Photography Composition at Home

Photography Composition at Home!

Grade Level or Age of Participant: K-5

 School, Teacher and Classroom: Kenwood, Jacquelyn Williams, 2nd Grade

 MCAD Teaching Artist: Cassidy Walker

 Number of Students:  25

VISUAL ARTS CONTENT OR STANDARDS

5.3.2.3.1 : Create visual representations of places or systems that are part of everyday life using artistic foundations.

CURRICULAR LINK / STANDARDS

Language Arts, Writing 2

Communicate knowledge and ideas through a variety of presentation styles (such as verbal, visual, written, or digital) appropriate to task, purpose, audience, and discipline.

OVERVIEW OF PROJECT

Students are presented with foundations of photo composition including camera distance and framing tools. Using these foundations as guides, students are then asked to take photographs around their own homes with a phone or tablet. Students then select five of their images to title with an emotion or feeling.

“BIG IDEAS”/ ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S)

What does it mean to capture or “freeze” a part of your life in a photograph?

STUDENT OUTCOME OBJECTIVES

Students will:

1. Understand the foundations of photo composition including camera distance and framing tools.

2. Apply photographic foundations to their own photographs.

3. Create digital photographs of their surroundings and daily life at home.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Experience taking photographs with a mobile phone or tablet. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Click! Photo Curriculum (pg. 18-35) from MN Perpich Professional Development Center

ASSESSMENT

Students upload their five images to a file-sharing platform (such as Seesaw or Google Folders) with titles

MATERIALS

Mobile phone or tablet with a camera

 LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TIMING

1. Introduction by classroom teacher

2. Review teaching artist photos

·       Camera distance (close, mid, wide).

·       Composition (rule of thirds)

3. Demonstrate/My Own Examples around my home

4. Ask students to take ten photos using the following prompts

·       A special space in your home

·       Favorite objects

·       People you live with (if they are willing)

5. Review photos and choose 5 and title with an emotion or feeling.

6. Upload to the shared folders. 

TEACHING ARTIST REFLECTION

A possible issue is the student’s access to a camera, tablet, or cell phone with a camera.

If students are using different technology, viewfinders may look different.