Project 1— Composing:
Creating an Abstract or Geometric Composition
Part
1: Journal
You should compose each picture so that its parts
work together to create a work of beauty. Each item in a picture has an effect
on the whole, so don’t just point and shoot. Take a little time to compose each
picture into the masterpiece it could be. Remember that you are trying to
develop mastery in concept composition as well as in technique.
The challenge is to compose by controlling how
the subject is seen and what emotions are felt by the viewer. This is done
through composition—the relationship of the elements in an image with each
other and with the frame. You know that good feeling you get when you snap a
great shot? Well, just follow these guidelines, and you’ll start to see things
differently through the viewfinder—and take great shots more often. Take a
little time to compose each picture into the masterpiece it could be. Remember
that you are trying to develop mastery in concept composition as well as in
technique.
Visit various sites and make notes in your
journal about each topic. Include one
image to illustrate each of the guidelines listed below. If one of your photos fits—then use that as
your image.
1. Be
a picture director
Take an extra
minute to compose your photograph so that the reason you are taking it is
clearly evident. Control your canvas by moving subjects, props, or your angle
to add context and see things in a better way.
2. Focus
on good stuff/ eliminate unimportant
Don’t include too much. Extra elements can
confuse things. Strengthen your subject by eliminating all unimportant
components and background clutter.
3. Choosing
a main point of interest
4. Experiment with Different Vantage Points (Angles of
View)
Experiment with different angles. Eye level is
great for a lot of shots. But if you want more from your photos, you have to
explore. Get close and fill the frame. Crouch down and shoot up at your subject
or shoot along the floor. Get up on a chair or table and shoot from above. Just
be careful or you might be icing your ankle while viewing the results.
5.
Placing
the subject off-center or follow the Rule of Thirds.
Placing the subject in the middle of the frame
makes a picture more static and less interesting. Imagine a tic-tac-toe board
over your viewfinder and position the subject toward one of the intersections.
With landscapes, keep the horizon along the
lower third to give a feeling of spaciousness. Position the horizon along the
upper third to give a feeling of nearness or intimacy.
6. Using leading lines
Lines are everywhere around us. In people,
trees, walls, shadows—you just have to look for them. These natural lines can
strengthen composition by leading the viewer’s eyes toward your subject.
Diagonal lines can add energy. Curved lines can add soft elegance. Using a road
or path as a leading line can add depth.
7. Avoiding distracting backgrounds
Before you shoot, take a look around for an
uncomplicated backdrop that complements the subject instead of competing with
it. Beware of trees or poles sprouting from your subject's head. Even better:
Find a background that draws the viewer's eye to the most important part of the
picture.
8. Include foreground objects
Framing your subject with elements in the
foreground can also add scale and depth to pictures. Overhanging tree branches,
doorways, anything that covers at least two sides of the photo can give a
three-dimensional effect that invites viewers into the image.
9. Go vertical.
Rotate the camera 90 degrees to compare the
different effects on composition, even when you might not think it necessary. A
composition that naturally lends itself to horizontal can make a stunning
vertical picture.
10. Framing -
Watch the edge!
Place your subject close to the edge of the
frame and experiment with radical crops. If your subject is in motion, give
them plenty of space within the frame to move into.
11. Balance –
Use Asymmetry & Geometry
Off-center subjects can be balanced on the opposite
side of the frame with leading lines, shadows, and objects in the foreground or
background.
Balance can also be achieved by creating simple
geometric shapes. This makes images naturally easier to decipher and more
pleasing to the eye. This photo is a good example of subjects creating a
triangle, which brings strong balance and unity to the image.
12. Leave something to the imagination.
Sharp, detailed images are the norm. Purposely
leave part of your main subject out of focus. Just focus on something in front
of or far beyond the subject to create a dream-like effect.
Part
2: Journal
In
your journal, have examples of people, places, and things (three images of
each), with the rule of thirds grid drawn over them. (You can use your own images).
Part
3: Journal
Find 2 examples for each of the items listed below
and place in you journals.
·
Hands (such as braiding hair, holding something,
working on something)
·
Feet/Shoes
·
Geometric Shadows/Forms
·
Organic Forms and/or Texture
·
White on white/eggs
·
Lines
·
Glass/transparency
Project:
After
reviewing the rule of thirds, composition guidelines and visiting various websites,
you are to photograph the following (refer to examples you have found and
placed in your sketchbook):
Plan
Your Photo Composition (36 works): FILM
1.
Hands (such as braiding hair, holding something, working on something) (four
works)
2.
Feet/Shoes (4 works)
3.
Geometric Shadows/Forms (four works)
4.
Organic Forms and/or Texture (four works)
5.
White on white/eggs (four works)
6.
Lines (four works)
7.
Glass/transparency (four works)
8.
Remainder of photos is your choice
You will turn in darkroom contact sheet to
receive credit. We will have a class critique on the prints to
help you determine which compositions work best in regard to the rule of thirds
and how to photograph your subject with more interesting view points to attract
viewers to your compositions. Print one 8" x 10" of each of your best
FIVE photos for your portfolio.
Project 2 — Concentration (Portfolio) Roll #1
Journal:
Before you begin working on your portfolio, you
should have discussed with me your ideas and what your concentration will be.
Please have these notes and examples in your journal. You must complete a
Photographer’s Research, typed, on a photographer that has a similar style or
subject to your concentration. You must use a different photographer from any
you have researched the previous year.
Project
– Digital:
You are to shoot a concentration roll according to
your concentration you have researched. You
will turn in a digital contact sheet with 36 images. File folder with 36
images, 15 working, and Final 5. You will rename your files
Concentration1_(file number). We
will have a class critique on the prints to help you determine which
compositions work best in regard to the elements and design principles and how
to photograph your subject with more interesting view points to attract viewers
to your compositions.
Project 3 – Formal and
Informal Portraits - Film
Journal
You will find a person (friend, family, someone
you don’t know) and interview about his or her interests. You will plan a photo
shoot that incorporates his or her interests. The portraits may be formal or
informal in nature. You must create 10 questions in your journal and answer
them before your photo shoot.
Project
After interviewing your assigned subject, plan a
photo shoot to capture your subject and his or her area of interest. Photos may
be serious, whimsical, with or without props, include others, etc. Plan accordingly.
Shoot 36 stills of your subject. Print a contact sheet and review the images
with your subject. If you are shooting indoors, you must USE the appropriate
lighting. Most of you do not have studio lights, so you must USE natural light
from a window. Use a tripod if your shutter speed is at 60 or less. Please look
at the Light links for ideas in positioning your lighting.
You will turn in a digital or darkroom contact
sheet to receive credit. We will also have a class
critique on the prints to help you determine which compositions work best in
regard to the rule of thirds and which captured your subject in the best way
that reflects his or her interests. Print
one 8" x 10" of each of your best five photos for your portfolio.
Project 4 – Natural Lighting - Digital
Journal:
Research the effects light has on color. Find at
least 5 examples (images) of the different effects of light at different times
of the day. Please include this in your sketchbook.
Project:
Shoot images in the various types of natural
lighting: sunrise, mid morning, high noon, early afternoon, late
afternoon and sunset. We will discuss the different types of lighting and mood
and feeling it can create. You subject will be varied. You may photograph
places, portraits, objects, etc. The idea is to try to photograph the same
thing in different lighting in order to see the difference in the feeling the
light conveys.
You
will turn in a digital contact sheet with 36 images. File folder with 36 images, 15 working, and Final
5. You will rename your files NaturalLight_(file number). We will have a class
critique on the prints to help you determine which compositions work best in
regard to the elements and design principles and how to photograph your subject
with more interesting view points to attract viewers to your compositions.
Project 5 — Designing
in Black & White (Elements & Principles of Design) - Film
Principles: Balance, Pattern, Rhythm, Contrast, Unity,
Emphasis, Movement.
Elements of Art:
Line - is a mark on a surface that describes a shape or outline. It can
create texture and can be thick and thin. Types of line can include actual,
implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour lines. (note: Ken does not
list "psychic line" - that was "new term" to me)
Color - refers to specific hues and has 3
properties, Chroma, Intensity and Value. The color wheel is a way of showing
the chromatic scale in a circle using all the colors made with the primary
triad. Complimentary pairs can produce dull and neutral color. Black and white
can be added to produce tints (add white), shades (add black) and tones (add
gray).
Texture - is about surface quality either
tactile or visual. Texture can be real or implied by different uses of media.
It is the degree of roughness or smoothness in objects.
Shape - is a 2-dimensional line with no form
or thickness. Shapes are flat and can be grouped into two categories, geometric
and organic.
Form - is a 3-dimensional object having
volume and thickness. It is the illusion of a 3-D effect that can be implied
with the use of light and shading techniques. Form can be viewed from many
angles.
Value - is the degree of light and dark in a
design. It is the contrast between black and white and all the tones in
between. Value can be used with color as well as black and white. Contrast is
the extreme changes between values.
Size - refers to variations in the
proportions of objects, lines or shapes. There is a variation of sizes in
objects either real or imagined. (some sources list Proportion/Scale as a
Principle of Design)
These elements are used to create the Principles of Design. Principles are the
results of using the Elements. When you are working in a particular format
(size and shape of the work surface) the principles are used to create
interest, harmony and unity to the elements that you are using. You can use the
Principles of design to check your composition to see if it has good structure.
Principles of Compositional Design
The principles of design are the
recipe for a good work of art. The principles combine the elements to create an
aesthetic placement of things that will produce a good design.
Center
of interest (Emphasis) - is an area that first
attracts attention in a composition. This area is more important when compared
to the other objects or elements in a composition. This can be by contrast of
values, more colors, and placement in the format.
Balance - is a feeling of visual equality in
shape, form, value, color, etc. Balance can be symmetrical or evenly balanced
or asymmetrical and un-evenly balanced. Objects, values, colors, textures,
shapes, forms, etc., can be used in creating a balance in a composition.
Harmony (unity)
- brings together a composition with similar units. If your composition
was using wavy lines and organic shapes you would stay with those types of
lines and not put in just one geometric shape. (Notice how similar Harmony is
to Unity - some sources list both terms)
Contrast - offers some change in value creating
a visual discord in a composition. Contrast shows the difference between shapes
and can be used as a background to bring objects out and forward in a design.
It can also be used to create an area of emphasis.
Directional
Movement - is
a visual flow through the composition. It can be the suggestion of motion in a
design as you move from object to object by way of placement and position.
Directional movement can be created with a value pattern. It is with the
placement of dark and light areas that you can move your attention through the
format.
Rhythm - is a movement in which some elements
recur regularly. Like a dance it will have a flow of objects that will seem to
be like the beat of music.
The Principles of design are the results of your working with the elements of
art. Use them in every piece of art you do and you will be happy with the
results.
Project:
Select four themes from the list below and photography
in Black + White (film) – THINK IN BLACK + WHITE
1.
Reflections in chrome or other reflective surface
2.
Store window reflections (e.g., an antique or consignment store)
3.
Reflections in water
4.
Light through a window
5.
Motorcycle close-up or car engine close-up
6.
Architectural detail
7.
Dual portraits of your friends
8.
Lines and patterns
9.
Foreshortened Image
10.
Close up of texture
11.
Silhouette
12.
Motion/Panning
13.
Perspective
You will turn in darkroom contact sheet to
receive credit. We will have a class critique on the prints to
help you determine which compositions work best in regard to the rule of thirds
and how to photograph your subject with more interesting view points to attract
viewers to your compositions. Print one 8" x 10" of each of your best
FIVE photos for your portfolio.
Project 6 —
Emphasis/Color Theory – Selective Use of Color - Digital
Journal:
Research/review color theory:
Have definitions and examples in your art journal
for each of the color schemes.
Project
– DIGITAL:
Select 4 themes from the list in Project 3 and
photography in color – THINK IN COLOR!!!
Limit the color in your photos to complementary colors, tertiary colors,
etc… MUST USE COLOR: BLACK, WHITE, GREY, BROWN ARE ALL NEUTRALS!
You
will turn in a digital contact sheet with 36 images. File folder with 36 images, 15 working, and Final
5. You will rename your files ColorTheory_(file number). We will have a class
critique on the prints to help you determine which compositions work best in
regard to the elements and design principles and how to photograph your subject
with more interesting view points to attract viewers to your compositions.
Project 7 –
Concentration #2 - Film
You will continue to
photograph your concentration. You
will turn in darkroom contact sheet to receive credit. We
will have a class critique on the prints to help you determine which
compositions work best in regard to the rule of thirds and how to photograph
your subject with more interesting view points to attract viewers to your
compositions. Print one 8" x 10" of each of your best FIVE photos for your portfolio.
Project 8 — Mandala -
Symmetry/Balance/Repetition - Photoshop
Journal:
Research Mandalas, what are they, what were they
purpose and who created them? What materials were used? Include six examples in
your journal.
Project:
Use one of your photos to create a Mandala
composition in Photoshop or by cutting and pasting your actual
photograph(s). You will be given an
instruction sheet for Photoshop. Follow the handout on how to create a Mandala.
Project 9 & 10 —
Composition Scavenger Hunt – Film (9) & Digital (10)
Project:
Using
these five elements of composition, you will shoot photographs that best
express their principles. You will shoot at least ten photographs for each of
the five areas.
1.
Rule
of Thirds - The photograph is divided into three areas of
interest which create a balanced and interesting image.
2.
Lines
- Dominant lines run through the image to create an exciting rhythm for the
eye.
3.
Geometric
Shapes - Dominant geometric shapes are pleasing to the
viewer and help to create excitement.
These shapes create excitement and keep the eye moving through the image.
4.
Balance
- Without dividing the image in half, the photograph contains equal amounts of
visual imagery.
5.
Fill
the Frame - Be aware of everything that is within the
viewfinder of your camera before you click. There should be nothing that is
extra or unimportant.
6.
The remainder is your choice.
This
is about finding the essence of the image. The subjects that you explore are up
to you to choose. This can be completed with either black and white film or
shot on a digital SLR camera.
You will turn in a darkroom contact sheet and a
digital contact sheet to receive credit. You will shoot 1 B+W roll 36exp and 36
images in digital. We will have a class critique on the prints to
help you determine which compositions work best in regard to the elements and
design principles and how to photograph your subject with more interesting view
points to attract viewers to your compositions. Print one 8" x 10" of
each of your best five photos for
your portfolio. File folder with 36 images, 15 working, and Final 5. You will rename your files
Composition_(file number).
Project 11 — Concentration (Portfolio) Roll #3 - Film
You will continue to photograph
your concentration. You will turn in darkroom
contact sheet to receive credit. We will have a class
critique on the prints to help you determine which compositions work best in
regard to the rule of thirds and how to photograph your subject with more
interesting view points to attract viewers to your compositions. Print one
8" x 10" of each of your best FIVE
photos for your portfolio.
Project 12 — Street
Photography - Digital
Journal
Research
the work by Laurent Roch. Please type a Photographer’s Research on this
photographer. You must include 5 examples of his work in the document.
Project
– Digital:
This is intended as a starting
point, so there are exceptions. Backlight or sidelight, both require
adjustments to reach the correct exposure. It’s a good idea to expose to the
right with your digital camera; 50% of the recorded data is recorded on the
right fifth (or 20%) of your digital cameras histogram. With very light
subjects in very bright conditions, routinely subtract light so as not to clip the
highlights. With very dark or black subjects, add light to maximize the
recorded detail. Snowy owl example: ISO 200 F9 1/1600 second = ISO 200 F22
1/1250 second (or Sunny F/16 rule for light sand or snow) minus 1/3 stop to
preserve all of the details in the whites without clipping (or loosing) any
data.
Sounds complicated, but if you
spend some time digesting and thinking about everything here; you'll be able to
get that once in a lifetime shot accurately and consistently with confidence.
1 Copy this f-stop-shutter
speed chart into your notebook (any notebook, but keep the page close at hand
and USE IT!)
You are to photograph in
the street! People, places, events that are happening outside. PLEASE PLEASE
PLEASE do not forget about your elements or art or Design principles. Look up
the images from Laurent Roch or other street photographers. I am looking for
design, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, pattern, lines, etc...
You
will turn in a digital contact sheet with 36 images. File folder with 36 images, 15 working, and Final
5. You will rename your files Street_(file number). We will have a class
critique on the prints to help you determine which compositions work best in
regard to the elements and design principles and how to photograph your subject
with more interesting viewpoints to attract viewers to your compositions.
Project 13 — Concentration (Portfolio) Roll #4 - Film
Journal:
You must complete a Photographer’s Research,
typed, on a different photographer that has a similar style or subject to your
concentration. You must use a different photographer from any you have
researched the previous year.
You will continue to
photograph your concentration.
You will turn in darkroom contact sheet to
receive credit. We will have a class critique on the prints to
help you determine which compositions work best in regard to the rule of thirds
and how to photograph your subject with more interesting viewpoints to attract
viewers to your compositions. Print one 8" x 10" of each of your best
FIVE photos for your portfolio.
Project 14 — Concentration (Portfolio) Roll #5 – Digital
You will continue to
photograph your concentration.
You
will turn in a digital contact sheet with 36 images. File folder with 36 images, 15 working, and Final
5. You will rename your files Concentration4_(file number). We will have a class
critique on the prints to help you determine which compositions work best in
regard to the elements and design principles and how to photograph your subject
with more interesting view points to attract viewers to your compositions.
Project 15 — Photogram
(Positive/Negative Space)
Journal:
“A photogram is a
contact print. It is made by placing something opaque or translucent on light
sensitive material and then exposing it to light. This blocks out part of the
light, and makes a pattern or picture on the light sensitive material when it
is exposed to light and processed.” You will be creating 3 photograms. The theme is "MEMOIRS." You can pick
3 different people or groups of people for each photogram. You will need to
bring pictures, negatives, writings, items, anything that you can relate to
that person. Anything that will remind you of this person or group of people.
You can print images on transparency and use as a negative.
Project:
Look at the examples of photograms. Bring
materials to class to create your photogram. Follow the design principles.
You will turn in three 8" x 10" prints. We will have a class critique to
discuss composition and the use of design principles.
Project 16 — Rhythm and
Repetition - Digital
Project:
You will explore subjects and objects that
repeat. The subjects can either be those that naturally repeat in your
environment or subject that you manipulate in order to show repetition and
rhythm. You will need to keep in mind the elements of composition as well as strong
camera technique.
You
will turn in a digital contact sheet with 36 images. File folder with 36 images, 15 working, and Final
5. You will rename your files Rhythm_(file number). We will have a class
critique on the prints to help you determine which compositions work best in
regard to the elements and design principles and how to photograph your subject
with more interesting viewpoints to attract viewers to your compositions.
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