What Is a Photograph

Ideas for photography sessions

LESSON 1

Name:______

What is a photograph?

A S - - - - (every picture tells one)

A P ------of Light (scientific definition)

A D ------(something you read)

A Piece of E ------(admissible in a court of Law)

A M - - - - - (e.g. when you go on holiday)

A Piece of A - - (found in a gallery)

What types of photography are there? 1. Documentary 2. fashion 3. Art 4. Advertising 5. Press or Paparazzi

Where do we most commonly see photographs? 1. Newspapers 2. Magazines 3. World Wide Web 4. Book covers

What different types of types of photography are there? 1. Fashion photography 2. Portrait photography 3. Documentary photography 4. Press photography 5. Advertising

Use the internet to find an example of each type of photography listed bellow.

1. Fashion 2. Portrait 3. Documentary 4. Press 5. Advertising

Copy and paste a picture into each category.

LESSON 2

Basic Photography work sheet

- Things to consider:

Composition  Power relations between subject and photographer.  Camera Angle – high angle, low angle, zoomed in.  Balance the composition.  ‘Rule of thirds’

Frame  What’s in the Background?  Fill the frame with your subject.  Take lots of frames for each shot.  Landscape or Portrait

Focus  Focus on the eyes  Or decide where in the image you want the focus.  Depth of field  Foreground & Background

Light  What type of light are you using? i.e. The sun, or artificial lighting (flash)  Where is the light source?  Don’t shoot into the light (unless you want a silhouette)  Use the light to light up the side of the face.

Subject  Gaze – where do you want them to look? Away from the camera or directly at the lens  Theme or story of photograph  Emotion. What kind of emotions do you feel from the image?

[ INSERT PICTURE HERE ] Composition______

Frame______

Focus______

Light______

Subject______

Comments______

LESSON 3

Looking at Photographs exercise

1. Use the WWW to find a photograph about a topical issue that interests you. (try looking at newspaper websites)

2. Right click on the image and select copy.

3. Paste your picture below then answer the questions.

Answer the following questions

1. Where did you find the picture (paste the URL) e.g. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/

2. Describe the picture?

3. What is the picture about?

4. Does the picture tell a story?

5. Does the picture make you feel any kind of emotion?

6. Is the image Landscape or Portrait?

7. Is the picture taken with a wide angle or is it zoomed in? 8. Where is the focus of the picture?

9. Describe what type of light was used to take the picture?

10. Why did you choose this picture?

LESSON 4

Using a disposable camera exercise . Looking at the external of the building - You have a camera with 27 Exposures

SHOT 1 SELF PORTRAIT

2 – 6 Look at the SHADOWS – use some flash!

7 – 11 Find some TEXTURES

12 – 16 Look for some PATTERNS

17 – 21 Find some interesting ANGLES

22 – 27 You Decide!

Things to think about!

1. 1st photograph is a picture of YOU

2. REMEMBER the camera will only focus on subjects 1m away

3. Use the FLASH to lighten up shadows

4. THINK about: composition, frame, focus, light and subject

5. CONSDIER your SUBJECT form a different perspective

6. LOOK at the environment carefully and CHOOSE your photographs.

GOLDEN RULE: ENJOY YOURSELF! LESSON 5

Make a photograph that tells a story Ask yourself:

What interests me?

What excites me?

What do I see differently from everybody else?

Where do I hang out?

What do I do with my friends?

Think about:

 Photograph with your FEET

 LIGHT Sun / Flash

 ANGLE – be different!

 FRAME Composition / Drama

 ACTION Excitement in a still frame

 the MOMENT

Comments from other participants on the “Barnstorming” Day

It is very inspiring to see how relevant new arts forms be – eg light graffiti, using torches. Photography is also a useful medium for looking at portraits and thinking about angle, size and colour. This is a great way to enable young people to explore their own lives without actually having to talk about it. But you can also trigger discussion about their lives, self awareness, exploration of self and others.

www.thamesvalleypartnership.org.uk