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Photography Techniques

Term 1

September --> December

Photography is more than a photograph. It is a representation of emotion, a place, a time or a relationship. These are aspects you will bring to your own work throughout the year.

Reaching Out to the Sun

Timeline

Week 1 - Introduction. Sketchbook. What is it? What is Say Something? What is expected of you as a Year 9 Photography Student. Begin project.

Week 2 - Continuing with Say Something. Picking first artists/photographers. How to analyse a photographer/image.

Week 3 - Using a camera in the studio. What settings to use. Practicing using our own portraits. How to transfer images from a camera to a Mac. Where to store these images.

Week 4 - Analysing our own images and putting them in the sketchbook. Focussing on EMOTION in portraiture. 'Texas Isaiah'/'Lara Jade'/'Martin Schoeller' - Choose 1/2, analyse, place in sketchbook.

Week 5 - Complete additional photoshop skills using our own portraits​. Dodge and Burn, Clone Stamp, Spot Healing, Text tool, Black and white filter.

Week 6 - Shirin Neshat - Editing in the style of, using Poem/Lyrics/Campaign Slogan, using own studio portraits.

Project 1 - Say Something

Project AIMS and OBJECTIVES

Photography

Learn how to use DSLR cameras correctly and efffectively

Photoshop

Understand some basics of Photoshop; the layers and selection tools

Understand What you like

Begin to understand what you like to take photographs of!

Narrative

Understand how to share a narrative within an image; the telling of a story

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Look at the sections below. Pick out one that you are passionate about. This will be what your project will be on!

Society

Gender

LGBTQI+ rights and equality

Protected Characteristics
Patriarchy
Sexism, misogyny and consent.
Representation and Equality in the media
Stereotypes - Pink or Blue.
Pretty or Courageous, why can't we be both?
Pride - a celebration.
Women's equality - Women's March

Human Rights

Amnesty International
UN Women
Shelterbox
Climate crisis
Gender equality
Refugee Crisis

Mental Health

Teenage/adult - Is there enough support or consideration for our mental health?

Removal of the stigma of mental health issues

We want you to SAY SOMETHING

Sport

How does sport improve and promote representation and inclusion?
How is the issue of racism addressed in sport - is enough done?

Music

How do artists use music/Lyrics to make a statement?
Is music a way of promoting rights?

Black Lives Matter

The Black Curriculum - Is black history taught enough?
Structural Racism
Racism in Sport
Racial Equality
Anti-Racism
BLM Protests

A Day of You

Photograph your every day!
What food do you eat?
Look at close ups of your pet
Who do you spend your days with?

How do you relax?

Earth and Ocean

Erosion
Rising Sea Levels
Weather Changes
Rising Temperatures
Flooding
Forrest Fires

Climate Crisis

FIRST HOMEWORK - HAND IN 15th Sept

Come up with 5 ideas of what to take a photo of, that relates to your idea!

Let's start with a mind-map + Pinterest

You should choose a topic that makes you want to SAY SOMETHING.

Use this as your opportunity to dive into a project, supported through your own research.

1. Create a Pinterest Account, if you don't already have one! You can use your school/home email.

2. Create 2 pages in your sketchbook for your subject. 1 page for images that relate to the subject (Other people's, like a mood board). Page 2 is for YOUR OWN OPINION - Tell us WHY you chose that topic!!


REMEMBER - MAKE THESE PAGES CREATIVE. Colours, images, arrows, thoughts, opinions, be proud of it

3. GO to pinterest and create a 'New Board' called SAY SOMETHING. Search for your topic and begin to add imagery to your Say Something board.

Mind Map

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You should now start creating a mind map about your coursework idea, using the SHAPES on PowerPoint.

Think about what aspects link to it?


Think about charities and companies you could mention, any famous individuals within the area, where does it happen.

REMEMBER: INCLUDE YOUR OWN OPINION!

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BE CREATIVE - Change the background, use colours!

PHOTOSHOP

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WE will be using this image first of all to get to grips with the controls.

Click on the image. This should open a new page. Drag the image on the new page on Google, to the Desktop

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Time to use Photoshop!

Let's start by opening. Click this icon at the bottom of the screen.

Go to File --> International Paper --> A4

We'll be looking at lots of different tools, including:
Move
Zoom
Select
Copy + Paste
Adjustments
Brush
Text
Opacity
Layers

 

Once you have created your Paper, drag the photograph from the desktop ONTO your created Photoshop page.
 

Your challenge is to use ALL of the tools below and create a new image. We shall go through this initially in class. Use the video to help you if you're stuck!

Move tool

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Zoom TOol

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You can also use:
CMD + +/- to zoom in and out.

Use CMD + 0 to fil the screen

Select Tool

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Use this tool to select an area to COPY and PASTE/DELETE

Copy and Paste

Use CMD + C to COPY
USE CMD + V to PASTE

Adjustments

Use ADJUSTMENTS to change the look of images or refine colours

Brush Tool

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The Brush tool is used to draw. Add shading or highlights using the opacity slider

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Text Tool

CMD + T = TRANSFORM

Use Transform to resize an image

Layers

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Use the Text tool to add text to the images or designs. Change the font or colour.

Opacity Tool

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Change the opacity of the image/shape. This can make it More or Less 'See-through'

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Layers work as if they have been stacked on each other. Changing the opacity will make one more or less see-through.
You can also re-order the layers by dragging.
The layer at the top, will be at the front.

USING A CAMERA

This is a CANON 4000D. The main way for a photographer to capture images is to use a DSLR.
We use these below.

There are a few pointers to using a camera effectively.

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NUMBER 1 RULE:
ALWAYS PUT THE STRAP AROUND YOUR NECK.

Shutter (To Take a photo)
Half Press - Focus (Beeps)
Full Press - Take Photo (Click)

Lens - Change these to have different levels of zoom

Viewfinder - Look through here to see what the lens sees

Playback - Use this button to see what images you have taken

Mode Dial - Use this to select the mode you want to use.
Start off with AUTO

Photoshop
Second Steps

Photoshop 2

Clone Tool

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The clone tool is used for cloning one spot of an image and putting it in another. For example, If you have 1 football, but actually want 2. Or for using other parts of the image to cover another.

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Covering

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2

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Dodge and Burn

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This tool is used for creating Lighter and Darker parts of the image, for shading or highlighting.
For example, if you want to make the shadows darker and the clouds lighter.
Dodge = Lighter
Burn = Darker

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Spot Healing

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The spot healing tool is used for removing specific spots in the image. For example, removing spots from a person's face

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Colour Psychology

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Colours can mean so many different emotions and ideas, even to different types of people

Which colours do you think these words match to?

Love

Nature

Happiness

Clean

Peace

Security

Sweet

Success

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Download this PP and fill in the words, matching to the colours you think they go with

Once you're happy with your choices, place this within your sketchbook

Focusses on creating a completely new brand of portraits, using folds and creases to create completely new emotions. When the new one is just right, the camera comes back out and a new photograph is born.

You will either take a new portrait, or use one you have taken previously and print this out.
Use the above photographs as inspiration and see if you can produce 

Aldo Tolino

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Start by completing a research page on Aldo Tolino.

This will allow us to understand what is being completed and how the technique is produced.

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