Magazine Preview

This assignment consists of four sections to your blog post.

#1 - Magazine tips

After you shoot your portrait, you will use it as the central element of a mock magazine cover design that will occupy a page of an InDesign document.

To get this process started, you need to learn a little about magazine cover design.

Go to the link below:

http://www.pubexec.com/article/32-tips-tales-techniques-evaluating-appeal-your-next-magazine-cover-84611/1

Read the 2 page article about magazine cover design. The second page is much more important than the first page. On your blog tell me 5 things you should be thinking about when you design your magazine cover.

#2 - Best magazine covers 2013

Next, go here and look at some great designs:

http://www.magazine.org/asme/magazine-cover-contest/past-winners-finalists/2014-winners-finalists

Look at and read about ALL 32 designs, please stop when you get to the section called Cover of the Year. Make a new post titled : "Best Covers"

17 of them involve a portrait. Number  1-17. Figure out which ones are portraits (these will be the ones with people in them), start your count with the Section called News, Politics and Business. The first portrait is from the New Yorker and it has Michael Douglas on it.

Next to each number, write "Formal, Informal, or Environmental"

If you do not understand the difference between formal, informal and environmental - please ask!

#3 -- My Favorite Cover

Choose your favorite cover from the website in Blog #2 (with a portrait). Label it as "favorite."

Copy and paste the description from the web.

Mention what is communicated about the people in the portrait and how this is communicated.

You may consider composition, lighting, exposure etc.


#4 - Magazines Part II

You also need to know a little more information about the types of magazine covers that have been used through the years. Here are the most common types:

Cover types

1. Image Based
2. Illustration Based
3. Type Based
4. Concept Based

Here is the description and some examples of these types of magazine covers:

http://www.magazinedesigning.com/introduction-to-magazine-cover-pages/

On your blog, write a short (50-150 word) explanation of what the main attributes of each of the four types are. Use your own words, and DO NOT copy and paste.

Finally, what is the relationship between words and photos on magazine covers and why is this important?

Check list before the break

1. Mural projects need to be completed and hung up before the break on Friday, please get those done and hung up first. Make sure your pictures are posted on your blog also, title the post, "Mural Project Photos"
2. Take a look at the blog and your posts, complete anything that you have missing. Remember, I will grade zeros from the first 2 6 weeks (if they effected your grade significantly/failing) if you get them done over the break!
3. Complete the "Portrait & Self Portrait" blog (below), if you have a camera over the break, TAKE THESE PICTURES!! They will be due December 8th and you may not have another opportunity to check out the camera. 
4. Most importantly, have a wonderful break! 

Portraits & Self Portraits

Self Portrait and Portraits Intro

As we get ready to take photos soon on our new assignment, self-portrait and portrait photography. I thought you might want to look at some ideas and get something more than just looking at some photos. With that in mind - go take a look at these FOUR websites.

http://digital-photography-school.com/10-ways-to-take-stunning-portraits

and

http://digital-photography-school.com/tips-portrait-photography

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/portrait-photography-tips/

http://shutterbug.com/refreshercourse/portrait_tips/197/

After looking at these, find what you think are the best 2 or 3 tips and copy and paste them into a new post on your blog (I don’t need 2-3 tips from each site, but 2-3 total, but please look at all four sites).

When you go out to shoot these types of photos, there are three main types of portraits, the environmental portrait, a self-portrait and a casual portrait. Lets go find some examples of these types of images.

Google image search “Environmental portrait” and pick out 2 that you really like and post them on your blog. Tell me what you liked about the photo and why you picked it.

Google image search “photography self portrait” and pick out 2 that you really like and post them on your blog. Tell me what you liked about the photo and why you picked it.

Google image search “casual portrait” and pick out 2 that you really like and post them on your blog. Tell me what you liked about the photo and why you picked it.

Please write a paragraph telling me your plan for your portrait assignment. Answer the following questions: who will you shoot, where will you shoot, and what will you do to make the shot successful.

Be specific on all three answers. When I read it I should know who and where you will take the photos and I should know exactly what your plan is to make sure you get a quality photo.  Think about composition when you are planning these. I really want your self-portrait to be a more than just a selfie. I want to see insight into you. Who are you? What defines you? How can you give me a little insight into what makes you tick or something that you get up to do every day? What is your passion? These thoughts should come out in your work.

CAMERA CHECK-OUT:

You can check out cameras for your portraits and self-ports (which means you can keep the camera over break!!). Photos are DUE Friday, Dec. 8th. You must show me two DIFFERENT images for both your portrait and self-portrait. One of those for each MUST be shot vertically. I do have tripods and they can be checked out with the camera. They are not the greatest tripods, so please be careful with them. You can also find ways to set up the camera and use the self-timer without a tripod. You MUST use the self-timer for your self-portrait. NO ONE ELSE can take the photo, you MUST push the button yourself. If you take a camera over break, you are COMPLETELY responsible for the camera. Please think long and hard if you want to take on that obligation.

5 Websites

After you meet with your video groups, and while we are waiting for our Mural images to be printed...Click on each website and quickly decide if it is something you are interested in. If you are, then go to the bottom and work on the questions for that website.

If you find that its not that interesting, move on to the next choice.

Complete questions for 5 websites. So Each website will be worth 20 points, you will get 20 points for each set of questions you complete. Get 3 done, you will get a 60, get 5 done, you will get a 100!!!

Have fun!!

Photography resolutions for 2016

http://petapixel.com/2014/12/31/10-photography-resolutions-new-year/

Photos everyone should know how to make

http://petapixel.com/2014/12/01/6-types-photos-know-make/

Using a projector

http://petapixel.com/2015/01/01/projector-brought-forest-turns-nature-glowing-wonderland/

Spiral Staircases

http://petapixel.com/2014/12/19/disorienting-beauty-spiral-staircases-old-abandoned-buildings/

Great Portraits

http://blog.phowd.com/2014/09/7-tips-shooting-great-portrait-photographs/

Style

http://petapixel.com/2014/08/25/approaching-problem-style/

The oldest living things in the world

http://www.rachelsussman.com/oltw/

Killer Timelapse

http://blog.ted.com/2014/10/07/how-to-create-a-killer-timelapse-with-joe-capra/


If none of these seem interesting, you can also go to any of these websites and find something that interests you:

http://petapixel.com/

http://www.lightstalking.com/

http://photo.net/

https://photographylife.com/

http://content.photojojo.com/

Okay now the Questions - Please use your judgement and decide which of the questions below you need to answer. 

Link the website you visited and make sure your blog is titled 5 Websites.

Briefly describe what you looked at on the website (4-5 sentences, make sure you write enough to really make it clear that you spent time looking at the website).

What did you learn new?

Post your favorite photo from the site.

Please answer the following questions:
a.     Why did you pick this photo?
b.     What rules of photography do you see in the photo?
c.     Who took the photo?

If you did a tutorial on the website, post the item you created on your blog. Remember that blogger only takes certain types of photos, if you can convert it to a .jpeg that would be ideal.

If you did a tutorial please answer the following questions:
a.     What did you learn new today?
b.     How can you use this in my class later?
c.     Did this expand your knowledge of an Adobe computer program? If so tell me the program’s name is.

If you looked at a video, please do the following:
a.     Describe what you saw in the video.
b.     Try to figure out who made the video. If it was a photographer look them up on google and see if you can learn more about them.
c.     If there is a story about the video on the website, paraphrase it in 2-3 sentences.
d.     What did you learn new?

If you were directed to a site that you cannot answer any of the questions above, please do the following:
a.     What did you see on the website, describe it in 2-3 sentences?
b.     What did you learn?
c.     How did the site relate to photography?

Tuesday/Wednesday November 7th/8th

We will start putting together our mural project next class period so please make sure you get your images turned in to me TODAY. Meet with your groups to go over the images and make sure you turn in the ones you want PRINTED. Make sure your images are 8.5 x 11 and 240 resolution

Next you will meet with your new groups for your video project. Your challenge is to create a 3-5 minute video using iMovie for your designated topic. 

1. Alyssa, Cameron, Conrad and Haley--Anti bullying
2. Ashley, Ethan, JoEdward and Riley--Recycling
3. Henry, Thomas, Reagan, Eric and Jackson--Equality
4. Conner, Elijah, Vadim and Erin--Green house gas effect on the environment

1. Jonathan, Tyler B., Almalleli and Zachary--Energy efficiency
2. Blake, Tyler VH, Nuria, Kevin and Elise--Walk, bike or carpool
3. Roman, Hope, Andres and Zoe--Anti smoking
4. Darby, Michael, Ellen and Logan--Donating leftover/bulk food
5. Gavin, Weston, Athena and Kylie--Eating organic

American Soldier

Craig Walker, a photojournalist from the Denver Post, tracked Ian Fisher's introduction to the Army from high school graduation through basic training and through a yearlong deployment in Iraq. The images Walker took capture Fisher's day-to-day experiences as a recruit, soldier, son and friend. Walker and his team were awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for this photo series.

I would like for you to look at some of the award-winning images produced by this photographer and reflect upon how the images tell a story without even having to read the story. In addition, I want you to pay attention to the captions that were written for the images.

1. Go to the following Web site: 

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2010/0412/20100412_011334_Ian_Fisher_American_Soldier.pdf

A. What is the most powerful image from the pictures printed in the Denver Post over the three weeks they published images from the year of coverage? Why?

B. How do the images work together to tell a story?

C. How do the captions enhance the photographs?

D. Summarize the story of Ian Fisher, based just on the captions.

E. For the photos in which Ian is the main subject of the photos, in what tense are the verbs usually written?

F. Break down the captions:

1. How many sentences are they on average?
2. Read the first sentence of a couple of them, what information do they provide?
3. Read the second sentences of a couple of them, what information do they provide?
4. If there is a third sentence, what information does it provide?
5. Do any captions include a quote?
6. Are there any that have four sentences?

G. Why do you think it is possible to tell a complete story with just photos and captions?

H. If you can create a story with just photos and captions, why bother writing a story at all?


FOR EXTRA CREDIT - because this is such a long reading, if you complete this extra credit, I will add 5 FULL points to your overall grade at the end of the six weeks. This must be posted on your blog by Friday, Nov. 3 to receive credit (Warning: do not skip other assignments to do this one, its not worth it, this is only for those people striving for the highest possible grade in my class or for those people who are trying to make up for a bad grade somewhere along the line):

Please read the story across those three papers

1. Briefly summarize the story of Ian Fisher. Please break this down by publish date. This means I want three separate summaries of a paragraph for each of the three days the paper published the story.
2. What was his motivation for joining the military?
3. What kind of problems did he encounter during basic training?
4. What part of Ian's pre-military life caused him the most problems as he was being trained and while on deployment?
5. What happened when Ian had a mid-tour break and returned home?
6. How did Iraq change Ian?

Video Composition and Shots

Ok lets start talking video! Read the following articles and tell me 5 things that will be different (regarding composition) with video vs. still photos. Then I want you to pick stills from one of your favorite movies (school appropriate!) that represent the 10 rules of composition from the previous assignment.

1. Rule of thirds
2. Balancing Elements
3. Leading Lines
4. Symmetry and Patterns (repetition)
5. Viewpoint
6. Background
7. Create depth
8. Framing
9. Cropping
10. Mergers and avoiding them

https://www.videomaker.com/article/c02/18610-the-basic-rules-of-composition

https://diyvideoeditor.com/shooting-better-home-videos-6/

Now that you have reviewed composition and how it relates to video, I want you to read the following articles on framing/shots for video. Then I want you to pick stills from one of your favorite movies (a different one from the last question) showing examples of the following shots:

1. Aerial Shot
2. Establishing
3. Close Up
4. Extreme Close Up
5. Medium
6. Over the Shoulder
7. Low Angle
8. High Angle
9. Two-Shot
10.Wide (Long)

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/video/tips-and-solutions/filmmaking-101-camera-shot-types

https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/12-most-popular-camera-shots-actors-should-know/

Finally, I want you to write about a brief movie idea that you could complete for this class. The theme for this project is "World Improvement." Possibilities may include advertising/showcasing an anti bullying campaign, the benefits of veganism, pet adoption vs puppy mills, etc. I am happy to discuss/help you come up with something if you are struggling for ideas. **Hint hint! We will be using some of the best ideas for our next project!