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

Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 3. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that it demonstrates the concept of depth of field. For this photo, I wanted the trees in the background and the water in the foreground to be in focus. I wanted to incorporate a greater depth of field in order to capture the scene where Alligator Rock can be found. I felt like this would draw the viewer’s eyes deeper into the photograph and would allow him/her to see what an awesome place this is.

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

Reflection: I selected this photograph for Project 1. It meets the requirements for this assignment in that it is a portrait which attempts to reveal something about the interior of my son as well as the exterior. To me, this photo conveys that my son is cautious and that he is a critical thinker. He is also a little competitive! Here, he is contemplating his next move in a game of checkers in an effort to outfox his brother.

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!