Exhibition Statement

Exhibition Statement

Concept

Photography is an integral part of everyday life. How well can you take photographs? I wanted to use my workshop to provide participants with ways to improve their photography skills. We focused on how composition plays a role in the decisions in taking photographs and how editing can be used after the photo is taken . I am hoping they can use these techniques to aid them in their artwork, whether it is to take reference photos or share their art. These skills can help us make the most of the cameras we have on our phones as well. Each participant has come up with a set of three images that relate to a personal theme based on how emotion and photography interact. Additionally, I am an education major and focused on discovering my own teaching style throughout the course. I experimented with different styles of activities, discussions, and more. It was also a great opportunity for me to practice leading and managing a classroom.

History & Distinction

Throughout the course, we have learned about three main types of photography: portrait, architectural, and landscape. Within each of these, we focus on different photographers. For our portrait photography lesson, we focused on James Van Der Zee, Annie Leibovitz, and others. We looked at William Talbot, Julius Shulman and more for architecture. Lastly, within landscape photography, we learned about Ansel Adams, Franco Fontana, and others. While we have learned a lot about what other photographers have done and looked at examples of their works, we have also spent a lot of time in class taking pictures and playing around with cameras. Each participant was given the opportunity to find their personal style within the realm of photography. 

Methods 

As part of my capstone, I used databases to find resources and research on how composition plays a role within photography. I also looked for sources that had strategies for teaching photography to others. When starting my workshop, I had to adjust some of my lessons because all of my participants came in with little to no photography experience. Making sure your lessons are adapted to different levels of prior knowledge is extremely important (Kligerman, 1977, p. 174-75). I focused on providing tutorials and walked through some of the more complicated skills and techniques. In order to keep my lessons engaging, I encouraged discussion with my participants. I also made sure students had time to participate in different activities where they could move around and be active. I made sure to create a welcoming environment where students could come to me if they had any questions.

Audience & Impact 

I love photography and had never been able to take a photography class during college so I wanted to give my fellow Arts Scholars the opportunity to take one. Not only is photography an amazing and (I think) extremely interesting art form, it is also very useful for other types of art. Strong photography skills can be used for taking reference photos or sharing your artwork to a wider audience. I wanted other Arts Scholars to have the chance to gain these skills. From the start, I knew I wanted my participants to have autonomy in the classroom. A big part of this was their personal theme. Each participant got to choose their own theme that they wanted their final project to be centered on. I wanted to ensure my students had creative freedom within the course. I made sure to keep an open mind and let my participants be as creative as possible. A big part of art is perception and that can impact how we view our own art as well as others’ (Feist & Brady, 2004, p. 80).

After completing my capstone, I feel I have learned so much. I am an education major and after leading this workshop, I know so much more about what it truly means to lesson plan, teach, worry about sending out reminders, creating assignments, etc. Leading this workshop definitely played a role in preparing me for my future career.

References  

Feist, Gregory J., and Tara R. Brady. “Openness to Experience, Non-Conformity, and the Preference for Abstract Art.” Empirical Studies of the Arts, vol. 22, no. 1, 2004, pp. 77–89., https://doi.org/10.2190/y7ca-tby6-v7lr-76gk. 

Kligerman, Jack. “Photography, Perception, and Composition.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 28, no. 2, 1977, p. 174., https://doi.org/10.2307/356109. 

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Harold, Heather, and Gabi for all their support with both my capstone project and for guiding me throughout my time in the program. I also want to thank my TA, Helena for all her help. I’d like to thank all my participants, Abbie, Caroline, Julie, Mars, Sohan, and Rachel, for engaging and participating this semester. I also want to thank my family and friends for being there for me.