In this project, you and your group will explore an influential photographer, research their work, and create your own photographic emulation inspired by them. Use of AI on this project is prohibited, will be reported to admin, and will receive a zero. Don't do it. This project is not about perfection, just teach the class what you learned about your chosen influential photographer.
Photographers today learn by studying the influential images of the past. Understanding how art shapes culture helps you develop your own style and voice.
This project teaches you to:
Research visual history
Analyze photographs
Understand artistic influence
Recreate professional techniques
Learn through hands-on practice
Look at the slideshow and take notes on the different genres such as:
Architecture
Fashion
Fine Art
Landscape
Editorial
Nature/Wildlife
Documentary
Portrait
Street
Vernacular
Get into groups of 2–3 people based on the genre you like best.
Select 2-3 INFLUENTIAL photographers from your chosen genre. Choose someone who has had a major impact on the genre, someone who is considered a master of this genre.
Need some help? Not sure where to begin? Check out THIS extensive list of photographers (make sure you are choosing someone that is under one of the genres we looked at today!)
Complete THIS Google Form. (only one form per group needs to be submitted)
IMPORTANT: While different groups can have the same genre, they cannot cover the same photographer. You must get Ms. Kelly's approval before starting the next step.
You can use THESE links to help you with your research. You may write this in paragraphs or bullet points, but ALL items must be included:
Full Name:
Nicknames (if any):
Birthplace:
Date of Birth:
Date and place of death (if applicable):
Education:
When/how did they get into photography?
They got into photography when ___.
They started taking photos because ___.
They became interested in photography after ___.
They began their photography journey by ___.
Where did they shoot? (locations, environments)
They usually shot in ___.
Their photos were often taken at ___.
They liked to work in ___ environments.
Most of their photography happened in ___.
They preferred shooting in places that were ___.
What was their photography style? (light and airy, dark and moody, vibrant, vintage, dramatic, black and white, cinematic, serene/calm/peaceful, romantic, simple and clean, quirky, whimsical, etc. )
Their photography style was ___ (light and airy, dark and moody, etc.).
Their photos looked ___ because they chose a ___ style.
The style they are known for is ___.
Show 1-3 example images of their photography (photographs they took) AND a picture of them.
Why is this photographer important?
This photographer is important because ___.
They are important to photography since ___.
How did their work impact or influence society, art, or culture? Why do you think they became famous?
Their work impacted society by ___.
People noticed them because ___.
We think they became famous because ___.
Why did YOU choose this photographer? What do YOU like about their photos?
We chose this photographer because ___.
We like their photos because ___.
Their pictures make us feel ___.
Our favorite thing about their work is ___.
Interesting story OR quote about the photographer
You will recreate 1 photograph by your chosen photographer.
Which photo did you choose? (Show the original image)
We chose the photo of ____.
The original photo shows ____.
Why did you choose it?
We chose this photo because ____.
This photo interested us because ____.
How did you emulate it? (Planning/preparation, camera settings or choices, editing process (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.)
Planning/Preparation
To prepare, we ____.
Camera Settings/Choices
We used a ____ digital camera/ phone.
The camera settings were ____.
We chose to shoot in ____. (location/time) because ____.
Editing Process (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.)
In editing, we adjusted ____.
We used ____ to match the original look.
We changed the colors/lighting/shadows by ____.
Final emulation image (your recreation)
An emulation is to recreate IN THE STYLE OF aka INSPIRED BY and ROOTED IN the artist's influence.
Examples: http://www.booooooom.com/2011/09/29/remake-submission/
Your group will create ONE final product that includes:
✔ Your research (basic info, photo journey, contribution to photography)... bullet points ok!
✔ 1-3 example images of your photographer's work (photographs they took) AND a picture of them.
✔ Original photo + your emulation photo + explanation (see above)
Choose from:
Canva presentation
Google Slides