Snapshot of Photography: Open Your Eyes

July 8, 2003
Casey S. Freeman
caseyseawell@hotmail.com

Topic
In this lesson students will explore elementary concepts of photography. The concentration of this lesson is on the composition of the image, rather than the more technical aspects of the medium. First, the students will briefly explore questions such as: How does a camera capture and image? How many types of cameras are there? What is the role of light in photography? Next we will focus more closely on composing an image, through this exploration students will ask the following essential questions: What makes a photo interesting? What should I think about when I pick up a camera? When and why should I press the shutter?
This two-week session will culminate with the creation of a photo book in which the images the students create will be displayed. The goal of the course is to allow the students to see the potential that exists within the medium of photography. During this brief but intensive overview they may see that the camera can be used for much more than a snapshot.

Objectives / Expected Learner Outcomes

1. After the motivational activity students will begin to think about their own experience with photography. They will be asked series of questions that will lead them to examine the difference between a snapshot and a planned photograph. The initial part of the lesson will explore some of the more technical aspects of photography in attempt to demystify the process.
2. Once they have an understanding of the process, the main concentration of the course will be on composing the image. During this process students will explore a different theme each day. The structure of those themes will be as follows; first we will have a brief description of the concept or theme that may be accompanied by a motivational activity. Second the students will view artwork by an artist who exemplifies the theme. Finally the students will be given an assignment to shoot their own images that explore the theme of the day.
3. At the end of the two-week session the students will each create a book in which to display their original photographs.

Standards of Education
Virginia Visual Arts Standards
2.7 The students will collaborate with others to create a work of art.
2.15 The student will categorize works of art by subject matter, including portrait, landscape, and still life.
3.2 The student will use various art processes and techniques to produce works of art.
3.26 The student will develop and describe personal reasons for valuing works of art.

Student Group Targeted
Elementary – Grades 1, 2 and 3, Richmond Montessori School

Time Required
Monday, Wednesday and Friday (2 hour sessions, 2 week camp)
1pm-3pm dedicated to photo session
3pm-6pm “open” activities, can incorporate class time

Materials and resources
- Sunprint paper
- Trays and Plexiglas for sunprints
- Water
- Palette of materials for sunprint (wire, rocks, dried flowers, shells, paperclips, washers, screws, leaves, glass)
- Disposable cameras: One for each student + 3 for RMS collage =12 total
- Materials to compose photo books (paper, string, markers, pens, tape, glue, photo corners, stapler, processed photos)
- Poster board for collage
- Books:
o Click! A Book about Cameras and Taking Pictures Gail Gibbons
o National Geographic Photography Guide for Kids. Neil Johnson
o Picture This Fun Photography and Crafts Debra Friedman
o Teaching Your Children Photography Don Cyr (0817424164)
o Icons of Photography The 20th Century edited by Peter Stephan
o Adam Fuss essay by Eugenia Parry (0965728013)
o Edward Weston essay by Terence Pitts
o Earth from Above. Yann Arthus-Bertrand (0810932679)
o Arnold Newman essay by Philip Brookman (3822871931)
o À propos de Paris / Henri Cartier-Bresson. Vera Feyder (0821220640)
o The illuminating mind in American photography: Stieglitz, Strand, Weston, Adams. David P. Peeler (1580460593)
o Reinventing the West: the photographs of Ansel Adams and Robert Adams Exhibition Catalog (1879886480)
o American Photography. Jonathan Green and James Friedman (081091845)
o The History of Photography. Beaumont Newhall (0870703811)
o National Geographic the Photographs. Leah Bendavid-Val

Itinerary and Strategies

Day One – Monday July 28:
Intro to Photography: LIGHT
Books
Icons of Photography The 20th Century edited by Peter Stephan
Adam Fuss essay by Eugenia Parry (0965728013)
American Photography. Jonathan Green and James Friedman (081091845)
The History of Photography. Beaumont Newhall (0870703811)
Lesson
1. Begin by asking the following questions:
Who has taken a photograph before?
What kinds of things do you like to take pictures of?
What kinds of pictures do you like to look at?
How would you classify different kinds of photographs?
How does a camera work?
Where does the image come from?
LIGHT (artificial or natural)
2. Read book Click! A Book about Cameras and Taking Pictures by Gail Gibbons
3. Use book as a guide to help answer some of the technical questions that arise from the questions above.
Key Terms
Viewfinder: the window in the camera that you look through
Framing: looking through the viewfinder to compose a picture
Shutter: the curtain inside the camera that controls the amount of light coming in
Aperture: the opening that lets light into a camera
Art Activity- Drawing with Light: An Introduction to Sunprints
The word photography means “drawing with light”
Exposing UV- sensitive paper to sunlight creates a sunprint. The result is an image that will appear on the paper in the negative of the objects that have been placed on it.
Provide a palette of materials for the students to choose from to create their own sunprints including:
- Sunprint paper
- Wire, rocks, dried and fresh flowers, leaves, twigs, shells, paper clips, glass beads, washers, any other flat materials
- Heavy piece of Plexiglas
- Tray for composing image
- Water source
- Sunlight

Day 2 – Wednesday July 30:
Framing and Composing
Books
National Geographic Photography Guide for Kids. Neil Johnson
Edward Weston essay by Terence Pitts
The History of Photography. Beaumont Newhall (0870703811)
Lesson
1. Holding a camera – when holding a camera it is important to hold it very steady and use two hands. One hand should be placed under the camera body to support it and the other should rest on the side with your index finger close to the shutter release button. Try to push evenly on the shutter; any jarring will result in a blurry photo. Hold your arms tight against your body with the viewfinder against your eye to prevent movement.
2. Framing or composing the image – The top, bottom and sides of your photo make a frame. The frame includes everything you want in your picture and keeps out the things you don’t. Consider, which objects will be inside the frame, which direction is the light coming from, how does that light affect the objects?
Painters start with an empty canvas and add objects, photographers do the opposite, they decide what to include and what to omit form objects that are already there. As you are composing an image ask yourself some of these questions: What is the subject? How much of the frame should it fill? What is the best place for the subject inside the frame? How does the subject relate to other things inside the frame?
3. Aperture, how much light do we need?
We know you must have light to create a photograph, but what else can light do?
Light can help to create mood. What kinds of moods so you see in these images? (Examples from books) Do you see any images with silhouettes? How does the picture make you feel? Happy, Sad, Realistic, Mysterious, Playful, Dreamy? The light you see in an image can help to exaggerate these feelings.
Key Term
Composition: arrangement of the subject and its surroundings within the viewfinder
Silhouette – The outside shape or outline of an object
Art Activity
1. Using disposable camera, allow 5 frames
Give each student his or her own disposable camera, and practice holding and framing. Lead the class outside and use nature as your subject. Carefully think about the composition and the framing, then shoot five images, keeping track on your frame counter.
2. Shadow hunt, outside walk around the campus and look at the shadows, find shadows that look interesting. Is the photo more interesting with the object casting the shadow or without it? Do you see shadows only on the ground, or on vertical surfaces too? Can you or your classmates help to make interesting shadows?

Day 3 – Friday August 1:
Landscape
Books
The illuminating mind in American photography: Stieglitz, Strand, Weston, Adams. David P. Peeler (1580460593)
Reinventing the West: the photographs of Ansel Adams and Robert Adams Exhibition Catalog (1879886480)
National Geographic the Photographs. Leah Bendavid-Val
Earth from Above. Yann Arthus-Bertrand (0810932679)
Lesson
How do you define a landscape? First we have to consider what makes a particular place interesting to you. Once you are able to identify a point of interest, then you can make that the focus of your image. Start by walking around in that place. Even if you have been there many times, there may be some new things you will notice when you look closely. Think about you image having a foreground, a middle ground and a background. Look for these three dimensions in the books provided.
Art Activity
Use disposable camera, allow 5 images
Compose images with the ideas of the landscape in mind. In this situation, the landscape will be the setting of Richmond Montessori School; in particular, the class can walk through the nature trails to find less common vantage points. Try to think of composing images in which you can clearly see the foreground, middle ground and background.
How can you show this familiar landscape in an unusual way?

Day 4 – Monday August 4:
Motion: Shutter Speed *cloudy day is best
Book
À propos de Paris / Henri Cartier-Bresson. Vera Feyder (0821220640)
Lesson
When you take a picture you capture one moment in time, you can also show time passing in a picture by photographing something in motion. Usually when something is moving in a picture it appears to be blurred. Your photo can’t move by itself but you can imply motion to the viewer. Panning is done by following a subject closely as they are moving past your camera; this results in a blurred background and a sharp subject. You can also keep your camera still in order to get a blurred image. Can you find examples of this in the books provided?
Key Term
Panning- captures motion by keeping the subject sharp against a blurred background
Art Activity
Use disposable Camera, allow 5 images
Stay close to your subject
Have class break into pairs, tell them they can shoot pictures of each other as they are moving they can run past the cameras, shake their heads form side to side, or wiggle their toes. Try to capture at least one image using the panning technique and at least one image that is blurred.

Day 5 – Tuesday August 5:
Portraits
Books
Arnold Newman essay by Philip Brookman (3822871931)
National Geographic the Photographs. Leah Bendavid-Val
Lesson
1. What can you tell about the people in these pictures? A portrait is not just a picture of someone; it’s a picture about someone. A portrait should show you something about that person’s personality. Think about hoe to shoot a person in a candid way, that is a shot that is more spontaneous and less posed. (Using the books as examples) What are the people in these photographs doing? What is the relationship between photographer and subject?
2. Photomontage allows you to reconstruct your images into something new. In this lesson we are going to create a portrait of the school building using a large amount of close up photos. Art Activity
1. Use disposable camera two sets of two, 4 total images
Take two sets of pictures of your partner, think about how to compose the images and then shoot a pair of images that are very different, show two sides of the person. You could take one of the person in a normal pose, then take a second shot in a silly pose. Try to think about composing the images in different ways.
2. Use three new disposable cameras
Portrait of RMS
Assign each group of two/three a section of the building, give them a camera and tell them to shoot their section of the building in great detail.
*Last Day for disposable cameras, take cameras for processing
Art Activity:

Day 6 – Friday August 8:
Art Activity:
1. Compose Photo Book
“Summer Journal” Ideas in Picture This p.26
Idea – Shadow frame for shadow photo’s in book
2. Compose Collage of school on a large piece of poster board
Begin work on Photo Books
Evaluation Strategies
• How has this experience changed student’s concept of photography?
• Are students better able to recognize the difference between a snapshot and a planned photograph?
• Can students identify the difference between a portrait and a landscape? Can students identify the use of light in a photograph in order to create a specific feeling or mood?
• Is a sense of composition evident in the student’s photographs? Was the theme, i.e. light, portraiture, landscape, motion, etc. exemplified in the work produced?

Suggested Supplemental Activities
• Trip to Richmond Camera or professional photographers studio
• In conjunction with the lesson about various types of cameras, a visit from Shaun Irving’s “Camera Truck”. He has built a functional camera inside the back of a pick-up truck.
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