Our first photography assignment reviews the basics we covered last year. For this assignment, you will focus on taking interesting photographs from different camera angles. You will also keep in mind the rule of thirds.
Rule of Thirds
To apply the rule of thirds to your photograph, break an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. Place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines to create a more balanced and visually interesting photo. Studies have shown that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points rather than the center of the shot. When we use the rule of thirds, we make the way people naturally view images work for us rather than against us.
Angle of View
An eyelevel angle is the one in which the camera is placed at the subject’s height.
Eyelevel shots are incredibly common because they are neutral. They often have no dramatic power whatsoever.
In a high angle (bird’s eye view), the camera is above the subject, looking down. High angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless, and are usually used to make the image more dramatic.
Low angles (worm’s eye view) are captured from a camera placed below the subject, looking up at them.
Low angles make the subject look dominant, aggressive, or ominous.
Daily – At the end of each class, you will:
- Copy any photos you have taken that day onto your username and a back up (google drive account, flash drive, etc)
- Delete photos off the memory card
- Create a new blog post with the following:
- Post your best photos unedited from that day.
- Write a few sentences describing what you like about each photo, and what you can improve by later editing the photo.
Final – At the end of the unit, you will create a new blog post with the following:
- Your 10 best photos from that shooting assignment.
You will post the original photo next to the edited photo to allow for side-by-side comparison.
- You will write a short paragraph describing the changes you made editing the photo.
You will be graded on:
- Documentation of daily progress via daily blog posts.
- Quality of 10 final photos.
- How well the 10 final photos show your understanding of different camera angles and composition.
- Technical editing; your edited photos should look better than your originals.
- Improvement and reflection; your photos should be getting better with practice and reflection.
This should be clear in your daily blog posts.
Reminder of Class Back Up Policy:
It is your responsibility to save your photos to at least two different locations.
I will provide ample class time to take enough photos to do well on this project. If you fail to back up your photos and lose your work, you will still be required to turn in ten photos by the deadline, and will be graded on these photos.