Pop Art Portraits

A lot of times, I find myself teaching and/or creating new lessons every year.  But I also have a few favorites that I can't stand skipping; this is one of those lessons.  Last year I posted about my lesson on Andy Warhol Pop Art , which is always one of my favorite lessons to teach...mainly because of all of the "ooh"s and "ahh"s I get from the students as they learn about how you can transfer a printed photograph onto a painting.  This year, I switched it up, just a bit.  I not only introduced my students to the work/stylings of Andy Warhol, but I also introduced them to Roy Lichtenstein.  We compared and contrasted their work which led us into our lesson.  I followed a similar procedure as I had in my lesson (step by step instructions here) from last year but I also gave them the option of adding some comic book flare with Ben-Day dots (we used printmaking with bubble wrap for ours) and/or text boxes/word bubbles.  It was fun to see the kids play around with their colors and layers while letting them choose their own style and inject their personalities into the paintings...and of course all of the "ooh"s and "ahh"s with photo transfer (this year I just used Modge Podge instead of heavy gel medium--it is MUCH cheaper and works just as well).  And I am just as impressed (if not more) with the results!  Enjoy!

Please Keep Off Grass

If you've ever come across a "Please Keep Off the Grass" sign, this surrealism image my student compiled may give you a good reason to comply...

Superimposing Faces

Face Swapping

As I mentioned in the Glogster assignment, I teach the digital photography classes how to superimpose their heads onto another body.  I encourage them to choose someone/something they want to be when they grow up or something they'd like to accomplish...and if you know me, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that I also encourage silliness.  So below you will find various bodies I have added my face to while teaching this lesson to students...

 My personal favorite..."Me" as a centaur (from Narnia)

 "Me" running a marathon (with some serious abs as a bonus).  I should have adjusted the brightness of my face to make it more realistic.  Oh well.
Those abs actually belong to Kara Goucher found here

"Me" climbing Mt. Everest

original photo I edited my face onto found here

If you'd like the lesson I use (I use the free online editing program, Pixlr) I am happy to share, just let me know!  I then have the 7th graders use this for their Glogster assignment and the 8th graders use this skill for their Surrealism assignment!

Glogster

The 'About Me' Glogster Assignment

My digital photography class is taught as an exploratory course, meaning that it is only a six week course and is a chance for students to figure out what subjects they find interesting while learning a variety of new skills in different areas.  Six weeks is such a short amount of time for me to get to know these kids so one of the assignments I give my 7th graders combines digital photography, technology and getting to know them.

I teach my students about Glogster and how to create a Glog of their own and then ask them to create one that portrays their personality and intersts through a series of photographs and graphics.  Below is a screenshot of my example for them.

My general requirements are that they include their name (obviously) and a minimum of 5 photos (3 of which they must be the photorapher of) portraying their interests, lifestyle and/or hobbies.  I have also added the requirement that one photo is their head superimposed onto another body to show what they want to be or something they want to accomplish when they grow up (it can be from running a marathon to joining the military, anything goes with this one).  My example does not have that included, however superimposing is a skill I like to teach the kids, so this was a fun way for me to incorporate that skill.  They also need to include at least 3 graphics that are fitting with their personality and Glogster theme and either a link to a website of interest or upload a video that ties into their lives in some way, shape or form.  In my example I added a link to the one and only MissArtyPants blog (Shocking, I know)! 

I encourage them to use minimal text and let their pictures tell the story.  At the end of the project, we share our Glogs with the class and tell a little about ourselves.  It's surprising how many students still learn something about their peers this way, even when they've known each other since kindergarten.

If you'd like more details about the lesson itself, how it's taught or Glogster (an online graphic blog) let me know, I'd love to help!

Toy Story in Windows Movie Maker

Toy Story with Windows Movie Maker

Students Use Writing and Photography to Create an Original Movie

Inspired by Disney's movie A Toy Story, I have created a digital photography lesson plan in which students must create their own toy tale/adventure and turn it into a short video.  After spending some time writing our stories (contact me if you'd like the full lesson plan) we plan our photographs.  Each page of text (written like a children's story so one page is only a few sentences long) needs to have one photograph to go along with it.  The students have a box of random objects and toys I provide or they can supply their own toys.  They take the images they need and edit them to fit their story.  Some students superimpose multiple images together, and other students make due with what they have at hand. 

We type up our story and import all of our text and images into Windows Movie Maker.  The students really enjoy this program and it's exciting for them to see how they can transform still images into a video.  I teach the students how to time each slide, how to add various effects and transitions as well as how to incorporate music using clipping and fading.  I never get tired of watching their finished movies!  They are so unique and strange in the best kind of way! 

Finished examples:

These are the guidelines I give my students:

A Toy Story

Telling a Story Through Photographs

You are going to write a 12-15 page story about a toy that has come to life and had its own adventure/day out.  For each page that you write you will also have to stage a scene and photograph it to go along with the text (If you wrote 12 pages, you will take 12 photographs.  If you wrote 15 pages, you will take 15 photographs).  The “pages” are not full page word documents.  It can simply be one or two sentences that describe what is going on.  This is similar to a children’s picture book, there is not a lot of text, but it gives us just enough information to understand what is happening.  However, you will be using the parts of a story to demonstrate understanding through the use of a beginning, middle and an end.

First, you will write your short story (have fun with it and make it interesting).  You will then be given a toy (you are responsible for these toys and must return them in their original condition) or you can use/provide your own toys to be used in this project.  You can use class time to take photographs or do them on your own.  You may use any editing tools to enhance your images, including altering them as we did with our Surrealism assignment.  Your job is to create a series of scenes in which the toys have become a part of everyday life.  If you have seen the movie Toy Story, then it’s just as though the toys have come alive and are roaming around amongst us.  You will stage them in an interesting manner and take a series of digital photographs to document their adventure.  You may edit your image(s) with www.Pixlr.com/editor if you would like.  Be sure to pay close attention to your angles with this kind of photography.  Have fun!  Be Creative!

We will turn your images and text into a PowerPoint Presentation which we will then convert into a movie using Windows Movie Maker.  These steps will described and taught to you as you continue the assignment.

Writing Practice for Toy Story in Windows Movie Maker

Writing Practice

Creative Writing and Photography to Tell a Story in Windows Movie Maker

Art classes truly are cross curricular in every sense, whether the students realize it or not.  In all of my classes I like to incorporate some sort of writing; often times it is a critique, an artist statement or a short story to go along with a piece of artwork.  In my digital photography course, I teach the 8th graders how to transform a creative writing piece into their very own movie.

We begin by discussing plot, something they have already learned in their English class.  We focus on the need for a beginning, rising action, a climax, falling action and a resolution.  I explain the remaining criteria for their story and how it will be made (setting up and photographing toys in real life settings or superimposing a series of images together-as long as they photograph at least part of the image used for each scene). 

For practice, I show them a series of photographs taken by various photographers (websites provided for each photographer linked under each image) and ask that, as a class, they come up with sentences that would go with the image and where it would take place in the story (either beginning, middle or end).  Below are some of their examples, they are so creative!

 Image ‘Sasquatch Attack’ by Brian McCarty

Middle: Sasquatch Joe sought revenge on Susie for dressing him like a girl all of those years.
 

Image by Brian McCarty

Middle: Trina unleashed her road rage on the innocent bystanders.
 

Image ‘Cammy and Guile’ by Zelevol

Beginning: G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane arrive at the airport; ready to take their honeymoon trip to Hawaii, Canada.

Middle: They just got back from their honeymoon and were mugged.  They walked home sadly.

End: Feeling victorious, they walked home with pride in their hearts after defeating the evil Pigbutt.

Alternative Ending: Barry and Luanne lived happily ever after.
 

Image ‘Oh Noes’ by Chris McVeigh
 

Middle: The chipmunk ate Steve’s friend, Gerald! Steve declared war on all chipmunks and poisoned their almonds!

 

Image ‘GTA III’ by Brian McCarty

 

Middle: Jake was called in for reinforcements to help his friends involved in a catfight.

Image ‘Cheez-It’ by Brian McCarty
 

Middle: Toby got in trouble with Mr. Squeakers for eating his CHEEZ-ITs.

End: Billy Bob Joe finally made his way through the epic maze with Mr. Squeakers and claimed their prize!  YUM!

Surrealism

Surrealism with Digital Photography

Students Use Photo Editing Skills to Create a Surreal Image

I'm teaching my digital photography students some new techniques to photo editing and focusing on how to superimpose one image into another.  I've also taken this as an opportunity for them to show me their weird side and introduce them to Surrealism.  I've asked that they create a surreal image by superimposing a minimum of four images together (they had to take a minimum of one of the photographs and the others could be "found").  I offered a box of toys and random props to use to their own personal photography contribution in the assignment.  The results are beyond hilarious!  I absolutely love how funny they are and much fun the kids had while they made them!  I highly recommend this lesson! 

Here are a few of their surreal images they've created.  I am only posting the ones without their faces in them.  

Unfortunately I cannot site where my students got the images they put together. They were to be photographer of at least one of the photos used but the others could be found online. I did not have them site where they got the images from, only that they submit an original copy of the image to me digitally. In the future, I would ask them to site the found photographs so I could give credit where credit is due.

Critiques

Writing a Critique

Students Learn How to Critique their Photography

Critiquing one's artwork is important for reflection and for growth as an artist.  I always like to take some time with my students to discuss what they think they were most successful with, why and what they struggled with and how they got through the struggle.  I also ask that they think about what they would change if they were to go back and redo or fix part (or all) of their artwork.

In my digital photography course, the students are experimenting with composition and trying to find their photographic voice.  For their first critique, I asked them to read an example of my own based on this article I found online by Haje Jan Kamps.  We discussed the purpose of writing critiques and I sent them on their way. 

After discussion and my example, this is what I give them to get them started.  Each student can then upload their own photo and reflect on what they have done:

Read the article provided about how to critique a photo. 

Now it is your turn.  Insert one of your photos  that you would like to critique.  Complete the following sentences and elaborate on them to create paragraphs (a minimum of 3-4 sentences each).

DELETE THIS BOLD/CAPS TEXT AND INSERT PHOTO HERE! 

When I look at this photo, it makes me think of…

Technically I think this photo is…

What I like about this photo is….

If I were to improve or change anything I would…

This is one of my student's finished photography critiques (along with her fabulous photo!).  It is short and sweet but it shows that she has thought about her work and she knows and understands the processes she has gone through to be successful.

When I look at this photo, it makes me think of a fantasy movie with fairies and magic. The sparkles on her eye shadow remind me of sparkles on fairies wings, and the magic part of it. I like the colors of it because they are exciting.

Technically I think this photo is a good example of using frames, because the leaf holes are framing her eyes.  It also demonstrates how to fill the frame interestingly. I like it because it was a natural frame, and all we did was punch out holes for the eyes to create this mask.

What I like about this photo is the light. I like the way the light is dark, then bright. I also like how the leaf color matches the dots of brown in her eyes too.

If I were to improve or change anything I would want to make the leaf blurry and her eyes in focus.  I would not want it to be completely blurry, just enough that the eyes really popped out.  I could also go in and edit the color of her eyes so they would stand out and leave the leaf as it is.

Digital Photography Picture Taking Assignment

Tips and Tricks to Great Photography

Students enlist the Tips and Tricks in their own photography

My 7th and 8th grade Digital Photography class just completed their first picture taking assignments!  After spending time on editing, composition and camera handling, I finally let them loose!  I armed my students with a camera, a photo log (chart to write down what they took pictures of, when and where) and took them down the road to a conveniently located park.  I asked that the students take photos for the following categories: Portrait, Landscape, Action, Abstract, Candid, Free Choice from a Unique Angle and a Macro Image.  I couldn't have been more pleased with their results!  So it's only natural that I post a few of my faves

 

Digital Photo Editing

Digital Editing Skills

Students Learn and Practice Basic Editing Skills

I have the great benefit of teaching 7th and 8th graders a Digital Photography/Technology course.  I don't currently have the option of teaching them Photoshop because of the software provided so I have been focusing on teaching them how to use Microsoft Office and www.pixlr.com/editor.  The benefit to these programs is that many of them have Microsoft Office on their computers at home and pixlr is a free online editing program.  I found a great link to download Paint.net, another editing program, from and it also provided photos for the kids to practice on.  Follow this link to get them yourself: Photo Editing with Practice Images. 

Before we practiced editing, we talked about what makes a good photo.  This is my PowerPoint that I use to teach this Tips and Tricks PowerPoint

We have also been learning how to adjust red eye, brightness, contrast and other basic editing skills.  Here are some of the photos (from the site above) that the kids have cropping and one example of the cropped version:

 

The students are each assigned a computer and do their own editing.  I ask that after each assignment, they save and submit their work to me through our school's network drive.  They can just drag their work from their desktop to my "Hand In" folder in which they have each created their own subfolder named after themselves.  It is a great tool to have in a technology class, so the kids are becoming familiar with how to submit things through the computer system instead of printing hard copies of each assignment.  This is especially great for saving ink when we are just practicing simple skills like cropping and red eye removal!