In Photography 1, students have come a long way in embracing analog photography which unknown to them is incredibly steeped in math and science! Students first had to learn about camera basics including, F-Stops, Apertures, Film Speed, Shutter Speed, Focus and Depth of Field. Students learned how balance light and read a light meter, shoot their own film and learn the chemical process used in which to develop their own film! Students were then introduced to the darkroom to learn how to enlarge and focus their own self-made negatives, and learn the chemical process to create a physical printed image. Once the technical aspects are honed, learning how to recognize the elements of art through the camera lens becomes the priority.
A unit called “HOW TO LOOK” helps to wake up the eyes and the minds of the students and to help them recognize the aesthetic potential of everything in their physical world. Students are exposed to compositional formulas, ratios and techniques that help them become better photographers and more importantly, become better “Visual Communicators.”