Photography Lesson Ideas:
Many may combine traditional media with photography.
Red text indicates a link to additional information.
Want hundreds of more art lessons? Visit HERE
Many may combine traditional media with photography.
Red text indicates a link to additional information.
Want hundreds of more art lessons? Visit HERE
Photographer and photo-illustrator Walter Wic makes detailed arrangements of objects to be photographed and placed into his "I Spy" book series for children. As a class, students could each create a photograph in a similar style, and write a rhyme of objects that should be found in the image. This could be photocopied for a home-made book for students or presented in color as a display in the school.
Kiddie-Photoshop: [Biology, Nature, Geometry]
Partner with an elementary class for drawings from kinder classrooms, and have them labeled with what they made (Cat, dog, owl, car, house, etc). Students using photo editing programs re-create the image with sampled textures and shapes to recreated the child's drawings within the confines of the original lines.
This sample was done by a father of his son's drawings. Links HERE and HERE.
Partner with an elementary class for drawings from kinder classrooms, and have them labeled with what they made (Cat, dog, owl, car, house, etc). Students using photo editing programs re-create the image with sampled textures and shapes to recreated the child's drawings within the confines of the original lines.
This sample was done by a father of his son's drawings. Links HERE and HERE.
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Stranger NO Danger: [Cultures/Bullying/Tolerance]
Richard Renaldi is a photographer who puts strangers together and poses them in such a way that they look like long term friends, family, or couples. Here we see an image of two people from very different cultures that might not normally know each other for various complicated reasons, but this artist's work makes us ask, "Why Not?" Within your school or community you could do the same; find two people who have no knowledge of each other or who might not "hang out" together, and pose them together (with their permission) to create some interesting images. Interview the people quickly before and a bit more after to get their feelings and to see if anything has changed. Share this when you show your work to your teacher or in an exhibition. VIDEO about the artist's work, and ANOTHER. |
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Six portraits of one man: [Cultures/Bullying/Tolerance]
See how 6 famous photographers photographed the same person in very different ways. Can you do the same thing? How can setting, lighting, and composition change the way an image feels.
Video and images HERE
See how 6 famous photographers photographed the same person in very different ways. Can you do the same thing? How can setting, lighting, and composition change the way an image feels.
Video and images HERE
Art by Nikolai Tolstyh
Visual Voids: [Biology, Nature, Geometry]
Nikolai Tolstyh cuts paper silhouettes and photographs them against a colorful natural background. The juxtaposition of natural and man made elements could be a fun theme to explore as well.
This could also be extended into a lesson about endangered species and habitat. Students could research endangered animals in their countries of origin. (Irish students finding out what animals may be endangered in Ireland.)
Coupling the animal and a habitat or even a non hospitable environment may have a powerful visual impact.
Nikolai Tolstyh cuts paper silhouettes and photographs them against a colorful natural background. The juxtaposition of natural and man made elements could be a fun theme to explore as well.
This could also be extended into a lesson about endangered species and habitat. Students could research endangered animals in their countries of origin. (Irish students finding out what animals may be endangered in Ireland.)
Coupling the animal and a habitat or even a non hospitable environment may have a powerful visual impact.
Baroque Super Heroes: [History]
Sacha Goldberger re-imagines super heroes as if they existed in the 1600s. That is the time Rembrandt was working and creating paintings like Nightwatch. The work of this period reminds me of scenes from the Three Musketeers or Pirates of the Caribbean. I tell my students to look at the clothing when trying to determine the age of a painting, and these ruffled collars and distinct style of fashion are obvious clues.
Sacha's work would make an excellent jumping off point for mixing up contemporary figures in an older style, or even taking older figures and doing them in a modern way. What would Zeus look like if he lived in New York today? Don Quixote at Walmart? Mixing subjects and themes can lead to wonderful juxtapositions!
Sacha Goldberger re-imagines super heroes as if they existed in the 1600s. That is the time Rembrandt was working and creating paintings like Nightwatch. The work of this period reminds me of scenes from the Three Musketeers or Pirates of the Caribbean. I tell my students to look at the clothing when trying to determine the age of a painting, and these ruffled collars and distinct style of fashion are obvious clues.
Sacha's work would make an excellent jumping off point for mixing up contemporary figures in an older style, or even taking older figures and doing them in a modern way. What would Zeus look like if he lived in New York today? Don Quixote at Walmart? Mixing subjects and themes can lead to wonderful juxtapositions!
Scotch Tape Portraits: Inspired by the work of Wes Naman found HERE.
(Abstraction, Altered Images, Contemporary Artists)
Students could use their personal devises to take photos for a project, or use them for the basis for gridded portraits done in traditional media. If you look at Wes' samples, he seems to create caricatures of the people with the addition of simple props and clothing.
The addition of simple classroom supplies could add another layer of humor or visual interest. Pipe-cleaners, paper hat, colored tissue paper, colored pencils or crayons. Maybe the model brings 3 personal items to be taped onto themselves for the photograph that are self expressive. Sports equipment, instrument, glasses, etc...
(Abstraction, Altered Images, Contemporary Artists)
Students could use their personal devises to take photos for a project, or use them for the basis for gridded portraits done in traditional media. If you look at Wes' samples, he seems to create caricatures of the people with the addition of simple props and clothing.
The addition of simple classroom supplies could add another layer of humor or visual interest. Pipe-cleaners, paper hat, colored tissue paper, colored pencils or crayons. Maybe the model brings 3 personal items to be taped onto themselves for the photograph that are self expressive. Sports equipment, instrument, glasses, etc...
Inside a Camera: By the Slow Mo Guys.
Photograph and Draw: Inspired by the art of Ben Hine.
(Surrealism, history, Design, Problem Solving)
Take a photo of a scene and hold a blank paper where you would like to alter the scene. Print out the image and draw onto it to complete your final vision for the work. It may be helpful to print on non-glossy paper.
(Surrealism, history, Design, Problem Solving)
Take a photo of a scene and hold a blank paper where you would like to alter the scene. Print out the image and draw onto it to complete your final vision for the work. It may be helpful to print on non-glossy paper.
12 Days of Photoshop: from Ian Sands & The Art of Ed. (History, Graphic Design, Problem Solving, Research)
With a free download, students can explore photography, photoshop, and image manipulation. Click the red text above to visit Ian's site and see all 12 lesson ideas. The download is a single page, just apply the 12 concepts, and swap in some of your own.
Conveniently, many lessons can be reinterpreted for drawing, painting, or even sculptural lessons.
Right image: Carpool, making literal interpretations of compound words.
With a free download, students can explore photography, photoshop, and image manipulation. Click the red text above to visit Ian's site and see all 12 lesson ideas. The download is a single page, just apply the 12 concepts, and swap in some of your own.
Conveniently, many lessons can be reinterpreted for drawing, painting, or even sculptural lessons.
Right image: Carpool, making literal interpretations of compound words.
Food Photography: (History) Artist Hannah Rothstein's Thanksgiving Series focuses on Thanksgiving dinner as if it was prepared by famous artists like Van Gogh. The ingredients are the same, but the arrangement is different. Link HERE.
Students could do something similar, taking a given theme, here food, and reworking it visually emulating an artist from history.
Students could do something similar, taking a given theme, here food, and reworking it visually emulating an artist from history.
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Documentary Photography:
[Cultures, Social Justice, Advocacy] Students can document an area of struggle in their life or take on a struggle to document within their community. It may be helpful to partner with a local non-profit. If possible, a partnership could be developed and include an exhibition and fundraising event. |
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Exploring Stereotypes: [Cultures/Bullying/Tolerance]
Joel Pares, of www.joelpares.com is a photographer with this series HERE, that juxtaposes images of the same person in two different outward appearances. This same idea can be applied to subjects in school, Stereotypes abound, and exposing them can help start meaningful conversation to overcome these issues and tackle topics like bullying and tolerance.
Outside that, students can also photograph the same subject to project two different, possibly opposite moods of a still life, landscape, or person.
Joel Pares, of www.joelpares.com is a photographer with this series HERE, that juxtaposes images of the same person in two different outward appearances. This same idea can be applied to subjects in school, Stereotypes abound, and exposing them can help start meaningful conversation to overcome these issues and tackle topics like bullying and tolerance.
Outside that, students can also photograph the same subject to project two different, possibly opposite moods of a still life, landscape, or person.
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Head in the Clouds: [Surrealism]
This is the work of Spanish artist Martín Feijoó who brings the fantasies to life with a pen. Take a photo of a cloud formation, overlay a transparency, and manipulate the contours of the image to reveal an image. This is both a drawing and photography lesson. |
Photo Weaving: [Craft/Cultures]
The work of David Samuel Stern shows that simple photo weaving can create beautiful effects. By touching upon the international craft of weaving, students get a bit of multi-cultural exposure. It would be interesting to see if a basket or other woven form can be made from photographs.
It must take a lot of work to keep all the strips organized. I would assume one edge is not completely cut through to keep it all organized. Students could then pull one strip at a time, like a matchbook to build their composition.
The work of David Samuel Stern shows that simple photo weaving can create beautiful effects. By touching upon the international craft of weaving, students get a bit of multi-cultural exposure. It would be interesting to see if a basket or other woven form can be made from photographs.
It must take a lot of work to keep all the strips organized. I would assume one edge is not completely cut through to keep it all organized. Students could then pull one strip at a time, like a matchbook to build their composition.
Focus On Reflections:
[Physics of Light: reflection, refraction]
Take a series of images that use reflections or refractions of light. There are many great examples HERE.
This image is by Miki Asai, her website is HERE.
[Physics of Light: reflection, refraction]
Take a series of images that use reflections or refractions of light. There are many great examples HERE.
This image is by Miki Asai, her website is HERE.
Slide Show: [Music, English, Writing, Planning/Organization]
Find a song, or even a speech that you like. Take a series of images that can be used to create a slide show version of that audio-work. Put it together in a video. Here are two examples that may be helpful. Though there is some animation in both, they could have been done with still images, or you may choose to add some animation as these have.
Find a song, or even a speech that you like. Take a series of images that can be used to create a slide show version of that audio-work. Put it together in a video. Here are two examples that may be helpful. Though there is some animation in both, they could have been done with still images, or you may choose to add some animation as these have.
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Interactive drawings: [Engineering, Problem Solving]
Students create drawings they will need to interact with to complete. This can be a long project with fully realized color images, or a one day lesson when one is unexpectedly needed in black and white. The nice this is that the only camera you need is a cell phone or tablet with a camera.
Students must consider, will their interactive drawing be for just a hand, maybe their face, upper body, or their whole bodies? They were required to sketch out some ideas, and then complete it on final paper. Simple ones can be done in a single period on copy paper, more complex ones on better paper over several days. The final product though is the photograph showing the interaction.
Students create drawings they will need to interact with to complete. This can be a long project with fully realized color images, or a one day lesson when one is unexpectedly needed in black and white. The nice this is that the only camera you need is a cell phone or tablet with a camera.
Students must consider, will their interactive drawing be for just a hand, maybe their face, upper body, or their whole bodies? They were required to sketch out some ideas, and then complete it on final paper. Simple ones can be done in a single period on copy paper, more complex ones on better paper over several days. The final product though is the photograph showing the interaction.
Check out Rafael Mantesso's interactive drawings on Instagram.
Remaking a famous artwork [History]
Instead of reproducing an image exactly, try a contemporary twist with modern models in a similar situation. Try to have enough "touchstones" of the original image so that the comparison is not difficult to make.
In this sample by Justine Rioufrait, the young man wears similar colors, and is doing the same action of pouring milk. Light is coming from the left, and their poses are similar too. More examples HERE.
Instead of reproducing an image exactly, try a contemporary twist with modern models in a similar situation. Try to have enough "touchstones" of the original image so that the comparison is not difficult to make.
In this sample by Justine Rioufrait, the young man wears similar colors, and is doing the same action of pouring milk. Light is coming from the left, and their poses are similar too. More examples HERE.
Photography/Animation Cell: [History, Culture, Surrealism, Technology integration]
After some background information about what animation cells were, their use in classic animated films (Disney), we took some photos of the local area buildings, and noted exactly where we stood when taking the photo. Students were asked to create something unexpected for the background. We traced the contours of the building tops from a printed photo with overhead plastic sheets and thin sharpie pens, and added their name so we would know front from back.
On the back they drew in their elements that were meant to interact with the scene using sharpie markers. Alien battles, super heroes, whatever they felt would be an odd juxtaposition. This was then painted in with acrylics. When turned it over the sharpie lines showed nice outlines of the images. We removed the building outlines with a bit of rubbing alcohol on a tissue so the cell would better interact with the environment.
We went back to the exact spot where the photos were taken, held them up and re-photographed the area with the cell in front. Lighting was an issue so images were also re-done on a computer so we had both versions.
After some background information about what animation cells were, their use in classic animated films (Disney), we took some photos of the local area buildings, and noted exactly where we stood when taking the photo. Students were asked to create something unexpected for the background. We traced the contours of the building tops from a printed photo with overhead plastic sheets and thin sharpie pens, and added their name so we would know front from back.
On the back they drew in their elements that were meant to interact with the scene using sharpie markers. Alien battles, super heroes, whatever they felt would be an odd juxtaposition. This was then painted in with acrylics. When turned it over the sharpie lines showed nice outlines of the images. We removed the building outlines with a bit of rubbing alcohol on a tissue so the cell would better interact with the environment.
We went back to the exact spot where the photos were taken, held them up and re-photographed the area with the cell in front. Lighting was an issue so images were also re-done on a computer so we had both versions.
Three years worth of my 2D and 3D lessons HERE.
Paper Cut-outs & Photos:
Find little quirks in the environment around you, a bent post, length of chain, crack in a sidewalk or wall... and add a character to the environment that connects with it in a creative way. Many more samples at this LINK.
Do it on paper so as not to disturb the area or deface property.
Find little quirks in the environment around you, a bent post, length of chain, crack in a sidewalk or wall... and add a character to the environment that connects with it in a creative way. Many more samples at this LINK.
Do it on paper so as not to disturb the area or deface property.
Tiny Bits of Beauty: [Environment]
Students find and take photos of images of easily overlooked beauty that most people miss. Enlarge or enhance the image and what makes it appealing via photo editing program.
See "Helpful Links" Page for a free fully functioning Photoshop program.
Students find and take photos of images of easily overlooked beauty that most people miss. Enlarge or enhance the image and what makes it appealing via photo editing program.
See "Helpful Links" Page for a free fully functioning Photoshop program.
Revise Revisit: [History] Students research a given or chosen artist, finding a work of art the artist is known for and re-imagining it through contemporary photography. Warhol and creating a still life of soup cans. A van Gogh portrait of a person with heavy make-up on to emulate the artist's brush work.
[Image Credit: http://www.thisiscolossal.com]
More samples can be found HERE.
[Image Credit: http://www.thisiscolossal.com]
More samples can be found HERE.
Resize: [Optics, Engineering] Students bring in their favorite miniature toy, one that they feel "speaks to who they are" as a person or a part of their persona. Create an environment for the figure to exist in but photograph it in a way that it can meld into the real world in a realistic or surrealistic way. A toy monster crushing a city, could be made with a single toy building half way crushed, in front of real buildings, and the monster propped so it appears to be within the situation.
[Image by Michael Paul Smith] More can be found HERE.
Video HERE
[Image by Michael Paul Smith] More can be found HERE.
Video HERE
Negative Spaces: [Environment]
Students take images but focus on the negative spaces of their subjects. They use these negative spaces to fill with drawn or scanned artwork. They can also draw onto a print of their photograph, whiting-out the negative spaces.
[Photo Credit: Artwork by Thomas Lamadieu of Roots Art]
Link for more HERE.
Students take images but focus on the negative spaces of their subjects. They use these negative spaces to fill with drawn or scanned artwork. They can also draw onto a print of their photograph, whiting-out the negative spaces.
[Photo Credit: Artwork by Thomas Lamadieu of Roots Art]
Link for more HERE.
Selfies: [History] Students re-create historical photos into "Selfies." Students can dress up as historical figures doing what made them famous creating a "selfie." The sample link shows digitally altered images for illustration purposes, but students could create and stage images. Couple this with a writing assignment about the significance of the event or the people in the image.
[Photo Credit: by the Lowe South Africa, Cape Town newspaper The Cape Times]
[Photo Credit: by the Lowe South Africa, Cape Town newspaper The Cape Times]
Creative Cracks: [Environment]
Find a cracked, broken, or worn space on a floor, wall, pavement, sidewalk, and re-imagine the space in an unusual or creative way. Can it be filled with Legos, a flower planting, books, noodles? Use this as the subject for a composed image.
[Photo Credit: Juliana Santacruz Herrera]
More amazing ideas HERE:
Find a cracked, broken, or worn space on a floor, wall, pavement, sidewalk, and re-imagine the space in an unusual or creative way. Can it be filled with Legos, a flower planting, books, noodles? Use this as the subject for a composed image.
[Photo Credit: Juliana Santacruz Herrera]
More amazing ideas HERE: