Express

The Studio Habits of Mind that will be explored in this unit is Express.

To express ourselves as artists we must learn to create works that convey an idea (an aim or purpose), message (an important point or theme), feeling (an emotion or belief), or personal meaning (an intended communication of personal importance). Expression is created by artists through the use of symbolism, metaphor, and personal beliefs and experiences. Artists use various artistic conventions to show their ideas, messages, feelings, and personal meanings.

Just as in all of the Studio Habits of Mind, the ability for an artist to express themselves through their artwork takes repeated practice.

Artistic Concept

A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take those ideas from abstraction to reality. The concept being explored through the lens of the Studio Habit - Express is Collaboration.

Collaboration refers to an artist's ability to work well with others - in this case the client/photographer relationship. To collaborate means to work as a team where the work is goal oriented, approached with an open mind, and with equal effort given towards the final outcome.

Element of Art & Design

The elements and principles of art and design are the foundation on which all art is created. They can be thought of like a sentence. There has to be words in order to make a sentence; no words, no sentence. The elements of art are like the words. Without the elements - line, shape, color, value, texture, space, and form - there is no art. That doesn't mean that all elements of art must be used in an individual artwork, just like not every word has to be used in a sentence, but at least one must be present.

Express will focus on the following element of art & design:

Color

Discover some interesting aspects of the element of art & design: color

Why is color important to know in photography?

Principle of Art & Design

If we think of the elements and principles of art & design like a sentence, with the words being a metaphor for the elements, then the principles of art & design are the ways in which the words are arranged. The way in which you arrange the words of a sentence dictates the feel and meaning of it. More descriptive words, and the sentence gives more detail; less words, and the sentence reads sharp or abrupt. The principles of art and design are the way in which an artwork is arranged. Does it appear uneasy, or relaxed? Without the principles of design - pattern and repetition, contrast, movement, emphasis, balance, rhythm, and unity - an artwork would not have a unique look and personality to it. The principles of art and design are more subjective as well. This means that they can be viewed and interpreted by one person differently than they are viewed and interpreted by another.

Express will focus on the following principles of art & design:

Emphasis

Discover some interesting aspects of the principle of art & design: emphasis. Explore examples of how to create emphasis in their artwork.

Why is emphasis important to know in photography?

Reading

Learn more about candid photography using various techniques discussed in this article.

Show What You Know

Candids

You don't have to use a viewfinder, but set up your compositions as if you're looking through one and take several candid photographs of spontaneous events around you.

Composition

Learn more techniques to strengthen your compositional skills.

Artistic Conventions

New York City, 1974 Elliott Erwitt

Personal Voice

This convention refers to the artist's unique and recognizable personality that is distinctly one's own and cultivated by individual experiences, beliefs, ideas, feelings, and personal meanings. . Inspiration, materials, techniques, and themes all work together in a way that reflects unique personalities. When artists communicate that message they are using their personal voice.

Paris, France 1989 Elliott Erwitt

Style

This convention refers to the artist's unique way of creating art. An artist's style can be seen in the imagery they create work about, their brushstrokes, and their use of the elements and principles of design among other things. An artist's individual style is carried through numerous pieces of artwork that they create.

Artist Connection

Elliott Erwitt

Elliott Erwitt is a French-born American professional photographer who still actively works in the field at the age of 92. He is a freelance advertising, documentary, and portraiture photographer who is best known for his black and white candid photographs that capture unique, interesting, often absurd and ironic situations and settings from everyday life.

Career Exploration

Studio Photographer

Photos Credit Alyssa Garcia

Freelance Studio Photographer

A freelance studio photographer works directly with clients who pay for their services to take images of special events and important occasions. Although freelance studio photographers can also be fine art gallery artists, this career path tends to be where a large number of professional photographers make a living. Freelance studio photographers travel to different locations taking their equipment with them and photograph their client's, client's families, or special occasions.

Objectives

National Art Standards

Project Specifics

In-class Work:

Candid Yearbook Page

Working closely with your client, collaborate on the creation of a "Yearbook Page" that shows off the client's personality, interests, and a bit about who they are. This collaboration should be a team effort. You should consult each other frequently with ideas and in progress work to ensure that the final product is exactly what is wanted by the client. Begin by brainstorming who the client is, how they want to be represented, and how to construct pictures that show that to the viewer.

The final product will be a 8.5 x 11 in. page composed of 4 photographs - 3 candid and one posed shot that represents who the client is through images. The page will be laid out in Adobe Photoshop using the techniques demonstrated in class using color to create a mood and a layout that also is evocative of the client and their individuality.

Show What You Know

Candids

Collaborate with your client in the creation of a "yearbook page" that includes four photographs - three of which must be candid images. Take numerous images that show the interests, personality, and unique perspectives of your client through the photograph. Consider important techniques like composition, perspective (or angle of view), anticipation, gaze of the subject, and body language among other things.

Project Specifics

Out of Class Work:

Important Person Candid

Anthony Warrior, Ron Johns

Dr. Paula Bennett, Ron Johns

Minh Phan, Ron Johns

Bruce, Ron Johns

Eva Nieto-Baker, Ron Johns

Garrett Soldati, Ron Johns

Photographer Ron Johns

In his exhibition titled Facing a Changed World at the Sioux City Art Center, photographer Ron Johns created a series of portraits that captured the way in which everyday people changed post Covid lockdowns. His work captures their personality, their importance to the community, and their emotions using various techniques. Those techniques include the gaze of his subjects, the lighting, composition, and very specifically chosen locations and props - just to name a few.

For your outside of class project you will create a portrait of an important person in our community. This person needs to be significant to you or our community in a way that you can showcase in your portrait. They can be an adult family member, but I encourage you to find someone that you may not know too well, but feel are impactful to our community.

Your portrait can be taken in either black and white OR color - it is up to you as to what you feel suits their personality and meeting the expectations of the project best. The portrait must show what the person does that is significant and their personality to the best of your abilities. You should use the location and surrounding props to help tell your visual story about them. This photograph can be staged and should consider the angle that it is taken at, the gaze of your subject, the lighting, composition, and value. Most importantly, the portrait should be a visualization of your subjects importance in our community.

Layout for Photoshop

Learn how to use some of the basic design tools in Adobe Photoshop to create a yearbook page with the "client's" intentions and wishes in mind.

Report abuse