The Private Self
Research, collect and explore
Extending earlier investigations of portraits, students are to select and research photographic images of one person/character. These should aim to show a range of different expressions and be made by different photographers, in different contexts. How is the photographic medium manipulated to convey different aspects of character?
Ask students to consider the following areas: background, lighting, props, body language/ facial expression, scale/ cropping/ framing and reason made.
Photographing the self
Digital photography workshop in which students will explore the photographic devices of lighting, props, hair, makeup, and dramatic expression (of face and body) to make images of each other. The aim is to help students develop their visual understanding of the ways in which they can use exaggeration/ disguise to explore fictional selves.
Location
How does the background or location the sitter chooses to be photographed in convey ideas about self? Working in ICT to source a range of different backgrounds, students will create and then analyse the effect of inserting their self-portrait photographs into a setting. Composites will be made in PhotoShop.
Cropping/ framing
Continuing to explore photographic devices, students will work in ICT with PhotoShop to experiment with their images using cropping and framing tools. How can the meaning of a photographic image change through this process? Can such changes aid the presentation of identity in a portrait?
Evaluate
Students are to review their fictional, photographic portrait-images to reflect both on the messages conveyed within their work and the application of their practical skills and techniques.
Students should identify the most successful aspects of their work in order to refine their ideas. They will then create one final composite image using PhotoShop.