Imaginative Arts #6 Journeyman

 

To culminate everything we learned for photography this year we are doing a final project for our last inspirement. You can choose option #1, a photoshoot, or option #2, a photo project. Please read through all the requirements for each assignment. I can't wait to see what you create!

Choose one of the two assignments below:

Option #1: Photoshoot

Read this article on how to find locations

Read this article on how to choose clothes for photoshoots -- I frequently have clients ask for advice about what to wear so believe it or not, this is part of the job! You don't have to tell your clients what to wear, but knowing tips about how clothing can impact their photos will go a long way in adding to the beauty of your photos. The importance of texture, thinking about maybe not having the baby wear the same color as mom since mom will likely hold her, the importance of not having too much pattern or too little. It all can add a lot to photos so if your clients want help then it's important to know how to guide them. 

*Plan a photoshoot with people that are not in your immediate family and not in Vanguard

*Choose a location for the photoshoot that is pretty and will have good light. There is a chance timing could work out for photos in orchards with spring blossoms. If you would like to do an urban photoshoot or need ideas for locations feel free to text me! 

*Schedule your photoshoot for a time of day with good light. My recommendation is 1-2 hours before sunset. 

*You will need to turn in one of each of the following: 

• A portrait of a person (not fully body)
• A portrait of a person, different pose, can be fully body
• A group photo that you have posed
• A faux candid that you have staged 

Turn in all four photos to me before noon on Wednesday! 

Option #2: Photo Project

Now that you know how to take beautiful photos it's just as important to DO SOMETHING with those photos -- don't just let them sit on a camera card or computer. 

For this project you need to choose a photo project. This project is pretty wide open, I'll share ideas below but feel free to choose something else. This project should take at least 2 hours and you'll need to share the project with the class.

Here are some ideas (some will cost $, some will not). 

***BE PREPARED TO SHARE THESE IN CLASS***

Ideas that would cost some $$: 

• Create a photo book (a digital book, a scrapbook, a chatbook, even just a photo album where you slip them in slots!)
• Design a wall of photos to display in your home. Click here for wall art designs and ideas. 
• Go to pinterest and look up "Photo Crafts" -- there are tons of ideas! I've made a family photo yahtzee game, family photo matching games, family history bingo using photos, all sorts of projects using photos. Here are a few ideas. 

Ideas that do NOT cost $$:

• Edit a photo or two using Photoshop (or the free version online, Pixlr). Show us the before and after and talk about what you did.
• Use photoshop to create something brand new and creative (example: Photos inside a box) 
• Try one or two new creative photo techniques you've never done before. One example is here, another is here or here. Search out new ideas as well :) 
• Design a card (Christmas, grad announcement, birthday invite etc) using more than one photo, print it and bring it to class.
• Backup your family photos (work with your parents on where they want them stored) and get them organized. This could mean uploading photos off old devices, creating folders and a system for storing, or anything that saves your photos and makes them easier to enjoy.
• Make a slideshow of memories, add music and share it with your family or friends.
• Learn how to shoot in manual (youtube if you learn best through videos, a blog or the book Understanding Exposure if you like reading to understand). Bring a photo you shot in manual mode.

Become and Serve:

Watch this super short video and then take action -- text a beautiful photo to a friend or family member and share something nice, uplifting or encouraging with them! Share goodness :) 

Imaginative Arts: Journeyman

 Photography and Creativity!

We have learned all about light, composition, posing and candid photography so this month we are going to do something different. 

One of the reasons I love photography is because it allows me to take pictures of everyday life in a more creative and aesthetic way. For example, when one of my kids makes a cool dessert I can take a pretty picture instead of a lame snapshot. When someone wins an award, dresses up for Easter or is engrossed in their hobby -- these are all opportunities to create a beautiful photo instead of just pointing and shooting with my camera. 

Some objects or everyday life stuff we capture takes a little effort and creativity to turn it into a beautiful and interesting photo. Sometimes that will mean changing up our perspective and other times that means adding a creative element or staging the object. 

Study and Learn: 

1. Read this article to get some ideas of ways to take an everyday object and make an interesting photo. Note that I don't think all of these ideas have merit when taking picture of a pinecone (which is the example in the article) BUT all the ideas could be applied to a different object with good results. The point of this article is mostly to get you thinking outside of the box. 

2. Look at the examples in this article. Especially pay attention to how everyday objects became beautiful or artistic because of how they were captured. 

Here is a simple example. The story of how my husband and I met has to do with cereal, so each year we eat the cereal in celebration of when we first met. Last year I wanted to document that tradition. I could have easily just snapped a pic of the boxes of cereal on the table. I could have taken a picture of my kids eating the cereal at the table. Instead I decided to take one extra minute and set up a photo using some creativity. What I got was a much more meaningful picture that is a lot more fun to look at. It doesn't take a ton of effort to take a more creative photo of everyday objects!

Here is another super simple example. Which photo of our South American feast do you prefer? As cute as Jennah is, I think we can all agree that the first photo captures the variety, beauty and fun of our feast much better than the second photo. The difference? I just stood on a stool. That's it. :D 

Another example. Shaylie had a mural job painting pineapples on a bathroom wall for a client. I wanted to help her document the process so I snapped that first photo of the supplies. I immediately knew that I was lame and could do a lot better with a ITTy bit more effort. In the second photo I arranged the supplies on the floor, got rid of distractions and had a much better photo. Is the second photo going to win me any awards? nope. haha. It's just a better photo and it didn't take much work to improve it. 

Know and Understand:

Take a GREAT photo of an object that matters to you -- yes, it has to have meaning. So even if it sounds fun to take a cool photo of colored pencils, that probably wouldn't work unless you love art and drawing with colored pencils. Pay attention to your light and composition, we are building on our skills so don't leave those out. 
Before noon on Wednesday email me your BEST photo. If you send me more than one I'll pick the one I think is the best for the slideshow. 
There will be winners and the way to win is to show a photo that had thoughtful/intentional lovely light, solid composition and shows how to creatively take a boring everyday object and make a portrait out of it. Go for the gold and shoot for having ALL THREE elements in your photos!

Become and Serve:

Watch this message from Elder Uchtdorf. I have never forgotten the first time I heard him speak these words at a women's broadcast. The truth of the words struck me -- we are creators! That's part of our divine heritage as sons and daughters of God and he has placed in us that desire to be like Him, to be a creator. How do you feel the spirit moving you to create in your life? Do you create peace in your relationships? Do you create art or music? Do you create ideas that bring people together for good? Ponder on the ways you've been inspired to create and say a prayer thanking Heavenly Father for those blessings. 

Imaginative Arts Apprentice

 Imaginative Arts Apprentice

It's your lucky day!  There is no homework!

Just Kidding!

Study/Learn:

1. Chose one of these questions to answer in our book discussion, or write a question of your own and answer it.

1. If the characters stood for particular virtues (like in the medieval allegorical sense), what would each of the main characters represent?

2. What makes Buttercup discover she’s in love with the farm boy she had previously overlooked?

3. There’s much emphasis on whether women are “beautiful” or not. How do you feel about that? What implications does that have?

4. When Vizzini says, “He didn’t fall? INCONCEIVABLE,” Inigo Montoya replies, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” How is Vizzini using the word “inconceivable?” What does it actually mean?

5. Why did Fezzik, Inigo, and Vizzini try to murder Buttercup at first but then later help her and Wesley?

6. Prince Humperdinck built a Zoo of Death. What is significant about the fifth level? How would you characterize the Prince’s brand of sadism (feeling pleasure from inflicting pain on others) and the sadism of Count Rugen and his life-sucking machine? Is evil necessary to the universe of a fairytale?

7. What does this book tell us about the nature of reading, writing and literature in general?

8. Goldman says Morgenstern’s original work is a satire (the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule to expose and deride vice or folly). Give examples of this from the text.

9. Watch the film version of The Princess Bride and then compare it to the book. Keep in mind that Goldman wrote the screenplay for the movie. Do you agree or disagree with the changes he made? 

2. I know I said we would skip the spelling bee, but I have since decided that we will do it.  We will break into 2 or 3 groups, so you will get more words to spell.  So... Study!

Know/Understand:

1. Come in clothes that can get dirty and with good shoes.

2. Please bring a shovel or 2/group.  You will be digging up the artifacts that we buried last month.  You will have time to start deciphering what you have found.

3. Archaeological excavation is the procedure by which archaeologists define, retrieve, and record cultural and biological remains found in the ground. Past activities leave traces in the form of house foundations, graves, artifacts, bones, seeds, and numerous other traces indicative of human experience.

It is important for us to remember that as we dig, we do not want to destroy anyones culture.  

4. Get with one other person and learn about one of these archaeological excavations.  You will do a brief (like 2 minutes or less) presentation about it.  We won't have time for more than that, so I will cut you off after 2 minutes.  Basically, you just need to share the highlights with us.

Sign up Here

Pompeii

Tutankhamun's Tomb

Rosetta Stone

Terracotta Army

Richard III's Grave

Olduvai Gorge

Cave of Altamira

Dead Sea Scrolls

Easter Island Moai

Staffordshire Hoard

Become/Serve:

This week is St. Patrick's Day.  If you haven't noticed, the blog is green and I wore green to class on Thursday.  This doesn't really mean anything; but it does mean that there is a holiday coming up and even though it's one of those arbitrary holidays, it's a great chance to get out and serve someone.  Make someone's day by taking them some cookies, or some other homemade gift.