Exploring Visual Elements of Photography

For your semester final, you will explore the following visual elements of photography as laid forth by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art:

1. Light quality (value)
2. Texture
3. Focus
4. Angle of view
5. Framing/Composition
6. Color

Being able to idenitfy these visual elements of phiotiography will help you gain a critical eye as well as help you become a better photographer yourself.

Keep the following principles in mind (Amon Carter Museum) as you look at photography later in the Webquest:

Light quality:  Determine the source of light (sun, lamp, flash?). What is it? • From which direction does the light come? Does the light come from above the subject? Below it? From the side? • What kind of light do you think this is? Is the light harsh with strong shadows, or is it diffused with soft, light shadows?

Texture:  What objects in the photograph show textures? Describe those textures. • Is the texture of objects something you noticed right away, or do you notice it after looking for a while? Why?

Focus: What is in sharp focus? Has the photographer kept everything in sharp focus? Has the photographer kept only a few things in focus? Has the artist made this image in soft focus? What mood or feeling has the photographer created by choosing soft focus or sharp focus?

Angle of View:  What is the angle of view for this image? Is the camera angle in the photograph at eye level, lower than eye level (a bug’s eye view), or above eye level (a bird’s eye view)? Is the viewer looking straight on or from one side or another? • How does the artist’s angle of view make you feel about the subject?

Framing/Composition:  What do you think the photographer chose to include or exclude from this scene in order to draw your attention to the center of interest? In what ways did the artist use framing in this image? What in the photograph helps frame the center of interest?

Color:  Are color photographs more “real” looking than black-and-white photographs? Why or why not? What can a photographer achieve with color that she or he cannot with blackand-white pictures? How would this scene be different if it were in black and white or in color? How do you think the artist has captured either saturated or muted color?

Content standards/Objective

1. VA09-GR.HS-S.1-GLE.3-EO.c - Interpret the purposes of art across time, culture, and diversity, and be mindful of cultural sensitivities

The following link contains the 25 best places in the world to photograph

 http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2010/05/25-best-places-world-to-photograph

Your task is to pick one of these places, and search for photography from your chosen location, finding 6 images to use to highlight each individual visual element of photography (i.e. one photograph to highlight excellent light quality, one to highlight excellent texture, and so on).

Process

1. You will create a seven slide digital presentation, including title page
2. On each slide, you will highlight the element of design, and relate how the element in the photograph translates cultural significance (i.e. the vivid color of Italy, or dramatic angles of National Parks in Alaska, etc.) of your chosen location through the photograph.  Be thoughtful and thorough in your examination of the photograph
3. You present your elements of photography and report your cultural interpretations to the class

You will be scored on the following criteria when presenting your photographs to the class:

1. Aligned all 7 elements with a corresponding photograph (10 points each)
2. Justified a the cultural perspective to the best of your ability (5 points each)
3. Completed Presentation (20 points)

Points possible:  125

Score Guide:

Being able to idenitfy and critique the visual design elements in another photographer's work is crucial to becoming a well-rounded photographer yourself.  As you continue to look through other's photography, look for these elements, and use great photogrpahy as means of inspiration for your own compositions.

http://www.cartermuseum.org/Inspiring_Visions/PDF/Photography.pdf

http://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2010/05/25-best-places-world-to-photograph