Aimee Price
Blue Valley West High School
PHOTO 1
We will not have a chance to cover all of these, but often assignments will come from this list and it is a good starting point for ideas if you don't know what to photograph once free choice projects come along. If underlined click to see a short PowerPoint example of work fitting the theme.
​
Architecture- A few things to think about
Machines, technology
Nature, landscape, waterscapes
Close ups/fragments, Abstractions
Broken or damaged, Old or worn out
Light and shadows, unusual lighting, silhouettes
Angles and extreme points of view
Funky Food
Art with a message- take a roll that tries to convey a clear message to the viewers
Costumes or Fashion
Humorous
Miniatures or models
Celebrations
Crowds, groups, multiples, strangers
Family
Religion
Conflict, decisive moments
Emotions, pure joy, anger, fear, etc.
Creative portraits
Creative portrait-contemporary photographer examples
Common portraits
Decomposing, dirty, dingy, dusty, dead, old, worn out
Generations- babies, youth, teen, adult, elderly
Materialism/Consumerism
Store fronts
Taking on social issues
Layers, through an opening
I spy
Animal portraits
Still life with lighting variations
Sound
Journalistic shots, school activities, events, telling a story
At work, at play
Transportation
Traditions
Favorites (smells, feel, places, etc.)
Junk stores, antiques
Special places
Patterns and/or lines
Textures
Opposites
In the kitchen, food art, tools
Body scapes/ body parts (appropriate ones please)
Abandoned buildings
Garage environment
Openings
Bokeh
Projected text or images onto object
Hazy edges- plastic or vaseline around edges of lens to "Fog" or soften the frame
Through the lens with a 2nd lens- glasses, magnifying glass, binoculars, etc.
Create a 3-d paper installation and photograph it (white with strong light, dark shadows)
High key images
Low key images
2 Dozen- one subject, 24 different angles and situations
Now and then
Hope
Three feet
Secret
Collections
Skip
Holding on
Sticky
Journey
Beyond Reach
Heading home
At the Shore
Exit
Left behind
Lines
Closer look
Wonder
Unexpected
On its own
A new day
At crossroad
Lost
Alternative processes we usually do in photo 1...
Noteworthy pinhole cameras
Photogram
Hand coloring
Burned negative
Toned image
Sandwich print or ghost images
Solarization/ Sabbatier effect
SCAVENGER HUNTS
Photo Scavenger Hunt #1- Elements of Art
http://flyeschool.com/content/elements-artdesign-and-principles-designorganization
https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf
Color
Value
Line
Shape
Form
Space
Texture
Photo Scavenger Hunt #2- Principles of Design
http://learn.leighcotnoir.com/artspeak/principles/
https://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/principles_design.pdf
Balance
Proportion
Movement
Pattern
Unity/Harmony
Emphasis/Dominance
Contrast/Variety
Rhythm
Photo Scavenger Hunt #3- Composition
http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules
http://www.exposureguide.com/top-10-composition-tips.htm
Rule of thirds
Centering
Leading lines
Balancing elements
Framing and cropping
Bird's eye view
Eye level
Worms eye view
Photo Scavenger Hunt #4- Guidelines
Simplify a scene- show the original and then show a simplified version of the subject eliminating unneeded information
Fill the frame- too much can confuse a viewer on what or where they should focus, make one object the clear subject
Vertical versus horizontal- use both formats on a variety of subjects, which format works best for what type of shots
Rule of thirds- avoid the middle, if things are too balanced they can become boring and expected
Leading lines- use lines to create depth, movement, draw the viewer in and point our attention to the subject
Diagonals- using diagonals can increase drama, movement and sometimes add uncertainty and make an image more dynamic
Background-control your background, watching for mergers, changing point of view to create interest and the feel you would like, control your depth of field by selecting an appropriate aperture, add interest and unity by purposely thinking of a background to enhance your subject
Leading space- movement should lead us across the page, not immediately off the page
​
Photo Scavenger Hunt #5- Think about it
Illusion of super tall person
Living fountain
Best shadow show
Backlit subject with details on object
Picture of success
Airborn
Distorted
PHOTO 2
One roll of film will be due every Monday. You may choose from the following or talk to me prior to the due date about another idea if you have one you are interested in. Along with each roll when you turn in your contact sheet, I would like you to write out what your topic was and your take on the shots. (What were you trying to show, what was your goal, was new learning involved, how does it meet the assigned requirements, etc.) We will have two class rolls that will be required for each person to complete, those are black and white panorama and night shots.
1. Altered Beauty/ Altered Faces /Beautiful Extremes
A focus on “unnatural beauty”- piercings, tattoos, extreme make-up, masks, scotch tape faces, wild hair, stretched, pulled or twisted skin, etc. Try to get close to show us detail but make sure you aren’t too close or you won’t be able to focus. Another take might be to focus on what makes a person different and truly unique from others and focus on the beauty in that... find a way to enhance their features or attributes and bring even greater focus and importance to that aspect of them.
2. Illustrate or Record a Journey or Story/ Documentary
Take and print a series of shots that will tell the viewer a story of a real incident or fictional set up. Aim for 3 or more frames you will print out and turn in. Each shot should strengthen the others and they should all fit together and show unity.
Fill up cups, buckets, spray bottles, water guns, baby pools, paint brushes, hoses, watering cans, fountains, etc. and capture water or liquid in motion. Be sure to experiment with various shutter speeds- the faster it is the more frozen the water droplets will be and the slower the shutter speed the longer it will capture the waters trail.
4. Aperture/ Forced Focus
Take an entire roll purposely monitoring the aperture settings to show the benefit or high depth of field or shallow depth of field. Remember the lower the aperture number the smaller the area of focus or smaller the depth of field. By using low apertures, you force the viewer to see exactly what you want them to. Higher aperture settings can include more of the surroundings often enhancing the photo and telling more of the story.
5. Liquid and glass
Play with water, food coloring, oil, bubbles or various liquids in different glass or crystal containers and play with the lighting. Try to capture the food coloring swirling, ice dropping into a liquid, bubbles rising in a cup, candle light or a strong side light playing on the side of a vase, the upside down reflections in a fish bowl shaped glass filled with water, car wash spray, etc. Play with reflections, just make sure you have good lighting!
6. Unique
Find something or someone that is totally different and truly unique from what you normally photograph. Go to a new area, explore a new type of photography, or simply try out a new technique. Photograph an entire roll using new techniques, showing the individual or objects unique characteristics that make your subject stand out.
7. Portrait but No Face
We often rely on faces and facial expressions to tell us about a person but their body language, appearance, attire, surroundings and demeanor can often tell us just as much if not more. Work with someone as your model and try to fully capture who they are as a person, what they do, believe, feel, all without ever showing their face.
8. Proverbs, Poems, or Lyrics
Choose a proverb, short poem, or set of lyrics that you will illustrate through a series of shots. The shots should reflect the words and create the same imagery. Start by picking the sayings and then sketch out or write down the first images, pictures or thoughts that come to mind, then see if you can create that for the camera. You need to include the text when you turn in your photo(s).
9. Fake It
Explore trick photography by creating fake scenes, size deceptions, ghost images, photographic lies, etc. Try a few different ideas just in case one doesn't turn out as planned. Try to fool our minds and make us believe the impossible.
10. Appropriation
Run an image search for photography and find a well-known or famous artist. Study their work and choose a few images to try and recreate with your own twist. They should not be exact replications but should have many of the same ideas, themes, or qualities of the original work. Remember your artists name and save the pictures to share with me that you are recreating.
11. Multiple Exposures or Ghost Images
Using either the multiple exposure setting on your camera or cardboard and a long exposure times, experiment with taking multiple exposures in your camera. Multiple exposures will give you a sandwich print effect, or ghost like images, with both images being stacked on top of one another. You can have the same object appear multiple times within the same shot by using a tripod to stabilize your camera, then using a long shutter speed (bulb), beginning the shot, covering the lens with cardboard, moving an object and removing the cardboard to finish the shot. If light is low and aperture is high, you can do this multiple times within the same frame. If the light is too strong too much light will reach your film since it is exposed multiple times and your negatives will be very dark and overexposed.
12. Truth vs. Lie
Explore truths and lies and visually try to capture both sides of the story. A photograph can often mislead viewers showing only one side of things. Explore stereotypes, beliefs, fronts people put on, laws, realities, or anything that may be perceived one way and is actually another.
13. Painted or Wrapped Figures
Just like it sounds, find someone willing and paint or wrap them in or with whatever materials you might have around. Try to make sure the backgrounds add to the image and the feel of the shots. If painting, think about the look you want first- do I want it pretty, messy, tribal, mysterious, clown like, muddy, layered, etc. Then how should they dress to complete the feel? If wrapping your subject, what materials do you have around... fabric, lights, plastic wrap, foil, chains, wires or cables, toilet paper, glow sticks, ribbon, gauze, garland, plants, etc. Have fun with this one and try to find a model that is actually excited about this, unwilling models can ruin the shots and the feel you were trying for.
14. Signs
Make a sign or series of signs to convey a message you want to share with viewers. It could be a personal message about you, your beliefs, hopes, dreams or wishes. It may be something you wish others would do, know or think about. It could also be humorous conveying something odd, funny, or ironic. Think about the message you are trying to share and find a setting that can contribute to the feel of that message. Create a scene that enhances the message and shows unity between the subject, the sign, and the surroundings.
15. Self-Portraits
Using the timer on your camera try showing who you are to the world through photographs you take. It is a good challenge to try to take your own shots, you’ll need a tripod and I’d suggest using mid to high aperture settings to make sure you end up in focus.
16. Broken or Damaged
Even objects that are broken, damaged, worn out, or falling apart still have much beauty and often great textures and views we haven’t focused on before. Find things that are either already damaged or could be, and find unique angles, views and ways to show the beauty that is still left and often just discarded.
17. Life as I see it
Plain and simple, show the viewer how you see life. Think of your days, outlook on life, beliefs, reality of life, goals you have, views of how you look at the world and life you have created for yourself. Be truthful and really think about what makes your life different and special, what makes you… you.
18. In the Air
Choose something that can become airborne at least temporarily, smoke, baby powder, powdered sugar, flour, balloons, bubbles, light fabric, leaves, etc. and set up interesting compositions- keep in mind backgrounds. Think about your shutter speed and the speed of the object. Do you want to show blur and action in the shot or do you want to try and freeze the object in the air? Focus can be tricky. Use a middle to high aperture setting to help increase the depth of field and your chances of getting the object into focus. If possible hold the object still first around the area you hope to photograph it, focus well and set your light meter, then put it into action. *Additional helpers can be useful on this set, blowing or throwing an object up yourself while using all manual settings, it is not usually very successful.
19. Out of Place
Find an object to photograph and take it to multiple locations where we normally would not see or view this item. None of the scenes should make sense with that object in it, it should appear totally out of place with the rest of the theme and setting. The photos should make the viewer form questions in their mind about the shot and why or how in the world the object would be there.
20. Free Choice
You may use this option once. Photograph anything that truly interests you, ideas or projects you have in mind and want to try that aren’t listed above. Take this opportunity to experiment, relate your passions to others, test boundaries of photo and light, capture those places, events, people, or things that are important to you but haven't fit anywhere else. Have fun with this one and try something new. For additional ideas look at the list to the left.
Required Rolls
Experiment with multi-image collage or panorama prints. This will count for two weeks' worth of film since the printing process is so much more involved. Your final projects should contain 5 or more images that all "fit" together to form one large photograph. Please remind me the second week that you are working on this project so I do not count your film the second week as missing, instead you will have this time to continue printing.
2. Night shots
You will photograph a series of three different examples of night photography one from each of the following categories. Please see the night photography tips link under photography 2 on the left. 1. Light as subject 2. Night scene 3. Painting with light
​
ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES FOR PHOTO 2
Duo tone- use at least 2 toners in different areas
Complex toning- mask off parts of image
Photogram combine with negative
Chemigram
Blend Printing- Jerry Uelsmann
Poured, sprayed, painted developer
Photo transfer- xerox copy lacquer thinner, acrylic gel, turpentine, hand sanitizer & ink jet
Print from a negative with materials between the enlarger and print
Bend paper or move paper while printing, may also adjust zoom
Boil negative in baking soda water, don't wash and let dry then print
Cover paper in soap, salt, powder, liquid, other thin material, etc. and print
Cover negative with salt water, spray glue or other substance
Destroy negative- cut, burn, tape, rubber cement, sand, scratch then print
Draw on negative using pencil, pen, etc
Tear apart image and reassemble and reprint
Solarize part of image only
Negative print of a solarized image
Hand coloring
Print photo with text (handwritten or printed)
Pinhole photography using multiple holes (stereotype)
Collage images together
Mirrored image print through transparency or lith film
Series of altered photos (same image, multiple methods)
3-d build outs- take parts of multiple images and combine them into a new composition
Mixed media collage (paint, draw, ink, sculpt, while incorporating your photos)
Drawing on paper negatives and reprint
Rubber cement negatives
Blinds print or accordion print
Mordancage- class project
Weaving prints- two images 1 cut vertical 1 horizontal then weave in over under over pattern
Turn a flat print(s) into 3-d sculpture
Watercolor on paper, then print through
Collage images on 3-d item (table, chair, lamp shade, etc)
Altered book- add photos to a book along with mixed media, painting, etc.
Bas relief- make a print, print through the negative and the print that is slightly misaligned
Lumen print- set plants on paper under the glass easel then set outside in sun for 20 minutes to multiple hours, then process it in fixer only
Face prints- put lotion on your face, press paper against your face, then develop it as usual
Missing pieces- cut sections of a photo out and mount it on paper or matte board
Warm versus cool toned paper
Jacquard Solarfast prints
Ink transfers with scanned image
Altered paper then printed- cut, fold, tear, braid, weave etc. then print
Large print projected on wall
Projected image onto a 3-d surface and photographed
Torn plastic around edges of lens to create hazy look
Cardboard cover to ghost image things (film)- while photographing, start exposure, cover the lens with cardboard, move an object then remove cardboard and finish the exposure
Double exposure in camera, take a roll then print one or a series
Fast life- while taking shots use a slower shutter speed and zoom in while taking the picture to create a tunnel vision feel
In camera movement or movement during printing
Photograph through a second lens