Assignment 25 - Now I see you, now I don't…self portrait without you.

The ultimate selfie might actually be one without you even there…just a pair of shoes or some other prop that represents you.  Your assignment:  using manual settings and the sun, photograph yourself with one prop you think illustrates who you are.  You will be using Photoshop to create the final image…

Be creative with the prop.

Morning or late afternoon is the best time to shoot.

Due date:  January 30, end of class

Assignment 24 - TED Talk: How Photography Connects Us

TED TALK

In class today I’d like you to think about photography on a different level.  Rather than simply shooting what you see around you, click on the TED Talk link and listen to David Griffen, photo director for National Geographic.  On your blog create a post that summarizes, critiques, and evaluates the video you’ve just watched.  Minimum of three intelligent paragraphs, please.

Due end of class today.

Assignment 23: Can a Wrapped Object be Art?

Christo 
Package on a Table 
1961 

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Wrapped Reichstag, 1971-95

Discovering the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude is more than just trying to "unwrap" what they wrapped. The work they created as a team, both as artists and husband and wife, has spanned not only time but cultures.  For them, the purpose of their art is "simply to create works of art for joy and beauty and to create new ways of seeing familiar landscapes". Unique to other artists, the pieces "all go away when they're finished".

Your assignment:  Create a wrapped "landscape" of your own.  You will be making a piece of art with your selection of object/area/material/wrapping material, then photographing it in the studio as if it were going to be put on display in a museum.  Study, REALLY study, the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.  Why do they call their pieces landscapes?

You are to work alone on this assignment.  Submit two ideas on your blog with the objects you have selected - remember, size does not matter - go big if you like.

Once you have the final image, post and write what you discovered about your work and the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, your inspirations, your difficulties, and ultimately what you learned about these two amazing people...and why they call their work landscapes.

Due date:  January 29

Assignment 22 - Nine X Nine

Image by Todd Vorenkamp

I've harped long enough about the Elements and Principles of art; now you get to show off what you know.

Choose one location on campus - you can challenge yourself by selecting randomly, or go to a spot you think you know well.  Choose wisely - once there you cannot change the spot you've selected.  You'll be capturing all 9 of the following elements in that location, one element per image.

In 9 separate photographs, capture each of the following elements.  The key is to make THAT element, and ONLY that element, the focus of the image.

• light
• shadow
• line
• shape
• form
• texture
• color 
• size
• depth

Create an art board in Photoshop and organize your 9 images.  No labeling, so make sure each image demonstrates each of the concepts above.

Due:  January 19, end of class

Assignment 21: Photographing the Abstract

Here's the assignment:  I want you to photograph, today during class, what a word looks like.  I will be handing out adjectives from a sack.  You have the class period to figure out what the word LOOKS like, then capture it creatively.  Don't throw away the word you selected...you are going to have it as part of the final image.  You can either photograph it with the image you're capturing or photography the word (on the slip of paper) and put it together with your final image.  Post on your blog.

Lighting counts.

Composition counts.

Creativity counts.

Is this crisp?

Due at the end of the block.

Assignment 20: How to see double using nothing but your DSLR

6 seconds for the Kuntz on the left and 17 seconds for the Kuntz on the right.

How to choose camera settings for a double exposure with a digital SLR:

To fake a double exposure with a digital SLR, your shutter needs to be open for 20 seconds or longer, so use the lowest ISO setting — 100 if you have it — and a small aperture of f/22. The small aperture gives you a tremendous  depth of field, which enables you to move about freely in the frame without the worry of being out of focus. A focal length of 28mm to 50mm also gives you a large depth of field. Choose Aperture Priority mode and Single Shot focus with a single auto-focus point.

You need to mount the camera on a tripod or solid surface to stabilize it during the long exposure, which means you don’t need image stabilization.

Taking a double exposure:

Creating multiple iterations of you or a friend in a single image requires a bit of planning. You have to compose the picture beforehand and know exactly where you want the subject to be when the shutter closes.

This technique creates a somewhat ghostly image. But if it’s too hard to see the person, switch to an area that has a darker background. Also, make sure the person in the picture wears clothing that contrasts with the background.

1.             Mount the camera on a tripod or set it on a flat surface and make sure it’s level.

2.             Enable the camera self-timer.
 Most cameras have a ten-second self-timer, which gives you time to walk into the frame.

3.             Compose the picture, and then press the shutter button halfway to achieve focus.
 Focus on something in the middle of the scene. The small aperture gives you a huge depth of field, so you appear in focus anywhere in the frame.

4.             Press the shutter button fully.
 The self-timer starts counting down. On most cameras, a flashing red light starts blinking on the front of the camera. It starts flashing faster when the camera is about to open the shutter.

5.             Have the subject — you or a friend — walk into the frame.

6.             When the light stops flashing and the shutter opens, count slowly to ten while holding perfectly still.

At the count of 11, walk to another area in the frame and hold position until the shutter closes.
 With a small aperture of f/22, the lens stays open for about 30 seconds. Depending on the lighting, the first “pose” may need to be shorter than 11 seconds.

Practice with a friend, either in the photo studio, in the sculpture room, or another location that works for you.

Due date:  January 12th, end of class

Adapted from Doug Sahlin from Digital SLR Settings and Shortcuts For Dummies