Artists through the ages have always been inspired by their surroundings and the locations where they have lived. Van Gogh’s Café Terrace at Night, The Church at Auvers, Cezanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire, Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth, Monet’s Impression, Sunrise 1872, Vermeer’s The Little Street, and American Gothic by Grant Wood, were all locations that were important in the lives of these artists. Students are to observe the world around them—capturing familiar places, neighborhoods, and hidden corners—and transform them into lasting works of art through two-dimensional media.

Vincent Van Gogh, Cafe Terrace at Night

Paul Cezanne, Mont Saint-Victoire

Grant Wood, American Gothic

Vincent Van Gogh, The Church at Auvers

Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise

Adrew Wyeth, ​Christina’s World

OBJECTIVES:

Students will:
  1. Observe their everyday environment with fresh eyes, finding beauty in familiar spaces.
  2. Use photography to capture neighborhoods, hidden corners, and overlooked details.
  3. Explore how framing, composition, and light transform ordinary moments into artistic statements.
  4. Edit and present their photographs as two-dimensional works of art.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

  • Digital cameras or smartphones
  • Editing software (Photoshop, Lightroom
  • Printer (for final prints)

WHAT TO DO:

Photo Walk (at home)
  • ​Shoot as many pictures as you need to capture life in your neighborhood. These photos should demonstrate an understanding of your composition guidelines & techniques. 
  • Look for hidden corners or unnoticed details.
  • Capture at least one wide shot (environment), one medium shot (context), and one close-up (detail).
  • Experiment with angles (low, high, side) and time of day (morning vs. afternoon light).
  • You will use Lightroom on your cell phone or your digital camera to shoot this assignment. Make sure you use Professional Mode in order to control your settings such as: ISO, Exposure, White Balance and Shutter Speed (Seconds). 
​A few pointers when taking photos in Lightroom with the Professional Mode...
  • You need to shoot in DNG
  • Start your ISO at 400 - You can change it to a higher ISO (no more than 800) if you have less available light or you can change it to a lower ISO if you have a lot of available light. 
  • Keep your WB in auto
  • Slide the Secs (Shutter speed) either higher or lower to see the exposure change. Make sure you never shoot less than 1/60 second. If you do you will have camera shake. The higher the seconds (ex.. 1/1000) the faster the shutter. The lower the seconds (ex. 1/60) the slower your shutter. 
  • Make sure you take your photos during the day. The best time to photograph is early morning, or late afternoon. 
  • NO NIGHT PHOTOS - NO PHOTOS INDOORS
  • Take a minimum of 25 photos to edit your best 10!

The concepts I’m looking for are:
  • Rule of thirds
  • Horizon Line
  • Focal Point
  • Leading Lines
  • Negative Space
  • Balance
  • Point of View
  • etc..... review your composition guidelines notes

Your photos should be well composed, properly exposed, and in focus. Basically, for this assignment, I just want to see how well you can take a  picture which follows the rules of good composition.

Selection & Editing (In Class)

In Lightroom, create a new album with the assignment name.
  • Add your photos to that album.
  • Rate your photos 1-5 stars
  • Flag the 10 photos you will be editing
  • Screen shot your LR gallery showing the 25 photos, date it was taken and file name. Upload this to Google Classroom.  
  • Edit your images on Lightroom. Make sure your editing style is uniform: adjust brightness/contrast, crop for stronger composition, explore black & white vs. color.

In your website (In Class)
  • Create a new title in your Photography 1 page called Windows to the World, Where I Live. 
  • Upload your 10 edited images as a gallery. Please do not upload your photos individually. Use 2 columns only and make sure the image size is FULL SIZE.  
  • Create a new title called BEST 5 OR FINAL 5. Select your best 5 photos from the 10 you edited. Upload these as individual images. 
  • Write a 2 paragraph reflection (8-10 sentences) explaining:
    • Your experience with this assignment.
    • What was successful and what was not.
    • What would you do to change and better this assignment.
    • How their perspective transforms the familiar into art.
    • What mood/story they wanted to capture.
    • Reference 2-3 of your photos.

Transformation into Art 
  • Students print and mount their best photograph.​

STUDENT EXAMPLES: