DIGITAL PHOTO

DP Major Projects

Project #1 Art Concept Peer Lesson

As you are learning about art concepts such as art vocabulary, elements of art, principles of design, color theory, composition and framing, you will become an expert on one art concept and teach your peers about it in an oral and written presentation (including bibliography).

SLIDES:

Slide 1: Title Slide, include your name and your Art Concept

Slide 2: Definition of your concept in your OWN words

Slide 3-8: PHOTOGRAPHIC examples of your concept in action. You are allowed to use images from the internet because this is for educational purposes so this is acceptable.

Slide 9: Tell us how to use your concept to make our own compelling photographs. In effect "How do we do your concept?"

Slide 10: Bibliography

FINISHING: Presentation w/ Discussion

HANDOUTS: ACPL GS

Project # 2  Adjectives

You will demonstrate your ability to photograph ideas and concepts with three photographs that embody three different adjectives: UNLIKELY, ROBUST, and PEACEFUL (one photograph for each word). Your final photograph for each word should communicate the concept without being too literal. You may research the work of photographers such as William Eggleston, Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Clarence John Laughlin, Joel Meyerowitz, W. Eugene Smith, and Garry Winogrand as inspiration. The goal is only to use the camera on this assignment and not do any digital manipulation, but if need be, MINIMAL digital manipulation is allowed, such as cropping and slight exposure correction.

FINISHING: Wksht, Presentation w/ Critique

HANDOUTS: ADJECTIVES SE, ADJECTIVES GS

Project #3 Non-Literal SELF Portrait

You will demonstrate your ability to create a self portrait that goes beyond the literal “this is a picture of me” and into the realm of self portrait as signature, projection, self-study, or fantasy. Self portrait as signature would be a recognizable image of you (or a part of you) as you really are, but photographed in a way that gives the audience some insight into the deeper parts of you (who you really are). Self portrait as projection gives you the opportunity to place yourself in whatever context you desire. It could be an idealization of who you are or an opportunity for you to be someone else. Self portrait as self-study is a physical and/or mental probe into who you are. It could be a letting-go of pent-up emotions and is often abstract. Self portrait as fantasy is the creation of another place, whether you appear in it at all, it is still a self portrait. It is an insight into your mind... into what is fantastic to you as an artist.

Basically, a self portrait can be you, a part of you, an abstraction of you, a metaphor for you, something you see yourself as, something you identify with, but always, something you (and those who know you well) look at as a finished product and say, "That's definitely __________!"

You may research the self-portraits of photographers such as Lee Friedlander, Cindy Sherman, Man Ray, Martin Fuchs, and Eileen Brady Nelson as inspiration. Digital manipulation is allowed on this project, but all the photographs that you use must be your own original work! Remember that this is a SELF portrait; you must set up and take all your own photographs (a tripod and your camera's timer can be very helpful!)

FINISHING: Wksht, Presentation w/ Critique @ END OF NON-LITERAL PROJECT (you will present both)

HANDOUTS: LITERAL SE, LITERAL GS

Project #4 Literal Portrait

You will demonstrate your ability to create a portrait of another person that goes beyond the literal “this is a picture of…” and into the more conceptual portrait that reveals something human about your subject and captures the “essence” or soul of the person. Much like the Non-Literal SELF Portrait, the final photographic image could be your subject, an abstraction of your subject, a metaphor for your subject, something you see your subject as, something you identify with your subject... Your subject will naturally want to have some input into what the photograph should look like, but ultimately, you, the photographer, should make the creative decisions. This is what makes a portrait different from a self portrait: in a portrait we are seeing the photographer's insight into the soul of his/her subject.

You may study famous portraits by photographers such as Annie Lebovitz, Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, Emmet Gowin, Margaret Bourke-White, Steve McCurry, Yousuf Karsh, Dorothea Lange, Lisette Model, Arnold Newman, and Lothar Wolleh for inspiration. Digital manipulation is allowed on this project, but all the photographs that you use must be your own original work!

Need more inspiration? Check out the following fundamental photographers:

Annie Lebovitz's gallery collection

"Legends Online: Arnold Newman."

Check out this AMAZING video titled, "Decoy"

At the end of this project, there will be a "double portrait" critique with your NON-LITERAL SELF & NON-LITERAL PORTRAIT Photographs.

FINISHING: Wksht, Presentation w/ Critique

HANDOUTS: LITERAL SE,  LITERAL GS

Project #5 Triptych

You will demonstrate your ability to tell a story or make a compelling artistic statement with a series of photographs. A series of three photographs is common (hence the name triptych), but you can use any number of photographs in your series as long as the grouping is aesthetically pleasing and helps to tell your story/make your statement.

Some ideas for stories/statements to explore with your triptych are: re-thinking how space is perceived, deconstructing a subject, exploring design elements, exploring perspective, exploring conceptual relationships, exploring a sequence of actions, etc.

As inspiration, you NEED TO study triptychs by photographers such as Elliott Erwitt, Graham Flint, Nigel Poor, Trefor Ball, Mark Klett, Laurent Pinsard, Steve Kahn, and Janica Yoder. Choose one of these (or one of your choice as inspiration)

Each of your photographs should be aesthetically-pleasing, but more importantly, the entire group of photographs should be aesthetically-pleasing and tell an interesting story or make a compelling statement.

Each photograph in your triptych should only be minimally digitally manipulated (slight levels adjustments and cropping are acceptable) and, of course, all the photographs that you use must be your own original work! You may use Photoshop to assemble your grouping of photographs with an optional border of any color (if you believe a border enhances your triptych). Be careful with your file size on this project!

FINISHING: Wksht, Presentation w/ Critique

HANDOUTS: TRIPTYCH SE, TRIPTYCH GS

Project #6 Time and Motion Study

You will demonstrate an understanding of how to artistically display the concept of time and/or motion within a photograph.

You NEED study the work of photographers such as Eadweard Muybridge, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Jacques-Henri Lartigue and Lothar Wolleh for inspiration. The goal is always camera only shots first, but digital manipulation is allowed.

FINISHING: Wksht, Presentation w/ Critique

HANDOUTS: TIME & MOTION SE, TIME & MOTION GS

  Project #7 Lyrics

You will demonstrate your ability to convey a powerful emotional and/or conceptual message through the use of a lyric placed within your photograph (anything from a single phrase to a large stanza are acceptable). You may study the work of photographers such as Jim Goldberg and Jeff Wolin for inspiration.

FINISHING: Presentation w/ Critique

HANDOUTS: LYRICS SE, LYRICS GS

Project #8 Final Project

You will demonstrate your ability to assimilate all the knowledge gained in the class and use your own creative voice to create an original aesthetically-pleasing and meaningful final project that is uniquely yours. The project may absolutely be a repeat of a project from earlier in the year that you’d like a second try at OR a brand new creative idea that is all yours. Regardless, your work MUST be approved before you shoot.

FINISHING: Presentation w/ Critique and Full page, double spaced paper - there is no "true" format for the paper. Student are to discuss their work in depth and explain why they chose to complete the project the did.

DP Major Project Examples: