Digital Photography provides an accessibility to photography that is undeniable. My cousin's 2.5 year old son has already discovered how to take pictures on his fathers phone, learning to make adjustments with the device to take better images of his own face. Traditional film photography had a profound affect on me at two times in my childhood. First was in second grade, when I took and developed a group of photographs of trees from varying angles for a state art competition, and later in high school where I took four years of photography classes and it became the language I could use to explain who I was as a growing young adult, and as a growing artist. In both contexts I learned to see--and as a result think--in a different way. Not every second grader has access to film and a dark room, but we are now in a time that they could all have access to cell phones, tablets, and any other digital devices that might be available in their school settings or households. How could they be used to make profound connections in their understanding of the world, and not merely selfie-creators?
1. LOOK AT THE WORLD WITHOUT COLOR: Seeing the world in gray-scale can be incredibly valuable for those studying the arts. Better understanding value, perhaps the most significant aspect of 2-D visual art making, can establish a foundation of composition and form that will help children in almost every medium they pursue. This assignment would ask 3rd - 5th graders to follow a simple photography assignment (eg. capture texture, patterns or shapes in our school or your neighborhood) and to adjust these photos by editing them to be in black and white.When the projects are reviewed, the discussion can focus on where the eye is drawn and why - looking for contrast and how value is the foundation for a composition.
2. LOOK AGAIN WITH COLOR: Ask students to return to their photographs and edit them back to a full range of hues. Digital photography allows for an ease with this concept that would not be possible when shooting with black and white film. The students should then compare the identical images side by side and determine the strengths and weaknesses of each. When done with a simple composition, the students will be able to focus on the role that color plays and what they learned from slowing down and carefully observing a subject as well as carefully observing the principles of color.
3. PHOTOGRAPH THEIR WORK: When creating projects during a year long art course, students of middle school - high school years can document the work they are making through photographs. This has multiple benefits. Firstly, it allows them to keep an organized documentation of their work, establishing the basic understanding of a portfolio and allowing a perspective for reflection on their progress. It also allows photography to be incorporated into every project and medium and can strengthen its use through practical means. The task of photographing work that they are intimately connected to also allows them to do a decent amount of problem solving. If the first picture they snap doesn't accurately represent what the piece shows in person, they have the chance to problem solve. Where should they position their subject? How can they light it? What angle/angles best capture what they are most interested in displaying? The project could also provide an opportunity to create a digital catalogue/portfolio with artist's statements and digital layout of the pages.
1. LOOK AT THE WORLD WITHOUT COLOR: Seeing the world in gray-scale can be incredibly valuable for those studying the arts. Better understanding value, perhaps the most significant aspect of 2-D visual art making, can establish a foundation of composition and form that will help children in almost every medium they pursue. This assignment would ask 3rd - 5th graders to follow a simple photography assignment (eg. capture texture, patterns or shapes in our school or your neighborhood) and to adjust these photos by editing them to be in black and white.When the projects are reviewed, the discussion can focus on where the eye is drawn and why - looking for contrast and how value is the foundation for a composition.
2. LOOK AGAIN WITH COLOR: Ask students to return to their photographs and edit them back to a full range of hues. Digital photography allows for an ease with this concept that would not be possible when shooting with black and white film. The students should then compare the identical images side by side and determine the strengths and weaknesses of each. When done with a simple composition, the students will be able to focus on the role that color plays and what they learned from slowing down and carefully observing a subject as well as carefully observing the principles of color.
3. PHOTOGRAPH THEIR WORK: When creating projects during a year long art course, students of middle school - high school years can document the work they are making through photographs. This has multiple benefits. Firstly, it allows them to keep an organized documentation of their work, establishing the basic understanding of a portfolio and allowing a perspective for reflection on their progress. It also allows photography to be incorporated into every project and medium and can strengthen its use through practical means. The task of photographing work that they are intimately connected to also allows them to do a decent amount of problem solving. If the first picture they snap doesn't accurately represent what the piece shows in person, they have the chance to problem solve. Where should they position their subject? How can they light it? What angle/angles best capture what they are most interested in displaying? The project could also provide an opportunity to create a digital catalogue/portfolio with artist's statements and digital layout of the pages.
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