• Photography Writing – Due Monday before class is over

Start a new story inspired by a photo that you find on one of the websites that we use in class. Include the image in your post, caption it with the photographers name, and then write a story about the photo. Begin with “That was the day the world changed…” Title the blog post “Photo Writing.”

• Still Life Toy Photographs – DUE Wednesday BEFORE CLASS IS OVER

We will look at the examples.  It’s interesting to photograph still life subjects using unexpected approaches. This takes an object out of its normal context, so that you can see it in a different light. In this case, you’re going to make a formal portrait of a toy. You will upload your best 6 photos by Wednesday before class is over, with titles, in a gallery 3×2. Title your blog post “Toy Photos.” Before you begin think about the following:

• Do you want to convey the significance that a plaything from your childhood has for you, or will you choose a random toy and portray it in unexpected ways?
• Consider the portrait’s background. Will it provide context, color, and visual interest or will it be a neutral setting that highlights the subject?
• As you compose your image, experiment with lighting, viewpoint, balance, and emphasis to reveal the toy’s story.

 

• Different Point of View – Due Thursday before class is over

Be creative and show me different points of view, lower or upper. Be artistic, any subject or angle which will be interesting for the viewer will be accepted. Photographs in black and white or in color are welcome. Upload your best 3 photos by Thursday before class is over, with titles, in a gallery 3×1. Title your blog post “Different Point of View.” Below are some examples.

• Still Life Writing – Due Monday before class is over

We will watch a video on Still_Life_Thinking_Artistically (1), Tips for taking Still Life and Still_Life_Objects

Find three different still life photos and explain how unity and variety play a part in the overall look of the photo. Also, explain the viewpoint and what you think about each photo. The writing portion will be posted to your blog below your gallery. Make sure to include the photos in a gallery 3×1 and in the caption include who the photographer is. Add your writing to your blog post as “Still Life Writing.”

• Still Life Object Photos – Due Tuesday before class is over

The Lab. We will take photos together like this in class. In a group you will each use the same camera to take a photo at the station you are assigned. Each photo needs to be different. One person in the group will upload the photos to their blog. Title each image with the photographers name. Title your blog post as “Still Life Object.”

• Still Life Photos – Due Thursday before class is over

You will choose objects that interest you. Don’t feel you have to assemble still lifes like others you’ve seen. Instead, look around for objects you feel comfortable with, or objects you dislike. Consider objects you barely even notice. How do they look with other objects? What happens when a bright light hits them? Look for the unexpected, and give it meaning through your photographs. You should bring items into class that you want to photograph. Make sure that you pay attention to the backgrounds when you are photographing. You will upload you best 6 photos to your blog by Thursday with titles, 3×2 gallery, title post “Still Life Photos.”

Below your gallery critique your own photographs you posted and answer these questions – Due Thursday before class is over

1. Do I have a strong composition?
2. How well did I edit my photographs?
3. What would I do differently if I shot this assignment again?
4. Do you think your photographs belong on the blog home page and   should be considered one of the best from all the photo classes?

 

• Contact Sheet – Due Thursday before class is over

Create a contact sheet in Adobe Express. Choose your best 8 photos from the semester so far to create a contact sheet. Choose the 2×8 collage grid. Upload to your blog as “Contact Sheet.”

• Studio Lighting Portraits – Due Thursday before class is over

For these photos we will use the lighting system set up on the stage. You can change the backdrop and the lighting to make the person or people stand out the best. Pay attention to the different composition rules, the lighting, and your perspective. You will upload your best 6 portraits to your blog and title the blog “Studio Portraits,” 3×2 gallery, and title each photo in the caption area. 

Tips

Tips2

Tips3

• Outdoor Natural Light Portraits – Due Thursday before class is over

We will take these portraits outside, but set up as studio portraits. Photograph a person or several people outside in nice soft lighting. Try to avoid having the background brighter than the subject. You will need to do some editing to have the subject not be dark. Consider what you want your depth of field to be. Utilize camera angles and different perspectives. You will upload your best 6 portraits to your blog and title your blog, “Outdoor Portraits” 3×2 gallery and title each photo in the caption area.

• Comments 9 – Due Monday before class is over

Comment on your favorite four photos from the photo 1 conceptual self portraits photos or advanced photos. Please go through different student’s work to view more than four. Your comments need to include the photography and art language that we have talked about so far. This is not a one word or one sentence comment. Take your time and think about the other person’s work, what spoke to you, what did you like, what could be included to make the photo more dynamic, etc. Make sure that your comments are thought provoking and helpful. Type out your comments on four of your favorite photos on the blog. Then in Microsoft Word, copy each of your comments and the photo that you commented on, include the photographers name, and upload your word document to your blog as “Comments 9.”

• Impact of Photography – Due Thursday before class over

We will watch the movie Flags of Our Fathers, after you will write about your thoughts on the movie, how you think the photograph impacted the world, and how you think photographs in general help or change or impact the world. You will be graded on ideas and content and conventions. This should be five paragraphs. Title the post “Impact of Photography.” This should be posted in the blog, not a Word document.

If you did not watch the movie Flags of Our Fathers with us, you need to find three different photos that have impacted the world, country, or nation, and explain the importance of the photograph and the importance of photography (include the photos in your post and name the photographer). You can use this website. You will be graded on ideas and content and conventions. This should be five paragraphs. Title the post “Impact of Photography.” This should be posted in your blog, not a Word document.

• Comments 8 – Due Monday before class is over

Comment on your favorite four photos from the photo 1 landscape photos or advanced patterns in nature or hands and feet photos. Please go through different student’s work to view more than four. Your comments need to include the photography and art language that we have talked about so far. This is not a one word or one sentence comment. Take your time and think about the other person’s work, what spoke to you, what did you like, what could be included to make the photo more dynamic, etc. Make sure that your comments are thought provoking and helpful. Type out your comments on four of your favorite photos on the blog. Then in Microsoft Word, copy each of your comments and the photo that you commented on, include the photographers name, and upload your word document to your blog as “Comments 8.”

• Nature Scavenger Hunt – Due Tuesday before class is over

In groups of 2-3 take these photos and upload to your blog as “Nature Scavenger Hunt.” Only one person needs to upload, but write in member names. 5×5 gallery. Title each photo with the names on the scavenger hunt paper, please put them in order from the sheet. There are 25 photos total. These need to be new photos that you take today during class. 

 

• Conceptual Self Portrait – Due Thursday before class is over

What is a Portrait

Different Perspectives of Portraits

Self Portrait Ideas

Take photographs, which represents something important about yourself, without showing your face in the photograph. In the caption section, when you post, include a title. You will upload your best 4 photos that show, conceptually, yourself. Please post as a gallery 2×2.

Add the following to the post: First define the word “conceptual” (in your own words) and then write a two to three paragraph reflection explaining how each of your photographs conceptually and visually shows something about you and what you are attempting to share about yourself with the viewer. Title your blog post “Conceptual Self Portraits.”

Examples:

 

• Nature Scavenger Hunt – Due Thursday before class is over

In groups of 2-3 take these photos and upload to your blog as “Nature Scavenger Hunt.” Only one person needs to upload, but add in an extra at the end who was in your group. 5×2 gallery. Title each photo with the names below. There are 10 photos total. These need to be new photos that you take today during class. I will open the titles of each photo on Thursday.

 

• • Comments 7 – Due Monday before class is over

  Comment on your favorite four photos from the landscape photos. Please go through different student’s work to view more than four. Your comments need to include the photography and art language that we have talked about so far. This is not a one word or one sentence comment. Take your time and think about the other person’s work, what spoke to you, what did you like, what could be included to make the photo more dynamic, etc. Make sure that your comments are thought provoking and helpful. Type out your comments on four of your favorite photos on the blog. Then in Microsoft Word, copy each of your comments and the photo that you commented on, include the photographers name, and upload your word document to your blog as “Comments 7.”

• Homecoming Photos – Due Monday October 10th

Take photos of homecoming activities all week. You need to include your best two of the following:

Lunchtime activities

Dress up days

Carnival

Assembly

For extra credit you can also include your best two of the following:

Parade

Sports events

Dummy Hunt

Bonfire

Powderpuff

Crowning

Dance

Monday October 10th you will edit and upload these photos. Blog post should be titled “Homecoming Photos” put them in a gallery 2×4 (if you take the extra credit images put them in the same blog post and you will just have more rows), title each photo in the caption area.

Up Close and Detail Landscape Photos – Due Thursday before class is over

Watch the video about up close and details of landscapes. Photograph a small detail of the landscape, a tree, a waterfall, or even a leaf. Or, try a close-up view of a bigger subject like a hillside. Your photographs should have a large depth of field with most of the scene in focus. You will edit (crop out unwanted backgrounds, change colors, etc) and upload your best 6 photos to your blog, title the post “Up Close and Detail Landscape Photos.” 3×2 gallery, title the photos in the caption.

 

Triangles in Nature – Due Thursday before class is over

Find and take photographs in nature that resemble triangles. You will upload your best four photos to your blog with titles in a gallery 2×2. Title the blog post “Triangles in Nature.” Examples are below.

 

 

• Comments 6 – Due Monday before class is over

Comment on your favorite four photos from the zoo photos. Please go through different student’s work to view more than four. Your comments need to include the photography and art language that we have talked about so far. This is not a one word or one sentence comment. Take your time and think about the other person’s work, what spoke to you, what did you like, what could be included to make the photo more dynamic, etc. Make sure that your comments are thought provoking and helpful. Type out your comments on four of your favorite photos on the blog. Then in Microsoft Word, copy each of your comments and the photo that you commented on, include the photographers name, and upload your word document to your blog as “Comments 6.”

• Grand Landscape –  Due Thursday before class is over

We will watch a video on how to think artistically while taking landscapes, then we will watch a video on grand landscape. We will take photographs of the Grand Landscape. Create Grand Landscape photographs that include the sky. Most, or all, of the scene should be in focus. Use the Rule of Thirds to compose the images, placing the horizon on the upper line in one variation and on the lower line in another. Depending on which line you use, this is a way to shift the emphasis from the land to the sky or vice versa. You will upload your best 6 photos to your blog on Thursday after you have edited the photos. Crop out any unwanted background information, change the colors (upload at least one photo in black and white), and use any other editing to help the emphasis and focus of the photo. Your blog post will be titled “Grand Landscape Photos.” Gallery, 3×2.

• Homecoming Photos – Due Monday October 10th

Take photos of homecoming activities all week. You need to include your best two of the following:

Lunchtime activities

Dress up days

Carnival

Assembly

For extra credit you can also include your best two of the following:

Parade

Sports events

Dummy Hunt

Bonfire

Powderpuff

Crowning

Dance

Monday October 10th you will edit and upload these photos. Blog post should be titled “Homecoming Photos” put them in a gallery 2×4 (if you take the extra credit images put them in the same blog post and you will just have more rows), title each photo in the caption area.

• Comments 5 – Due Monday before class is over

Comment on your favorite four photos from the photo 1 Pet photos or advanced Animal photos. Please go through different student’s work to view more than four. Your comments need to include the photography and art language that we have talked about so far. This is not a one word or one sentence comment. Take your time and think about the other person’s work, what spoke to you, what did you like, what could be included to make the photo more dynamic, etc. Make sure that your comments are thought provoking and helpful. Type out your comments on four of your favorite photos on the blog. Then in Microsoft Word, copy each of your comments and the photo that you commented on, include the photographers name, and upload your word document to your blog as Comments 5.

• Finding Hidden Faces Due Thursday before class is over

When taking photographs, and especially when you first start out, it’s all too easy just to grab interesting images without really thinking about what you’re seeing.

Focused looking is an exercise which encourages photographers to consider their subjects carefully by asking them to create a series of photographs around a single theme. It’s great for students, as it helps them to focus on a specific subject through the camera lens and think more about the composition of the image.

Humans have an uncanny ability to recognize faces, and face-like patterns, wherever we see them. Scientifically, the phenomenon of automatically recognizing faces is called ‘facial pareidolia’, but in simple terms it means that we see faces wherever we look, even when there aren’t any.

This makes a great focused looking exercise, because it perfectly encapsulates the idea of looking beyond what you see to find deeper meaning in your images.

For some great examples of hidden face pictures, take a look at this Behance gallery by Hilde Maassen.

For the project, you will find hidden faces in NATURE. You will upload your best 3 photos to your blog as “Hidden Faces” in a gallery 3×1, title the images in the caption area. Below is an example.

• Zoo Photos – Due Thursday before class is over 

While at the zoo think about different viewpoints, close up, angles, and more. These images can range from full body shots to head shots. You can choose to show the entire animal in relation to its zoo environment, which can resemble its natural environment, or you can closely frame the animal’s head, turning the image into an informal portrait. Take a lot of photographs so that you can decide which your best 6 photos are. Edit and upload the best 6 to your blog and name the post “Zoo Photos.” Put it in a gallery 3×2 and caption each image.

Read article and watch video to get ideas about taking zoo photos artistically. 

Zoo_Photos

Tips for taking zoo photos and Zoo_Photos

Alternative Assignment – Due Thursday before class is over

If you don’t go to the zoo you need to complete the following assignment

Find six different zoo photos that have different viewpoints/angles. Write about the viewpoints/angles and how you would be able to get this type of photo if you visited the zoo. This should be a paragraph for each photo. Do not turn in as a Word document, please add the photos to your blog post.  You will be graded on content and word choice. Blog post should be named “Zoo Writing,” make sure that you give credit to the photographer.

• Comments 4- Due Monday before class is over

Comment on your favorite four photos from the photo 1 lighting photos or advanced photos. Please go through different student’s work to view more than four. Your comments need to include the photography and art language that we have talked about so far. This is not a one word or one sentence comment. Take your time and think about the other person’s work, what spoke to you, what did you like, what could be included to make the photo more dynamic, etc. Make sure that your comments are thought provoking and helpful. Type out your comments on four of your favorite photos on the blog. Then in Microsoft Word, copy each of your comments and the photo that you commented on, include the photographers name, and upload your word document to your blog as Comments 4.

• Phoetry – Due Wednesday before class is over

Phoetry is the combination of poetry and photography. Poetry is sometimes hard to understand. Digital photography can help make abstract poems more concrete. You will illustrate a poem with pictures. Select a short poem, type up your poem and separate them into stanzas in Powerpoint; each stanza would be a separate slide. You will go out and take photos to illustrate the words for each stanza. Change the font for the poem to go along with the words or the photos that you choose. This will be due on Wednesday before class is over. Please name the blog post “Phoetry.”

• Animal Photos – Due Thursday before class is over

We will watch the two videos (Thinking_Artistically_Video and Pets) and read the following article to get a better idea on being artistic while taking photographs of animals. Then, you will take photos of your pets. Obviously, you can’t bring your pets to school, so this assignment will be done at home. Photograph your pets, creating either an intimate portrait or an action shot of them at play. If you don’t have a pet, borrow one from your friends or family (go to someone’s house). Capture your subject with its background environment in focus, and then with the pet as the only sharply focused object. Use what you know about action photography to freeze the action for some shots, and blur it to enhance the sense of movement in others. You will edit and upload your best 4 to your blog on Thursday in a gallery 4×1 with titles for in the caption area for each photo. Please name the blog post “Pet Photos.”

• Lightroom Tutorial – Due Thursday before class is over

Edit a photo in Lightroom, during the tutorial, using one of your photos that you have taken in class so far. Title the blog post “Lightroom.” Explain what you changed, and why you changed it/why it looks better. Include and title the original image and the edited image. 

Lightroom Overview

Lightroom Edit and Organize Photos