Photo-Graphics _The Surrealist Muse : Photographing your Dreams

Exploring ones dreams and fantasies is powerful ground for creating visual art. It can be a safe ground for self-exploration and often leads to artwork that is more expressive and authentic than artworks that result from a more direct confrontation of “reality”.  I decided to incorporate a research paper “mentorship”  along with proposals into this unit

The Assignment Part 1

Exposure 1-5:

Students were required to  make one photograph that is very similar to thier chosen mentor's piece. If possible, students attempted to replicate them as exactly as possible. Students were instructed to not simply take one photograph to try to copy the image. A minimum of three different tools in Photo-Shop had to be used during the construction of their image . Students viewed and discussed the works of Elihu Vedder , Jerry Ulsemann , Edmund Teske and Rene Magritte . Students were encouraged to Take several shots, Shoot till you feel like you "captured" it .

Part 2 ....comming soon

Finish the second part of the assignment by using your own personal dreams as inspiration . Your Photograph must not only represent your dream but must 1) effectively express a Feeling or Technique used by your chosen mentor.

Who Am I?What is a self portrait ?

A Self Portrait Photograph unlike a snapshot,  tells the viewer  something about the subject . After viewing and discussing the work of Artist Frida Kahlo, Lee Friedlander , Vivian Maier and Francesca Woodman , Introduction to Digtial Photography students were required  to create a an interpretive self portrait (one that conveys the personality / or makes a statement) . Students were to use space and light as visual metaphors to convey the abstract . Students were also required to use a tripod and the camera self-timer when completing part two of this assignment

The Photo Shoot:

 Part 1_12 frames  : Make a self portrait using  reflections in water, a shadow, mirror/s, or window/s

  Part2 _12 frames: take very straightforward portraits not employing the above devices technique:    take close-ups by holding camera in front of face with arms stretched out in front of them or set up a tripod and camera self timer as demonstrated in class . Use space , light and environment as visual metaphors . 

The Treasure Hunt: Composition , Elements and Principles of Design

                                        
  This lesson involves students learning about Elements and Principles of Design .  Students will locate the following Elements and Principals of design on Campus . Students will also learn how to download and save images in their project folders . Students will learn the basics of  levels in photoshop to control contrast , darkness and lightness in their images . We will spend at least 2 class periods photographing for this assignment . Remember we will use Elements and Principles of Design to make "the ordinary , extraordinary"

Emphasis : One thing really stands out in your photograph : Example : 1)Plant brightly light by the sun surrounded by darkness 2)One thing in focus everything else out of focus, 3) a person framed by a natural or architectural structure

                                  

Pattern: Shapes that repeat to create a pattern. Example : Plant or Flower close up that shows strong pattern .

Texture : Surface quality . Example: a close-up photo of grass or a fuzzy plant leaf that shows how the surface would feel . 

Line : Thin or thick , the line is the point of emphasis - that is , one line -or several show very strongly in the photo . Example : Line of a tree or path lit by the sun or close-up of several stems of plants .

Balance: Symmetry: left and right equally balanced so if you draw a line down the middle , both sides ( shape, color, line, etc .) appear equal . Example: tree , leaf or flower 

Linear Perspective : Lines that come together (converge) as they go back into space. Example : looking down the middle of a road or garden path