Representing my Feelings Photography Project

Photography Project

         This assignment is a creative way of thinking about how we represent feelings abstractly through everyday objects.  You will need a digital camera.  If you have a camera on your phone that will allow you to download images to your computer, you are all set.

Look around spaces where you currently spend a lot of time.  Photograph one object that represents how you are feeling in your life right now.  The key to this assignment is to photograph the same object at least 5 times and from several different angles in such a way that it expresses how this object may have meaning.

1. This means you need to consider how near or far you will hold you camera in proximity to the object.  Close ups can create an intensity and even abstract an object, while objects from a distance may lack focus or any clear communication of how the image is meant to be read.
2. Consider if you will photograph object from above or below, and how sharp your angle from any direction will be.  These choices can evoke a mood in relation to the object.
3. What kind of lighting will you use?  Will there be strong shadows or an even light.  These are very important choices in producing expressiveness for an object.
4. Finally, consider how your object is focused.  You can focus most smart phones by touching the screen in the area that you want to be focused.

You will submit 5 different photographs of the one object (on one page), incorporating different choices from those above.  Insert all of the photographs to a word document.  Be sure to size the photographs, so that you can fit several images on a page. (An easy way to resize pictures is here: )

Here is a fun blog with some interesting ideas:

After you insert your five practice images, choose your favorite of the five and insert it in a larger version on the next page (REFER TO EXAMPLE). (I have attached the “Example–Gourd” in the additional materials) So you will have 5 pictures that are your practice shots, and then on the next page you will have your favorite one presented larger.  Under the large picture, write a reflection explaining why you chose your object, how it relates to your life, and how the aesthetic choices you made in lighting, angle, proximity, and focus express or communicate your feelings or emotions about the object.  You can also reflect on the images throughout the project, as I did in the example.(