Principles of Composition

What is due?  15 photos

Objectives: This assignment deals with the aspect of composition in the photograph. Students will create photographs that both works well within the framework of the viewfinder and holds the viewer’s interest, which means the photo should have a SUBJECT. Use the same subject for ALL the photos. Final photos should be in focus, have an appropriate exposure, and follow each of the composition guidelines as described below. 

Rule of Thirds. The face is in the upper right intersecting point.

Perspective. The point of view is low to make this photo more interesting.

Leading Lines. The white lines lead the eye through the photograph and lead you to the person in red.

Framing. The window in the rock frames the kayaker.

Simplicity/Emphasis. The girl is emphasized in this photo because she's the only object in the photo and the background doesn't distract from the subject.

RULE OF THIRDS

Take one photo emphasizing this rule. The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines, your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer to interact with it more naturally.

PERSPECTIVE/POINT OF VIEW

Take two photos. One photo from a bird’s eye view and one photo from a worm’s eye view (stand on a chair or get down on the ground). Bird’s eye view is a high point of view. Worm’s eye view is a low point of view.

LEADING LINES

Take two photos showing leading lines. Find 2 different ways to use leading lines to point to your subject. Leading lines are used to draw the viewer’s eye to a subject or through a photograph.

FRAMING

Take two photos using framing. Use trees, doorways, buildings, etc. to create a "frame" around the subject. Framing helps draw attention to the subject

SIMPLICITY/EMPHASIS

Take two photos. Fill the frame with your subject or eliminate any distracting elements from the background

RHYTHM/REPETITION

Take two photos that show rhythm/repetition. Rhythm or repetition is a principle that focuses on repeating shapes to often create more abstract photos and can create a sense of movement. You can read more about rhythm/repetition here. Be sure to include your subject.

BALANCE - SYMMETRY

Take two photos that show symmetry. Symmetry is a part of the principle of balance. When a photo is symmetrical, the visual weight of two sides of the photo feels the same. The sides do not have to be identical, but feel about the same weight. You can always Google more about symmetry in photography or art if you have more questions.

BALANCE - ASYMMETRY

Take two photos that show asymmetry. Asymmetry is a part of the principle of balance. When a photo is asymmetrical, the visual weight of two sides of the photo DO NOT feel the same. The sides are not identical but feel about the same weight. You can always Google more about asymmetry in photography or art if you have more questions.

Fortune

What is due? 4 photos.

Objective: Take 1 photo of the fortune and 3 photos that tell a story using the fortune found in your cookie.

This is a good exercise in figuring out how to show a concept in a photo. 

Before you take your photos check for distracting elements in your background

and get rid of them if you can. 

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After you take your photos, use Photoshop to eliminate any unwanted

distractions that are still in the photos. 

Photoshop Instructions:

1. Use the lasso tool to select the distraction you want to get rid of.

2. Image > Edit

3. > Content-Aware 

4. > Fill 

5. You may also use the patch tool or clone tool. 

9X

What is due? 9 photos of the same subject.

Objective: Learn to look at different angles to photograph a single subject.

This will force you to stretch the boundaries of your creativity. It will force you to start looking at your subjects in many different ways. The first five angles might be easy, but the last four will be a struggle – as it should be!

A few angles to try:

• Shoot on a level with your subject

• Shoot from directly above your subject

• Get below your subject and shoot upward

Then, once you’ve finished the exercise, take note of the different angles and how they give your subject slightly different looks.

Landscape Photography

landscape_assignment.docx

Download File

What is due?  10 photos

Objectives:  Students will be able to identify different types of natural light, including the golden hour and cloudy or hazy light, and their pros and cons. Students will be able to evaluate and choose an appropriate scene mode on their cameras for a desired exposure and depth of field. Students will be able to identify and analyze principles of landscape photography composition in their own and others’ photos.

This assignment is to introduce you into landscape photography and the elements that make an interesting landscape photograph. Use principles of composition, the correct camera mode, and maybe a tripod to create a beautiful photograph. The time of day plays a big role in the photos. The golden hour is a great time of day for landscape photos. Avoid having man-made things in your photos. The exceptions are: roads, telephone poles, fences, or old barns.

Here's a more advanced article about composing landscapes. Read some quick tips about landscape photography here or here.

WIDE PHOTOGRAPHS

Take 5 wide landscape photos. Wide photos show a very big, broad scene. Think about the foreground and the background so your photograph has depth. Think about where you should place the horizon and if it is straight. 

Wide landscape photos are usually all in focus. Use the landscape mode or use a mid-range f/stop number like F/9 or F/11 to get it all in focus. A good landscape photo has a foreground and the background so the photo has depth. If you take photos of mountain in the distance with nothing in the foreground, the photo will look flat. The best time of day is usually the golden hour, which creates better shadows that show shape.

MEDIUM/CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPHS

Take 5 medium or close-up landscape photographs. Medium photos are closer to objects in the landscape than a wide photo. Close-up photos are close to small details or objects in the landscape. Think about what details make the environment unique and beautiful.

The depth of field in these photos can be shallow or wide. Use the appropriate camera mode for the desired effect. For example, macro is for extreme shallow depth of field and close-up.

TERM 2

​Macro Photography

What is due? 10 photos.

Objectives: Take macro photos and practice getting small things in focus.

Macro photography is when you take a photo of something small and the photo makes it look larger than it really is. Find 10 interesting small things to photograph. Pay attention to the background, follow principles of composition (especially simplicity!), and get the most important thing in focus! Read more about macro photography here: Article 1 and Article 2.

Photo Series

What is due? 10 photos

Objectives: To tell a story or explain a subject with 10 photos.

Your assignment is the take 10 photographs that together help tell a story. For example, you can dress up a friend in a costume and create some kind of story in the forest. When taking the 10 photos, ask yourself what details or elements of the story are important for the viewer to know and then photograph those things.

Another example on how to do this assignment is like the two photos on the left. You can focus on one topic and take 10 photos that explore or explain that topic. These two photos are showing different locations that you can find water. So you can take 10 photos that explore an emotion, theme, or thing.

Follow principles of composition to make your photographs engaging to look at and take your time to make this an interesting photo series.

Mobile Photography

What is due? 2 photos taken and edited on your phone. If you want to post them to Instagram with #mmhsphoto and your name in the description, I can grade them that way. Or, you can take and edit the photos on your phone but turn them in at school. If you do not have a smart phone and cannot borrow someone else's phone for this assignment, use a normal camera and turn the photos in during class.

Objectives: To take, edit, and share amazing(!) photos of your life or interests on social media with your smart phone. 

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Social media is a great tool to express yourself through photos, find inspiration, and even market yourself as a photographer.

Your assignment is to take 2 photos of your life (selfies, landscapes, people, things, etc.) on your smart phone, edit them using any app, and share them on Instagram (if you want). These photos need to be awesome, though. Follow the principles of composition that you have learned and make these tiny photos worth looking at (photos of soda cups are not interesting). Put #mmhsphoto and your name in the caption so it can be graded, or turn it in during class. If your account is private, you'll need to show your photos to me in person since I can't view them.

Natural Light Portraits

What is due? 10 photos

Objectives: To obtain a basic understanding of how to photograph people using natural light.

Your assignment is to take 10 natural light portraits. Each portrait needs to be significantly different, which means you need to change the pose, emotion, location, or composition. You can take wide photos, medium photos, or close-up photos. Pay attention to the background so there aren't any distracting elements. Use principles of composition to help the view focus on the subject. You can use simplicity, rule of thirds, leading lines, or perspective to create more interesting portraits.

The best kind of day for natural light portraits is an overcast day because the clouds act as a light diffuser and create softer light for portraits. However, you can't always wait around for overcast days. That leaves us with the natural light directly from the sun. There are two types of natural light: direct light and indirect light. Direct light casts harsh shadows and usually makes the model squint. Usually portrait photographers avoid direct light unless the model is positioned so the light shines on the back of the head so it acts as a hair/back light. The best time of day to take natural light photos is the golden hour, which is the hour before sunset or the hour after sunrise. This light has a softer quality, better direction, and warmer tones. Indirect light is in the shade or by a window where the sun doesn't shine directly in it. Indirect light has nice soft shadows that are often considered more pleasing for portraits.

You can use the internet to find posing ideas if you don't have any ideas. Here is a male posing guide and here is a female posing guide that will give you a bunch of starting poses.

Abstract Photography

Color

Line

Shape

What is due? 25 photos.

Objective: Use the elements of art to create abstract photos.

Abstract photography concentrates on line, shape, color, form, and texture. The viewer is often unable to see the whole object with the focus on only a small part of it. You can also see it as an image that does not have an immediate association with the object world.

Color – take five photos that show color as the main focus of the image. An element of art with three properties: (1) hue or tint, is the color name, e.g., red, yellow, blue, etc.: (2) saturation, is the purity and strength of a color, e.g., bright red or dull red; and (3) value, is the lightness or darkness of a color.

Line – take five photos that show at least one type of line. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight or ruled, curved, bent, angular, thin, thick or wide, or interrupted (dotted, dashed, broken, etc.).

Shape – take five photos that have a shape as the main subject. Shapes are two-dimensional. Examples of shapes include: circle, oval, triangle, square, rectangle, etc

Form – take five photos that show a three-dimensional form. Forms are three-dimensional (height, width, and depth) and enclose a volume. For example, a triangle, which is two-dimensional, is a shape, but a pyramid is a form.

Texture – take five photos that display a good use of texture. Texture is the surface quality or "feel" of an object, its smoothness, roughness, softness, etc.

Form

Texture

Self Expressive Triptych​

What is due? 3 photos.

Objective: Visually communicate through 3 photos what makes you unique.

Self expression is the expression of one's own personality, feelings, etc., and a triptych is a work of art which is divided into three sections. You will take 3 photos (best photos of the semester!) that you feel represent you or show who you are. These photos will then be put together into a triptych in Photoshop.

To put these photos together, think about how you want to arrange them, and then crop them to specific sizes to help you get that arrangement. After you have cropped them, pick one image to start with, and click Image > Canvas Size. Change the anchor point so the canvas changes in the direction you want and figure out the amount that you need to add to either the height or width.

Your Choice

What is due? At least 5 photos.

Objective: Let the student learn about and try a type of photography in which he or she is interested.

You get to pick your homework! Perhaps you have wanted to do food photography, landscape photography, more studio photos, macro photos, or something else that we haven't covered in class. Now you can choose what to do! Learn how to do it from either talking to Mr. Lewis, reading tutorials, or watching YouTube videos and then go do it. You will need to turn in at least 5 awesome photos, but you may turn in more than 5, if you want.