Self Portrait (Winter Break Assignment)

Self Portrait Assignment

The Art of Constructing a Self-Portrait

A self-portrait comes from within. Injecting 'those we love' into the portrait steers one away from the harder task to trying to reveal self without adornment.

If you eat, sleep, and live for speed then your self-portrait should reflect motion and movement as one of its cornerstones.

If you are a reflective type, then reflections and patterns and their intersections should occupy a primary space.

If overall you feel more flawed then whole, then you wouldn't want to go about photographing the most pristine parts of yourself; you would want, instead, to capture your essence in a manner that describes and defines you without complaining. I say that because the essence of self-discovery requires you to be a benign observer of self so as not to hone in too closely on this or that part.

A sense of 'wholeness' is difficult to capture at best. Indeed, wholeness is almost impossible for some people to even understand -- let alone capture in themselves -- because their persons and their lives are so fragmented, so disorganized in general.

But that is what self-portraiture is all about, capturing the whole -- the whole of who you are as a person.

Try to be unforgiving in a benign and neutral way. Study yourself in the mirror and photograph what you see there. Then go inside yourself and photograph what you see there.

You will shoot four different good self-portraits over break (it will take LOTS of images to achieve 4 good photos). You need to pick four photo types from the following five categories.

1. A self-portrait where color is emphasized. Color may include wardrobe, location, props, or natural objects. Think of your picture as a one or two color concept picture.

2. A picture that emphasizes lighting and shadows. This will be a grayscale self-portrait.

3. A self-portrait that showcases your interests and hobbies. In this picture we learn what you like to do away from school. Think about what interests you and transfer that into a photo.

4. A fantasy self-portrait. Dress up and use costumes. In this self-portrait you can use Photoshop to enhance your picture in any way, shape, or form. Transfer yourself to Hawaii or become a Viking like you have always wanted.

5. The Supermodel self-portrait. Dress up like a GQ or Cosmopolitan magazine model. This can be a grayscale or color picture. You will use Photoshop to airbrush and enhance this photo.

6. An abstract self portrait that focuses on textures, shapes, and interesting lines and patterns. You must be the subject of this image, but represent yourself in a creative, abstract and unique way where you are only partially recognizable...

First of all, I want you to look at the photos on the following websites for self-portrait ideas and then answer the following questions. Please use text edit, Abi Word, or Word and drop the answers into the proper class folder.

• http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/dynoGall2.asp?catID=441

• http://www.teachingphoto.com/school_work.html

• 
  

Also, go to Getty Images and do a portraits search (self-portraits on getty show people taking pictures of themselves. We do not need to see the camera)

What four categories do you think you will pick? Why?

What are your interests and hobbies that you can showcase in your self-portrait?

What colors will be the best for you to work with for self-portrait where color is emphasized? What are your favorite colors?

Do you have any costumes or props you can use for the self-portraits?

Next, I want you to grab two separate sheets of paper and sketch two of your ideas for self-portraits. Include location, outfits, poses, costumes, and facial expressions etc. I realize that not everything is an amazing artist, but do your best.

Hints for self-portraits:

Use colors or lighting to create a concept.

Costumes or uniforms work great.

Change angles.

Use props.

Vary the lighting.

Try different emotional looks.

Pose in action.

Most importantly for this assignment don't forget your composition rules. Use framing, leading lines, rule of thirds, color contrast etc. to enhance your photo. Fill the frame.

Photo Essay in iMovie

Photo essays images should be edited in PhotoShop. Then each image should be imported into iMovie to create a slide show telling the story of your photo essay. Titles and transitions should be added. Music can be found here freeplaymusic.com to add an audio track.

EXPORT your iMovie to a quicktime file set to CD-Rom quality. Turn into the classes folder of the staff server. Due 12-18/19 at the START of class!

Photo Essay Deadlines

Dec-10 -- you should have shot 25 + images for your photo essay.

Dec-11/12 -- you will have the day to edit your images or shoot more if needed.

Dec-13/14 -- today is your day to begin to stitch your images together into a slide show. Consider the order they are in, captions, background music (or lack there of), etc.

Each image should be interesting, unique, and related to your topic. You should not have repeat images, but images should have a throughline aesthetically and emotionally.

Photo Essay...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photojournalism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_essay

Photo Essays tell stories with pictures in ways that words cannot. They show us the faces of joy, pain, pride and fear.

One famous photo essayist was Larry Burrows. Burrows was killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam but his work helped show the face of war to Americans.


TimeLife.com has a Burrows memorial page that has some of his photographs including 15 photographs that served as covers for Life Magazine. This photo is from the cover of his book, Vietnam. You can see some of the photos from this link to the book on Amazon.com.



Time and Life magazines both have a long history of photo journalism. Many of these photo essays are on-line and available for viewing.

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Assignment - Photo Essay (Part 1)

In this assignment you will create your own photo essay. To help prepare you for this you should review some other photo essays and prepare a report.

Select a photo essay from the Time.com web site.

Select one essay and to review it. You will need to respond to these points in a word processing program:

1. Did the photographer use staged photos, candid photos or both?
2. Color or B&W? Did it make a difference? What factors contributed to the selection of one over the other?
3. Find examples of good framing and composition and point them out. How close does the subject feel in the photo?
4. Find examples of good use of color and light. Do you see backlighting? Were the photos taken early or late in the day?
   
5. How much narration and text support the essay?
6. Do the photos in the essay stand alone or do they need to be seen as a part of the whole?
7. Describe your reaction to the essay. Do all photo essays illicit a reaction in the viewer?

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Assignment - Photo Essay (Part 2)

Criteria:

1. Minimum of 8 photos
2. Single theme or "story" for the essay
3. Consider the following in composing your photographs:
• Color or B&W
• Composition
• Lighting
• Angle and distance to subject
• Candid or posed photos?
4. Consider the need for text to accompany each photograph.

Do some advanced planning and make a list of the photographs you'd like to take. MOST of the work for this assignment will happen OUTSIDE of class and AWAY from school. Plan early and get started early on this one...