Photography Project

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Project Description

The "Visual Storytelling Through Photography" assignment is an exciting opportunity to explore the world of photography while honing your skills as a visual storyteller. In this project, you will use your camera to capture images that convey narratives, emotions, and messages, allowing you to communicate your perspective on a chosen theme or topic. Whether you're a budding photographer or a seasoned pro, this assignment invites you to see the world through a new lens and share your unique stories with others.

Project Goals:

Narrative Photography: Develop the ability to use photography as a medium for storytelling, capturing moments and scenes that convey a compelling narrative.

Visual Composition: Explore the principles of visual composition, including framing, balance, leading lines, and the rule of thirds, to create impactful and aesthetically pleasing photographs.

Emotional Impact: Learn how to evoke emotions and engage viewers through your images, whether it's joy, melancholy, curiosity, or any other emotion relevant to your chosen theme.

Creative Expression: Encourage creativity by experimenting with different photographic styles, techniques, and settings to achieve your desired visual and emotional effects.

Conceptual Thinking: Develop the ability to think conceptually and plan your photographs in advance, considering the message or story you want to convey.

Technical Proficiency: Hone your technical photography skills, such as understanding exposure, focusing, and working with natural and artificial lighting.

Critical Evaluation: Practice critical self-evaluation of your work, analyzing your photographs for strengths and areas for improvement.
Project Steps:

Theme Selection: Choose a theme or topic that you are passionate about or that you believe has a compelling story to tell. This could range from environmental conservation to personal experiences, cultural diversity, or any subject that resonates with you.

Planning and Conceptualization: Develop a plan for your photography project, considering the narrative or message you wish to convey. Sketch out ideas, brainstorm compositions, and make a shot list if needed.

Photographic Techniques: Familiarize yourself with various photographic techniques, including composition rules, lighting, depth of field, and exposure settings. Experiment with these techniques to achieve the desired effect for each photograph.

Photo Shoot: Go out and capture your images. Pay attention to details, framing, and the emotional resonance of each shot. Be patient and take your time to ensure each photograph aligns with your project's goals.

Image Selection: Choose the most compelling photographs from your shoot. Consider factors such as composition, emotional impact, and how well they contribute to your narrative.

Editing and Post-Processing: Process your selected images using photo editing software if desired. Enhance colors, contrast, and clarity while ensuring the integrity of your narrative.

Presentation: Present your final selection of photographs in a cohesive and visually appealing manner. This could include creating a digital portfolio, printing and framing your images, or designing a photo book.

Reflection and Documentation: Reflect on your photographic journey, noting the challenges you faced, the successes you achieved, and the lessons learned. Document your thoughts and experiences as part of your project submission.

The "Visual Storytelling Through Photography" assignment provides an opportunity to explore the art of photography, develop your narrative skills, and share your unique perspective with others. Whether you're capturing the beauty of the natural world, the complexity of human emotions, or the stories of your own life, this project invites you to tell your story through the lens of a camera.




Learning Objectives

  • Technical Proficiency:
  • Develop a strong foundation in the technical aspects of photography, including exposure, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus, and white balance.
  • Equipment Familiarity:
  • Gain proficiency in using various photographic equipment, such as DSLR cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and lighting equipment.
  • Composition Skills:
  • Learn and apply principles of composition, including the rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, framing, and balance, to create visually compelling photographs.
  • Visual Storytelling:
  • Develop the ability to use photography as a means of visual storytelling, conveying narratives, emotions, and messages through images.
  • Creative Expression:
  • Encourage creative thinking and experimentation in photography, exploring different styles, techniques, and perspectives to produce unique and imaginative photographs.
  • Subject Selection and Focus:
  • Explore various photographic genres and subject matter (e.g., portraits, landscapes, street photography, macro photography) to discover personal interests and strengths.
  • Lighting Mastery:
  • Understand the importance of lighting in photography and learn to work with natural and artificial light sources to achieve desired effects.
  • Post-Processing Skills:
  • Develop post-processing skills using photo editing software to enhance and refine photographs while maintaining their authenticity.
  • Conceptual Thinking:
  • Cultivate the ability to think conceptually and plan photographic projects with clear intentions and messages.
  • Critique and Self-Evaluation:
  • Practice critical evaluation of your own work and that of others, analyzing photographs for composition, impact, and storytelling effectiveness.
  • Ethical Considerations:
  • Gain an understanding of the ethical responsibilities of photographers, including consent, privacy, and cultural sensitivity, when photographing subjects and communities.
  • Portfolio Development:
  • Create a portfolio of high-quality, cohesive, and thematically connected photographs that showcase your skills and style as a photographer.
  • Presentation Skills:
  • Learn to effectively present and share your photographs, whether through digital galleries, exhibitions, or publications, and explain your creative choices and intentions.
  • Collaboration and Feedback:
  • Collaborate with peers, photographers, or mentors to receive constructive feedback, exchange ideas, and grow as a photographer through a sense of community.
  • Historical and Contemporary Context:
  • Explore the history of photography and its evolution over time, as well as contemporary trends and photographers who have made significant contributions to the field.




    • Rubric

    Rubric:
    Rubrics have become popular with teachers as a means of communicating expectations for an assignment, providing focused feedback on works in progress, and grading final products. A rubric is a document that articulates the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to poor.

    Rubrics are often used to grade student work but they can serve another, more important, role as well: Rubrics can teach as well as evaluate. When used as part of a formative, student-centered approach to assessment, rubrics have the potential to help students develop understanding and skill, as well as make dependable judgments about the quality of their own work. Students should be able to use rubrics in many of the same ways that teachers use them—to clarify the standards for a quality performance, and to guide ongoing feedback about progress toward those standards.

    The rubric for the perspective project can be viewed, downloaded and printed below. Enjoy





    Photography Handout


    The handout below will help students get started on understanding key concepts for this specific project. The students will have time in class and out of class to look at the handout provided by the teacher. You can look, download and print it below. Enjoy!





    Artist: Ansel Adams

    Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist. His black and white landscape photographs of the American West, especially Yosemite National Park, have been widely reproduced on calendars, posters, books, and the internet.
    Adams and Fred Archer developed the Zone System as a way to determine proper exposure and adjust the contrast of the final print. The resulting clarity and depth characterized his photographs. He primarily used large-format cameras because their high resolution helped ensure sharpness in his images.





    Project Example


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    Project Demonstration






    Student Work

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    You're Ready to Start Your Project.




    Project Submission

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    Project Description:
    The curriculum for 7    th graders focuses on a portion of the elements and principles of design.  The elements that are explored in class will help to create the backbone of student's  middle school art experience. Line, value, color, texture and repetition are all investigated through the various projects completed in class. Students will develop observation and technical skills in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and various other art mediums.

    Learning Targets:
    The student will:
    - Identify and create artwork based on the elements of art and on the principles of art.
    - Demonstrate through their artwork how to use the elements of art to show movement and express feelings.
    - Recognize, compare and use different media to create their artwork.
    - Develop a respect and appreciation for the artwork of artists, including classmates' art.
    - Recognize and compare differences in several art mediums.
    - Create representational and abstract art.
    - Learn to create depth in a 2-dimensional artwork using one and two point perspective.
    - Communicate thoughts, feelings and experiences to others through art.
    - Understand terms that are basic to art media, procedures and techniques, as well as art appreciation.
    - Maintain a sketchbook for a variety of drawing assignments to perfect their hand-eye ability and drawing skill.


    Enduring Understandings:
    7th Grade students will develop an understanding of how generating ideas and planning can lead to expressive creations. Students will also have a better understanding of how color theory influences artists. Artists will communicate meaning through the visual arts.

    Essential Questions:
    What are the four blending techniques used in still life creation?
    What makes a successful composition?
    What is color theory?
    How does an artist begin his or her work?
    What are the elements and principles of design?

    Rubric:
    Rubrics have become popular with teachers as a means of communicating expectations for an assignment, providing focused feedback on works in progress, and grading final products. A rubric is a document that articulates the expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to poor.

    Rubrics are often used to grade student work but they can serve another, more important, role as well: Rubrics can teach as well as evaluate. When used as part of a formative, student-centered approach to assessment, rubrics have the potential to help students develop understanding and skill, as well as make dependable judgments about the quality of their own work. Students should be able to use rubrics in many of the same ways that teachers use them—to clarify the standards for a quality performance, and to guide ongoing feedback about progress toward those standards.

    The rubric for the photography project can be viewed, downloaded and printed below. Enjoy