Assignment #4

Digital Photography
Assignment #4: Conceptual Photography

Conceptual: Of or relating to concepts or mental conception, ABSTRACT! Examples of concepts: love, anger, betrayal, shadows and sensuality, the perishable environment, a glass ceiling, holiday cheer, walking on pins and needles, or having the world in your hands. The possibilities are endless.

In conceptual photography you visually illustrate abstract ideas. You can create your own world of altered reality. Creating a conceptual photograph employs the special talent of intuitive vision: STARTING with the IDEA and then figuring out the photograph. There are no wrong answers- it’s YOUR take on an idea. Creating an idea FIRST and transforming it into reality is THE essential process in conceptual photography.

You should come up with several concepts that interest you and start thinking how you could visually illustrate these ideas. There are no right or wrong ways to illustrate any concept…it is how YOU interpret it!! Be creative! Consider ways to illustrate a concept using straight photography, with no Photoshop tricks…and ways in which you could use Photoshop to create surreal or warped, multi-layered images.

LIGHTING! Lighting is very important in any photograph…but especially in a conceptual image! Play around with lighting. If you want, you can borrow a flash from me or find some lights at home. Look for desk lamps, some shop lights, or good window light. Try to use all the same type of light (tungsten, florescent, white light, etc.) so that you won’t have a problem with mixed lighting.

Recent Work

Here are some recent portraits I took of my friend's son Mason.

Starting a Blog!

Welcome CHS digital photography students! Blogs are a quick, easy, and convenient way to share your work with others, record ideas, and log inspirational work from others. Getting feedback from others on your work while also looking at and commenting on others work will help make you a better photographer.

Students will create blogs to post their digital photography projects, inspirational photos, thoughts and ideas. Here are the general guidelines:

1) All blogs are considered school assignments and should be treated as such and normal school standards will apply to this site since it is an assignment.

2) You should upload at least one image from each assignment as well as inspirational work from other photographers that will give you ideas for each assignment.

3) When creating your school blog, name it :

* chsphotofirstnamelastname

* Ex. chsphotojohnsmith.blogspot.com

4) Set up a profile but do not include too much information. Keep it simple and professional.

5) Please begin with an introductory statement telling everyone a little bit about yourself and the type of photography you enjoy (with a few examples of your work or the work of photographers you admire)

6) You will be required to update this blog weekly. Here are some things you can consider posting:

· New photos

· Journal style entry with thoughts about a particular style, good location for photos, problems/obstacles

· Photos you find on the Internet that will serve as inspiration for your own ideas

We will use www.blogger.com to create our blogs.