Researching Master Photographer

Due Dates:

Period 4A: Thumbnail sketches, written anaysis, & visual handout are due on Wednesday, 2/2, 2011
PowerPoint & Shooting assignment by Master Photographer are due on Monday, Feb.7 2011

Period 4B: Thumbnail sketches, written anaysis, & visual handout are due on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011
PowerPoint & Shooting assignment by Master Photographer are due on Tuesday, Feb. , 2011

List of Researchers

Period 4A:
Casey S. - Jerry N. Uelsmann
Bradley M.- Minor White
Griffin B. - Ansel Adams
Alanna L.- Cecil Beaten
Nayab K.- Robert Doisneau
Omar E.- Margaret Bouke White
Heather K.- Nigel Barker
Michelle V.- William eggleston
Phi N.- Julia Margaret Cameron
Sara N- Dorothy Lang
Jayson S.- Berenice Abbott
Rachel S.- John Shaw
Amanda J.- Emmet Gowen
Erin L.- Poliseni Papapetirou
John K.- Robert cape
Ellen H.- Max Dupan

Period 4B:
Row R- Leonerd Freed
Brad S.- Thomas Hopker
Tahje C.- Zhang Jingha
Preston S.- Morgen Cunningham
Melanie B.- Melanie Pullen
Melissa H.- Jeremy Turner
Alisa Z.- Ansel Adams
Xandi B.- Sam Abell
Parish S.- Eliot Porter
Shyam P.- Bill Atkinson
Lauren H.- Arnold Newman
Roger O.-Christopher Burkett
Malia A.-Jan Groover
David- John Shaw
Amy O. Steve Bloom
Billy H.- Jerry Uelsmann
Lauren - Emmet Gowin
Keri K.- Kim Anderson

Presentation
Period 4A: Tuesday, Feb. 15 & Thur., Feb. 17
Period 4B: Monday, Feb., 14 & Wed., 16

Shooting Assignment: Inspired by a Master

Artists are always looking to each other for inspiration, and the same goes for photographers. One of the best ways to learn a new skill, or approach while you're learning is to mimic someone who's great!

For this shooting assignment, I'd like you to first think about why you chose this photographer in the first place, what excites you about his/her work? Tap into this interest again, and pay attention to your peers as they present, there's inspiration everywhere!

Sketchbook Assignment (25 points): Using one page in your sketchbook, create 3-5 thumbnail sketches that illustrate several potential approaches to this assignment listed below. Nothing fancy or elaborate, just sketch/collage/and write out ideas that will allow you to pre-visualize and help you prepare for your shoot before you go out and do it!

Here are a few potential approaches to this assignment:

1) Recreate a photo: As closely as you can, use similar lighting, composition, and point of view to recreate an image your photographer made.

2) Borrow a compositional approach: What point of view do your photographer tend to use? How does he/she crop or emphasize the main subject of the photo? How might you use this approach yourself? How does your photographer present his/her images when they're finished?

3) Explore a similar concept/idea: What subject matter does your photographer tend to focus on? Why? What metaphors, moods, or other expressive elements does he/she explore? How might you explore these as well?

4) Experiment with a camera technique: These photographers pioneered new photo techniques that later became trademarks for their style. Double exposures, crazy depth-of-field, selective focus, slow shutter-speeds are all camera techniques that you can try out!

Written Analysis on Your Master Photographer's Work

photograph by Robert Parke Harrison


In order to prepare for your presentation, take some time to formally analyze a work by your master photographer. This will allow you to identify what ideas and concepts this photographer addressed in their work, and share them with the class.


Directions: In your sketchbook, write a four paragraph response on one-two pages in which you analyze a favorite photograph by your master photographer. Follow the question format below, and address the questions asked. Be specific, be thoughtful!


1) Identify each work being analyzed. Explain and describe the subject matter of the photo. Be specific and as descriptive as possible. What is the title of the work? When was it made? Any guesses as to who or what the subject matter is? Any personal connection to the photographer?


2) Identify the principles of composition that this photographer uses in this photo. How does this use of composition effect how we look at the subject? How did he/she position the subject matter in the frame? What was included in the shot? What was cropped out? What type of point-of-view did the photographer use? Why?


3) Make an interpretation about this photo. Why did this photographer print this image? What is he/she commenting on about the subject? What was the initial purpose of the photograph, (was it used in a magazine, advertisement, or for an art show?) Is it personal or public? What's the message? What might it mean metaphorically? What do you already know about this photographer's interests that give you clues as to why he/she took it?


4) Make a personal judgment about the work. In your opinion, why is this work masterful? What about this picture makes it so powerful or meaningful? How does this work compare to other pictures this photographer has made, explain similarities and differences.


Use this written response as a way to practice presenting your master photographer's work to the class...

Master Photographer Visual Handout & Powerpoint

Your handout on your master photographer should include the following:

1) At least three examples of his/her work, with titles and dates of each work.

2) Title (name of photographer)

3) Responses to all questions on the assignment sheet below. Break up hand-out into three sections: "Biographical Info, Life and Work, Major Contributions."

4) Three works cited sources, typed in the format (MLA format) specified in the assignment sheet below.

5) Your name.

6) Your handout should use two pages, using both the back and front of the paper.

The handout will be graded according to the following criteria:

1) Ability to research and translate information into your own words, (no plagiarism! use your own words and thoughts, this is not a cut-and-paste operation!)

2) Sufficient research and response to all questions, inclusion of three images, titles/dates, and works sited.

3) Clarity in layout. Organize the images, text, and categories neatly, (consider how newspapers are organized!)

4) Legibility-information has been typed, correct spelling and grammar.

5) 23 copies! Make your own, or submit handout Thursday for me to make copies for Friday!

Your powerpoint should include the following:

1) Title Page with your name & master photographer's name

2) Five works, each filling entire space of one slide, (low resolution imagery only please!) Include titles and dates of each work on the slide!

3) Simple notes or interesting quotes/fatcs, avoid too many words! We have a handout for the main info!

To turn in your powerpoint, you must email it to Mrs. Moon, (jennifer_moon@hcpss.org). Please make sure that you save it in the correct file format before attaching it to an email. Make sure it is a .ppt file and not a .pptx (or I won't be able to read it!)

Gabriel Orozco by Jemini Patel

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

Researching Master Photographer

Over the next couple weeks, you will research your master photographer's life, work, and contributions to the art world and culture. You will discover that many of these photographer's have made significant contributions to many other art forms and studies, including fashion, advertising editorial photography, photo-journalism, conservation, science, and even anthropology. You will discover how important photographer's have been to the communication of ideas in the world.

Research Sources

Primary Sources: The most accurate research comes directly from the actual photographer. Find out if your photographer has his/her own website and look for information there. Often, these artists are sponsored by galleries, check out these galleries for bio information too.

Secondary Sources: These sources include articles written about the photographer, or reviews of his/her work. The following links will provide a good starting point. Also, check out the media center and ask Mrs. Moon for books (yes, information can still be found in books!) that might be good resources as well.

Links:

Photokaboom (A photographic image search engine, looks up master photographers all over the internet)

Masters of Photography (The traditional photo masters!)

Photography-NOW (An ultra-contemporary resource to many brand new national and international photo exhibits)

Leggat's History of Photography (A website on the history of photography, contains many facts and bios of important ProFotos (photographic search engine)

Photography Now (Great research website with elegant visual examples)

Below is the handout that states the questions you need to be able to answer after researching your photographer. Keep in mind you will also need to gather an image bank of 5-8 high quality examples of your photographer's work!

masterphotoworksheet 2009-10

Mid-Term Review

You need to study the following:
Parts and functions of the camera body and lens
Parts and functions of the darkroom enlarger
Correct film processing techniques (developing)
Correct enlarging techniques (printing)
Correct light metering techniques and shooting
Composition techniques (ideas and rules for composing photographs)
Snapshots vs. Composed Photographs

Also study the last test you took in the beginning of the second quarter.

On the mid-term, you will have multiple choice questions (#1-7), matching (#8-31), short answers (#32-44), labeling part of the camera (#45-50), and labeling photographs with pertinent compositional device (#51-53).

Period 4A- Tuesday, 1/18
Period 4B- Thursday, 1/20

Due Date for Night Photo. & Extra Credit

For each assignment, you need:
1. Negative
2. Test strips with f-stops & time
3. Contact Print
4. Two Final Prints (5x7 or 8x10)


Period 4A- Thursday, 1/13
Period 4B- Friday, 1/14