We will have lots of photo projects in this class. Most of them are pretty short and will not take hours to complete. Most times you will be expected to take the photograhs outside of class time,so we can use class time for processing and printing the photos. You can find examples of photos from each assignment on the Excellent Examples page.
I also offer a written assignment as an alternate for any student who does not have access to a camera for any project that requires an SLR film camera (there are several assignments that do not require film cameras so there is no alternate for these projects). Written assignments are in depth research papers on a topic that coordinates with the photo assignments so that the student will still be meeting the TEKS. I expect just as much work to go into the paper as for the students who are shooting pictures, developing film, and making prints. All papers should be typed, single spaced and have parenthetical citations throughout the paper. There should be a works cited page attached to the research paper showing that the student has used at least three refrences, one of the references must be something other than a website (a book, magazine, personal interview, etc.) Details about alternate assignment subjects and m\paper length can be found with each individual assignment.
1. Pinhole Camera
After we learn the basic parts of cameras, you will build a simple camera from a box, a piece of thin metal with a pinhole in it, tape and a manilla folder. You will use this camera to take a picture outside. And we will process it in the darkroom. Yes it does work! (No alternate)
2. 3-D photos (this will be done in class)
You will need a roll of color film for this project. You will be responsible for taking this film to have it processed.
You will choose some 3 dimensional object and you will photograph it from all sides. After the photos have been developed you will cut out each piece and reassemble a smalller "replica" of your object. The purpose of this assignment is to show you how different things look in 2 dimensional still photography and in 3 dimensional "real life". You will learn how to fill the frame with your subject.
Hint #1: Straight edges are much easier than curves. If you choose something that is mostly square, you will have an easier time putting it back together. Curved are more difficult, you will have to shoot more photos, but they will earn you a higher grade.
Hint #2: Use a 35mm camera that will allow you to focus relatively close to your object. If you use a point and shoot or disposable camera you will not be able to get very close to your subject (most of these cameras force you to be at least 4 feet away for in focus pictures) and the finished project will be very small and in focus or large and out of focus.
Hint #3: Put the object on the edge of a table and then mark a spot on the floor where you are standing when you take the first picture. If you shoot the rest of your photos from this same spot and do not move your object off the edge of the table, your photos will all be in proportion when you put them back together.
(No alternate - you are allowed to use any camera you have: film or digital, even a cell phone camera will work.)
3. Self Portrait
You will shoot this project on a roll of color film. You will be responsible for taking it and having it processed.
You will take pictures of yourself. This can be done in several ways. Some basic ideas include: using the self-timer of your camera, holing the camera out and shooting back at youself, and shooting in a mirror.
Hint #1: Include props in your photos that tell me something about you.
Hint #2: Think outside the box and take a picture of you that doesn't have "you" in it.
Hint #3: Shoot the whole roll of film. You won't be looking through the viewfinder so you want to take several frames of each set-up to make sure you get your face in the photos.
(No alternate - you are allowed to use any camera you have: film or digital, even a cell phone camera will work.)
4. Bracketing (we will begin work on this in class and students will have to finish at home)
This is our first black and white film project. You will shoot the film during class and we will process it in the darkroom.
You will learn how to use the meter on your camera to overexpose, underexpose, and properly expose film.
Bracketing is a technique where you take a correctly exposed picture, then you shoot exposures both overexposing and underexposing the film in order to make sure you get the exposure you want. (Sometimes an over- or underexposed negative looks better than a properly exposed one.)
You will also learn to look at the different types of light so you can recoznize the quality of light and how it affects your photos. We will shoot outside in direct sunlight, outside in the shade, outside witht he sun directly behind the subject, inside by a window and inside a room with no windows. You will find out how the differnt types of light affect your exposure and the quality of your image.
You will have to turn in your processed, sleeved, labelled negatives, a contact sheet, and some paperwork that you will fill out while shooting.
(Alternate - Write a two page paper that explains in detail how to use bracketing to make better exposures. Tell me what bracketing is, how to do it, why you do it, and what the finished film should look like. You will also need to include at least 5 examples of bracketed exposures - 1/500 @ f/8, 1/30 @ f/16, 1/125 @ f/5.6. 1/8 @ f2.8, 1/1000@ f/4).
5. Abstract Initials
This is a black and white project. You will shoot it over a weekend and bring the film to class on a Monday to process it. You will have several days in the darkroom to process and print this assignment.
You will learn to look for lines both straight and curved by finding things in nature that look like your initials. This assignment will teach you to look at things in a different ways.
You will also shoot a photo of a common object in such a way that I cannot tell what it is. The key to this is to get close to your subject and just shoot a very small part. This part of the project will help you learn to get close to your subjects and it will teach you to look for texture in photographs.
This project includes an extra credit opportunity. If you find an absrtact "face", shoot it and print it; then you will get extra credit on the assignment. There is a book called "FACES" by Francois and Jean Robert that has a lot of really good examples of abstract faces in it and there are several student examples on my Excellent Examples page.
You will have to turn in your processed, sleeved, labelled negatives, a contact sheet, and prints of your first initial, last initial, and an abstract. You can also trun in a print of your middle initial and/or and abstract face for extra credit.
(Alternate - Write a three page paper describing and analyzing the work of Edward Weston and David Hockney. Compare and contrast their work.)
6. Light and Shadow
This is a black and white project. You will shoot it over a weekend and bring the film to class on Monday to process.
You will be looking for interesting combinations of light and shadow. You want to find pictures where the shadows make the photograph more interesting. If you can take the shadow out and the photo looks about the same, then this is not what you need to shoot.
Think about the interesting shadows that fall on objects when the light shines through mini blinds or lace curtains. Thinks about the shadows you see early in the morning.
Hint #1: Shoot your photos early in the moring, or just before sunset. This is what photographers call "magic light". THe shadows are long and the light is soft. THe resulting photos are incredible.
Hint #2: If you want to shoot a silhouette. Take your meter reading off the bright background and then bracket your exposures. When you shoot the picture your camera will tell you that the scene is underexposed, but you need to ignore the camera and shoot the picture so that your subject is underexposed and the background is properly exposed ot get a good silhouette. Bracketing will help ensure that you have a dark enough silhouette with detail in the background.
You will turn in to me your processed, sleeved and labeled negatives along with a contact sheet and two light and shadow prints.
(Alternate - Write a three page paper discussing the effective use of compositional elements in photography. Include the use of rule of thirds, filling the frame, foreground, background and light and shadow.)
7. Angles
This is a black and white project. You will shoot it over a weekend and bring the film to class on Monday to process.
You will choose an object to photograph. Set it down and then you cannot move it. You are to photograph this object in 24 different ways.
This assignment will teach you how to move around your subject to get different points of view. You will learn to incorporate things in the foreground and background to make your photos more interesting.
Hint #1: Choose and object that is neither too small to fill your frame, nor too big to look down on.
Hint #2: Do not shoot anything that is alive. Living things tend to move. Your subject cannot move at all during this assignment. The object is for the photographer to move.
You will turn in your processed sleeved and labeled negatives along with a contact sheet and the one best 8x10 print. (This is an exercise in editing...you will need to choose the frame that is the most interesting compositionally and print it.)
(Alternate - shoot this project on your digital camera, make a digital comtact sheet and print the best photo)
8. Portraits
This is a black and white project. You will shoot it over a weekend and bring the film to class on Monday to process.
You will photograph one person on an entire roll of film. You will take a mugshot, a posed portrait and an environmental portrait.
Hint #1: Take time to get to know your subject. If they are comfortable with you, you will end up with better photos.
Hint #2: Use a sheet draped over the fence or hung on a clothesline for a quick clean background.
Hint #3: Choose someone who has an interesting job, hobby or collection so that you will have lots of good props to work with in the environmental portrait.
Hint #4: Shoot outside in the sunshine or next to a window. If you try to shoot indoors without a flash your pictures are likely to be blurry because the subject will move or you will move. If you shoot indoors with a direct flash (ICK!), you will have a big ugly shadow behind the subject's head and "red" eye.
You will turn in your processed, sleeved and labeled negatives along with a contact sheet, a mugshot, a posed portrait and an environmental portrait. The environmental portrait needs to include a caption. The mugshot can be printed 2x3, but the other portraits need to be at least 5x7. You can turn in a candid portrait for extra credit.
(Alternate - Create a portfolio and resume as if you were Annie Liebovitz applying for a job. You must include what you believe are her 20 best photos in the portfolio. The portfolio shold include a caption sheet telling me who the subject of each photo is and when that photo was taken.)
9. News (we will try to shoot this during our class)
This is a black and white project.
10. Sports
This is a black and white project. You will shoot it over a weekend and bring the film to class on Monday to process.
(Alternate - Clipping file. You need to choose a local photograper who works for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram or Dallas Morning News. Follow thier work in the newspaper for several days. Cut out at least 20 examples of photographs they have taken. Glue them on plain white paper, one photo to a page with the caption and the dateline from the date it was published. On the 21st page analyze ther work and tell me what makes them a good photographer.)
11. Photo Story
This project can be shot in either black and white or color. You get to decide which you would like to do. If you shoot black and white you will be processing and printing in the darkroom. If you shoot color you are responsible for taking it and having it processed outside of class.
(No alternate - you can use any camera you have to complete this project. FIlm or Digital is acceptable.)
12. Food (will be shot during class)
This is a color project and you will be responsible for taking it and having it developed outside of class.
(No alternate - film or digital is accaptable)
GRADING:
The project grade will be determined by quality of photos. I will look at how much time was spent on the project and I will take into account the film processing, printmaking, composition and exposure. I will look at creativity and originality.
Some things I do not want to see:
*Photos taken at school, unless I specifically ask for pictures taken at school. I want you to go out and photograph things that I do not see every day. You will find your best photos when you spend time planning and exploring for good pictures.
*Photos of other photos or of the TV screen – remember originality is important.
*An entire semester's worth of photos of your family, friends and pets. I want you to take some chances and meet some new people. One of the greatest joys of being a photojournalist is meeting a new person every day!
