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Tutorials and Notes

lesson 1 - photography course for kids

4/8/2019

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CREATING INTERESTING PHOTOS

Kids photography course
Photo taken by Dempsey Tuhakaraina aged 4
Photography is an artform.
 What do you think makes a good piece of artwork?

Here are my thoughts:
Like any good piece of art, a good photo will
  • Catch your eye or interest.
  • Make a person ponder over it and think about it, even when the photo is no longer in front of them.
  • Will evoke an emotional response.
 
Today I will give you some tips and some exercises to help you create interesting photos and have some fun!

Tools for todays lesson: Any camera on auto mode, and your imagination.

TIPS:

Use the best quality image setting your camera can do. 
The better the quality, the bigger you can print out your photos and the more editing you can do to them.
This will take up more space in your camera's file storage, but do not be afraid to delete photos you don't like and keep only the ones you love.

Optical Zoom. When the lens goes in and out on your camera, that is your optical zoom.  This is the good zoom to use.
Some cameras (like on your phone or tablet), use a digital zoom.  You zoom in and out on the screen. It doesn't produce an image quality as good as an optical zoom.  You can still use it, but even better is moving yourself closer or further away to get the image you want.

Do not be afraid to get in close.
You do not need to get the whole of the subject in the photo.  Sometimes it is more interesting when you don't.
When you take a photo of only part of a subject or scene, cutting out all the rest, this is called cropping.  It can also be done in photo editing software.

Picture
Getting in close in this photo, makes you notice more on the face; the eyes, the dirty fingernails and the milk moustache.

The subject does not have to be in the center of the photo.
Would the photo below be as interesting if the trampoline jumper was in the center of photo?  By having him on the edge it shows more action.  It is like he his jumping out of the photo.
Picture
Photo taken by Jaxon Webber 14 years old.

How do you get your camera to focus on something that is not in the center of a photo?
Some cameras have a 'Focus Lock'.  If you put your subject in the center, then push the shutter button halfway down and keep it there,  it will focus on anything that is that same distance away from your camera.  So I can put my subject in the center, use my focus lock button to lock in the focus distance then move my camera so my subject is on the edge of my photo, then fully push the shutter button down to take the photo.
Some cameras will keep adjusting the focus so long as you keep holding the shutter button halfway down.  This is great for when you are photographing something moving, either coming towards you or going past you.  You can follow a fast motorbike with focus lock and then push fully down to take the shot when you think it looks good. This is called panning.   

Some cameras allow you to focus on different areas of a shot by touching the area on the screen, where you want the camera to focus.

The subject does not have to be smiling or looking at the camera.
Picture
Picture

Use different perspectives.  Take a photo from down low or from up high, turn your camera on a  angle or on its side.
Picture
Photo by Michael Pilaar aged 12
Picture
Photo by Aimee aged 13


Photo Challenges

 CREATE SOMETHING INTERESTING
1 - Choose 1 thing to photograph.  Take 5 different photos of it.  (Think near, far, up, down, angles).
2- Stand in one place.  You can turn around, but you can't move from that spot.  Take 10 different photos. (Take real notice of what is around you).

3- Photo Scavenger Hunt - Find and take a photo of based on each of these things:
  1. Rough
  2. Old
  3. Nature
  4. Metal
  5. Smooth
  6. Words
  7. Colourful
  8. New
  9. Lines
  10. Round

And here ends your first lesson!
I would love to see your best shot.

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