Last class

Please feel out this end of the year survey.

Complete your final photograph for printing as in the previous blogpost.

Finally, in the comment area below, suggest a movie we as a class could watch during our final exam next week, and list an item you would like to contribute for an end of the year party (donuts, juice, fruit, snacks, nothing hot this time around as we will all want to get out asap afterwards!)

BROOKE-don't forget your griddle!

Seniors-it has been a pleasure. As I say to seniors every year in photography, I will miss you all! Please connect with me on Linkedin if desired. I would love to follow your success.

Final and Pinterest idea boards

Final Project/Exam:

Your final project is to be completed between now (Thursday) and the final exam day. Your project/exam will be worth a whopping 50 pts and considered a semester anchor project. So it should be good!

1. Topic of your choice, subject of your choice
2. MUST show a shallow depth of field
3. Must demonstrate emotion through photography either by capturing people, establishing a mood or other concept that evokes emotion.
4. Must be at least 150-300 dpi, 1000px wide (and whatever height corresponds in proportion to width). 
5. Must demonstrate excellent focus, exposure, tonal or color value.
6. Should clearly demonstrate dominance in composition and make use of compositional concepts such as rule of thirds, sweet spots, horizontal alignment, thoughtful cropping, etc. 
7. The subject of your photo should be clear, everything in the framing should support the focal or dominant feature of your photo.
8. Framing should be careful. Important elements should not be cut off, extraneous elements should not lead the eye off the screen.
9. Photo should be printed out for 8 x 10 in. print size. Photo must be shot to accommodate the 8x10 size. This means, you should take the photo at highest resolution your camera can generate, and then open in Photoshop, crop and or size to 8 x 10 document size, and make sure your resolution is 150-300dpi. (rather than the 72 we use for screen res).
10. You will present your print on exam day for hanging and critique. Nothing is accepted late. You may hand in anytime before exam day. Do not print out the night before. You may work on this at school and even upload at school to check in with me about your print, and then print online from home if desired.
11. Print using Kinkos, Fed Ex. 

Let's look at all requirements and the online document printing.

Let's look at Photoshop for sizing of final.

Let's try it.

Conceptualize mindmap ideas in class. 

---------------------------------AND
Check out the site below for award winning student work.

Student Photography Contests

National Geographic

Now for Pinterest:
After mindmapping some concepts for your final, go out and find inspiration online and create a pinterest board of visual ideas.

Quick responses-please respond in the comment section

Please write short responses to the question below:

1. Why do you consider yourself a photographer (or why not)? 
2. What is the most important thing you have learned from this class this year?
3. What was your favorite project of the year?
4. Why is learning Photoshop and Digital Imaging important for a photographer? 
5. Will you use Photoshop outside of this class for anything else?

May 12th-Little Planet-Make it

Please watch the linked movie in groups.

Please take your favorite little world landscape shot and experiment creating a little world. You will need to watch the youtube video to understand the steps.

Do your best, we will continue this work on Tuesday. Do not use your classtime for anything other than working on this project, try to make solid progress. Those of you who do not have a shot, please select a shot from your work and use that, but you must shoot an eventual landscape shot for credit for this project,

thanks

Little Planets

 

Shoot a landscape, seascape or cityscape, include sky. Shoot it such that you have a nice, straight horizon line. Upload your photos to the google drive linked here for use in a project next week. 

Watch Tutorial Here

Create a little planet using the Photoshop Tutorial.

Upload back to the little planet folder.

Heroes, Villains, Historical Figures

Introduction:

For the next two weeks you will have the opportunity to see how photographers create fantasy portraits, such as the Disney Dream Portraits by Annie Leibovitz. Leibovitz is considered one of the most important photographers of the last 30 years and regularly creates covers for Vogue, Rolling Stone and more. 

Essential Questions:

If you were to plan a photograph that captures and creates your favorite hero (fact or fantasy), who would it be, and how would you do it?

Monday:

Leibovitz movies and reflection. 

Please look at this website gallery that features a series of Disney Dream Portraits. 

Search youtube for that dream portrait shoot and watch a short clip available on youtube that shows a little of the shoot.  Answer the following questions in the comment area below:

1. How does Leibovitz communicate with the model? Is she controlling the shoot, or is the model/actor? 
2. What kind of set do you see in the youtube clip? What do you think has to be done to combine the background with the photo of the model/hero/actor? 
3. What must be considered to do such work in terms of location, model, costume, lighting, camera angle, background and exposure?
4. Which dream portrait is your favorite? 

Working in groups of your choice, decide on a hero from history that you would like to recreate through creative photography, costuming and background. Determine your group today. Who is the hero your group would like to recreate?

Fun with your camera's timers

Learning Goals:
Understand the self and interval timers in terms of camera technology and real world applications.

Concepts/terms:

1. Interval timer
2. Long exposure timer
3. Bulb
4. Auto Focus
5. Manual Focus
6. Shoot dial/modes: Single, continuous low, continuous high
7. Exposure Count
8. Bracketing

Tuesday: Class assignment-individual work:

1. Research what your camera can do with continuous shots. Do you have a mode for continuos,

Thursday: Burst Mode (Continuous shoot mode).

Please read:
Burst mode-what it is
Continuous Shoot Mode for Canon T3i
Burst Mode-Nikon

What is the benefit of Continuous shoot mode?
What is the difference between continuous high and continuous low?
When might you use continuous shoot mode?

Class assignment-individual work:
Research burst mode on your cameras (continuous, single, high/low)
Shoot a number of burst mode sequences in 4 different locations on campus today working in groups. Vary the burst rate in terms of frames if you can on your cameras.
Your uploaded classwork for this project will be worth 10pts.
Upload Classwork Here

Homework:

For those of you with interval timer capability: Using the interval timer, set up a time-lapse scene. This could be a shot framing your house with clouds above, a setting sun, moon coming out, starry night, flower that blooms in daylight, etc. Record at least 120 total frames. This will give you 10 seconds of video, at a frame rate of 12fps. Due to the total size, make sure you are shooting your frames at a smaller frame size, dpi. Do not shoot at the highest frame size. Please bring these photos in on a USB, or upload to google drive for use Monday. DO NOT MAKE THESE HUGE INDIVIDUAL FILES.

For those of you lacking interval timer capability: Instead of interval timer project, take a series of burst mode shot sequences, at least 3, capturing 3 different situations of interest to you.

Upload to this homework folder

Watch this link to see camera demonstration for interval timer

Time Sequence

Please download your sequences shot over the weekend. You will create a Photoshop file that combines slices of each photo into one visual design.

This will require you to:

• Create a file with a grid so that you have a format to paste your work.
• Once you establish a grid, you will then form a rectangle box that you will use to paste your photos using "Paste Into". This will restrict your paste into the define rectangle, that is aligned and sized by the grid.
• Open all of your sequence of photos.
• Cut the first photo. Then move over to the grid file you have set up, and paste your photo into this file using 'paste into' the rectangular area you define. You will determine the most interesting part of the photo to use for the paste. You will also decide whether you want to try and 'reform' a photo that makes sense, or will you randomize your pastes based on the best parts of the photos.

See Mrs. L demo.

This week: Set a timer, experiment with timed photography.

Tues/Thur-More about Orozco and Sugimoto, White Balance, Found Object

Tues Agenda:

More Orozco-understanding the artists goals 
More Sugimoto-understanding the artists goals
How each photographer might think of the relationship of photographer-subject-viewer

White Balance and our cameras

Orozco

PBS Art-Orozco 
Orozco-Guggenheim-Scale
Orozco on Photography

The essential questions regarding Orozco's work:

1. Orozco refers to a metaphor when he discusses how he uses photography and the camera. What is that metaphor?
2. What does Orozco mean when he talks about a total vision of something in all dimensions?
3. What does Orozco do with the objects he photographs for the Guggenheim exhibit that makes the work unique or innovative?
4. What do you think of the Guggenheim exhibit featured in the clip?
5. Do we as viewers or audience gain more from Orozco's work from understanding his motivations as an artist/photographer? Does that place more responsibility on the viewer to learn? 
6. Does Orozco care about the triad relationship between subject-photographer-viewer or not?

Sugimoto-Contacts
The essential questions regarding Sugimoto's work include:

1. Sugimoto says, in his work, concept and vision come first. What other photographer have we studied places equal emphasis on vision as well? Compare/contrast the two photographers? You can use time, place, nature of work as springboards for discussion.
2. Sugimoto attempts to show the Japanese Buddhist concepts of "emptiness" and "nothingness" in his theatre work. How is this accomplished? What is your interpretation of his Theatre work? Does it help to be Japanese or Buddhist to better appreciate this work as a viewer, or is it universal in appeal?
3. Describe the stunning seascapes work. How were these photographs taken? What do you think he is trying to make the viewer think or feel by these works? Does it work for you or not?
4. Why does he photograph wax people? How long of an exposure does he use? What is the relationship of the wax portraits to time? 
5. How does Sugimoto regard the relationship between subject, photographer and viewer?
6. Do we as viewers or audience gain more from Sugimoto's work from understanding his motivations as an artist/photographer? Does that place more responsibility on the viewer to learn? 
7. Does Sugimoto care about the triad relationship between subject-photographer-viewer or not? 

1. Start by reading/watching Orozco at the Tate. 
With your new information, go back and read what you wrote yesterday about this work of Orozco's. Compare/contrast today in the blogspot comment area your view about this work today, versus yesterday.

Come to the front of class around tables. 

2. Next, look at Orozco's Box. 
Discuss in small groups of 2-3 what you would do if were in a museum and found a box on the floor as the students did? Do you think this was interesting or a waste of time for both artist and viewer? What was Orozco's intention behind the art?


Thursday:
Finish Sugimoto - 20 min

Understand White Balance on your cameras.

White Balance:
Good beginner
Excellent more information
Canon DLSR demo for custom white balance
Nikon DSLR  

Homework, Due April 20, 8pm in Homework Folder with that date.
Inspired by Sugimoto's concepts of time and place, visualize a scene you would like to immerse yourself in. Set up your camera such that it can stay set up over a weekend. Take at least 12 shots without moving your camera. You can change your exposure, but the framing and composition should remain the same. Visit your set up once every few hours and see what is in your field of view. Has the sun changed position casting a different kind of shadow, exposing something you didn't see before? Has someone entered the field of view and brought new meaning? Has you dog or cat taken a place on the carpet in the middle of your framed area? What changes do you capture over a weekend? Every time you shoot, think of your white balance and lighting. Begin by doing a custom white balance using a white card or wall. Also experiment with other lighting options as the sun moves and the lighting changes. For example, in a sunny morning you can use a bright sun light option, but as the day darkens you can change to a setting more appropriate for shade or darker view. Or if you change lighting from an overhead flourescent to a lit room with candles-this will change your lighting. Upload your files to the google drive, in one of your folders. We will put these photos together next week in a photo collage inspired by another artist, David Hockney. You need at least 12 good photos for the collage.
lastname_tungston.jpg
lastname_customWB.jpg
lastname_cloudy.jpg

Week of April 14th-Found Object and White Balance

This week we will look at 2 important contemporary photographers from 2 different parts of the world. Through looking at their work we will investigate these essential photographic questions:

• What happens when a viewer sees a photograph without the necessary background to grasp what the photographer means to communicate? 
• Is it the photographer's responsibility to engage the viewer visually in such a way that the viewer is invited to learn more about the work and discover meaning? 
• How does a photographer engage a viewer visually when the photographer's work is more abstract or symbolic?
• Why is it that sometimes we look at a piece of art or photography and wonder why it is considered 'art'? 

We will also learn more about white balance and visit these menus on our cameras. Our understanding of white balance, and its relationship to understanding lighting conditions will augment our work this week.

Monday assignment for in-class:

Without looking up anything about Gabriel Orozco and Hiroshi Sugimoto, look at the two works below. In the blogspot comment below, write about each photograph you see below.  Answer these questions:

1. What do you think the photographer's goal is with each photograph in terms of the relationship between subject-photographer and audience?
2. Compare and contrast the two photos below in terms of communicating with audience, in particular you! Which one is more appealing to you? Which one would draw your attention more? Why?
3. Does it appear that these photographers are both contemporary, current photographers? Why?
4. If you were told that both of these photographers had an interest in 'found objects', what do you think that might mean? What do you think found object photography might be, in looking at the photos below (no cheating-do not look this up, let's see for fun if we can guess by looking).
5. Finally, if both of these are somewhat representative of found object work, do you think it is ok to move things you find, or do you think you have to shoot what you find as is, without modification?

When finished with your analysis we will move on to understanding what Orozco means to communicate with the photograph on the bottom, and begin a deep dive into 2 excellent conceptual photographers, one from Mexico, one from Japan.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Gabriel Orozco : Found Object Photography

Camera Angle

This movie shows shooting a model from low to high camera angles and the resulting differences.
More composition and camera angle

Mobile and Socio-cultural Implications for Photography

Question:

What are the cultural differences we see in the use of mobile devices according to this article?
Do you agree?
Have you had different experience if you are from other parts of the world, or have recently visited other parts of the world?

CNN-Cultural differences/Mobile

Do you think there exist cultural differences in the way people of different cultures choose a profile picture for Facebook? Read the article below, and with a small group, discuss your thoughts about what drives facebook profile selections. Think about Facebook Friends you have who might be from outside this area or country. Look at their Profile Pictures. Are they different than yours?

Facebook Photos May Reflect Unconscious Cultural Differences

Classwork week of March 23-30
Please make a Facebook Photo Album this week that describes your American Cultural Heritage as a high school student or American Teenager. If you are not American by citizenship, then for now, assume that you are immersed in American culture and complete the assignment from that point of view. What is it like to be in the United States as a person from outside the US. You would have a unique viewpoint of American teen culture and experience from that viewpoint. You will have an opportunity to greatly explore your own unique cultural heritage next week.

Your album must have a consistent overall theme and should consist of at least 10 quality photos that demonstrate excellent composition, mastery of camerwork in terms of exposure, and consistent and clear message.

This week you will shoot photographs in class and during school, after school that depict scenes of the typical American teen from a suburban neighborhood such as Saratoga-Los Gatos.  This might include:

1. Conceptual themes about stress, homework, academic pressure
2. Conceptual representations about other themes you would like to explore including teen identity, growing up, moving on, influencing others positivly, etc
3. Friendship
4. Peer Pressure
5. Food
6. Entertainment
7. After School enjoyment/ activities
8. Examples of homework/projects
9. Dances, plays, music, sports etc
10. Anything else

You will share your album with the class by sharing an album link in the comments section of this blogspot. To find the share link for your facebook photo album, click on a photo, find the little editing pencil icon in the upper right of your photo, it will have a share link URL. Copy that and paste below.

Homework:
You will begin the creation of a Facebook photo album that tells the story of your own cultural identity. Start by thinking about your cultural origins. Some of you were born in other countries, some of you are second generation. Some of you probably have never been to another country. Even though I am 5th generation Irish, I still feel cultural connections to an Irish heritage. When I first visited Ireland 25 years ago I felt a deep connection to the country, although I had never been. I loved the music, the laid back attitudes, the humor, the celtic art and the people. I also loved the countryside and the land. I felt a connection to a place I was not born, my parents and grandparents were not born. But still I had a connection. If you do not have a connection to your original cultural background, this is your chance to do some research. Some things to shoot might be:

1. Clothing
2. Food
3. Sheet music examples
4. Differences in language or text/type for alphabet
5. Differences in worship
6. Memorabelia from trips to countries with cultural ties
7. Old photos that could be scanned and merged with your own photo
8. What about taking an old family photo and merging yourself into it?

Over the weekend collect old photos to bring to school for scanning (if you have them). Also shoot photos that you can bring to school that describe/depict cultural heritage, such as clothes, objects, food. Bring to school Monday a collection of photos to work with. You should have at least 2 photos for scanning, and 6-8 photos you have shot for editing/cropping.

We will work on a Facebook photo album the entire following week that explores cultural identity and storytelling.

If you are unsure of your cultural heritage, respond by connecting to the heritage you feel most closely associated. For some of you, this could be your American Heritage. What does it mean to be American?

See me for any questions you might have.

Portraiture

Please take this quick anonymous survey. thanks

Please download the attached booklet from last year to look at portraits that Mrs. Leather will refer to in today's class.

Week's assignment:
Portraits-create a final collection of excellent portraits that capture not only the physical attributes of the subject, but the inner qualities of the person as well. (4 excellent photos to turn in my week's end).
These final 4 excellent photos should be uploaded to the google drive/classwork/portraits. And finally, make your own folder under portraits by giving it a name. 

Weekend Homework due 3/23:
Portrait: Create an excellent portrait of 2 people you know well. These could be family members or friends. Upload to portrait folder linked here. These need to be uploaded by 3/23, 8pm. Anything later will lose one letter grade. (directory: google drive/homework/portrait-make your folder)


Grading:
These will be evaluated based on:

1. Camera skill (solid good exposure)
2. Demonstration of narrow depth of field-model in focus, background defocused in at least 1
3. Composition-intentional thought has gone into how you are aligning aspects of your photo for optimal composition
4. Demonstration that you as photographer control the shot

Classwork Monday/Tuesday (when complete, please work on portraiture shots, week's photo assignment-listed above)

In groups, find examples of portraits that demonstrate the following concepts and put them into a shared google presentation to share with the class. In your presentation, show at least 8-10 examples of your research topic, siting what you like, do not like, challenges facing the photographer, challenges facing the model or subject of the portrait.

Variety of camera angles and or perspectives, variety of shots with model/subject looking in different ways, direct at camera, but also away from camera.
(jessika, corinne, rahul)

Differences in depth of field, from narrow/shallow to wide.
(tomas, caitlin, alison)

That use props to further tell a story about the person
(nina, andrew, erin)

Interesting use of composition, perhaps breaking standard compositional rules
(patrick, jimmy, ryann)

Show surface beauty, inner beauty and capture both-compare and contrast all 3
(jason y., brooke, carolina)

Studio indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, 3 pt lighting, dramatic lighting, pattern lighting
(samantha, daniela, taylor, jimmy)


Photographers to research (you must use at least 2 photographers from the first group below, and 2 photographers from Asia, as grouped in the second grouping).
You may also use photographers you find on the web through Google. 

Steve McCurry
Jousef Karsh
Irving Penn
Mary Ellen Mark
Joe McNally
Annie Liebovitz
Gregory Heisler
Peter Hurley

Daido Moriyama
Raghu Rai
Chien Chi Chang
Ho Fan

Avedon Documentary and Socratic Groups

Homework, Due: March 9th, 8pm. Point Value: 50pts (includes the best 3 plus evidence of your many photos shot over the weekend)

Take a series of photographs over the weekend that 'tell a story'.  Have fun, find interesting people, groups, situations, or stage something with a group of friends and use photography to tell a story. Think of freezing a moment in time from a story. In order to get one good shot, be a photographer all weekend  long. Take your camera with you where you go. When an opportunity comes up, get the camera in hand and capture the stories before you. Shoot many photos, select the best 3 and upload them.

Please upload your best 3 photos to this folder, Stories, under the homework folder.

Tips:
Shoot higher resolution. Think about your composition and exposure. Get involved, move, be active and take part in the experience.

Please respond to this blogspot reflection:

Look at the work turned in from Thursday's action shots. We will analyze the work in terms of camera mastery, composition and communication. Please explain which shot you would choose as examples of

1. Best Mastery of Camera Technology/Technique
2. Best Composition
3. Best Communication

Follow up by writing 1 paragraph about your experience on Thursday making action shots. Was it fun? Was it embarrassing? Was it easier the more you did it? If you did it again, how might you prepare differently?

___________________________

Click here to download the Avedon learning guide which includes insights into

1. Why we want to learn about Avedon
2. How it can help our own work
3. How the Socratic Process will work
4. How we will use documentary as a learning tool

Schedule:

• Monday-review/critique action shots, reflect upon the process and Avedon
• Tuesday-break into groups and watch the documentary parts in groups (1 computer per)
• Thursday, Monday, Tues-socratics run by groups. Socratics will use documentary rather than books to form foundation of learning. Each group will prepare a Socratic Seminar that will explore their Documentary Part (2-9) by creating and posing questions, running the seminar and making sure the learning is relevant to improving our own work. 

Socratic Groups:
Each group will watch their assigned part of the documentary Darkness and Light. You will distill what you think is most important for the class and create questions that will engage the class in discussion.

When you run your Socratic, you will play the movie (approx 10 min), and prepare a discussion that will run 8-10 min in length. The purpose of each discussion is to deepen our own understanding of Photography and to apply the concepts learned from a modern American Master of Photography.


Darkness and Light-Part 2

1. Tomas, Corinne, Carolina

Darkness and Light-Part 3

1. Erin, Jessika, Patrick

Darkness and Light-Part 4

1. Caitlin, Daniella, Allison, Brooke

Darkness and Light-Part 5

1. Taylor, Samantha, Ryann, Jay

Darkness and Light-Part 6

1. Nina, Rahul, Juliette

Darkness and Light-Part 7

1. Jimmy, Andrew, Jason Y.

Action Shots

Thursday:

Upload 4 action shots that respond to the 4 concepts below here

Moving outside today you will take a series of action shots around campus.

Take dozens of shots, at least 24-36 action shots to show Mrs. L in your camera, or transferred to computer using a transfer method. From your 24-36 shots, you will pick your 4 favorite to focus on.

Taking your 4 favorite shots, alter in Photoshop by:

1. Desaturating, look at the image and action in color and black and white. (Show Mrs. L for points). Demonstrate to Mrs. L and yourself the photo as B&W and Color. Which is more effective and why?
2. Demonstrate your knowledge of exposure as applied to action shot (what does this mean to you?) Is there an advantage to using an exposure that provides interesting depth of field, or is a high shutter the best approach? In looking at both photographers' work, do you think they use a high shutter to freeze the action? How can you apply the idea of exposure to your work. If you use high shutter, where do you get enough light?
3. Demonstrate your knowledge of Avedon through an Action Shot-get in the photo, make your subject move and have fun with them, enter into the action with your camera, become an active participant. Think about your exposure, lighting, camera angles, etc
4. Demonstrate your knowledge of Avedon through an Action Shot, but this time, convey a mood that would support a fashion advertisement.Think about more posing the shot and actors and look for a specific mood-this time you are making a fashion photograph - your job is to develop an "Image" to associate with a product.

You will have Thursday and Monday to shoot, edit in Photoshop and upload to Google drive.  Final uploads by Tues, next week.


Final assignment, Due Tues Mar 4th:
Hand in 4 shots based on #1-4 above.

Critique March 6th, review all action shots 1-4 using online methods for review. Students will select the best 3 for each category 1-4.

Upcoming:

Click here for Avedon Socratic overview

March 6th-Avedon groups assigned. Watch Avedon sections, create 3 questions to pose for Socratic. Socratics.

March 11-14 Avedon documentary, socratics.

Homework: Avedon- student choice, inspired by learning about Avedon.

March 17th-Levitation, special effects (intro green screen and worm's eye view)
Classwork: Try levitation concepts
Classwork: Plan worm's eye view-shoot background, shoot foreground (over green)

Homework: Student choice, inspired by either levitation concepts, or worm's eye view and green screen.


March 24-April 4th 
Portraiture and lighting, metering.

Homework: Portrait series around topic/subject of your choice, over 2 weekends. Total of 10 shots around a topic with theme and focus. It must fall into portraiture category and be a series of photos exploring a theme or concept. It could be the same model in different poses, different models/people but in the same pose, different people all expressing a similar emotion, same person expressing different emotions.

April
Found object, wabi sabi, google street maps.
Final trip of the year - Cantor Art Museum/Stanford (schedule pending)

Homework: Student choice, found object or wabi sabi with a study of cultural influences

May
Student Choice-develop an independent project that allow you to explore creative areas of interest, identify remaining areas of technical challenge, culminate in student show the final week or school year.

Homework: Student identifies topic, theme, angle. Student will demonstrate a series of photographs (8-10) that fall within the same communicative topic. Student will demonstrate concepts in these photos learned through the year including:

1. Triad relationship (subject, photographer, audience)
2. Exposure
3. Composition (rule of thirds, golden mean, sweet spots, visual hierarchy, balance, camera angle, etc)
4. Conceptual meaning, symbolism, emotional response
5. Lighting
6. Metering
7. Bracketing, exposure compensation
8. Multiple exposure concepts, overlay, multiple layers 
9. Photoshop retouching, cropping, sizing, resolution, file formats, rotation, intentional horizon line, image adjustments, histogram, effects, image compositing etc)
10. Genre of photography

Student will hand in at least 8-10 photos (no more than 12) for review along with a 2 page paper that explains these concepts and how they are demonstrated in the work.

Action Shots