Image-Production and the Smartphone Camera,. photographies, 14:2, 243-264, 2021
Caine, M., Altaratz, D., Mann, E., & Havkin, A. (2020). The Spirit of the Cloud: The ‘New Jerusalem’ as a metaphor for social experiences of virtual technologies. Proceedings of EVA London 2020 30, 58-65.
Caine, M., Altaratz, D., Maggen M. (2019). Combining RTI & SFM. A Multi-Faceted approach to Inscription Analysis. Proceedings of the Electronic Visualisation and the Arts, Florence (EVA 2019) Conference (pp. 97-104). Firenze University Press.
Caine, M., Altaratz, D., MacDonald, L.,Reem, A. (2018). The Riddle of the Crosses – The Crusaders in the Holy Sepulchre. Proceedings of the Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 2018) Conference (pp. 132-139). London, UK
