The Photographer’s Right
In this article, Bert Krages provides a concise list of photographers’ rights as well as what to do if ever detained or harassed by someone trying to prevent you from taking photographs. Two things that stood out to me were the fact that it is a “general rule” in the United States that anyone may take photographs of whatever they want when they are in public places where they have permission to take photographs and that others have no right to confiscate your camera or film without a court order. I couldn’t believe that photographers have so much freedom! I think it is great, though. Personally, I would have been the first one to hand over my camera if ever confronted. I’m glad to know that I don’t have to!
Krages, B.P. (2006). The photographer’s right. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf.
Legal Issues for Photography
The authors of this article review three copyright issues regarding photography. The first issue they discuss is that of orphan works. These are photographs for which the copyright owner is unknown or cannot be found. The Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) was enacted in 1992 and extends the time a work is protected. This brought confusion because some photographs which were believed to be in the public domain were no longer copyright free. A second issue discussed is the ownership rights of freelance artists. Basically, their rights are unclear and copyrights may have to be shared between them and the publishers of their work. The final issue addressed in this article deals with the publicity and privacy rights of individuals. These rights are governed by the state in which the person photographed resides. Therefore, rights vary from state to state. There are also strict time frames in which individuals can file claims for others using their photographs. After reading about these three issues, I am in agreement with the authors that people interested in using photographs taken by and/or featuring others should first seek the advice of an attorney. After all, “the most cost-effective solution is to address the situation through preemptive measures rather than after-the-fact damage control” (Tune & Wagner, 2009).
Tune, C.A. & Wagner, E.E. (2009). Legal issues for photography. Retrieved July 6, 2010, from http://www.pillsburylaw.com/siteFiles/Publications/4CC8DED3E2AFCB9CE3F6E89EC2564 6DE.pdf
Monday, July 12, 2010
Collaborative Lesson Plan
I collaborated with Krista Bowen and Leah Doughman to develop this lesson. Students took pictures to illustrate vocabulary words. They then used their pictures and the defintions of the words to create vocabulary glogs. To view the plan and see sample student glogs, click the link below.
http://stu.westga.edu/~sbloche1/7466_clp_sdb.docx
http://stu.westga.edu/~sbloche1/7466_clp_sdb.docx
Digital Storytelling Project
I co-created this digital story with Krista Bowen and Leah Doughman. We wanted to introduce our students to community helpers and the jobs they do. To see our story, click on the link below.
http://stu.westga.edu/~sbloche1/7466_digitalstorytellingproject_sdb.wmv
http://stu.westga.edu/~sbloche1/7466_digitalstorytellingproject_sdb.wmv
Thursday, July 8, 2010
P10: Atmospheric Space
Title: Shining Through
Tags: sun, clouds, rays, sky
Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 10. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that it depicts atmospheric space. I took this photo of the sky on a day which threatened (but never produced) rain. This atmospheric space includes the clouds, the blue sky, and the rays of the sun.
I valued this assignment because it allowed me to capture something I enjoy viewing- the beautiful sky. I have taken a few photographs similar to this in which I tried to capture the rays of sunlight streaming down from the sky. However, none of them compared to this photograph. The rays were wide and plentiful. They really stood out against the gray and white clouds and the blue sky. If I were retaking this shot, I would not change a thing. I took several different shots, trying to eliminate the treetops and show only the sky. However, once I reviewed the photographs, I felt the silhouettes of the treetops added a nice detail to the shot. The shots without them looked too plain.
I could use photos depicting atmospheric space for many purposes in my kindergarten classroom. I could use them to teach my students about the day and night skies. I could also use them to teach my students about different types of weather. Photos emphasizing atmospheric space would be useful in a class file to be used as story starters as well. I could ask my kindergarteners to write stories using the photograph as their setting. I would definitely talk with my students about each picture so that I could help them build their vocabularies. This is always something from which kindergarten students can benefit.
P9: Transforming Objects
Title: Snowed
Tags: dandelion, weed, seeds, extreme close-up
Reflection:I selected this photograph for Project 9. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that it is an extreme close-up which challenges the viewer’s perception of what the object really is. In this photo, the easily recognizable dandelion was transformed into something which looks quite similar to snow.
This assignment was the toughest for me out of all of the projects. I kept racking my brain for an idea. I took several photographs from the bird’s eye and the worm’s eye views but did not feel that any of them were the right photograph for this project. I was about to give up when I discovered this shot while editing a dandelion photo I had taken “just because.” I loved it! Therefore, I value this assignment because it showed me that the simplest of objects can become art. If I were retaking this photograph, I would pick the dandelion and hold it up so that the blue sky was in the background. I would then crop it so that part of the dandelion was in the picture while the blue sky served as the backdrop. I saw a similar photo on a website and thought it looked awesome.
I could use this photograph to teach many skills in my kindergarten classroom. I would show it to my students when teaching them about plants. I would talk to my students about how the wind carries the seeds so that more dandelions can grow. I would use it in a matching game where students match the extreme close-up of the objects to the original photographs. I would ask my students to look at this and other extreme close-up photographs and to tell me what they think the objects could be. I think activities such as this would be fun and would help build my young students’ vocabularies.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
P8: Creative Filter
Title: Painted Petals
Tags: flower, nature, plants, crosshatch
Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 8. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that it was edited using a creative filter. For this photo, I selected the crosshatch effect from the brush strokes menu in Photoshop. I thought that the flowers in the original photo looked like they were painted, so I chose an effect which would enhance that look and create the effect of a painting.
I valued this assignment because it forced me to explore the many filters available in Photoshop. I could not believe the many options available! It is amazing how much a filter can change a photograph. I look forward to exploring filters more with future photographs. If retaking this original photograph, I would try to zoom in even more on the flower. However, I am not sure that my current lens would allow this. Until I can purchase a stronger zoom lens, Photoshop will have to do for zooming in closer. Using it, I was able to create this beautiful photograph. I think I did a nice job using the rule of thirds in the edited photograph.
At first, I had trouble thinking of ways this photograph could be used in my kindergarten classroom. I was thinking too much! Young children can always benefit from vocabulary building, and a picture’s worth a thousand words! We could discuss the picture. I could ask questions such as, “What do you see?” Or “Have you ever seen a flower like this? Where were you?” I could use this photograph to teach my students the parts of a flower. We could compare/contrast the original shot and the one with the filter applied. I could even use photographs such as this to teach my students their colors. They would love it!
P7: Reflection
Title: On the Surface
Tags: dock, Hunter, reflection
Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 7. It is a picture of my son as seen on the surface of the lake. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that it incorporates a reflection. I captured the reflection of my son as well as the dock on which he was standing.
I really valued this assignment because it forced me to expand my creativity by looking at reflections as subjects. Normally, I would focus on the people or objects and not their reflections. Had I done so, I would have missed this great shot. I love how this photo turned out! I left just enough of my son’s feet to let the viewer know he was peering over the edge of the dock. I like the angle of this shot and the way it is framed. The only thing I would change if given the opportunity to retake this photo would be to take the photo before allowing my sons to feed the fish. I had to edit out the fish food so that there were no distractions from the reflection.
I could use photos such as this one for many purposes in my kindergarten classroom. One thing I could use it for is to teach my students about shadows. We talk about shadows when learning about the sun and the heat and light it provides. I could also use this picture as a story starter. I could have my students write about what the boy is doing or what they believe he is thinking. I could use this photo to build vocabulary by talking about where the picture was taken and what the students see. I could also use this photograph to illustrate to my students what a reflection is.
Friday, July 2, 2010
P6: Rule of Thirds
Title:Spooky Tree
Tags: tree,nature, woods, rule of thirds
Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 6. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that the object of focus is located in a position which follows the rule of thirds. My focus, the hole in the tree, is located in the upper right intersection of the grid. While I like this photo the way it is, I might cut a little more off the bottom of the tree and include a little more of the top if given the opportunity to retake it.
I really valued this assignment because it forced me to explore a type of shot which is not my first instinct- the rule of thirds. I typically center the subject of all of my photos. While this can be a very effective choice, it should not be the only choice a photographer uses. If I had chosen to center the tree, I would have had to zoom out more or cut off the branches to the left. This tree would not have looked nearly as interesting.
I could use photos using the rule of thirds as I could any photo taken. Some possibilities include using such pictures as story starters, to build vocabulary, or to teach concepts such as community helpers. I want to incorporate photos with varying placements of my subjects so that my kindergarten students can learn from a very early age that there are many different possibilities for placement in photography.
P5: Light and Shadow
Title: Made in the Shade
Tags: leaf, shadow, light
Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 5. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that the focus is the shadow created by the leaf above this one and the sunlight which caused the effect. I feel that macro was the best mode for this shot as it allowed me to really zoom in on the leaf and blur out the leaves in the background. I also feel that I chose a nice angle so that the leaf was placed on a diagonal to add interest. I would not change anything if retaking this shot.
I really valued this assignment because it made me think outside the box. I had to focus on light and shadows rather than objects. This was new for me. Now, I find myself looking at all of the shadows I see around me everywhere I go! I now focus more on details I would have previously overlooked. Hopefully, this new outlook on the world will help me to capture many wonderful photographs in the future.
I could use photos such as this to teach science concepts to my kindergarten students. The Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) specify that students should learn about the sun and how it supplies light and heat to Earth. Shadows are a natural extension to teach students about cause and effect. When objects block light, they create shadows. Photos which show shadows and light would be nice tools to use for such lessons.
Monday, June 21, 2010
P4: Select an Assignment (flower)
Title:Maypop
Tags: maypop, flower, passion flower
Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 4. This project allowed me to choose the type of assignment I wanted to submit, so I chose a flower shot. I used the macro or flower mode on my camera which allowed me to zoom in and focus on my subject, the maypop flower, while blurring the background.
I really valued this assignment because, like my students, I enjoy having choices. I have taken many great shots since this course began and want to share them with my professor and my classmates. However, many of my shots do not fit in the assignment categories designated on the syllabus or are the same types of shots I have already used. I love the macro mode! If I were retaking the original photo, I would zoom in even more on the flower. Thankfully, I was able to do this with my Photoshop software. It enabled me to zoom in on an unusual yet very interesting flower for this photo.
One way I could use this particular picture in my classroom is to help teach my kindergarten students the parts of a flower. I could blow it up to poster size and print names of the parts (i.e. petal, stamen, pistol, etc.) so that my students could label them. I could take pictures in macro mode of many other types of plants and insects and use them to teach vocabulary words. I could even take pictures of fruits and vegetables to use for sorting and classifying. This type of photo is great because it allows students to see so much detail!
P3: Depth of Field
Title: Alligator Rock
Tags: Alligator Rock, creek, trees
I found this assignment to be of value because it helped me to learn another concept about photography: selecting the appropriate depth of field. Photographers must adjust their depth of field to maximize the focus of their photo. I honestly would not change anything if retaking this shot. I feel that I effectively used the rule of thirds to determine the placement of my focus (Alligator Rock). I decided not to crop the original as I did not want to remove too much of the foreground and background because they were part of the great depth of field I desired. In the edited version above, I adjusted the color somewhat to enhance the green of the trees. Otherwise, this would not have been a very colorful photo.
For my class picture file, I would incorporate photos with varied depths of field. Again, the depth of field would be determined by considering the focus for the photo. While I could use such pictures for many things, one thing that comes to mind is teaching basic story elements to my kindergarten students. I would take photographs with greater depths of field to use to illustrate the element of setting. The students would be able to focus on many things in the picture and to describe the setting in rich detail. For pictures to demonstrate the element of character I would probably select photos with narrower depths of field. I would want my students to focus on the character and not the setting around the character.
P2: Scene (Landscape)
Title: Dockside
Tags: dock, lake, water
Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 2. It meets the requirements of the assignment in that it utilized a mode other than the portrait mode used for Project 1. For this shot, I used the landscape mode. It allowed me to photograph a distant scene while keeping everything in focus. To improve the original shot, I would have framed it better so that it did not show as much grass as I did at the bottom. It looks better in this edited version because it creates a better balance between the height of the grass at the bottom and the heights of the trees at the top. In the edited photo they appear to be in better proportion to each other.
I valued this assignment for many reasons. First, it forced me to explore my camera and the modes further. It also required me to get up and get some exercise while searching for a great landscape to photograph. Through this assignment, I learned more about the importance of looking at the world through the camera’s viewfinder in order to determine what would make a nice picture. As I read in our text, what the eye sees is different from what the camera captures. Without using the viewfinder, I may not have realized how nice this photo would be.
I think photos taken in the landscape mode could be used to enhance instruction across the curriculum. I could use landscape photos to teach my kindergarten students about landforms, plants and trees, and community places (such as the newly renovated hospital in LaGrange). We could even match the community places with the portraits of the community helpers who work in them! I could also add landscape photos to my picture file to pull out to teach vocabulary words or to offer possible story topics. I could use landscape photos to have my students compare heights of objects in math. There are many opportunities in my classroom where landscape photos would come in handy!
P1: Portrait
Title: Champ
Tags: Grant, checkers, game
I really valued this assignment because I had never turned the dial on my camera for anything more than to view the photos I had already taken. This assignment forced me to turn the dial and explore a mode I had never used before: the portrait mode. I love the way the portrait mode allows the focus to be on the person by blurring the background. If I were retaking this photo, I would zoom in more on my son. I hesitated to do this because I did not want to cut his arm off or eliminate the checkerboard. However, I now understand that cropping out part of the person is fine. It adds interest to the photo.
I could use portraits in my kindergarten classroom for many purposes. I would begin by taking students’ portraits for display in the hall beside samples of their work. I would take portraits of students at the beginning of the school year and again at the end to show students (and parents) how much they have grown. I could use portraits in a picture file to be used as story starters. I could also use portraits to teach vocabulary (such as “custodian”), the story element of characters, community helpers, and about feelings. We could compare portraits and tell how they alike and how they are different. The possibilities are limitless!
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