sign in sign up
<<
Home , Rule of thirds

Nature You don’t take a picture, you make it

NaturallyGC Junior Wild Defenders Wild Defenders badges

CLE LETA FE R IG A T ST LI ES B N R I D C U C E L U U T I

H E

P

W T

• • • • • • a a atu y tur y tur y ra a a to our

HUG EE GE R R Wild Defenders T Humans have always recorded stories and

• memories to share with families, communities and • a a a turay turay turay future generations. From the first drawings on caves and rocks to more complex art, mankind has continually been the maker of images.

Photography literally means ‘drawing with light’. EEN H SUPIA GR O AR L U S Early were called sun pictures because E M S

H

E sunlight itself was used to create the images. T

• • Today, photography is a powerful means of • • a a a turay turay turay communication that can capture moments in time and help to preserve memories, such as birthdays and holidays, or can document events for media or new discoveries for science. PPI A NG TRONOM Photography is recognised as a form of visual art. M S Y A With a , phone or tablet in your hand you can be an artist too! Let’s begin work on your Wild • • • • • • Defenders Nature Photographer Badge! a a at turay turay uray There are many different styles of photography and many different ways to take a picture. By experimenting and taking lots of pictures you will soon become an expert! Collect them all cityofgoldcoast.com.au/naturallygc ACTIVITY 1: 5/ INSERT YOUR FAVOURITE PICTURE HERE AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU CHOSE IT.

CHOOSE A SIMPLE OBJECT AT HOME OR IN YOUR BACKYARD TO (SUCH AS A PIECE OF FRUIT, A FLOWER OR A PET).

1. EXPERIMENT Take photos of it from different perspectives. Up high, down low, getting in close or stepping back. Move around your subject to shoot from different sides. You can also experiment with different settings on the camera such as or other filters.

2. CHECK THE BACKGROUND Take a look at your subject again – but this time, scan the background to check for clutter or distractions. Scan the foreground too. Clear these distractions to take a photo that highlights your subject.

3. HOLD THE CAMERA Try taking a picture of your subject with straight lines e.g. keeping the background such as floors, windows, fences or the horizon straight.

4. REVIEW Great! Now review the images you have taken of your favourite object and discuss them with your friends and family. ACTIVITY 2: PEOPLE We can also use the rule of thirds when taking pictures of people. The idea is to make sure your main subject is not directly in the middle of your picture.

THE RULE OF THIRDS. IF YOU HAVE PLAYED TIC-TAC-TOE BEFORE, THIS LESSON SHOULD BE EASY TO REMEMBER!

THE RULE OF THIRDS When looking through your camera imagine a grid – such as the one pictured. This grid divides your picture into thirds, horizontal and vertical.

Draw this grid onto the picture below. In this picture, you can see that the horizon was not placed directly in the middle. Instead it was placed closer to the top of the picture. One third of the picture is sky and two thirds a scene of land and water. This makes the picture more interesting than simply putting the horizon in the middle Take a look at the picture above. The girl’s head is placed in the upper left When we place the horizon in the middle it seems like the picture has been cut in half intersection. She is also looking at something outside the frame. We must try to and is usually not as appealing to our eyes. imagine what she can see!

MOVEMENT How can a still picture show movement? Leave room in front of your subjects for them to move into. The Pelican is the main subject in the picture. The photographer left plenty of room in front of her so we can imagine her flying across the picture to catch the fish. Do the same thing for still subjects. Leave room in the direction they are pointing. Photo assignment MORE EXAMPLES When taking pictures of people or animals, try making their eyes the most important part. Place their eyes near an intersection of the tic-tac-toe grid. Take a picture using the rule of thirds and place it below. Explain the reasons for your creative decision:

Photography rules are made to be broken. You don’t have to use the rule of thirds all the time. But you need to know the rules before you can break them.

Review 1. Try not to place your subject directly in the middle of your picture. 2. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid as you are setting up a shot. 3. Place your main subject on one of the intersections. 4. When taking landscape pictures place the horizon on either the upper or lower third line. Do not place the horizon directly in the middle. ACTIVITY 3: Place your favourite close-up image here. Fill the frame / empty the frame Fill the frame

If you have an interesting subject, don’t be afraid to fill the entire frame with it. There is something magical about seeing a subject up close and personal. Think of the shapes, textures and colours come to life when photographed close-up.

TIP : GET AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN. THIS CAN TAKE PATIENCE IF YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE A PHOTO OF AN ANIMAL!

Fill the frame – Challenge 1

Zoom in with your camera, take a picture of a small detail and let someone guess where the picture was taken. Be very sneaky! Here are some examples below. Can you guess what these are? Empty the frame Challenge 2

This is another powerful composition technique that can create a dramatic look and Take a photo of an interesting subject against a background that is simple or really make the subject “pop”– it is sometimes referred to as “ space”. contrasting to make the object ‘pop’ out.

Negative space defines and emphasises the main subject of a photo, drawing your eye to it. It provides “breathing room”, giving your eyes somewhere to rest and preventing your image from appearing too cluttered with “stuff”. All of this adds up Place your favourite image here: to a more engaging composition.

NEGATIVE SPACE PROVIDES BREATHING ROOM AND DRAWS YOUR EYE TO THE MAIN SUBJECT. ACTIVITY 4: Backlighting Backlighting is a technique in which the light source is behind the subject. The subject is then placed between the middle of the light and the camera. Like this: Lighting, light and shadows Photography is known as the art of capturing light. But did you know that the counterpart of light, the shadow, also plays an important role in the creation of an image?

For this activity we will try to make the shadow the main subject of our photo. You may choose to create the shadow as pictured or photograph a shadow as it is.

Fun fact IT IS MUCH EASIER TO TAKE SHADOW PHOTOGRAPHS WHEN THE SUN IS LOW IN THE SKY – EARLY MORNING OR Backlighting is often used to create an optical illusion – such as the picture of the EARLY EVENING. WHY IS THIS? man ‘holding’ the sun. ACTIVITY 5: Create your own optical illusion using backlighting and add your photo here. Bug’s eye view / bird’s eye view

Imagine you are a little bug, looking up at the world around you. As you can imagine, this would make all subjects look very large, even if they are very small in reality. In the photograph of the flower, you really feel as though you are laying on the ground, looking up at monstrous plants!

So this is what it feels like to be a bug! Getting down on the ground allows you to see scenes that you wouldn’t ordinarily experience in your everyday life. Add your favourite bug’s eye view picture here. ACTIVITY 6: Bird’s eye view Now imagine you are a bird - flying high. With the help of an adult friend or family member, take some pictures from a high point such as a lookout or up on a chair. Everyday objects can look very different from this angle! DIY photo frame

Using natural materials or recycled items from home, create your own picture frames to showcase your favourite photographs.

Place your chosen picture here: USE NATURE JUMP Just for fun! EYE TO MAKE (FEET) If you would like more inspiration as a photographer – try these photo AN X scavenger hunt ideas! How many can you snap?

ANIMAL BARK CONTRAST DROPLET SHADOW TRACK) (PAW PRINT) (TEXTURE) (B&W)

HOLLOW GREEN FEATHER (SHELL, WOOD, INSECT TREE FRUIT (COLOUR) SEED POD)

WATER NIGHT FLOWER LEAF REFLECTION (STARS)

PATTERN QUICK OR ROUND (ON LEAF) QUIET (SHAPE) ‘Now you’ve learned the basics of photography and earned your Wild Defenders Badge, you can become a citizen scientist! By taking photos of the living things in your backyard or local park – think plants, insects, spiders, lizards, frogs, birds and mammals – you can help research scientists conserve and protect our precious native species. Just download the free iNaturalist app, register your details, have your UNDERNEATH VEGETABLE WATER camera ready and prepare to be amazed! Start by joining our NaturallyGCProject. 20-LC-001148

In partnership with

cityofgoldcoast.com.au/naturallygc