The photo essay project is a year long project that extends across many curriculums: Visual Arts, Environmental Science, Health Science and Character Education, Media Literacy (part of the Language Curriculum).
In Visual and Media Arts, especially, we are working towards a better understanding of our environment in relation to all elements of design - line, texture, colour, depth, shape, form, and space. These are critical elements that we have discussed in class.
To start, I projected some famous images by Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, etc. I asked the students how certain photographs made them feel, what they thought was going on in the photograph, and why someone would choose such a subject? It was easy for them to conclude that everything has beauty if we stop to take a look at it. After this discussion, I then informed the class that they would be taking photos of our everyday environment (mostly outside) where they would focus on interesting shapes, lines, forms, and colours found in our every day environment. They were then given a small digital camera, an iPod, or an iPad with which to take photos.
By stopping during our busy daily lives and focusing on a subject that we see (possibly, take for granted every day), we recognize that we are surrounded by beauty, by complexity, and that it is worth taking a closer look at our surroundings. This 'environmental empathy' (or connection to your surroundings) seems to be a key component that is missing in our modern age. So, I wanted to start the students on a journey with photography that will teach them to empathize and/or connect with their surroundings. The project will then extend to photographs of other students (with the requisite permissions), tableaus or photos of staged, difficult situations. For now, we're focusing on the beauty of every day objects. And they're doing quite a fantastic job.
As part of the Visual Arts curriculum, they will continue to create and improve upon their ability with a camera through focusing on all design elements in photography, and then will also present their work and explore the art form of photography in a greater cultural context. In addition, this photography essay will also hopefully promote an understanding of how media constructs images for us and the messages conveyed by such images.
The culminating assignment for this project will be photography show/exhibit at the end of the year wherein each student will showcase their best work.
