Lesson 7: Photography
Project Ideas
The best way to learn
to take pictures is to take some and find out what you like.
These are some project ideas that can get you exploring your
world with your camera.
Photographic Portfolio
To learn to take good pictures,
we will be doing a series of picture pages which you will keep
in a special portfolio.
Assignment 1: Unclutter
Read over Lesson 1, 2 and 3. Find an
interesting object and take a simple,
uncluttered photograph. Pay attention to the background -- try
to have it plain white or solid. Fill the frame. In your explanation,
explain your choice and how you set up the picture. Why is it
strong? How could it be improved?
Assignment 2: Following the Rule
of Thirds
Read Lesson 4. Take several pictures
trying to follow this rule, placing the object of interest at
one of the key points suggested by this rule. If necessary, crop
the image to shift the position of the object. In your explanation
describe what you had to do to get this effect, and if you think
it makes the photo stronger.
Assignment 3: Framing Your View
Read
Lesson 5. Take a picture using some objects as a Frame. You
could use a window, or any other object. Explain how you took
the picture and what the effect did for the image.
Assignment 4: Getting Up Close
Read Lesson 6. Choose an object you
want to focus on. Set your camera to Macro and shott your picture.
Follow the rules you have learned -- fill the frame, rule of
thirds, unclutter. Write about how you took the picture, why
it is good, and how it might be improved.
Assignment 5: Flower
Faces
Follow the instructions to use Photoshop to make a flower face,
combining a picture of your face with that of a flower. Write
about how you did it.
Flower Faces: Printable PDF
version
Preparing a Picture Page (Mac
OS)
Assignments #1 to 5 above should be prepared as picture pages
following these instructions.
- Download the photo onto a floppy
disk
- In the File menu of the computer
on which you will be working, make a new folder with your name
on it. Transfer the photo from the floppy into this folder.
- Open Adobe Photoshop and select
Image -- size. Make the image resolution 72 pixels per inch.
Make the size of the image about 7 inches by 5 inches. Save the
image as a JPEG file.
- Open Adobe Pagemaker. Make a new
file, and name it "Maryphoto1," using your name in
the name..
- Import the image by going to the
File menu and selecting Placed (command D).
- Use the Text tool in Pagemaker
to title your picture page above the photo, and write a description
of the photo and the technique you are showing below. Make sure
your name is on the page.
- Save your page into your folder
on the hard drive.
- Select Save As and save your page
onto the floppy disk. Make sure your name is part of the file
name. Don't call it "My photo" or the teacher won't
know whose it is. Write your name on the floppy and give it to
the teacher to be printed. Note: The floppies will only hold
about 1 mb.
- When your teacher gives you back
your page, put it in your portfolio. Don't lose it!
Creative Projects
1. Yearbook: Make up a list of categories; most talkative,
funniest, and so on. Poll your classmates to find the winners,
then take their pictures, and make them up into yearbook pages.
You can also include photos of important school events. Get started
early on this so you have plenty of time.
2. Tell a Story: Take a series of photos that tell a story.
Can the story be told entirely without words?
3. Neighborhood Life: Is there a spot in your neighborhood that
tells what life is like there? Can you take pictures that capture
that life? Think about what happens at that spot at different
times of the day.
4. Photo Map or Guidebooks: What are the important landmarks in your
neighborhood? Create a map or a guidebook illustrated with photographs
that show the things a visitor should not miss.
5. Nature Hunt: What are the animals and plants of your
neighborhood or school campus? Can you capture them with your
camera?
6. Weather Watch: How many different kinds of weather can
you photograph? You could start with sun, rain and fog, then
see if you can get more.
7. Metamorphosis: How do things change over time? How quickly
do they change? Find something in the class or outside that you
expect to change. It could be a caterpillar, a flower bud, or
a tree. Figure out how quickly it is going to change, then take
pictures at regular intervals to show this change.
8. Model Photography: Find a career you are interested in, and
a role model you can profile. Take pictures of them at work,
and create a visual display illustrating what their work is like.
9. My Photos: Choose your three favorite pictures and
explain how you took them and why they are effective.
Download
printable Assignment sheet for "My Photos" project
(pdf)
Lesson
1: Starting Out
Lesson 2: What
makes a strong photograph?
Lesson
3: Unclutter
Lesson
4: The Rule of Thirds
Lesson
5: Interesting Views
Lesson
6: Getting Up Close
Lesson
8: Other Resources
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