PHOTOGRAPHIC STORY OF PLACE

Day 1: Project Intro, Brainstorming & Research

• Write down words, objects, names, places etc. that come to mind when you think of Squamish / Sḵwx̱wú7mesh. This will be your starting point and will give you direction when looking for photo opportunities out in the field (think of it as a shot list).

• As a class, we will watch this Nat Geo video series featuring photographer Erika Larsen (please watch on your own time if you are away). Think about the words you wrote down as you watch and listen to Erika's experience with photographing and capturing the stories of Quinhagak, Alaska.

• Get Inspired! Research the work of other photographers and ask yourself the following question: "What style am I drawn to?", "What do I want the overall mood of my photos to convey?", "What is the overall message I want people to get from my photos?"

• For this project, I want you to think of yourself as a photographer on assignment for Nat Geo. You have to deliver your photos and story by the given deadline otherwise your photos will not make it into the issue! Staying on task is KEY.

Day 2: Exploration

• Make sure your iPhone Camera settings are set to "Most Compatible" (not HEIC) before starting. Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible

• We will go on a class "walking field trip" to explore the town and get inspiration. If you are absent, you will have to complete this on your own time. 

• Use your brainstorming word list to guide your exploration. 

• Take photos of things/people/scenes that catch your eye. Shoot from different angles and depths, try different compositions, and give yourself options. You will thank yourself in the review & editing stage!

Day 3-4: Review & Editing

• Import your photos to Google Drive 

• Using Google Drive, browse through your photos. Download the ones you think best capture the story you are trying to tell. You are aiming for about 10 photos in total here. You can download more, but you will eventually have to narrow them down.

• Move your downloaded photos to your E drive: Create a new folder called "Place" in your Photography folder on the E: drive. Move your photos from Downloads into this new folder (ctrl + x to cut / ctrl + v to paste into the new folder). 

• Open Photoshop

• Open your first photo (File > Open) and load it into Photoshop

• In the top menu, click Filter > Camera Raw Filter. This will bring up the Camera RAW settings like Erika uses in the video.

• Adjust the settings to your liking: temperature, tint, contrast, exposure, saturation etc. Play around with it!

• When you are happy with the image, click OK.

• Watch the videos below for some other tricks for editing photos in Photoshop

• To save your photo, click File > Export > Export As... Choose PNG as the format and make sure the long side of your photo is no bigger than 2000px. Click Export, navigate to your "Place" folder, give your photo a name, and click save.

• Repeat this process for all of your photo selections.

• When you are finished, ask yourself the following: Do I need to capture any additional photos? Do the photos I have capture my "place" in the way that I hoped? Are there any photos that I might consider taking again? Do I need to narrow down my selection? When others look at my work, do they understand the story I am trying to tell through my images?

Day 5: Slideshow Creation + Write-up

• Once you have captured all of your images, it is time to sequence them and display them in a slideshow

• If you would like to display them in another way, please speak with your teacher

• No more than 2 photos per slide (there are some exceptions ie. you may want to show some things as a triptych, such as a sequence, textures, or contrasting ideas).

• Write-up Guidelines:

  • • Small write up on each photo to give context. If you took a picture of artwork, make sure you tell us who the artist is!

    • 3-5 sentences at the beginning or end of your slideshow to give context to your overall story. Why did you choose your photos? How do your photos tell the story of Squamish? Is there anything in particular that stood out to you? How do your photos contribute to your idea?

Day 6: Sharing Your Story

• Option 1: Present your slideshow to the class and talk about your photos and what they mean to you

• Option 2 (everyone): Gallery Walk. Everyone will display their work on the computer and we will browse through slideshows together as a class.

• Handing in your project: Post your slideshow to your digital portfolio. You will need to create a new menu item called "Photography" and a new page called "Story of Place".