Assignment:

This is a film & darkroom project. You must photograph 24 frames of abstract or “close-up” objects. You are responsible for making something appear unique and interesting, even if it isn't. Think about color, shapes, black and white tones, line, texture, light, and shadow. 

Steps:

• Look around you. Most often you will notice that even ordinary and everyday subjects can have interesting or abstract qualities. 
• Look closely. Sometimes the texture of something small and insignificant becomes really interesting. Think about stacked towels, or clothing lined up in your closet, or a head of lettuce with its many layers. Try to fill your entire frame with your subject (or object). If it is a head of lettuce, get close enough so that you can focus on the ripples in the layers, not just a small part of your frame. 
• Use correct exposure and FOCUS. DO NOT GET SOOOOOOO CLOSE THAT YOUR CAMERA CANNOT FOCUS. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE FOCUSED ON YOUR SUBJECT AND IT IS NOT FUZZY IN THE FRAME. This project will only be interesting if everything is in focus, a soft image will not captivate your audience.    

*Check out the Pinterest abstraction board for more inspiration

Light is the very basis of photography; everything we do with photography is related to light and how it is captured. Good light, interesting light, needs to be discovered. In this project you are going to explore the differences between light and shadow or reflections. I want you to focus on strong contrasted light and the resulting deep shadows that are produced. Use the natural effects of light and shadow to either enhance or remove the actual object that is creating the shadow to bring us out of context. These images should be interesting in composition and even slightly abstract in their final printed version. Because we must have a sunny day to create the contrasted light for light and shadow you may also focus on reflections if the day is overcast. Think about interesting reflections—like the way the light reflects in the window, or your reflection in a spoon or shiny metal object. You can not use a mirror in a traditional manner. 

Assignment:
You must photograph 50 separate frames that focus on light & shadow. Think about how to make your compositions interesting using only strong light. You can photograph people, objects, or even just the design that is created by shadows. Take multiple images of different designs of light, shadow, or reflection. Use your imagination and think about how the final image will look. 

Steps:

• Think about making an ordinary scene look different with the way you photograph it.
• When you want the shadow to be dark you should meter for the light part of the image. When you want the light part to blow out you should meter for the dark (or shadow) part of the image. 
• When photographing reflections be sure that you can see what you want in the frame of the camera.

Resources: Light & Shadow Pinterest board and Reflection Pinterest Board

 Assignment:
Shoot 50 images showing off the rule of thirds and a second compositional element from the above video (there are 8 more). You should be shooting brand new photos using manual mode on the digital camera. You will be editing and passing in your best 10 photographs.

Steps:

• Go outside, starting your shoot with outdoor lighting is very helpful
• Consider the compositional challenge each time you take a photo "does this show the rule of thirds?" "Does this show the composition in an interesting way?"
• Sometimes photographing nature and natural elements is easier than people to start
• Once you're done shooting for the day, be sure to import photos into Lightroom a new folder

How do we see the world around us? If we start looking at the shapes created around us, we can start to see the letters of the alphabet emerge. This project will stretch your creative outlook on the "normal" world around you. Some letters are easier than others to see—I's and X's and T's are very common, but where can you see curved letters like C and S and M, or even O? For this project you are going to create an alphabet grid and spell out your name using the natural world as your alphabet.

Assignment:
You must first photograph the entire alphabet, A-Z, in nature. The natural elements can be man-made but cannot be actual letters written on a sign or wall. You will be creating an alphabet grid like the one pictured above using Adobe Photoshop, you will then create a poster of your name using the letters of your alphabet. 

You will be passing in the following to the class google drive folder:
- 1 alphabet grid
- 1 name poster using your alphabet letters

Steps:
• Think outside of the norm and consider helping nature to create some letters—for example, S is very hard to find in nature but your shoelace is a perfect tool to make an s-shape. 
• Shadows can help to enhance a letterform, think of how this either adds to or takes away from the overall composition
• If your name has two of the same letter you may want to consider photographing different options to make your name poster more interesting
• I'd like to see natural elements but you can use man-made objects (i.e. bike wheels, lamp posts, brick buildings, etc.)

Assignment:

This week we will be making real working cameras out of a can of oatmeal, a piece of aluminum with a tiny hole poked into it, some paint, and a whole lot of tape. I promise these are real working cameras and they give a very nostalgic, almost dreamlike quality to the images. 

Steps:

1. Obtain an oatmeal canister (or something like it)
2. Paint interior of the canister and lid black (paint the outside if it is white or thin cardboard)
3. If your box has a clear plastic lid, cover exterior with black tape, paint interior black or cut a circle of black construction paper to place on the inside & glue in with elmer’s glue.
4. Carefully cut out a small square (about 1 in x 1 in) on one side of the oats box. It should be middle of the container.
5. I have precut aluminum squares from pie tins for you
6. Poke a pinhole in the aluminum (we will do this together)
7. Tape the aluminum on the inside of the box with black masking tape
8. Let it all dry! (tip: use the hairdryer for quick dry)
9. In the darkroom, "load" camera with a precut piece of 4x5" RC paper by making a tape loop on the backside of the paper (non shiny side) and pressing it against the interior of your canister
10. Place the paper inside the pinhole camera so it faces opposite the pinhole "lens." and put the cover on tight
11. Carefully holding the pinhole with your finger, go outside and find a great shot, set up your pinhole camera on a solid surface, and take your finger off of the pinhole.
12. Expose for about 10 seconds depending on the amount of light (see time chart below)
13. Come back into the darkroom and put the paper through the darkroom chemistry. Now you have a NEGATIVE.
14. Once dry, make a POSITIVE image by placing the negative face down on top of a new piece of b&w paper (we will do this process together).
15.  Mount your prints side by side
    1. Prints must be cut evenly and straight
    2. Prints must be centered (use a ruler)

Start timing your exposures using this chart:

• Bright Sun with Distinct Shadows
  8-12 Seconds
• Cloudy and Bright, No Shadows
  15 Seconds
• Heavy Overcast, Open Shade, rainy
  25 Seconds
• Indoors- Bright
  5-15 Minutes
• Indoors- Average light
  30 minutes to 1 Hour

Resources: https://www.pinhole.cz/en/pinholecameras/whatis.html

Justin Quinnell is a great pinhole photographer who has been working solely with pinhole photography for the last 22 years—he's even made a pinhole camera out of his mouth! 

Your assignment is to find the beauty in nature through the use of pattern and texture. Pattern is identified as a repetition of a certain element or elements. Texture refers to the properties held by an external surface. Although we cannot actually feel the texture in a photograph, implied texture will give the viewer the feeling that they can actually reach in and touch the image.







Assignment:

• Shoot 24 photos of texture and pattern—12 textures and 12 patterns—find both repeating patterns and textural elements outside the school
• create a contact sheet of your film 
• print your 2 best images in the darkroom

Tips to Get Started:
You should decide how you are going to frame your subject. Use the rule of thirds. Consider your outdoor lighting. Is it sunny or cloudy? How can we zoom a little closer to take a better photograph. Fill the frame with your pattern or texture. Watch your backgrounds (no cars or random people).

Resources:

• Pinterest board for Patterns & textures
• ​http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/pattern/pattern.htm

Project Description:

A pinhole camera, also known as camera obscura, or "dark chamber", is a simple optical imaging device in the shape of a closed box or chamber. In one of its sides is a small hole which, via the rectilinear (straight lines) propagation of light, creates an image of the outside space on the opposite side of the box. Aristotle wrote about a rudimentary concept of the pinhole camera. Today, photographers continue to use pinhole cameras for artistic purposes. Many pinhole cameras can be bought (even pinhole kits can be purchased), but we are going to make ours from scratch!

Objectives:

• Study pinhole photography and construct a pinhole camera
• Study the application of pinhole camera to create a negative image
• Employ darkroom techniques to develop your prints

Materials:

• Black tempera or acrylic paint
• Oatmeal containers
• Tin
• Pin (to poke hole)
• Black & white photographic paper
• Mounting tissue
• Black board

Steps:

1. Obtain an oatmeal canister
2. Paint ENTIRE the canister black (inside and outside)
3. If your box has a clear plastic lid, cut a circle to place on the inside of the lid and paint it black, glue in with elmer’s glue.
4. Carefully cut out a small box (about 1 in x 1 in) on one side of the oats box. It should be about half way up the container.
5. I have precut aluminum squares for you
6. Poke a hole in the aluminum (we will do this together)
7. Tape the aluminum on the inside of the box with masking tape
8. Paint the masking tape black
9. Let it all dry!
10. In the darkroom, cut a 5x7 piece of paper in half
11. Scroll a small piece of tape on the back side (non shiny side)
12. Place the paper inside the pinhole camera so it faces opposite the pinhole "lens."
13. Go outside (carefully holding the pinhole with your thumb), find a great shot, set up your pinhole camera on a solid surface, and take your thumb off of the hole.
14. Expose for about 10 seconds (depending on the amount of light)
15. Place the paper through the darkroom chemistry. Now you have a NEGATIVE.
16. Place the negative face down on top of a new piece of b&w paper.
17. Expose with white light on the enlarger for 10 seconds.
18. Dry mount your prints
    1. Prints must be cut evenly and straight
    2. Prints must be centered (use a ruler)

Grading Criteria: *always refer to the BHS art department grading rubric
Content

• Effectiveness in communicating the idea within each design
• Subject/idea is uniqueInteresting angle/perspective

Composition

• Quality of positive and negative image?
• Image is eye catching; has visual impact
• Uses interesting lines/shapes
• It is visually balanced

Technical Quality

• Construction of the pinhole
• The image is in acceptable focus
• Images are well exposed/developed
• No dust, water spots or marks
• There are no fix stains or tong prints
• Images are neat and well presented.

Work habits 

• Working with peers
• Working with materials
• Outside behavior
• Arrives to class on time and fully prepared.
• Stays on task all period every day of project.
• Always makes productive use of class time.
• Always takes the print through the final stage of development, the water wash, and sets prints to dry before leaving the darkroom.
• Well-organized.
• Asks questions when help is needed.
• Re-organizes station. Cleans up thoroughly.

Tips to Get Started:

• If your image is too dark, decrease the exposure time
• If your image is too light, increase the exposure time
• If your image is streaked with gray, check your pinhole camera for light leaks
• If your image is streaked with black, turn your camera pinhole away from the sun
• If your image is blurry, make sure your subject and camera do not move during exposure
• If your image is fuzzy, your pinhole is too large. Make a new pinhole lens or use another camera.

Start timing your exposures using this chart:

• Bright Sun with Distinct Shadows
  10 Seconds
  
• Cloudy and Bright, No Shadows
  15 Seconds
  
• Heavy Overcast, Open Shade
  25 Seconds
  
• Indoors- Bright
  30 Minutes to 1 Hour
  
• Indoors- Average
  1 to 2 Hours
  
  

Vocabulary:

• Pinhole
• Enlarger
• Developer
• Fixer
• Stop bath
• Negative
• Dry mount
• Camera Obscura (dark chamber)
  
  

Resources:
http://www.pinhole.cz/en/pinholecameras/whatis.html