Legally and ethically what do you need to consider before photographing?

How do you think of a photographic idea for your assessments?

Identify a personal proposition and background research 

The following is very important for selecting a theme/topic:

• Select a theme or topic that interests you

• Regularly use your website and update your ideas.  Reflecting and being critical about your work is very important in progressing an idea.  

• Your topic can be based on the visual subject matter you are photographing i,e landscape, portrait, still life, (a photographic genre) etc or something more specific such as water, landscape a particular building, collection of memorabilia, etc. 

• Your topic could be based on a more abstract concern i.e war, conservation, surveillance, cyberspace, mental health, desire, etc. 

• You also need to think about what you have access to photograph for your topic. For example you can't photograph a war but you could photograph newspaper articles, old photo's, grandparents / great grandparents, war memorials etc.  

• What artist models are you going to use?  These could be because of the topic or it could be the technique or photographic conventions they are using.

• Be aware of what is and isn't accessible during Covid 19 restrictions or if someone is sick.

Take time to investigate a range of works before you decide on the genre or theme of work you will research.  Consider what type or style of photographs you want to make before starting your research. 

If you don’t know what theme / topic to do then start by collecting artist models you find interesting.

Collect examples of relevant artist models, upload these into your website and annotate about what specifically interests you. ​ Refer to both New Zealand and International models. Remember you can also put together this information in a workbook or journal by photocopying and writing then photograph your work and upload into a gallery on your website.

Always complete a written brainstorm and generate a range of ideas that you are going to investigate to inform your research.

Once you have decided on the idea you want to photograph, check with your teacher to make sure it is appropriate and also achievable in the time period for the assessment.

You need to photograph suitable and appropriate subject matter that can be revisited over time. In class you will have a discussion on themes / content that is appropriate and those which are not.

OK, so now I have an idea where to from here?

Photograph, photograph, photograph, photograph, photograph, photograph,  photograph...................

You need to organise and manage your time and the more you photograph and reshoot an idea, the more your idea will develop and resolve.