Caption Writing: 5 Ws and H

Overview: An essential skill for photographers is the writing of informative, accurate and attractive captions to enhance the photos they publish. A photo might tell a thousand words, but the exact words needed to explain a specific story might not be easy to tell by simply looking at a photo. Captions provide the necessary background information needed to tell a story.

Directions: Before you begin to write a caption, a photographer must gather some essential facts needed to completely tell the story. Read the steps below to help you gather this information.

Step 1: Go to http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/01/us/the-flag-iconic-images/index.html?on.cnn=1

Step 2: Create a new blog post titled "Caption Writing: 5 Ws and H."

Step 3: TURN OFF the caption feature on the CNN Website. Select FIVE PHOTOS that you find striking. Answer the following questions for each of the five photos:

• 1. Who (Make up a first and last name) for everyone who is obviously meant as the subject of the photo. If there are more than three people that are subjects, all names are not necessary. Use a group name instead.
• 2. What (Think of a verb that could be used to describe the action that the subjects are doing in the photo. Use PRESENT TENSE action verbs. This means your verbs should usually end in "s" like "runs," "jumps," "prays." That also means to avoid passive verbs like "is" and "gets."
• 2. When (Think of a day of the week or even a time of the day) the photo was taken. If the event happened in the last week use actual days of the week like Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Don't use non-specific days like today or yesterday. If the event happened more than a week ago use the exact date like Sept. 3).
• 3. Where (Think of an exact place the event happened. This should be very specific. For example, the intersection of First Street and Slaughter Lane or on at Auditorium Shores Park in downtown Austin.
• 4. Why (Think of a reason the action is taking place. Again, be specific. Make up a cause for the action taking place.)
• 5. How (Think of a descriptive term that explains how the action is taking place. This could be an adverb such as "slowly" or "hurriedly." Or it could be the exact height of a jump or the yardage earned in a running back's run down the football field.

Your Mural Photos

Directions: Once you have organized your mural photos into the appropriate Group folder on the PhotoJ server drive, make sure you have posted these photos to your student blog.

You should post just your best 5 photos that will be printed out and attached to your mural.

Post these in a new blog post titled "Mural Photos."

Great Black and White Photographers Part 3

Overview: It's time to learn more about your selection for your favorite Black and White Photographer. Read the following directions CAREFULLY!!! For those people that did not do the previous assignments, they are still on the Akinphotojblog and you can go back and complete them for credit on this assignment.

For new students who need to review the original blog post for Great Black and Photographers Part 1, click here: http://akinsphotojblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/great-black-and-white-photographers.html

On your blog post titled "Great Black and White Photographers Part 3" with the following information:

1.) What first caught your eye while looking at your photographers photos? Is there something in particular about their photos that made you want to choose them?

2.) Look at those 2 photos you posted last time in the assignment Great Black and White Photographers Part 2. Use your five senses to tell me more about those photos. Answer them on your blog.

I see . . .

I smell . . .

I hear . . .

I taste . . .

I feel . . .

You can do this in 2 ways. You can either put yourself in the photo and pretend your standing next to the subects in the photo. I know smell and taste are hard but you can do it.

Or, you can pretend you were the photographer and use those same senses.

On the one titled "I feel . . ." you may either touch things in your photo (imagination please!!) or you can tell me what you (yes, you in the real world) feel or felt the first time you saw the photo, or how it makes you feel when you look at it now.

BE REFLECTIVE HERE! Try to be descriptive, try to write more than you think you can. One sentence per prompt is NOT ENOUGH, write at LEAST 3 sentences per!!! Write more, if you think its enough, its NOT.

3.) Finally, what would you like to create to show the world your great photographer. Ideas include, posters, power points, a blog, etc. You tell me what you would like to create so we can come up with a plan to share your thoughts and ideas about your photographer with your classmates and with the rest of the school.

Purpose to Photography: Africa and Mural Project Preview

Overview: When a photojournalist begins a project, their is an underlying purpose to his or her work. In most cases, the photojournalist seeks to tell a story with their photos. Review the following two projects and reflect on their work.

Directions:

FIRST: Africa

Go to the Photojournalism Drive and find the Photojournalism Folder drive. Open the PowerPoint file called Africa: Black_and_White

View the PowerPoint

1. On your blog post your reactions to the PowerPoint presentation.

2. What was your favorite photo (find a way to get a copy of the photo and post it on your blog, you will probably have to look it up on google since you can't get it off the power point)? 

3. Describe it and tell me why its your favorite.

4. What rules of photography are evident in the photos you selected, be sure to explain the rule to me?

4. Look up the photographer on Wikipedia –

a.     What kind of camera did he use?

b.     What is his reason for taking the photos?

c.     What is his hope by taking these types of photos?

d.     Find something he has to say about Africa and post the quote on your blog

NEXT: Mural Project Preview

Go to the following website - read the story and look at the photos:

http://caseycatelli.blogspot.com/2011/10/instagram-inspired-wheatpaste.html

If you have an iPhone — you should download that application. If you have an app-ready phone see if you can get Instagram.

On your blog please answer the following questions:

1. What theme could you use here at school to make your own mural that tells a unique Akins story? Be specific. Explain what subjects you will include in your mural.

2. Why is this theme worth devoting time time and effort to capture? Why would other students care about this theme?

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages to using a phone camera to do this project?

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages to using an SLR camera to do this project?

5. Should we use phones or SLR cameras for this project? Why?


Your Mural Project Preview:
Our next Major Project will be to shoot the class-decided theme and to create a mural like this - each class will have its own and we will print them here in this room. We will use butcher paper to mount the photos on. If you want to see examples walk upstairs in the red hallway, there are still some from last year hanging in that hallway. We will take all the photos and I will help print them here in class. We will do this again, especially once we learn more about Photoshop, so your art will be up around the school all year, with your name under the photo, so take it seriously!!!

Naviance and 4-Year Plans

Overview: At Akins students are asked to map out their 4-Year plans using an online resource called Naviance. It helps the school track student interests in the courses offered and is used to decide how much funding each program should get. By tracking you through your four years, we get access to additional money to pay for things like new Apple computers and lots of camera equipment.

So this is very important.

Today will seem a little complex for those of you who are freshmen and sophomores, but I will be there to help you through the process. If you are a junior or senior, you should be familiar with this program. I need your help today with our younger students. If you finish early, plan to help. Thank you.

Directions: Today we are going to do your four-year plans on Naviance. Please follow the steps below:

Go to the following site:

https://connection.naviance.com/fc/signin.php?hsid=charlesakins
 

Login user name: student ID # (without S)

Password: student ID # (without initials) 

If it doesn't work please go to the clipboard located on the table in front of my desk and write your name and student number so we can activate your account.

Once you are logged in, click on the tab on top labled: Course

Then click: Manage my courses

Then go to: My current plan

• Click on each department area to the left and check that current selections are accurate.
• Add any classes that are missing.
• You will need to do this for each year you have left in high school. Seniors, its simple, just do this year.
• Juniors, you only have this year and next year.
• Sophomore, you have 3 years to complete and
• Freshmen, you have all four years to plan.

Important: Now here is where it gets tricky... These 4-year plans are NOT your course sheet selections. You are not signing up to take these classes. It's just a plan that shows where you think you are going. We want you to do your best to fill in all your core classes and what you think you want to take in the future with non-core classes. Every academy has a variety of majors and since we have students from every academy, we will do our best to direct you. But each and every one of you can deal with the core classes, and we can work on your major/non-core classes.

To see a list of course sequences related to CTE majors, click the link below.

• These are only Career and Technology Education related majors. This doesn't include majors for Fine Arts and other non-CTE majors.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v4yg8ai7ipy3p17/3upraUPdOx

So lets get started, log in and get rolling. I will be walking around helping all I can.

Academics Shoot Directions

Overview: After you have taken your Academics photos, it's time to post them on your blog.

Directions: Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Make a new post on your blog titled "Academics Shoot." You should post SIX photos on your blog — one for each rule or photography that you know. Lines, Simplicity, Rule of Thirds, Balance, Framing and Avoiding Mergers. Make sure they are labeled.

If you have not shot, please let me know and I will get you out today to take photos. Make sure you have the rules of photography written down before you go and follow all the verbal instructions I give to you.

Step 2: Go back and edit the post with those 6 photos - answer the following questions:
1. How well did you follow the rule?
2. What is the subject (be very very specific)?
3. Is it clear to people looking at your photos what the subject is?
4. If you didn't follow the rule well, what could you have done differently?

Step 3: Make a new blog post titled "Academic Shoot reflection." Answer the following questions:

1. What challenges did you encounter while trying to get the photos following the rules I set out for you?

2. What technical aspects of photography or the assignment in general (focus, framing, holding the camera, etc.) did you find yourself thinking about the most? Provide a specific example of what you did to do this correctly.

3. If you could do the assignment again, what would you do differently now that you know some basic rules of photography?

4. What things would you do the same?

5. When you go out with your next set of prompts, which rule do you think will be the easiest to achieve?

6. Which rule do you think will be the hardest to capture?

7. What rule are you still not totally clear on and what can you do to figure out what that rule is?

Academics Photo Shoot Preview

Only do this if you are finished with everything else: 
1st assignment for the 2nd 6-weeks:

Overview: While you are a student at Akins, you have a unique perspective on what goes on in the classroom as a photographer. You will use what you have learned about photo composition as you go into classrooms to document the academic activities that happen in Akins classrooms.

Directions: Look through the winners from the Jostens Yearbook contest at the link below.

http://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/ybk_cp_contests.html

Step 1: In the middle of the page, click the arrow that has the words: 2011 Jostens Photo Contest - U.S.

Read the information there and then look in each of the categories and take a peek at the photos that won for those particular category.

Step 2: Then go to the category called:  Academics/Community Service

• Save the one that tells the best story
• Save the one with the best action or emotion
• Save the one that fills the frame with the most interesting stuff

Step 3: Make a new blog post titled "Academics Shoot Preview."

Post the photo that tells the best story. Label it "The Story" and describe specifically how it visually tells a story and what you think the story is.

Post the photo with the best action or emotion. Label it "Action and Emotion" and describe the action and emotion.

Paste the photo that fills the frame with the most interesting stuff. Label it "Filling the frame" and describe specifically how the frame is filled.

Step 4: Go to the following link:

http://issuu.com/jostens/docs/2012photos?mode=window&backgroundColor=%2322222

Flip through the photos, make sure to spend some time looking at the ones with Academics and Community Service

Step 5: Select your favorite photo from the "Academics and Community Service" section. You  will have to use Grab to save the image. To get to "Grab" go to the Spotlight feature and type in "Grab."

Step 6: Answer the following questions:

1. Why did you pick this photo?

2. What rules of photography are evident in the photo?

Step 7: Finally - your next shoot will involve shooting academics, which means in classrooms around the campus.

1. Where do you think you could take photos like the ones you look at today?

2. Whose classroom would you like to visit and take photos in?

3. What will you do, as the photographer, to get amazing photos like you look at today?

Photo Composition Reflection

First complete this assignment:

Discuss your 9/11 composition shots

Now that you have found good examples of the different composition techniques in 9/11 photos, go back and edit your posts (if you don't know how to edit your posts please ask a neighbor and if they don't know, ask me) and write about the photos you picked out. Explain your choices. Help me understand how the photo you picked meets the rule you think it shows.

What to discuss - Be specific - Describe specific elements in the photo. Explain what the technique is all about. Explain the EFFECT of the technique.

If you can't remember all the rules, here is the website again:

Composition Web Site

Example

Below you will see examples of a well written description and one that isn't so great:

Lines

Good Example - In this photo, the red stripes of the flag and the grey ladder all form lines that lead the eye to the man playing the bagpipe. Since these lines are diagonal, they give the photo a dynamic feel.

Bad Example - The flag makes leading lines to the guy.

Do this for all six of your posts or all six of the photos in your post.

If you think you didn't pick a very good photo, feel free to go back and redo the assignment. There will be a quiz of some sort next week to see if you know and more importantly, understand the 6 basic rules of photography.

Photo Composition and 9-11

Overview: Like great pieces of art, great photojournalism shots are well composed. The photographer carefully places the elements of a photo within a frame in order to tell a story in the most visually powerful way possible.

Unlike art, the content of photojournalism is not, for the most part, controlled by the photographer.

This was never more true than during the attacks of September 11, 2001. This has been called one of the most photographed events in history.

Imagine being a photojournalist on that day, running into this disaster while most people are running away. In the midst of this misery and chaos, it is your job to capture the the human side of the story in an orderly and effective way.

Assignment: You will learn about some composition techniques and find examples of how photojournalists applied them to the chaos of 9/11.

Step 1: Read about the the basic Rules of Photo Composition by clicking on the link below. You should read about Simplicity, The Rule of Thirds, Lines, Balance, Framing, and Avoiding Mergers. You can skip the Introduction and Conclusion pages.

Composition Web Site

Step 2: Go to the three websites below, and find excellent examples of photos shot on 9/11 that follow each of the Composition Rules.

Post one example of each of the photo Composition techniques from the Composition Website.

You will make a total of 6 different blog posts. The title of the post should be the name of the technique.

For example: Post a photo with "Framing" as the title. You will need to do a post for each of the composition techniques. This means you should have 6 posts today.

Below are the 9-11 Websites. They should be clickable links. If not copy and paste then into a new browser window.

http://www.911photos.com/

http://www.thepowerhour.com/911_analysis/911_photo_gallery.htm

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/09/pictures/110908-about-911-september-9-11-twin-world-trade-center-towers-indelible/

(For the website above, there are 25 pictures make sure you find the clickable link labelled NEXT and look at all 25 photos.)

Step 3 (Bonus): you might be interested to read this story - if you post your reactions to this story in a separate blog. I will give you extra credit points.

http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0903-SEP_FALLINGMAN

Elements of Art and Principles of Design Example

Example of a completed entry:

Lines are marks made by a pointed tool: brush, pencil, pen, etc. Lines can vary in width, direction, curvature, length, or color.

I chose this photo because of the clear line that is created by the spiral staircase.

I chose this painting because of the strong black line that was used to draw the image of the bull.