The Studio Habit of Mind that will be explored in this unit is Observe.
To observe as an artist we must learn to go beyond normal looking. Observation starts with seeing things exactly as they are and appreciating it as such. Deeper observation, the type practiced by artists, sees things very closely, notices the details that are not immediately seen, and recognizes the subtlety of what is being observed. True observation also notices the messages that are being expressed by what is being observed as well as the hidden messages too.
Just as in all of the Studio Habits of Mind, the ability for an artist to deeply observe all of their surroundings on multiple levels takes repeated practice.
A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take those ideas from abstraction to reality. The concepts being explored through the lens of the Studio Habit - Engage and Persist is Perseverance and Practice.
Perseverance lies in an artist's ability to find something that is important to them and/or important to a client or targeted audience to devote their attention, time, and creativity to. It lies in an artist's ability to develop and sustain focus on an artwork, process, and medium through trial, error, and repeated practice.
Practice lies in an artist's ability to keep trying at improving and learning more and more about a particular art form, technique, or medium over and over again with a growth mindset. Practice, especially when "stuck" or frustrated, can be difficult to sustain or focus on, but is necessary for artist's to grow, improve, and develop. Practice is a habit that needs to be developed over time to be able to "stick with it" through successes and failures to see a project through to completion.
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.
Observe will focus on the following element of art & design:
Discover some interesting aspects about the element of art & design: line
Why is line important to know in photography?
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.
Observe will focus on the following principles of art & design:
Discover some interesting aspects of the principle of art & design: rhythm. Explore examples of how to create rhythm in an artwork.
Why is rhythm important to know in photography?
Learn what adjusting the shutter speed of your camera can do for your photography and the images that you create.
Practice seeing what changing the shutter speed settings, expressed in fractions, on your camera can do for the images you create.
Set the shutter speed on your camera to 1/1000 - this is a fast shutter speed and will appear to "freeze" the motion. Spin in a circle in a safe and interesting area and take multiple shots. Then set the shutter speed on your camera to 1/2 - this is a slow shutter speed and will appear to "blur" the motion. Repeat the spin and take multiple shots.
Review your photographs to see the difference between each image.
Learn from the wisdom of practicing, professional photographers about how they create strong compositions in their work.
What would you add to this list? How do you create strong compositions in your work?
This convention refers to an artist's ability to create a narrative in their work - to tell a story through visuals.
To begin, an artist must have an idea of what they want to communicate to or with their viewer. Visual storytelling can be created through various means. Composition, emphasis, balance, among other elements and principles of design, can aid an artist in creating a visual story in their artwork. It is important for the artist to use imagery and symbols that are recognizable or decipherable to their audience so that the intended meaning of the artwork is correctly interpreted by the viewer.
Hiroshi Sugimoto is a practicing photographer, architect, and performing artist who is known for his work that themes of the infinite and the immeasurable. Sugimoto was born in Tokyo in 1948, shortly after the end of WWII. He moved to the United States in the early 1970's where he studied art and design in Los Angeles and then New York. His work is concerned with concepts of time and it's effects on the environment - both man-made and natural, and humans.
Union City Drive-in, Hiroshi Sugimoto
Lightning Fields 327, Hiroshi Sugimoto
copyright Bee Trofort, 2020
A sports photographer can work in a few different set-ups. They could work as a freelancer, working directly with clients who pay for their services to take images of various athletic event for print or digital media. They may also work full-time for a media outlet, like a magazine or digital platform, taking photographs of athletic events for that organization alone. Although sports photographers can also be fine art gallery artists, this career path tends to be more commercial in the use of the images. Sports photographers travel to different locations taking their equipment with them, and photograph different athletic events, including candids, at different times of day and during different lighting conditions.
Experiment with different set-ups or actions for your photographs. Take a grouping of photographs that have a fast shutter speed and appear to "freeze" the motion. Then take a grouping of photographs that have a slow shutter speed and appear to "blur" the motion.
It is important to remember that you cannot change just your shutter speed alone. You must also adjust your aperture (or f-stop) and ISO as well to expose the photograph properly.