July - IT Month Photography and Editing Tools

July ICT Week

This month’s project is all about IT Photography and Editing Tools. We all have phones and phones with cameras. So, it is photographs taken by our phones and not some expensive camera. This will be open to everyone to take part parents, brother and sisters, friends and relations. Be as creative as you were in Art-pril. Getting the perfect photograph often relies on several things coming together. All the challenges will cover the whole month, and as long as the photographs reach me by Saturday 28th to be printed off for the Sunday Gallery they will be in the gallery.

On Sunday 29th July, we will have a Gallery Open House and everyone can come along a judge and vote for the photographs- there will be prizes and certificates of course.

Challenge 1 – Still Life

You will need these six things: a piece of fruit, something to mark make (pencil, pen paintbrush etc.) some plant life, a book, a toy and a piece of cloth. What you choose and how you arrange these is entirely up to you.

Take three photographs of the same arrangement from the same angle:

Unaided by the tools of the phone
Aided by the auto feature of the phone
Then manipulate the photography using the tools on your phone.

In the past still life paintings had special meanings attached to them When still life painting began, it started with flowers and each type of flower had their own meaning. They weren’t called still life, but rather, Fruit or Flower pieces. Then the branched out to breakfast pieces, then banquet pieces. Paintings of elaborate banquets usually refer to the culture of sumptuous luxury, but it can refer to the gluttony of the times. These elaborate pictures expressed a sense of self-satisfied smugness, while at the same time give warnings about over indulgence. We will be all about expression ourselves.

Challenge 2 - Landscape

You many offer as many different photographs of any landscapes as you wish as long as they not edited. Timing is everything in landscape photography and early mornings offer a great mix of blue light and mist. Night time in towns with all the neon lights will give you a very different effect.

Landscape painting, natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view. In the past, the artist has been able to move elements around and arrange them into a coherent composition. We, however, can take the photograph from any angle not bothered by the time it will take to paint, so change your view point – from ground level looking up to being high up looking down wards.

Challenge 3 – Portrait

The only restriction we have here is that we don’t want a full-face view in photograph. Aim your sitter(s) so that they face away from the camera, so their face is observed or take them from an unusual angle. If you don’t quite hide the identity of the sitter we will use the photograph in the Gallery Open House but not on the website gallery, for safeguarding reasons. No selfies for this section - you are behind the lens looking outwards.

Historically, portrait paintings have primarily memorialized the rich and powerful. Over time, however, it became more common for middle-class patrons to commission portraits of their families and colleagues. Today, portrait paintings are still commissioned by governments, corporations, groups, clubs, and individuals.

Challenge 4 - Wild life and pets

Almost all of you have pets or access to animals, so take a lovely photography of them either asleep, on the move or simple looking at you.

Challenge 5 – Learning and work

Take a photography of either word and show what it means to you. I know one of you has a passion for cars. Vehicles can be included but as long as we can’t see their number plate!

Challenge 6 – Enhanced Editing

Sometimes your photograph can be meticulously plan like the still life and sometimes it can be a quick snap and you get the perfect picture. Whatever you choose for this challenge is up to you. We will be going to use all the tools a computer has to enhance the look. If you have Photoshop use that to edit you picture, if you don’t have it you can use what tools I have on my laptop during your lessons.