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.)

These three components of photography are also known as the exposure triangle. These are the three elements that you will have to change on your camera in order to get a perfectly exposed photograph. You will ALWAYS be changing your aperture and shutter speed in order to get the photograph you want (i.e. I want a photo with movement, I want a photo with blur, I want to capture sports action, I want a great portrait, etc.). Your shutter speed and aperture will give you the specific results you want. So what the heck are these things?

• ISO – the level of sensitivity of your camera to available light. It is typically measured in numbers, a lower number representing lower sensitivity to available light, while higher numbers mean more sensitivity. More sensitivity comes at the cost though, as the ISO increases, so does the grain/noise in the images. ISO values: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600.
• Shutter speed – the length of time a camera shutter opens to allow light to expose onto the film or camera sensor. Shutter speeds are typically measured in fractions of a second, when they are under a second. Slow shutter speeds allow more light into the camera sensor and are used for low-light and night photography, while fast shutter speeds help to freeze motion. Shutter Speed values: 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000
• Aperture or F-stop– the opening within a lens, through which light travels into the camera body. The larger the opening, the more light passes to the camera sensor. Aperture also controls the depth of field, which is the portion of a scene that appears to be sharp. If the aperture is very small, the depth of field is large, while if the aperture is large, the depth of field is small. In photography, aperture is typically expressed in “f” numbers (also known as “focal ratio”, since the f-number is the ratio of the diameter of the lens aperture to the length of the lens). Aperture (f-stop) values : 1.7, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22 

Read more: http://photographylife.com/iso-shutter-speed-and-aperture-for-beginners#ixzz3DlHL7ZCJ 

Shallow depth of field is when one part of the image is in focus and the other is not and happens with a wide-open aperture (f/2.8 or lower).

Here's an example of bokeh - the out of focus area in a shallow depth of field image, usually referring to lights at night or sunlight through trees. 

Landscape photography uses a higher aperture (f/22 or higher) to create a focused image from foreground to background.

Same scene with totally different effects based on camera settings.  

Flipping through the glossy pages of magazines, how many images do you see of fashion and products being sold? What do you think of when you hear the word “fashion”? Chances are, images of catwalks, models, and couture clothing fill your head, but fashion is so much more. Fashion photography has been around since the advent of the camera. Fashion, like photography, is an ever-changing and evolving art form. There are many different types of fashion in America alone, leaving this assignment very broad. 

Artists to consider: Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, David LaChapelle, Mario Testino, Ellen Von Unwerth


Brands to consider: Forever 21, GQ, Free People, Louis Vuitton,  J. Crew 

Assignment
Your assignment is to submit 3 fashion photos and 3 product photos that could be printed in a magazine. You will mount one 8x10 on board (your best one). You will be mounting on black board or matting the images in a professional manner. This is your FINAL so show me everything that you’ve learned throughout the year. This project is a culmination of your EXCELLENT photography skills. Be sure to place all 6 photographs in the Google Classroom folder before the day of the final. You may print your image in the classroom but it is your responsibility to have it printed and mounted by the exam day. If you cannot print at school then you may print them at CVS or another photo lab. 

Tips:

• Look around you. What kind of fashion surrounds you? Then think about what kind of fashion you want to photograph (vintage fashion, couture fashion, teen fashion, men’s fashion). You may use anything that has to do with fashion (heels, purses, accessories).
• When photographing a product, think about something that really interests you and find a way to make that product pop. Set up a studio if need be in order to get those crisp shots. Are you photographing an organic face lotion? Perhaps place rose petals with your shot. Want to sell makeup like a magazine? Make your own tabletop and photograph from above with clean even light. Make it APPEALING. 
• Think about your subject and how you are going to frame it. You are going to be selling this fashion design or this product so you want it to look fantastic. Think about your model-will there be one? Think of what background you choose. Are you going to use a studio setting or outdoor setting? The rest of the photograph should complement your product.
• Edit your photo. No digital photographer shows unedited photographs. Use Photoshop to make your photo pop. Online tutorials are great resources to find out how to edit photographs if there is something specific that you want to do that we did not learn in class. I suggest you do some research for Photoshop tutorials—especially if you want to make perfect skin, or lens flare, or any other specific element to add to you image. 
• Our cameras have an aspect ratio of 8x12. You need to crop 2 inches off the 12" side to make a photograph be 8x10. 8x12 mats are difficult to find, most are sold as 8x10 so keep this in mind while printing.

Resources: Pinterest fashion pin board

In this project you are going to focus on the sense of movement. This can be done with actual movement in your photographs (ie sport photography, dance, cars, night photography, and long exposure) or the idea of movement. Think about those moments just before something is going to happen, like diving off a diving board, sliding down a slide, or getting on a bicycle. Your images should suggest movement even if there is no "actual" movement in the photograph. Also think about being more metaphorical and photographing things whose sole purpose is to move; like cars, bikes, roller skates, skateboards, etc. How could you create a sense of movement by photographing these types of objects?

Artists to consider: Ernst Haas, Edward Muybridge, Otto Steinert, Henri Cartier-Bresson

Assignment
You must photograph (50 exposures) of images with a sense of movement. Definitely think about both the actual idea of movement and the suggestion of movement. Be creative and think outside of the box. These images should be printed and constructed well. Think about your frame and composition while you are photographing as well as your final intent.

On google classroom you will be passing in the following: 

• 1 panned shot
• 1 long exposure
• 1 shot of any way you want 
• contact sheet of 10 best images

Steps

• Look around you. Our lives are in a constant state of motion. Take that idea and run with it...literally. Think about moving yourself while you are photographing. Maybe everything around you is still you are the sense of movement. 
• Think about the original ideas of movement -- the invention of the wheel. Imagine for a second what life would be without movement. Try to capture the objects around you that are always moving.
• Make a pic collage of inspirational photos. Use Photoshop, Pic Collage, or Pic Stitch to create this. Upload to Drive in the inspiration board folder
• Go outside. Nature is the most constant representation of movement. The trees move, water moves, gravity pulls things and makes them move, even we are actually moving while the earth spins. Think about these things while you are photographing.
• Take long exposures. The best way to explore the idea of movement is to give your film a long time to capture that movement. What about a 30 minute night exposure? what might this look like? What if someone-- or something -- is moving in your image?

Objective: Use the camera to capture motion, both in the middle of movement to offer the idea of passing time and to freeze motion in time.

Resources: Movement Pinterest Board

A panorama usually refers to a long photograph. To assemble something means to put it together from various pieces. So for this project you are going to be assembling a panorama image. However, a panorama—in our project—can take on many different shapes besides the usual long image. Think about vertical images or images that follow a particular shape. This can be any subject (i.e. a long hallway, a fire hose, a portrait of a person, a flag pole, etc.). Think of how to create a panorama of your subject because often the subject of your photograph is going to determine the shape of your panorama. Your panorama must have 12 or more frames in it and they cannot overlap so that one image is completely hiding (or mostly hiding) the image beneath it.



Artists to consider: Matthew Chase-Daniel, Rachelle Dermer, David Hockney, Pablo Picasso

Assignment:
You must photograph 50 exposures of panoramas. Since each panorama requires AT LEAST 12 frames, I suggest that you shoot 2 different objects or scenes with 20/25 frames apiece. This will ensure that you are able to get enough good images for your panorama. You are responsible for lining up the frames and overlapping them so that when printed, you can assemble them to make an image that makes sense to your viewer. Your subject itself does not need to be panoramic; you need to make it a panorama.   

You will be passing in two edited digital "panoramas" on google drive and choosing your best one to print—you will be printing your favorite panorama images as small 2x3 photos and cutting them out and pasting them together using a rubber cement mounting technique. 

Steps:

• Look around you. How can you make your surrounding a panoramic image? What creates an interesting shape when photographed with numerous frames?  
• Once you choose something, think about how to make it more interesting. If you photograph a flag pole, is it more interesting if it is long and skinny or if all of the background information is included? Or with a fire hose, what if you follow the shape of the hose and make it swirl into the center? How does this make it more interesting than just photographing every frame so that the hose is straight within it? 

Objective: Use the camera in a non-traditional manner to assemble a photograph made up of several different images/parts, Harkening back to ideas of cubism and collage.  


Resources: Assemblage Panorama Pinterest board

Assignment:

You must photograph one roll (24 frames) of “close-up” and/or abstract 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 digital frames that focus on light, shadow ,and reflections. Think about how to make your compositions interesting using only strong light or reflected imagery. 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