Photography Unit

After searching for a homeschool photography unit online, I ended up combining a number of free resources to create my own photography unit. Here is a basic outline of things to read and assignments over 12 weeks. However, this is a general outline and can be changed and modified based on your timeline and level of learner.

Plus, there are a ton of photography books you can find at the library or purchase to enhance these free resources. So, don't forget to supplement other reading materials.

Week 1

1. History of Photography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_photography

2. A Few Famous Photographers
Lewis Hine - http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/lange/index.html
Dorothea Lange - http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/lange/index.html
Ansel Adams - http://anseladams.com/
Yousuf Karsh - https://karsh.org/

Assignment: Search for other photographers, find two you like. Describe who they are, their photographic style, and why you like them.

Week 2

3. Photography Terminology
Learn to speak the lingo.
https://digital-photography-school.com/deciphering-photo-jargon-learn-to-speak-photographer/

Assignment: Will be a matching test for terms. Create matching test.

4. How the Camera Works

Learn more about how the camera & digital camera works.
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/camera.htm
https://ourpastimes.com/how-do-cameras-work-12146995.html
https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cameras-photography/digital/digital-camera.htm

Assignment: Make a pinhole camera. 
https://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/pringles_pinhole.html

Week 3

5. Basics of Photography
(Note - read other tutorials on this site - tons of great information)
http://tutorials.lifeinedit.com/tutorial-4-the-basics-of-photography/

6. Lens
Learn the difference.
http://www.clickinmoms.com/blog/choosing-your-lens-whats-the-difference/
Shutter Speed & Image
https://www.diyphotography.net/shutter-speed/

Week 4

7. Camera Modes
What they mean? Which to use?
http://emptyeasel.com/2009/10/09/camera-modes-101-understanding-the-different-modes-on-your-digital-camera/

Assignment: Take picture using each of these modes. Should have a multiple pictures of each mode.

1. Face (a face, like a dog or person)
2. Flower (close up small object, like a flower, leaf, rock, bug)
3. Mountain (landscape, like a larger landscape, homes, scenic)
4. Running (action shot, like something moving)
5. Moon (night shot, like moon/stars at night)

Week 5

8. Watch series on Photography (from basics to composition to focus)

Assignment: watch these five lessons

1. Part I (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGF0tgOXjEw)
2. Part II (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFSWblaVYFs)
3. Part III (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C716pAG6G2E)
4. Part IV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJB3iit96YQ)
5. Part V (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9nap_oiHQM)

Weeks 6 & 7

9. Design
Learn more about different composition designs.
https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/6-elements-of-design-for-striking-photographs--photo-2574

Assignment: Take pictures focusing on each design element. You should have multiple picture from each design style.

1. Line (focus on something linear)
2. Shape (silhouettes)
3. Form (focus on one 3d shape in image)
4. Texture (close up of something with texture)
5. Pattern (focus on a pattern shape)
6. Color (Focus on items with similar and complementary colors - both styles)

Weeks 8 & 9

10. More advanced effects
https://1stwebdesigner.com/eight-photography-effects/

11. Composition Rules
More information of different composition rules
http://www.colorpilot.com/comp_rules.html
http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules

Assignment: Take pictures focusing on each composition element. You should have multiple pictures from each composition style.

1. Rule of Thirds (have 1 item in 2/3s of image)
2. Balancing Elements (have void in between 2 items)
3. Leading Lines (have a line that makes the eye move)
4. Symmetry (focus on something symmetrical)
5. Viewpoint (taken from a different angle/viewpoint)
6. Background (1 item with plain background/black)
7. Depth (have multiple layers, usually scenic)
8. Framing (have something with both sides framing inside image)
9. Crop (focus on something small/lost in surroundings)
10. Experimentation (do something you want)

Weeks 10 & 11

12. Edit Your Images
Learn about Photoshop if you have it, or download and learn about Paint.net

Photoshop Tutorials:
http://mashable.com/2010/08/12/12-beginner-tutorials-for-getting-started-with-photoshop/#whH26iF9cmqJ
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/tutorials.html

Paint.net Tutorials:
Download paint.net - it's free
Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my7T6bKA2Uc

Assignment: Review your images and edit your favorites (should have a minimum of 12 complete/edited images).

Week 12

13. Final Project

Assignment: Create a slideshow of your final edited photos (minimum 12). Add music to accompany the photos. Print images, have a “showing.” Also, take 12 images and make a calendar gifts for next year.

My little cheetah!

What happened to my little girl? She looks so mature... and adorably cute. She is dressed and ready to take her dance pictures for her upcoming dance performance, which happens to be to the song The Circle of Life from The Lion King.

Of course, she is a cheetah... but to me looks a lot like Pebbles Flintstone (especially considering the outfit and bone in her hair)!

 

Go climb a tree

I love when my kids play... like really play. I spent my childhood playing outdoors and climbing trees. So, watching them take the time to actually climb a tree (even a small one) and find some happiness in goofing off is rewarding.

Her happy place...

My daughter could spend every day in the barn riding horses. It is a love, and her happy place.

March for Science

Why we marched?

We live in a STEM-oriented city. We want to encourage our elected representatives to enact evidence-based policies and support our local organizations which promote science and tirelessly work to make science accessible to people of all ages.

2nd B-Day

Sometimes we all wish we could have two birthdays... and sometimes... just sometimes... you get to celebrate twice. We drove to Chattanooga for Grandparents, an Aunt and Uncle, and cousins to celebrate Callie's 10 all over again.

My kids and my brother's kids!

My parents with me and my brother.

Look who's 10!

It was a day all about my little girl... who is growing up so quickly!

Stop 1: Unicorn Frappuccino
A quick visit to the nearest Starbucks was first on the day's adventure. She wanted to try the new Unicorn Frappuccino...

Verdict: Just OK. She said it was super sour and not what she was expecting.

Stop 2: A Movie at Home
She wanted to watch a movie with her brother, who was all for any opportunity to stop studying. We ended up watching Sing.

Verdict: She liked the movie (and I didn't hear Jackson complain either). She ate some popcorn and snuggled with us. She was a happy birthdayer!

Stop 3: Build-a-bear with Friends
She didn't want a party, but this was close to a party. She asked a couple of her friends to meet up at the mall to build stuffed animals and hang out.... see stops 4-5 too.

Verdict: She got a stuffed animal (a rainbow bear named Galaxy)... so, this stop was a win. Plus, she got to hang out with her friends and they got some animals too... double win!

Stop 4: The Bouncy-Thing at the Mall
This was an unexpected "please mom" thing to do. And since it was her birthday... I obviously said yes...

Verdict: Fun! She is afraid of heights... so this was adventurous for her. Her friend was happy to jump with her. And I was secretly glad she wanted to do it because I love when she tries something she is afraid of.

Stop 5: Cake!
Even though it wasn't an official party... there was cake involved. And gifts from her friends!

Verdict: Cake. Gifts. Basically, Party. She loved it! Enough said! 

Stop 6: Dinner with the Family

Our family likes to have dinner together as our birthday tradition. The birthday person gets to pick the restaurant (and the rest of us try to influence the birthday person to one we really want to eat at). After a very busy day, it was nice to just sit down as a family and spend this time together (plus, a pic of my hubby... showing he exists from time to time).

Verdict: A great meal. A great day. A great family. A great birthday!

I still cannot believe she is double digits... 10!

Little Mermaid

Field Trip

High schools put on some wonderful plays. And our homeschooling community is great about organizing opportunities for the kids. Today, we went to a local high school to watch The Little Mermaid. Plus, we get to see a bunch of our homeschooling friends (and moms).

She is loving me... it is a field trip school day!

Rainbow Hair

I had delayed it for a year, but Callie was insistent. She wanted to try some fun hair colors, and I finally found a product to use that wasn't permanent. I wanted to make sure it would wash out in case she hated it. Plus, I opted to place it under a layer of hair, just in case.

There are actually three shades from blue to jade, as well as a pink, but it is hard to tell with her brown hair. The color is light and not overly noticeable when her hair is down. The brightness of the color is more prominent with blonde hair. However, she is still excited about her new colors!

My little rock garden

I worked all weekend... and created a rock garden beside the pool.

It was hard work. It was exhausting. It was possibly done with me fussing at people to help...

However, it looks great and should be easier to maintain!

Volunteerism in action...

There are things in our lives that remind us how amazing our kids are... and for me it is when Jackson mentors at TOPSoccer.

TOPSoccer is a soccer program for young athletes with disabilities and Jackson is often asked to volunteer because he can work with some of the more severely disabled children. He has a patience and ability to relate to children with special needs... it is a pretty amazing gift!

When I watch him mentor, it's like a parenting win... I feel like I must have done something right!

NSHSS

Congratulations to my son...

now a member of the National Society of High School Scholars!

I am super proud!

Ivy Green

Field Trip

Tucked not to far away from us, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, is Ivy Green, the home of Helen Keller. We decided to take a day trip to learn more about Helen Keller. Jackson had just finished Helen Keller's biography and Callie had been studying her life. It was a great time drive a few hours and see her birthplace.

Ivy Green is small, and the home/museum is decorated with much of the original furniture of the Keller family. It has a number of Helen Keller's personal mementos. Plus, the tour guide was so knowledgeable... it was a wonderful tour and very insightful.

Right behind the home is the famous well, where Helen understood her first word. We got to actually go up and touch the well.

We were taken back thinking about a totally blind and deaf Helen Keller having water and signed words repeated in her hands by Anne Sullivan. The actions were repeated over and over trying to help teach her to understand. Then she understood and knew "w-a-t-e-r" meant the cool something flowing over her hand. Pretty neat to be standing in that same spot...

The tour guide told us more and more about Helen and how she was a fast learner and desired to continue learning (and more quickly than one would imagine). Not only that, we got to hear about her mischievous side... locking her mom in a closet in the home and some of the trouble she got into in her youth.

It does not take long to visit Ivy Green, but it was well worth the trip. The small house and quarters were a good look into how some people lived in the late 1800s in Alabama.

Learn more about Ivy Green