Social Issues

We will be using Barbara Kruger's artwork as the jumping off point for our Social Issue Project.

When we talk about social issues in class, what we are actually talking about are the ideas and beliefs that society as a whole presses down upon us, that end up effecting our lives in one way or the other. Some social influences are very general and effect most people, and then they individualize themselves depending on who you are, and where you are in life.

In this project you will be challenged to identify a social issue that affects you and your life directly. The concept for this project is the MOST important part. The first thing you will need to do is complete a brainstorm sheet.

When you find the issue you would like to address then you need to take photos for it. It can be one photo or many. All photos will be desaturated black and white. If you would like to combine photos in photoshop it will be entirely up to you. It will all depend on what you are trying to accomplish.

You will need to come up with a statement. Remember, Barbara's statements are not obvious. She doesn't say, "all of us have something we fight with" She says, "Your Body is a Battleground". It is a statement, a strong statement, but also one that allows us interpretation. Your statement is perhaps the most important part of this assignment.You will add your statement to your image on an 8x10 document. You will ONLY use RED, BLACK, and WHITE for your lettering. You can add boxes and borders with those colors as well. The font you choose needs to be one of the simplistic block fonts.

While the project will be simple in the set up, the meaning should extend to great depth.

Advanced Camera Setting Contact Sheet

Five labeled examples of each setting. The design element is up to the student, and they will use the skills they have previously learned to display their examples. Students will also post which example is their strongest, and why.

Advanced Camera Functions

Students will post examples of photos using adjustments with ISO, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Panning, and Continuous Frames.

ISO - rating of film's sensitivity to light. Low ISO, such as 100, is less sensitive to light and therefore needs more light to capture detail in an image; high ISO, such as 800, is more sensitive to light and needs less to capture detail. Low ISO creates higher-quality images and high /iso creates lower-quality images with visible grain.

low speed

high speed

How to change settings on camera;
Switch the dial to M (manual), then push the menu button, select camera menu, scroll down to ISO, select your speed, then press ok. If you need to use the flash, press the flash symbol (lightning bolt with arrow) next to the arrow sign. Choose the option without the slash through it.


Aperture  - hole or opening in which light travels through

When using the aperture priority mode, you have more control over the depth of field (distance between nearest and farthest object in a scene that appear sharp/in focus).

How to change settings on camera;
Switch the dial mode to A (Aperture). Keep in mind, the higher the number the smaller the opening. This means that less will be in focus in your picture. After choosing the Aperture mode, press the +/- symbol. This symbol will increase aperture, and the clock symbol will decrease. Look on your screen and it will display the changes. Choose different settings to see the difference between settings.

Shutter Speed/Exposure Time - is the effective length of time a camera's shutter is open. If you want to catch a snapshot of something in action (basketball game), you would have a fast shutter speed. A slower shutter speed will allow you to show movement over time. Such as the headlights on a car. You can have one object that is still, and the background display movement.

fast shutter speed

slow shutter speed, with one object staying still

slow shutter speed to capture movement of sparklers

  
 
 How to changes settings on camera;
Switch the dial mode to S (Shutter Priority). Same as adjusting the aperture. Choose the +/- to increase and the clock to decrease. Again, watch your display screen to see your changes. Try multiple settings to get the right photo.

Panning - Set your ISO to the lowest setting. Then adjust your shutter speed so that your exposure time is long (slow shutter speed). While the shutter is open, slowly move camera to the left or right to follow the moving subject. You may want to use a tripod for this technique. Begin panning before subject comes into picture. This will take several tries to capture.

note: background is blurred, while subject is in focus

Continuous Frames  - This refers to shooting multiple shots consecutively without a break. Think of a flip book.

How to change camera settings:
Switch the dial mode to A (Aperture). You will have to set the correct aperture for your shot. Once you have done this step, select menu. Choose camera menu, set the ISO to 400. Then select drive. After you select drive, choose the Hi2. When you are ready to shoot your subject, hold the shutter button down until you have captured the entire shot. Review it to make sure the settings are correct. It should read as a step by step image.